On the topic of search engine optimization, it’s been said for years that content is king. But it’s not sufficient to simply write a guest post and watch your rankings soar. WordPress reports that over 70 million posts are written every month, and very few of them make it anywhere close to the front page of Google.
So how do you implement a good SEO content writing strategy? What are the keys to good SEO content? And how will it help grow your business? We’ll explore these in our 5 easy SEO writing tips!
3 Simple SEO Content Writing Tips
Create long-form, comprehensive content.
Longer content gets better rankings. This has been the case for years now, and the reasons why are not fully known. However, it has been tested multiple times and sites like Backlinko have found that longer content outranks shorter content over time.
Ideally, you want content that exceeds 1000 words and covers multiple areas in your chosen topic. Part of the reason for this is to take advantage of structured snippets, which act as a Google search results FAQ. You can see them if you search for common questions, and the answers are generated from high-ranking websites.
One thing to keep in mind with long form content: if your content is in excess of 2000 words, you will want to include links to each section of the article. Put these links at the top of your content so that people can easily click to the section they want to read.
As we touch on comprehensive content, our next tip is to optimize for multiple keywords.
Optimize for multiple keywords.
You’ve heard the importance of keyword research and You might have one keyword in mind that you want your content to rank for. But, optimizing your content page for multiple keywords is a great way to garner additional rankings while simultaneously boosting your overall search traffic.
For example, if you want to write content about the best time to get HVAC maintenance, you can also optimize for “spring hvac tips” or “hvac maintenance tips”. Optimizing for multiple keywords will make your content more relevant to the search engines and will get you much more traffic than focusing on one.
How do you optimize for multiple keywords? Utilize your tags properly. Your title tag should appear once and should focus on your main keyword; however, H1 and H2 tags should also include your secondary keywords. You also want to make sure your secondary keywords appear a few times in content so that you have the ability to rank for them.
Make your content easy to read.
Writers are much more literate than their readers, and SEO writers must keep this in mind.
Some tips to make your content easier to read:
Avoid passive voice. Although using passive voice is okay in some instances, in general you want to use the active voice. The difference is in how the sentence uses the verb “to be”.
Active voice: We opened the store last night.
Passive voice: The store was opened by us last night.
Avoid excessive technical jargon. It’s okay to use some jargon, especially when writing to industry professionals. However, if you’re writing for neophytes or users that want a simple answer to a simple question, you don’t want to overuse terms that need to be defined on the spot.
Keep your sentences short. Shorter sentences are easier to read. They also carry more meaning with fewer words. Don’t overuse the semicolon!
Readability index is included with Yoast’s WordPress plugin, and you can use it to your advantage. Try it out and see your content’s readability improve!
In Summary
● SEO writing is not like technical writing or persuasive writing as it focuses greatly on search engines.
● Longer content works better, and more comprehensive content allows you to rank for more keywords.
● Optimizing for more keywords will improve your overall search traffic.
● Articles that are easier to read are more likely to provide the user with what they want.
