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A staggering 96.55% of all pages don't get any organic traffic from Google, and without a solid SEO strategy, your content can easily get lost in Google's sea of unvisited pages and suffer the same fate. Luckily, there's a solution to all of this.
Mastering the basics of SEO writing and creating quality content will help search engines send you more traffic. So let's explore why SEO content is so important and dive into the best SEO tips to improve your writing and increase your rankings.
Related: 6 SEO Tips to Rank Better in the New Era of Quality Content
What is SEO content?
SEO content is specifically created to rank highly on Google and other search engines. Unlike traditional blog content, which you write based on your interests and what your readers are looking for, SEO content is planned and created to align with search engine algorithms and user search behavior.
Choose the keywords your target customers are searching for. Then, create content that will rank for those keywords. To achieve this, you need to ensure that your content matches search intent and follows SEO best practices.
This means providing valuable and relevant information that answers users' questions, using clear and engaging language, incorporating keywords naturally, structuring your content with headings and subheadings, and including internal and external links to improve credibility and user experience.
Writing SEO content has several benefits.
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Improves website rankings and visibility
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Attract organic visitors who actively search for your topic
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Keep your readers on your website longer with relevant content
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Increase brand awareness and authority
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Increased conversion rates
How to write top-ranking SEO content
Writing great content is all about employing the right SEO strategies. Here are some strategies to start with:
1. Choose the right keywords
You should target keywords that are not too competitive and have a decent search volume.
For example, if you’re a small e-commerce business looking to rank for “running shoes,” you’ll have to compete with giants like Nike and Adidas, which is nearly impossible.
Instead, target keywords that are easy to rank for but still relevant to your business, like “breathable running shoes for hot weather.” These keywords can drive targeted leads to your website without you having to spend a lot of time and effort ranking for them.
Here's how to find these keywords:
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Use SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to identify high search volume, low competition keywords.
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Look at the keywords your competitors rank for and find opportunities they may be missing out on.
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Focus on long-tail keywords, which tend to bring more qualified traffic.
2. Outline your content (make sure it meets search intent)
Once you've selected your keywords, make sure the content you create matches the search intent behind them – the reason behind a search query or what users want to find through a search.
For example, if your keyword is “Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 vs. Adidas Ultraboost Light,” the search intent is to compare two running shoes. Your content should provide a thorough comparison covering aspects like comfort, durability, price, and user reviews, rather than irrelevant details like the history of each brand.
Related: 3 Powerful SEO Techniques to Boost Your Website's Search Engine Ranking
Creating an outline for your content can help you structure it to meet this intent. You can do this in the following ways:
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Search for your keywords in Google and see the top content
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Analyze the structure and note common themes
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Create a logical outline
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Divide your content into sections with clear headings
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Enhance your content by adding images, charts, and videos
3. Follow On-Page SEO Best Practices
Successful on-page SEO makes your content easy for search engines and readers to understand and navigate, and the best way to do this is to follow these SEO techniques:
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Include keywords in the title, URL, introduction, subheadings, and conclusion
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Don't stuff your keywords; place them naturally throughout your content
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Use lots of internal links to related content on your website
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To improve readability, maintain a clear, logical structure using headings and subheadings.
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Write a compelling meta description that includes your keywords to increase click-through rates.
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59.4% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, so make sure your content is mobile-friendly.
4. Create easy-to-read content
People rarely read an entire article from start to finish, instead they scan it looking for the information they need, so your content should follow a simple structure and use everyday language to make it easy to read and understand.
To improve the readability of your blog post, you should:
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Use clear, descriptive headers to guide readers to your content.
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Use bullet points whenever possible to break information down into easy-to-understand chunks.
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Bold the most important phrases in each section to emphasize key points.
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Incorporate screenshots to visually illustrate key points and processes.
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Keep your paragraphs short to make your content easier to read
5. Build in great value
Most writers make the SEO mistake of not doing enough research before creating their content. Instead, they paraphrase what their top competitors say or rely on AI to create generic blog posts.
However, you will need to put in extra effort to create content that will give you the best SEO results.
Start by digging through forums like Reddit to find out the most common pain points and questions of your potential customers. This step will help you get a deeper understanding of your customers' needs and concerns.
Stay up to date with the latest news and trends in your industry to keep your content fresh and relevant. Read articles and listen to podcasts to gain fresh insights and bring a unique perspective to your articles.
Including up-to-date statistics and expert opinions adds credibility and depth to your content, making it more valuable – it’s the best way to stand out from the competition.
Related: The SEO combo you need to beat Google’s algorithm
Mastering the basics of SEO writing is essential to ensure your content ranks highly on Google.
You can achieve this by choosing the right keywords, creating structured content, following on-page SEO best practices, making your content easy to read and providing great value. Follow these simple SEO tips to improve your rankings and attract more organic traffic.