Writing to rank higher on search engines is not only about keywords and links, but also about creating engaging, relevant, and useful content for your audience. In this article, you will learn some tips and best practices to improve your writing skills and optimize your content for SEO.
Before you start writing, you need to know who you are writing for, what they are looking for, and what their problems and goals are. This will help you tailor your content to their needs, interests, and preferences, and make it more likely that they will click, read, and share your content. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Trends, or social media platforms to research your audience and their behavior.
To rank higher on search engines, you need to use both non-technical and technical methods. Non-technical methods: -> Find out information about your target audience -> Discover your WHY, WHAT, and HOW to create any content -> Create a catchy headline including the main keyword and powerful words to evoke human emotions -> Research relevant resources and write in your language with examples, data, graphs, etc. -> Create a structure or outline (sections, headlines, etc.) -> Proofread content and edit it -> Ask for feedback Technical methods: -> Follow simple rules of SEO like using keywords in content naturally -> Fill Metadata with keywords -> Add links to credible resources
Once you have a clear idea of your audience, you need to choose a topic and a keyword that match their search intent and your content goals. A topic is the main idea or theme of your content, while a keyword is the specific word or phrase that your audience uses to find your content on search engines. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz, or SEMrush to find relevant and popular keywords for your topic.
Begin by selecting a topic that strongly resonates with your target audience. For instance; topic : "Travel." Conduct a Google search for the chosen topic, in this case, "Travel." Collect the URLs of the first 3 websites that appear on the first page of Google's search results for the keyword "Travel." Insert one of the website URLs along with the keyword "travel" in the provided field on Google keyword planner. This generates a list of keywords that the selected website has optimized for. Choose keywords with low competition and a search volume ranging from 10k to 100k. Repeat this process for the 2nd and 3rd website URLs from your initial search. This comprehensive approach will provide you with a substantial set of keywords.
Your headline and introduction are the first things that your audience and search engines see, so they need to be catchy, clear, and compelling. Your headline should include your main keyword, convey the benefit or value of your content, and spark curiosity or emotion. Your introduction should hook your reader's attention, provide some background or context, and state the main point or purpose of your content.
To make your content easy to read and scan, you need to structure it with headings and paragraphs. Headings are the subtopics or sections of your content that break it down into smaller chunks and guide your reader through your main points. Paragraphs are the sentences that support your headings and explain your ideas in detail. You should use headings that include keywords or variations of your main keyword, and paragraphs that are short, concise, and coherent.
Including case studies, and real-life examples from popular events, movies or such is always a great way to grab more eyeballs. Sharing numbers with details and sources is yet another way to make a point. Do not try creating fake scenarios with fake numbers. It is not recommended. It might get you traction but will never be helpful in the long run.
To make your content more appealing and useful for your audience and search engines, you need to optimize it for readability and relevance. Readability is the measure of how easy and enjoyable it is to read your content, while relevance is the degree of how well your content matches the search intent and expectations of your audience. You can optimize your content for readability by using simple and clear language, avoiding jargon and passive voice, adding transitions and examples, and using formatting elements like lists, bullets, or
tags. You can optimize your content for relevance by using synonyms, related terms, or long-tail keywords, answering common questions, and providing actionable tips or solutions.
###### Add images, videos, or other media
To make your content more engaging and attractive, you can add images, videos, or other media that complement your text and enhance your message. Images, videos, or other media can help you illustrate your points, provide visual aids, or add variety and interest to your content. However, you need to make sure that your media are relevant, high-quality, and optimized for SEO. You can optimize your media for SEO by using descriptive file names, alt texts, captions, and titles that include keywords or variations of your main keyword.
######Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
In my view, depending at the nature of the topic. Including supporting references might be a good idea. Nevertheless, the references must be credible.