SEO Writing Guide: Ranking Content on Google, Bing, and Yahoo
SEO Writing Guide
Writing content for your businesses is good, but not when it’s not going to get noticed by anyone.
You want to write and post content that people will find, read, and possibly get convinced to buy whatever you are selling. And to achieve this, you must apply SEO.
That’s why you need Search Engine Optimization (SEO) writing.
Understanding the Value of this SEO Writing Guide
Google bots/crawlers or any other search engine bot for that matter, does not understand text, images, or videos in their original forms as humans do.
Therefore, you won’t impress the bots with excellent writing skills and exemplary presentation, though important. Instead, write it in a language they understand.
The language they understand is called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language).
Don’t worry. Converting your original text into HTML is pretty simple.
What is SEO Writing?
SEO writing is creating and optimizing content so that it ranks high in the search engines.Besides writing HTML enabled content, SEO writing involves doing keyword research, finding topics that people want to read, using your findings to write, and edit.
Eventually, good SEO writing should target the end-user who you want to read the content and take the necessary action.
That’s why I mentioned earlier that excellent writing skills and presentation are important.
SEO writing or copywriting in itself does not rank a website. You have to ensure your site is optimally built for the search engines and human users enjoy interacting with it as well.
SEO writing or copywriting in itself does not rank a website. You have to ensure your site is optimally built for the search engines and human users enjoy interacting with it as well.
That includes; making the website secure, making the pages load speedily, and building the reputation of your business in the industry.
As time goes by, the quality of content becomes increasingly important to the search bots. You can no longer spam your writing with keywords and get away with it. This, in fact, can lead to punishment and work against your rankings.
As time goes by, the quality of content becomes increasingly important to the search bots. You can no longer spam your writing with keywords and get away with it. This, in fact, can lead to punishment and work against your rankings.
How to Convert Your Writing into SEO Writing
It’s simple:
After writing your content and breaking it into readable chunks include the following:
H1 tag: You only need a single h1 tag in your content. Call it heading 1. This should be the title of your content. Of course, it needs to describe what’s in your content.
H2 tags: These are subtitles/subheadings. They are small titles describing what’s in the subsections of your content.
H3 tags: These are smaller subheadings of your content explaining stuff under your H2 tags.
Alt tags: These are descriptions of your image content. To be effective, write in a few words what you would use to explain to someone that cannot see the image.
You can use alt tags in diagrams, infographics, site logos, screenshots, company photos, merchandise images, videos.
Optimize the links (Anchor text) – If you have links within the content, optimize them accordingly.
Include words (keywords) that are related to your content in the linked areas
If your link contains the words someone might be looking for, there is a chance your content will come first in their search results.
Now you have a piece of content that is SEO enabled!
Does it Get Better Than SEO Writing?
Writing an excellent piece of content is good. Optimizing it is very good. But all this effort is useless if your website is not accessible by search engines.
Therefore, you need to check other SEO aspects and determine that they are working properly.
Have a website that’s well-optimized and accessible by people and search engines.
Link building is another important element of SEO you shouldn’t ignore. Make sure you’ve shared your well-written content to get engagement and backlinks.
With this, your content has the chance to rank well.
Who is an SEO Writer?
An SEO writer is someone who writes to grab the attention of the search engines by employing a series of SEO writing tactics.Their efforts are targeted at reaching the top page of a website and many readers in the process. At the end of it, they create content that will provide value to the target audience.
Benefits of SEO Writing for Your Business
- SEO writing is a marketing strategy for your businesses
- SEO writing keeps the marketing costs low
- SEO writing increases site traffic
- SEO writing bolsters the number of conversions
- SEO writing portrays your brand in the best image (PR)
- SEO writing provides value for your visitors
- SEO writing promotes niche credibility
Does SEO Writing Affect the Reputation of Your Business?
You bet.SEO writing can help you portray the image you want to your audience. If, for instance, there is a page on the web that ranks high in the SERPs about your brand for the wrong reasons, you can unrank it from the top position with the help of SEO writing.
SEO Writing Guide; Ranking Factors for Content
The list is endless. Some of the factors are only known to the search engine bots and those who created them. Even further, there are updates in the SEO writing guidelines regularly.
As a writer, blog owner, or website manager it would be unreasonable to check and apply the hundreds of factors available without losing focus and strategy. I have created a list of stuff that will help you rank your content in the search engine. They are proven to work.
As a writer, blog owner, or website manager it would be unreasonable to check and apply the hundreds of factors available without losing focus and strategy. I have created a list of stuff that will help you rank your content in the search engine. They are proven to work.
- Research Keywords
- Provide Quantity
- Ensure Quality
- Get the Structure Right
- Do it Better than the Competition
Research the Keywords and Topics
Writing content that is SEO optimized requires that you research the keywords and phrases to use. Through this effort, you also get the best topics to write about.Your choice of keywords and topics to write should be closely related to the mission of your blog or website. For instance, as an SEO writer, I am writing this blog to help my clients with their SEO efforts.
Make a list of topics and relevant keywords. It helps when you can get into the heads of your audience and think about what they are looking for. After all, the keywords you research are words real people often use to search for stuff on the web.
While you can pay for keyword research tools, it is possible to get keywords for free. All you need is key in Google search your main keywords and you’ll see suggestions as you proceed with typing.
For instance, when I type the word SEO, Google suggests other words like SEO meaning, SEO copywriting, SEO content, and more. Just collect keywords you think are relevant to your course.
Make a list of topics and relevant keywords. It helps when you can get into the heads of your audience and think about what they are looking for. After all, the keywords you research are words real people often use to search for stuff on the web.
