There are plenty of ways for a website to rank on the search results, one of them is through writing detailed and effective content. But is it enough to help you rank in the top results? Well this is where you need to consider your digital marketing efforts and invest in SEO content writing.
It might sound simple and straightforward but in order to craft a compelling piece of content you need to consider the different steps and strategies of SEO content writing.
SEO writing is a process in which content is produced with the intention of getting it ranked on the first page of search engines. In order to achieve this, your content needs to stand out and look awesome in the eyes of search engines like Google.
But how should you do it? The answer is simple: On-page SEO is the key to ranking higher. Content that is created without SEO might not appear on the first page of a search engine, making it difficult for the page to gain traffic.
So we already established that to rank higher on the search results you need to write awesome content that is well optimized but why does SEO matter for content rankability and how does Google know which type of content to rank in the top results?
Actually Google doesn’t know or understand the content itself, after all it is just an algorithm and it doesn’t think like a normal human.
Instead, it relies on different on-page SEO ranking factors such as keyword density, header tags, image alt tags and more as a criteria that it considers rankable enough, it does this by using spider-like crawlers that crawl over the content to check what the page is about.
Through content crawling, Google learns more about the webpage and the language used in it. SEO writing optimizes the content in a way that it is easily crawlable by Google and is judged favorably. Hence, better positioning in the SERP.
Keep in mind that no matter how high the quality of your content, if it is not SEO optimized, it won’t have a chance to rank in the top results.
Want your content to rank higher and reach the right audience? We can help you with an SEO strategy that delivers real results. Contact us today!
The magic formula for ranking content lies in following Google's algorithm. Content that is written according to the aspects of the Google algorithm is bound to rank higher.
Here are the most important factors you need to know:
User intent should be the number one aspect to consider when you write your content.
It ultimately refers to what the user is looking to achieve or learn when they perform a search query.
Writing optimized and well written content is good for ranking but it’s not enough to get you in the top results if your content isn’t matching the search intent.
You need to understand the nature of the topic you are writing about.
One way to do this is by performing a Google search for your focused keyword to see what type of content is currently ranking at the top.
Once you’ve analyzed the top-ranking content, you should aim to replicate and improve upon it with your own unique content.
Here are the different search intents to consider:
Informational intent refers to a search where the user is seeking knowledge or answers to specific questions. The user is looking for detailed information, such as how-tos, definitions, or explanations on a particular topic.
Navigational intent refers to a search where the user is looking to find a specific website or webpage. The user already knows where they want to go and uses a search engine to navigate directly to that site.
For example, typing "Facebook login" into Google indicates that the user wants to go directly to Facebook's login page.
Commercial intent is when users are in the process of considering or evaluating products or services with the potential intention of making a purchase. This can include activities like researching different options, comparing prices, reading reviews, or looking for discounts.
Transactional searches means the user is ready to make a specific action such as a purchase or a signup for a service.
It’s no surprise that keyword optimization is considered a ranking factor by search engines since it reflects the overall topic of the content.
To optimize your keywords, use them strategically within your content. While there is no minimum number of times you must mention your target keyword.
Ensure your target keyword appears naturally throughout the content. Avoid forcing it, as this can make the text feel unnatural.
You want to mention your target keyword in:
SEO writing isn’t just about optimizing content for search engines. While that’s necessary it’s also equally important to ensure that your content is engaging, accessible, and valuable to your readers and potential customers.
SEO content writing is more about ‘how’ to write and ‘less’ about what you write. It is because the end reader is your audience and probably your potential customer.
This means you should communicate with the language of your audience and navigate them through the content easily.
Break down your content into small, digestible paragraphs and present it in a straightforward, enjoyable manner. Remember, readers have short attention spans and want to find information quickly.
Example: If you’re writing a blog post about healthy recipes, include information such nutritional benefits, preparation time, reviews, interactive elements and nutrition facts.
