It’s rare these days to find a website without a blog. Companies and business invest in building their digital presence, adding more written content to increase visibility in search results. However, the term “SEO Writing” remains largely ambiguous despite its importance. That’s why today we’re sharing valuable information on how to write SEO-friendly content, along with examples and tips for creating more powerful and impactful content.
What is meant by the term SEO Writing?
SEO Writing refers to the process of crafting content according to specific standards to rank higher in search engine results. It involves keyword research, writing high-quality content that aligns with user interests, and optimizing page titles to make them easier for search engines to find.
What is the importance of writing SEO-compatible content?
Without writing SEO-compatible content, your website is likely to suffer from low rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to a decrease in traffic.
In addition to the above, a low website ranking can hinder your efforts to attract and engage with your target audience, potentially damaging the credibility and reliability of your content!
A study conducted by Search Engine Journal in 2020 found that the click-through rate (CTR) for websites ranking first in search results can reach up to 25%.
However, as the website’s ranking decreases in the search results page, the percentage drops to 15% for sites ranking second, then declines to 2.5% for those ranking tenth. It continues to decrease on the second page.
This means that if your website doesn’t appear on the first page, the likelihood of users finding it is extremely low, resulting in fewer visits to your site, fewer opportunities to attract potential customers, and ultimately, a decrease in revenue.
While there are certainly other ways to increase website traffic, such as investing in advertisements, they can be costly and may not be suitable for startups. On the other hand, writing SEO-friendly content is a free method that leads to long-term results more effectively than advertisements.
Read Also: 4 Essential SEO Services Every Business Needs
How to Write SEO-Compatible Content
Here are some essential tips to enhance your digital presence through writing SEO-compatible content:
1. Search for primary and secondary keywords
Estimates suggest that Google processes over 70,000 search queries per second!
If you want to rise above the clutter of search engine results pages and outshine your competitors, you need to target the keywords your potential customers are typing into search engines.
Numerous websites offer tools to search for the keywords you need when writing SEO-compatible content, such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.
SEO standards require that your keywords be closely related to the content you are offering, with a relatively large number of monthly searches, and that the competition for them— or “difficulty” as some tools call it—be not too high.
In addition to primary keywords, you should also research and include secondary keywords while crafting SEO-compatible content. They enhance the chances of ranking your content in the top search results.
Secondary keywords are words related to the primary keyword, including synonyms and long-tail keywords that incorporate the main keyword.
For example, “SEO” is a primary keyword, while “writing SEO-compatible content” is a secondary keyword.
2. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
One of the misconceptions about writing SEO-friendly content is that it’s simply about “stuffing” articles with keywords, whether in the article’s description or within the text itself.
However, overemphasizing the inclusion of keywords can lead to negative consequences, both from the reader’s perspective and in terms of SEO standards.
For example, if your key phrases are “digital marketing” and “creative content creation,” it’s better to avoid a descriptive tagline like “We offer you a guide to digital marketing and creative content creation for business.
Instead of the previous formulation, try separating the key phrases and connecting them with logical and elegant links, such as: “Are you seeking ways to create creative content to enhance digital marketing for your project? Discover 5 effective strategies in this article.
Search engines may view excessive keyword stuffing as a manipulation tactic by content creators to try to boost the ranking of their content in search results.
By following the approach in the previous example, you’re still using keywords without falling into the trap of stuffing.
Always remember that the goal of writing SEO-friendly content is to solve a problem your audience faces. If the reading experience is not successful, it will signal Google to lower your site’s ranking.
Read more: What are landing pages and how do they boost your website’s performance?
3. Step into the reader’s perspective
While it’s crucial to incorporate and distribute keywords throughout all sections of your article, remember that you’re writing for humans, not just search engines!
Users utilize search engines to find comprehensive answers to their questions, and the perfect solution often comes in the form of a well-structured, easy-to-read article with organized and clear subheadings.
It’s also essential to understand the “search intent” of the user, which is simply the reason that drove them to conduct the search in the first place, and then provide content that aligns with that search intent.
When crafting search engine-friendly content, always consider the buyer persona and the needs and interests of your customers. Choose topics that resonate with your potential customers and address their pain points.
4. Deliver exceptional content
Google rewards pages that provide fresh information by boosting their ranking in search results. You can refresh your content by putting more effort into crafting it, writing in your unique style, and improving the accuracy and credibility of the information provided.
Here are some ways to meet the latter requirement:
- Conduct an interview with an expert in your field.
- Write from your own experience.
- Conduct experiments and surveys to gather unique data.
- Conduct thorough and professional research from top sources.
Creating content that blends authenticity, accuracy, and SEO compliance is undoubtedly challenging, but the results it delivers definitely justify all the effort and resources invested!
In addition to the aforementioned steps related to the writing process, there are other steps you can implement on the technical aspects of SEO, such as adding internal and external links, optimizing the URL structure, arranging subheadings and descriptions to appear neatly in search engine results, and much more.
However, these were some essential steps for success in the journey of creating SEO-friendly content. If you want to discover more secrets of the SEO world, subscribe to Horizon newsletter to be the first to receive links to new articles in the digital content industry and how to enhance the digital presence of projects and organizations.
For over 5 years, we at UFUQ Media & Digital Services have collaborated with dozens of projects and companies to enhance their digital presence, whether through social media platforms or in the broader digital space. Contact us today to learn more about our innovative digital solutions!