While you can pay for keyword research tools, it is possible to get keywords for free. All you need is key in Google search your main keywords and you’ll see suggestions as you proceed with typing.
For instance, when I type the word SEO, Google suggests other words like SEO meaning, SEO copywriting, SEO content, and more. Just collect keywords you think are relevant to your course.
Consider Keyword Difficulty
Keywords come with difficulty levels. Look for keywords that have a “low difficulty” or “30 or less difficulty” if your site is relevantly new. See this image to understand how levels work.
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Besides that, after you’ve searched your terms, you will find a “People also ask” section with questions people often type in the Google search box. Then, compare the topics that rank among the top ten to get an idea about what to write about.
Besides that, after you’ve searched your terms, you will find a “People also ask” section with questions people often type in the Google search box. Then, compare the topics that rank among the top ten to get an idea about what to write about.
You can use the numerous free tools on the market for your keyword and topic research. Just search for Free SEO Tools in Google and you’ll get numerous suggestions there.
That says something; search engines are looking for a lot of information on various topics and if you avail it, they rank you higher. That should not be a burden though. Instead, it is an opportunity for you to understand your niche deeper as well as use more industry keywords.
But let’s be frank, not all topics have in-depth information. As a result, you’ll fall short of words to use sometimes. If this is the case, ensure you don’t go below 300 words. Anything below that is considered thin content, which won’t work well with your ranking.
Quality means you research the topic at hand and write great content without errors of grammar and spellings. Doing this consistently is the only way you can meet the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) Google requirements. You also make your content sharable by those who use it.
In addition, include title tag (h1), subheadings (h2), minor headings (h3), and more depending on your content length and divisions. Use numbers and bullet lists, and more.
Also, use questions that people use in the search engines as subtitles. That way the search bots can scan and understand the content first. If you number your subtitles, there is a chance you’ll be ranked for featured snippets (earning two-times appearance on the first page of Google).
Plus, provides better value for your audience. You see, rankings of a particular page can be boosted by how long visitors stay on your site. That is a signal to search engine bots that you are providing value.
The skyscraper method can help out with this. All you need to do is find multiple competitors’ content, and do what they have already done, plus add on extra stuff that makes you different.
You might want to see how they have used their keywords, how they write content, how many words they’ve written, the images, videos, among other stuff, then improve on it.
Provide Quantity
If you search any topic on the web, the contents that hold the top three positions are always long-form content (in most instances).That says something; search engines are looking for a lot of information on various topics and if you avail it, they rank you higher. That should not be a burden though. Instead, it is an opportunity for you to understand your niche deeper as well as use more industry keywords.
But let’s be frank, not all topics have in-depth information. As a result, you’ll fall short of words to use sometimes. If this is the case, ensure you don’t go below 300 words. Anything below that is considered thin content, which won’t work well with your ranking.
Ensure Quality
Writing gibberish and filling in the keywords will not work in your favor. You could get unranked for poorly written work. And considering that you are in business, your customers won’t get value from such pieces. It is better to write short content with value to the end-user than have thousands of words without meaning in your blog or website.Quality means you research the topic at hand and write great content without errors of grammar and spellings. Doing this consistently is the only way you can meet the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) Google requirements. You also make your content sharable by those who use it.
Get the Structure Right
Structuring your content right plays a big role in your SEO writing. You want it to be in readable paragraphs, short sentences as possible, and to contain simple language that’s easy to read. See how to write it here as an example.In addition, include title tag (h1), subheadings (h2), minor headings (h3), and more depending on your content length and divisions. Use numbers and bullet lists, and more.
Also, use questions that people use in the search engines as subtitles. That way the search bots can scan and understand the content first. If you number your subtitles, there is a chance you’ll be ranked for featured snippets (earning two-times appearance on the first page of Google).
Do it Better than Your Competition
That is why you are doing SEO writing in the first place – competing against other industry players. You, therefore, need to create content that looks and sounds good.Plus, provides better value for your audience. You see, rankings of a particular page can be boosted by how long visitors stay on your site. That is a signal to search engine bots that you are providing value.
The skyscraper method can help out with this. All you need to do is find multiple competitors’ content, and do what they have already done, plus add on extra stuff that makes you different.
You might want to see how they have used their keywords, how they write content, how many words they’ve written, the images, videos, among other stuff, then improve on it.
Get Your Writing Process Right
Prepare Your Writing
You can prepare your writing in many ways but what stands out is:
- Identifying your mission with the content
- Knowing your audience
- Understanding the order of presenting your word
- Determining the structure, font, and content length
Writing the Text
Write the content is what’s next. Include an introduction, have subtitles and subheadings, use small paragraphs, include a conclusion, and ensure you consider grammar.
Make it readable, involve storytelling, take breaks within the process, and put your most important info at the top.
If starting off with an intro is hard, consider writing the body first and finish with the intro plus final thought on whatever you’ve written.
Edit Your Content
Whatever you end up with, edit it so it’s improved to the best of your knowledge.
Even better, use editing tools like Hemingway and Grammarly so you can pass your information succinctly.
Read and read again until the content looks “perfect”. The best way to do this is in multiple sittings.
Read it out loud and slowly, look at the structure, focus on the sentences and paragraphs, punctuation, and get a second set of eyes to give feedback.
To make your writing suitable for SEO, use Yoast or RankMath to optimize it.
SEO Copywriting Services
SEO writing is not a walk in the park. It requires time and effort. You might have to consider hiring a writer to do it for you. At My Village Scribe, we thrive on providing valuable and SEO-friendly content for our clients.And guess what? All this comes at affordable costs. We are here to help you achieve the goals of your business. Reach out to us any time of the day and get content that will bring value to your website.
Check: Why I Need a Freelance Content Writer