The best way to get organic traffic online is with an effective SEO strategy that includes SEO content writing. So first, you need a high-quality, easy-to-read site that search engines and your audience finds valuable. Sounds easy enough, right?!
In this article, we’re diving deep into the art of SEO content writing and how it can increase your visibility online. Let’s get to it!
What is SEO Content Writing?
SEO content writing is a digital marketing technique that can help you rank first on the search engine results pages. Also, known as SERPs. This process heavily depends on understanding the Google algorithm, finding target keywords or phrases, and creating optimized material to be distributed online.
Good SEO subject matter should be written for your audiences to enhance their overall experience. This leads to higher conversions, like click-through rates, and can reduce your bounce rate keeping them on your site for longer periods of time. The goal of SEO content should be to inform and educate your audience, while also increasing searchability online.
Without SEO content, search engines may not even recognize your site leading to little or no website traffic. And no business wants that!
Why is Unique Content so Important in SEO?
High-quality SEO content will always help drive traffic to your site. However, it’s important to understand how unique materials and SEO work together to make this happen.
Unique or original messaging separate you from the competition. Google and other search engines can recognize this and boost your materials to be more visible online. Unique content builds trust and authority, so search engines prioritize this type of messaging to give value to readers.
Alternatively, duplicated content can severely destroy your website as Google punishes sites with too much duplicate text. Make sure you’re checking your messaging regularly to ensure their uniqueness and always keep your target audience in mind when developing new material.
The Basics of an SEO Content Strategy
Now that we’ve discussed why SEO content writing is so important, let’s dive into the 6 basics of an SEO content marketing strategy.
Write for your target audience, always.
By now, it should come as no surprise that you have to know who you’re writing for. You can’t develop an SEO strategy without knowing your target audience. Then you can create a unique voice that will resonate with your audiences and keep them engaged.
Determine Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Every good SEO strategy should outline measurable goals and KPIs. Without this, you have nothing to work towards. A few common KPIs to measure your on-page SEO success may include:
- Organic Website Traffic – the number of organic users that visit your website. This may include new and recurring visitors.
- Click-through rate – the number of link clicks received during a given time period.
- Page Views – the number of views a specific page receives on your website.
- Page Bounce Rate – the percentage of visitors who visit your site and then leave before visiting any other pages of your website.
- SERP position – how your website ranks in organic search.
- Conversion rate – the number of actions taken on your website during a given timeframe. For example, the number of signup forms or new subscribers.
Perform Keyword Research
SEO content writing is largely based on keyword research. This means finding relevant words, phrases, and questions that your target audience is searching for online. By understanding what they’re looking for, you can provide a valuable resource to educate them on a particular topic. Luckily for you, there are quite a few free tools available online that can help you identify keywords.
Develop a Content Plan
Once you’ve done your research you can begin to develop a content plan or integrate this into your current plan. Include an outline of your topics, who will be writing it, and a release schedule. This will help you and your team stay organized and on top of your unique messaging.
Strategically use Backlinks
A crucial part of a successful SEO strategy is utilizing backlinks or link building. To put it simply, backlinks are internal links within your site or external links that drive traffic to another website. Google ranks your site based on the total number of backlinks your website has accumulated and the quality of those links. So you definitely want to include this as part of your SEO strategy.
Measure results and refresh as needed
Lastly, make sure to continuously review and measure the results of your materials. Use Google Analytics to assess the KPIs you defined above. Also, make sure to refresh and optimize your messaging on an ongoing basis. Search engines love fresh content so don’t just publish and leave it.
How to Optimize Content for SEO
Whether you’re writing new messaging or refreshing past ones, consider these steps to help you optimize content for SEO.
Use keywords in your headings
Headings or title tags help keep your page organized so that Google can quickly and efficiently analyze your site. They should only be used for the title of your article or page, as well as subheadings. Here is a reference guide to get you started:
H1: This should only be used for the title of your page.
H2: Use for any subtopic titles.
H3: For additional subtopics listed underneath an H2 subtopic. These can be bullet points or numbered lists.
H4 (or higher): Can be used for additional lists, but is hardly used in most online content.
Write long-form content
In order for Google to find your website valuable, it needs to contain a lot of information. A good rule of thumb is to include 1,000 – 1,200 words of high-quality text per page.
Provide Visuals
Another element that adds value to your site is the use of multimedia, like imagery, infographics, charts, graphics, or videos. Having too much text on a page can hinder your efforts. Include multiple visuals to help back up the information you’re providing. Don’t forget to include an optimized Alt Text (alternative text) description for every image as well. Not only does this better your SEO efforts, but it assists in describing images to visually impaired readers.
Pay attention to Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Alt Text
Metadata provides a snippet of what your message is about to search engines. So pay close attention to title tags, meta descriptions, and alt text when optimizing each page of your site. Be as descriptive as possible, include your primary keyword, and preview the snippet. Remove any text that will get cut off by the Google Preview.
Review with a Keyword Density Checker
Search engines will penalize your site for using too many of the same keywords. Also, known as keyword stuffing. Make it a habit to check your copy before publishing it using a free keyword density checker.
Check Page Loading Speed
Providing a great user experience is one of Google’s prominent ranking factors. Check that your website loading times are running 30 seconds or less. The quicker your site loads, the better the experience your users will have. Try Pingdom or GTmetrix for a free speed test now.
Ensure your mobile-optimized
People spend the most time on their phones now. So taking the time to optimize your site for mobile has to be done to ensure the best user experience. Simply enter your website into Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test here to see if you’re mobile friendly.
Include social media share links for Engagement
Behavioral signs, such as sharing, liking, or commenting on a post, are another great way to optimize your site for SEO. You’ll also want to make sure that you’re sharing each piece of content with other marketing channels to increase exposure.
Make Use of Relevant Plug-Ins Like Yoast
Before you hit publish, check with free tools like Yoast to ensure you’re page is optimized for SEO.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to ranking online. But fear not! Start by determining the right keywords to use on your site then make an action plan. If you’re still not sure how to get started, feel free to contact us to discuss this in more detail.
