Search engine optimization or SEO content writing is the whole process of planning, crafting, and optimizing content. Its main aim is to make content that will get a high spot in the search engine results pages. To increase your ranking on Google, you must publish high-quality content. But just posting such content isn’t enough. To make it discoverable for more people, it needs to be optimized for the search engine. Writing for SEO requires you to have good copy skills. So, how can you begin the process of pleasing both the search engine and your readers? Keep reading this article to know all about it.
What is SEO Content Writing?
SEO writing refers to writing that includes key phrases and keywords. These keywords and keyphrases are being used by a business’s target audience when they search for products on the internet. Marketers and copywriters use SEO to enhance the organic visibility of their sites. The most powerful method to write for SEO is making high-quality content that incorporates targeted search terms.
How to Get Ahead at SEO Content Writing?
It’s surprising how great a role a writer can play in optimizing their written content for the search engine. Follow these steps, and you’ll ensure that all your content is visible and ranking high on the search results.
1. Understand your audience
It is the first step for writing SEO-friendly content. You must be well-aware of the likes and interests of your target audience base. Only then can you create content that directly answers their queries. People will like reading your content only when it puts to rest the burning questions on their minds. So, you must undertake good audience research and only then make a content strategy.
2. Write keyword-rich titles
Your SEO content will never reach the right people if it doesn’t have targeted keywords. It implies phrases that your readers are actively looking. While writing content, you must use keywords related to the subject. It must be in the first 65 characters of the title. If you are unsure about keyword research, you can use some effective online tools. The three most popular ones for getting keywords are:
- Answerthepublic(dot)com
- Google Keyword Planner to know about monthly searches by users.
- Ubersuggest to generate keyword ideas with related search volume and competition.
3. Keep the ranking factors in mind
Along with your brand’s objectives, you also need to keep the preferences of Google in mind. RankBrain is the primary algorithm through which the search engine works. It processes web pages and determines their ranking in the search engine results pages. So, creating digital content is equal parts pleasing your readers and pleasing Google. The writers of SEO content writing services consider the following key ranking factors.
- Quality of content – It involves determining if you are writing user-friendly and relevant content.
- User experience – Here, you should find whether your content is valuable to the reader.
- Backlinks – Are other sites linking back to your content?
- Mobile optimization– Can your website open easily on mobile screens.
- HTTPS – Find whether your website is secure or not.
- Page speed – Are your web pages able to load in under two seconds?
- Depth of the content – Does your content offer more detailed information than other similar pages on the internet?
- Direct traffic – Do people come to your website directly, or do they need to Google you first.
- Schema – Can search engines understand your content easily?
- Behavioral signals – Are people commenting, sharing, and mentioning your content elsewhere?
4. Use keywords strategically
SEO writing has evolved a lot in recent years. Earlier, you could rank for content with a single keyword on every line. But today, with the complexity of Google’s algorithm, this practice causes more harm than good. Stuffing your content with keywords at various places is regarded as spammy.
Essentially, every web page should be created around a specific keyword. Writers should cover all aspects of that topic so their readers can find everything in one place.
5. Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and alt text
You must think about every writing piece from a holistic perspective. The most significant aspect of SEO content writing is optimizing the metadata. Metadata shows what your content is all about and how it must be displayed on the search engine results pages.
To optimize title tags, follow these tips:
- Use a single header tag on every page, which includes the primary keyword.
- It must not be more than 70 characters.
- Every page should have a distinct title tag.
To optimize meta descriptions, take note of these points:
- Keep them to 160 characters.
- Write catchy sentences that make people click.
To optimize alt text, note these points.
- Use a language that aligns with the image.
- Use keywords in the alt text.
- Alt text shouldn’t be more than 125 characters.
6. Structure the Posts
Even though you may have written great content, they’ll get lost if your posts are not structured well. So, break up your content into smaller paragraphs. These paragraphs should have a heading. It helps the readers to understand your content better. It’s also essential to use a proper tag hierarchy when you are tagging headlines.
- H1 – It’s the title of your page. Use it only once.
- H2 – It shows core points within your content.
- H3 – These are for subtopics that you can accommodate under H2s.
Ensure to include a keyword in all these headers. You should frame the structure of your article around the topics that are most relevant for your readers.
Summing up
Writing quality content optimized for SEO is key to gaining the top spot on the search engine. Use the SEO content writing tips mentioned above to gain more engagement on your website. You can also get the assistance of a professional SEO content writing service if you need more help writing and organizing such content.
