Do I Have to Write for SEO?

Oh, my. SEO. Nobody likes it. Nobody likes writing for it – not even professional writers. But since search engines rule our online writing lives, we need to confront them and beat them into submission with our SEO prowess.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It does what it says it does; it optimizes your online presence for search engines to not only find your content but to move your content higher in the search engine’s algorithm so you can be found quicker.

The higher up in the search engine results you are, the more perceived authority your content has and the more authority you’re perceived to have.

It’s cruel, truly, because the algorithm changes – often – and the search engine never tells you when or how you need to adjust to keep your content high.

You just have to guess.

Or do you?

Empathy Is the Real Keyword

When you delve into the depths of SEO, you’ll come across terms like “keywords,” “key phrases,” and “long- and short-tail keywords.” If David didn’t have his stone, he could have shouted out those words, and Goliath would have turned tail and run.

Don’t be afraid.

The real keyword is empathy.

Ask yourself: Why am I putting out content? Is it to get noticed? Well, yes, but what’s the real reason?

You want to help people.

Why do you even have a business? To make a living? Sure, but you actually want to – wait for it – help people.

And that’s what great content – content that gets read and shared and converts into leads – does.

If you understand at a gut level what your target reader wants or needs, you will be well on your way to creating content that gets traffic and ultimately converts.

It’s a long game, for sure, but it’s a game that can be shortened and won.

What Does Your Reader Want?

The good news is that you already know the answer to this. Your readers (read: future clients) tell you all the time what they want. They do so by asking you questions. The questions you get asked repeatedly will give you not only the title of your blog but also some keywords or key phrases. Even questions that you don’t get asked over and over but are urgent give you the same things.

For example, an HR consultant might get frequent calls regarding terminations, e.g., “We really need to cut loose this teller. He’s late for everything – late coming in, late to meetings – and it’s affecting the whole department. Can we fire him for that?”

In that enquiry, you have your topic: “firing people who are always late,” and you have your long-tail keyword (the keywords that search engines love the most): “fire someone for being late.” Your title? “Is It Legal to Fire Someone for Being Late?” would do just fine.

That topic can then be made into a listicle: “Steps You Need to Take to Terminate an Employee.” It’s not the same topic exactly, but it’s related and would be a great complementary article, one that would be evergreen for as long as the laws stay the same. When a law is tweaked, you then have another post, which is an update that explains the change(s) and how businesses are affected.

There. You have just helped your client or potential client three times in three different ways.

How do you know you’re on the right track? If you have the search engine suggestions feature turned on in your browser, you’ll see the same or similar key phrases pop up underneath the search bar as you type.

Want more ways to come up with topics for SEO? Look at the People Also Ask section that appears at the bottom left of the search page and then go from there. (It might be called something else in your browser, but it shows similar and related searches others have made.)

How Do I Know If My Keyword Will Rank?

Your first clue is that pop-up underneath the search bar, the one that shows you different key phrases as you type.

The second is found using (don’t hate me) keyword research tools. There are several. Take your pick. I use Moz, but here are other top contenders:

• Moz. Based in Seattle. Created by SEO gurus Rand Fishkin and Gillian Meussig in 2004. Prices range from $99 to $599 a month (less if paid annually). Thirty-day free trial.
• Ahrefs. Based in Singapore. A multinational keyword research tool started in 2011. Prices range from $99 to 999 a month (less, and two months free, if paid annually).
• Semrush. Headquartered in Boston. A global keyword research and online marketing research tool. Prices range from $119.95 to $449.95 monthly (save 17% if paid annually). Seven-day free trial.
• Wordtracker. Based in London. Fairly well-respected. Prices range from $27 to $99 monthly (save 40% if paid annually).

You simply come up with the topic you want to write about, then plug it into the research tool. The tool spits back a list of related words with how many people search for those words every month.

Compare that list with the list from the People Also Ask section and the list you saw under the browser search bar. Pick the top-ranking subjects, and you’re golden.

There’s much more I could tell you, but this is what you need to get started.

How Do I Learn More?

I’ll point you to my go-to book, “Think Like Google: Use SEO & Empathy to Rank, Convert, and Profit no Matter How Much They Change the Rules,” by my American Society of Journalists and Writers colleague, Tom Gerencer. As you can see from the photo, I refer to it a lot.

Have a Question?

If you have a question on content or how to build your authority, I’d love to hear from you. Hit Subscribe and leave your question below or direct message me here on LinkedIn. (Then hit Share and spread the love.)

Want to Work with Me?

If you need help nailing down and creating high-quality content, I’m here to help. I’m pretty easy to reach. Just book a time with me on my Calendly. I’d be happy to chat.

Who Am I?

I’m Diane Faulkner, an award-winning freelance writer and editor based in Florida. A solopreneur for 23 years, I now have an agency of writers and editors, Full Circle Press.

My client list includes Forbes, LegalZoom, FindLaw, ADP, American Express, Delta Dental, Wiley, ERE Media, Fordham University, Goodyear, and others, as well as numerous start-ups – from those emerging out of stealth mode, like BingeBuilderX, to mature, late-stage ones, like GuideWell.