SEO content writing is the type of article that can command higher rankings on Google search engine results pages. SEO content writing is different from other forms of writing in that it’s created with the intent to rank higher in SERPS (search page). These are typically blog posts, or articles that use SEO techniques to help the search engines find them. They also rank higher with users who are looking for the information that the articles contain.
SEO content writers are expected to have good writing skills, a high level of knowledge about their subject matter, and a solid understanding of SEO techniques. They should also be able to create content that is easily readable by most people, as well as the search engines that crawl through their pages. In many cases a well-written article will rank higher than one filled with keywords and little else.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what SEO content writing is, and some of the tools available to make your SEO content writing easier while it’s in progress. Let’s start by looking at what SEO is.
What is SEO?
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a series of techniques used to improve your visibility in the search engines. Many businesses find SEO useful because it’s typically free traffic that leads to new customers. If you have a web presence, it’s important to make sure that your site ranks well with the major search engines. Over time, it may even rank well for search terms that you didn’t specifically optimize for.
The most common SEO is “on page SEO” which involves optimising your page in line with a specific keyword (more on this later) you are trying to rank for. For example, if you are a plumber in New South Wales, you might want to make sure your site ranks well for the term “New South Wales Plumber”.
To do this, you would use the specific keywords in different locations on your page. These include:
- In the title tags
- Meta descriptions
- The first paragraph
- After your introduction
- In the URL
- Page content
- Alt Image Tag
- Headings and subheading
- Internal links
- External links
What is a keyword and how do you choose one?
A keyword can be defined in SEO as a single word, phrase your target page is trying to rank for when people search for that term in search engines such as Google. This is why it is so important to understand what your target keywords are before you start writing the content so you can match them right.
A keyword is related to the focus and audience of your blog. A strong keyword should be specific to your blog so that other website searchers will find you.
The secret sauce is choosing the right keyword for your content. To do this you will have to do a little research on the competition and you will need to match your keyword with your target audience. An example of this is if you are blogging about wedding planning, then your keyword should be related to weddings.
Once you understand your target keywords and focus, it is time to start brainstorming content ideas for your blog. Don’t get bogged down by the content that you come up with since most of the time the best ideas will be buried in a stack of poor quality ones.
Search intent is key to SEO Content writing
It also important to understand the search intent of your keyword. This means to understand what a searcher is looking for when they type a particular term. The different types of intent are:
- Informational: Searchers want to know more about a topic and are looking for facts. This keyword is fine if the page is packed with information that meets the searchers needs.
For example, “how do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich” or “the pyramids of egypt”. - Transactional:Searchers want to buy or find a product. For example, “where can I get a new phone for the best price” or “how do I find a cheap hotel in Toronto”.
- Informational: Searchers want to research a topic and get information or answers. For example, “what is the best dog food” or “how do I sell ebay”.
Developing an effective SEO Content Writing strategy
Being well planned and strategic about the content you are going to write is so important. So creating an SEO strategy will help you develop a framework that you can write to. One which has direction and purpose with a goal.
Some things to consider are: How do you want to build your site? What are your goals? Who is the audience for your site? What words should you be targeting in your content?
These are just a few questions that will help you get started. From here you can build out a strategy with more detail, this is something that grows and changes over time as well. But the main idea is to give yourself direction and purpose in what you are writing while also adhering to some basic SEO principles mentioned below.
SEO Content Writing Pro Tips
- Page speed.
You would also want to make sure that your page loaded quickly, and that it contained content relevant to the term you were trying to rank it for. It’s a good idea to keep the HTML code as simple and clean as possible, delete any unnecessary on-page elements such as multiple banner ads and navigation bars. - Readability
You will also want to ensure that the content is easily read by people and the search engines that crawl your page. This is commonly referred to as “user experience”. The goal of user experience is improved page engagement and conversions. - Thin Content
When it comes to SEO it’s best to write quality content that isn’t thin. This is when your content is lacking in detail which results in thin content. A simple way to do write better content is to create outlines with topics you can add content with just like this post. - Keyword stuffing
SEO doesn’t mean you ram the keyword on your page in every paragraph. You’ll want to use the keyword in beneficial places for your content, such as your title and headings. Keyword stuffing is when you have too many keywords on a page which ends up making the content sound unnatural and could cause it to be penalized by Google’s algorithm, no matter how well it ranks.
Ready to go
In conclusion, one of the most important factors in SEO content writing is the readability of your page by humans and search engines. You can also make it so that you can rank for specific keywords or phrases with a good title and headings. Keep in mind that keyword stuffing is not the best way to rank. Having thin content and pages not optimized for user experience can also hurt your rankings.
SEO is not some dark art, its a process of optimising your content to help search engines find it. If you follow the basics of on page SEO content writing it can become a very valuable skill in the job and services market. SEO content writing can be a very good way to help you make more money. Use the tips provided in this article and see what you can do next.
What to know more. Learn how to become a content writer in 9 steps.
