How to Write SEO Content That Ranks

How to Write SEO Content That Ranks

Content writing is the process of planning, writing, and publishing written material and it comes in different forms:

• Blogs
• Articles
• Products
• Emails
• Website copy 
• Social Media 

Content writing is the most used yet often misused marketing tool in the digital landscape. 

It is reported that one in three marketers admit their content writing is only “somewhat” or “not so” effective. That’s a pretty big stat when you consider 98% of marketers say written content is their most used content type.

So, what’s going on here? Well, there are certain steps and formulas that can be applied to content writing to make it exciting, interesting and persuasive. However, these steps are often skipped and writers jump straight into regurgitating the same generic information.

Here’s how you can stop yourself from falling into content writing traps and increase the chances of your content ending up on page 1 of Google: 

Market Research 

Understanding your audience and your content topic is essential if you want your content to be viewed as trustworthy and authoritative – two features that help with rankings. Here’s how you should carry out market research:

• Identify your target audience: Identify the demographics, psychographics and online behaviours of your target audience. This information greatly influences what is included in your copy as well as the tone.
• Keyword Research: Important in any content writing strategy, keyword research allows you to understand what your target audience are searching for and how much volume each keyword gets. Google analytics and social media are a great way to understand your audience. 
• Analyse Competitors: Once you have identified your target keyword, check out who is ranking on page 1 for the keyword. What makes their content compelling? What is included in their metadata? How is the page optimised for conversion rate? Semrush, Ahrefs and Buzzsumo are tools that help with competitor analysis.
• Research Trends: Your content doesn’t need to be timeless. It needs to be fresh, staying on top of current trends in your industry. Again, social media is your greatest ally here, along with Google Trends 

Content Writing

 Now that your market research is complete, it’s time to focus on the task itself: content writing. 

Create a catchy headline

The headline of your content is what will draw your reader in. So make sure it’s enticing, eye-catching and bold! 

On average, about 20% of users who land on your page read content. However, 80% of them read the headline. So, you want to make sure your headline is something bold and eye-catching and leaves them wanting to read on. 

Phrases that average 11 words are instructional phrases that have higher engagement and shares than those that don’t.

Create a hook 

If your readers get past your headline, you want to make sure you keep them on with a catchy hook. 

This should address their pain point, highlight a USP or provoke their curiosity.

Focus on a Single Purpose:

Your content needs to be concise. Identify the purpose of your content and make sure you stick to it. 

Use Lots of Subheadings:

Subheadings break up your content and make it more digestible for readers. It also allows them to skip to the parts they deem important. 

Maximise the use of subheadings by ensuring they answer secondary questions your user may have.

Engaging and Easy-to-Read Content:

How you make your content engaging depends on what you’re writing about. However, it is generally agreed that easy-to-read content is the way to go:

• short sentences and paragraphs
• simple language
• Bullet points and numbered lists

Provde Information and knowledge

Your readers are looking for answers for their questions in your content. So, your content has to provide these answers. Using tools like Ubersuggest or Semrush  provide question keywords that your readers are using. As mentioned above, incorporating these lsi keywords in the subheadings is good for SEO.

Multimedia 

Keeping your readers engaged means having multiple content types. Using images, videos and infographics helps break up the text whilst also keeping your reader informed and engaged.

Content Length

Google rewards content for its comprehensiveness, meaning in-depth, information-rich content is more valued than vague or brief content. So, you should aim to have at least 1,000 in your content.

Metadata Optimisation

Before organic users see your content, they see your metadata. a Similar to your headings and subheadings, you want to ensure your title tag is eye-catching and enticing. You should also ensure the keyword is included in the title tag, meta description and URL.

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

This refers to Google’s quality guidelines that stress credibility. Adding author bios, citing reputable sources, or including first-hand experience examples boosts authority.

Internal Linking and Backlinks 

Now that your content is written, it’s time to ensure it is visible and credible:

• Internal linking: Make your content visible on your site through internal links. You can link your new content on other pages, the sitemap, the footer or the main navigation menu. 
• Backlinks: Backlinks from other sites make your content seem more credible and trustworthy to both users and search engines, which can help boost rankings.

Call to Action (CTAs)

The purpose of drawing users to your site is to convert them into customers, subscribers or clients. CTAs should guide the user to the next step, whether that be subscribing to a news letter, purchasing a product or paying for a service. 

Create Content that Works

Now that you have all the steps to create SEO-optimised content, it’s time to start writing! It’s important that you ensure your content is readable, informative and enjoyable whilst considering SEO best practices. Remember, great content doesn’t just rank; it builds trust, drives action, and turns readers into loyal customers.