Optimizing your content with your targeted keywords is key to beating your competitors, it's crucial to drive traffic and improve your search rankings.
Using keyword research tools like Semrush and ubersuggest is a great way to get a good understanding of keyword competition and volume.
Sometimes the keyword you're trying to target can have a high search volume but it's also super competitive, making it almost impossible for you to rank in the top results.
This is where you need to target that specific keyword but from a different angle that can give you a better chance at ranking.
You can do this by You can do this by focusing on long-tail keywords.
In the past Google considered title tags and meta descriptions as a ranking factor, even though this is no longer the case, that doesn’t mean they can’t still significantly impact your SEO efforts.
Title tags and meta descriptions can still help you get more CTR by providing a clear title and description of your content.
Notice how this page’s title tag and meta description don’t match the intended keyword of “Raleigh personal injury lawyers”
Even though it’s ranking for that keyword, it’s less likely to attract clicks because it doesn’t align with the search intent.
Unlike this page which provides the exact keyword in its title and meta description
The key takeaway is that title tags and meta descriptions that match the keyword have a higher chance of getting clicks. More visits lead to a higher click-through rate (CTR), and a higher CTR can contribute to better page rankings.
Have you ever come across a search result that displays a concise answer, a list, or a table directly on the search results page? That is what we call featured snippets.
What featured snippets do is pull answers directly from a page and display them prominently at the top of search results, providing users with quick and concise information that humans can read and understand.
It’s sometimes unpredictable when Google will feature a snippet from one of your pages.
However, you increase your chances if you provide straightforward, clear and short answers to common queries on your page.
On the other hand, schema markup is the code you add to the HTML of your website or content page, often within the <head> or <body> sections.
It is unreadable by humans and designed specifically for Google bot crawlers to understand the context of your content
By using schema markup effectively you can help search engines understand and display your content more effectively, potentially leading to rich snippets, improved visibility, and higher click-through rates.
For example, If you’re making content about recipes, then you’ll want to implement recipe schema markup on your page.
If you are writing content about a specific niche, you can also use FAQ schema markup, which is commonly used to answer related questions about the topic you're covering.
According to Google there are over 700 types of schema and more than 30 ways that Google will display rich results. You just have to choose the schema type that suits the content you’re focusing on.
If you don’t have coding skills just make sure to use a schema markup generator to create the code for you, and test it before you add it to your site.
Although SEO guidelines are there to optimize your content to rank higher, one must not forget to write content that has better readability.
Writing high-quality content is crucial here. Robotic tone and keyword stuffing must be avoided otherwise your audience would not want to read it.
There are different types of content that people search in Google. These are as follows:
At the top of the funnel, your goal is to create awareness by offering information and educating your audience on the subject matter.
This type of content should solve problems or answer general questions, using formats like blog posts, e-books, podcasts, and infographics.
When writing SEO-focused TOFU content, avoid trying to sell, as it may risk losing the visitor at this early stage.
At this stage you need to keep users informed and explain your product or service.
The goal here is to nurture interest and build trust with your audience through content like discounts, best practices, product reviews, case studies, and surveys.
It’s important to demonstrate the value of your offering while subtly guiding users toward making a decision, without resorting to heavy sales pitches.
At the last stage of the funnel, your objective is to improve brand conversion and loyalty by converting leads into paying customers.
This involves content such as client reviews, customer stories, live demos, product comparisons, and product launches.
You need to emphasize your unique selling points and provide clear, compelling calls to action to motivate final decisions.
Evergreen content, also known as timeless content, consists of blogs that remain relevant to readers for an extended period. This type of content helps maintain and boost website traffic by consistently attracting and engaging visitors.
Evergreen content contains information that remains the same over time. It is a type of content that solves a problem or provides valuable insights that remain relevant and useful to readers regardless of when they access it.
You can choose the niche you want to cover. Here are some examples:
1. How-to Guides: "How to Start a Blog" – A comprehensive guide on setting up and managing a blog that remains relevant regardless of changes in blogging trends.
