Without Search Engine Optimization (SEO), your content will languish among the millions of pages in search results. On the other hand, ranking high on the search results but with poor-quality content will inevitably downgrade your page rankings.
If you believe SEO is only about inserting keywords into text, you will miss out on attracting relevant traffic to your website. Today, your content’s quality and relevance carry more proverbial weight than a few keywords in the title or heading tags.
Here are seven powerful content writing tips for SEO:
Write for the target readership
It might seem easy, yet most people underestimate the challenge of writing good content. Your blog posts must directly address your reader’s questions and concerns. Blogs or social media content doesn't always have to be about selling your product. Instead, they must focus on educating the reader about the industry. It helps to assert your company as an expert in your industry. You should always make an effort to do it better than your competition.
Get creative with headlines
Headlines make a considerable impression and directly affect the number of visits your content will attract. Therefore, don’t underestimate the power of a compelling headline! To attract the reader’s attention, write headlines that are clear but also interesting.
Use keyword-rich phrases
Use relevant, keyword-rich phrases in your headlines, content, and meta descriptions. Both primary keywords and semantic keywords are essential to determining your search engine ranking. However, that doesn’t mean you overstuff your content with keywords. It will not only turn off your readers but can also invite search engine penalties for keyword stuffing. When using keywords, choose wisely.
Structure your posts
Your post’s contents may be excellent, but your readers will never go past the first paragraph if the text is poorly formatted. Break your content into smaller sections of no more than three to four lines each. Also, use several sub-headings to keep your readers engaged for longer durations.
Promote natural link building
According to Search Engine Land, links are among the top two criteria for Google's page ranking algorithm. Search algorithms reflect your credibility when other websites refer to you on their blog posts or social media.
Propel content with social media
Social media is a powerful tool that to promote the wider sharing of your content. Make sure you post every article on social media sites, use engaging descriptions and a compelling call-to-action. Since social media’s power lies in sharing, it’s also essential to include share buttons in your blog posts.
Use Google Authorship
Google Authorship is a quick and easy way to tie content to a specific author. All you need is a Google+ account. As a result, your articles come up as rich snippets in the search results with the author’s photo and its title. It’s excellent for personal promotion but can also increase the click-through rate of your content.
About On-Target!
On-Target! is celebrating its 20th year as an award-winning, top digital marketing firm for small businesses helping them thrive and grow. We offer web design, brand strategy, graphic design, social media, SEO, email marketing, PPC, AdWords, lead nurturing, content marketing, media buying, video production, sales, and marketing support. Call us at 281.444.4777 or book a meeting with us HERE.