2.Ultimate Resource Lists: "The Ultimate List of SEO Tools" – A curated list of tools for SEO, useful for beginners and experts alike.
3.FAQs: "What is SEO and How Does it Work?" – A thorough explanation of SEO fundamentals that provides valuable information to new learners.
4.Educational Articles: "Understanding Basic Financial Principles" – An article that covers essential concepts in personal finance.
Seasonal keywords, as the name suggests, are types of search terms that gain popularity during specific times of the year or around particular events. They reflect trends or interests that vary with seasons, holidays, or annual events.
Here are some examples:
Seasonal Weather:
Event-Specific:
Annual Events:
Seasonal keywords provide a good opportunity to align your SEO content writing with current trends and events. Just make sure to be on the lookout for terms that align with your target niche.
By using Google trends you can keep track of when these keywords gain popularity and adjust your content strategy accordingly to capitalize on peak search interest.
Since you are writing content for your visitors and potential customers, you have to provide them with a good user experience as well.
Your visitors have a short attention span and are always looking for easy and digestible content.
In order to achieve this ensure your SEO content writing includes essential elements such as:
URLs help Google understand the structure and content of your page.
By creating clear, descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords, you improve your page’s chances of ranking well in search results and make it easier for users and search engines to navigate your site.
Make sure you have the ideal URL length for SEO which is typically under 60 characters, and include your target keyword in the URL.
One way to boost your SEO content writing efforts is by using internal linking within your site..
This practice helps establish a clear site structure, improves navigation, and distributes page authority across your website.
Furthermore, It enhances user experience by guiding visitors to related content and keeping them engaged longer.
Make sure to hyperlink relevant text with descriptive anchor text to help crawlers understand the context and relevance of the link.
Make sure to hyperlink relevant text with descriptive anchor text to help crawlers understand the context and relevance of the link.
This practice will improve your website’s SEO by providing clear signals about the content of the linked pages and enhance overall site navigation.
LSI or Latent Semantic Indexing are closely related terms to the main keyword that you are targeting.
They help search engines identify synonyms and related terms to improve the relevance of search results by recognizing the semantic meaning of content beyond exact keyword matches.
Here are a couple of ways you can easily find LSI keywords to include in your SEO content writing:
When you start typing a keyword in the Google search bar, autosuggest displays a list of popular related queries.
The bolded terms in these suggestions can provide insights into common search phrases
At the bottom of the search results page, Google lists “Related searches” which include terms related to readers’ queries.
These bolded terms are semantically related and can help expand your keyword list.
Investing in SEO content writing is not just a short-term gain but a long-term strategy that strengthens your online presence which can yield lasting benefits, making it an essential component of any successful digital marketing effort.
Incorporating SEO best practices like internal linking, optimizing keyword placement, using LSI keywords, and understanding search intent will help you drive more traffic and boost your conversion rate quickly.
Once you master SEO content writing you will be able to create content that not only ranks higher but also resonates with your audience.
Higglo is a digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, web design services and more. We’ve helped different client industries and brands like Hulu and Blizzard expand their reach and grow their presence worldwide. Ready to transform your digital presence? Contact us today and let’s create something unforgettable together.
"Partnering with Higglo for our SEO needs has been a game-changer for Motivity. We have been overly impressed with how quickly our rankings for critical keywords has improved, and consistently see more and more organic traffic month over month. We are incredibly impressed with the results and whether you're in a niche or broad market, we highly recommend their SEO services to anyone looking to grow their online presence."
Brian Curley
Boost Your Online Presence with Higglo Digital, a leading web and SEO agency offering high-quality services tailored to elevate your brand. Our expert team delivers top-notch SEO strategies, award-winning website designs, and impactful branding solutions. Trust us to optimize your website, drive targeted traffic, and unlock your business's true potential.
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