How to Write SEO Content

Though many factors can affect search engine rankings, one of the
most critical components is having great content. Effective SEO content writing
requires usefulness, uniqueness, authority, and proper optimization… but how can
each goal be achieved?

The team at Clarity Digital has developed a comprehensive guideline for developing
SEO content covering a range of topics. These topics include:

• Keyword research
• Keyword placement
• Appropriate content length
• Video and image recommendations
• Internal linking
• External linking
• Content distribution recommendations
• Mobile-friendly formatting
• Analytics goals

Below is a some insight into writing SEO-friendly content:

How to Write SEO Content

While many factors can affect search engine rankings, the need for
high-quality, well-optimized content is central. Ideal SEO content includes essential
elements which should be in place to rank and maintain search rankings in the search engines. These SEO-friendly content requirements include:

1. Usefulness. Content needs to be useful to the reader, not merely written with algorithms in mind.
2. Uniqueness. SEO content needs to be unique, not duplicated from other websites. 
3. Authentic & authoritative. Content needs to be trustworthy, which means it needs to be authentic and authoritative and not just a spin-off from other websites. If there is too much unoriginal content, that website can lose its sense of authority and, therefore, priority in search rankings.
4. SEO-friendly platform. The content must be hosted on an SEO-friendly website. You can have the best content in the world, but if it loads slowly or’s hard to index for search engines, it won’t rank and generate much traffic. 
5. Optimization. Finally, content should reflect the best practices for search engine optimization. Some of those best practices are listed below.

What are the Best Practices for SEO Content Writing?

Consider some of the core requirements for an effective SEO content strategy.

• Do your keywords and topic research – Don’t start writing content without proper keyword research and topic research. Your content must be based on carefully considered, data-driven topics and keywords. 
• Include target keywords – Each page or post should be written with a target keyword or a group of keywords. The keyword(s) may be divided into Main and Supportive.
  • Primary – The page’s primary keyword(s) should be prominent. Usually, the keyword describes the page the best and boasts the highest search volume. 
  • Supportive – The supportive keywords, long-tail keywords, are the more conversational versions. These are also called topical keywords (e.g., how to create a photo book). Though often more challenging to incorporate into content, these long-tail phrases are best for capturing voice search queries, making them essential to include when possible.
• Choose the right length –  Length is important for SEO; longer-form content is preferred where possible. As a rule of thumb, aim for the following:
  • 500+ words per page for website pages (aka sales pages). 
  • 1000+ for blog and editorial pages.
    

Note that long-form pages perform better in search results because there’s more opportunity to include keywords and repeat them naturally, but you also want to ensure that you don’t fluff. Also, you want to have proper formatting. 

• Include an overview – It is highly recommended to have an overview at the top of blog posts and long-form content, articulating key points. You may also include a summary at the end, but our data shows that an overview at the top of the page typically works best.
• Include a call to action (CTA) – SEO content should be engaging, and one way to engage the reader is to include various calls to action. Each one should invite the reader to take action: Clicking on links, downloading eBooks, watching videos, joining the newsletter, making a phone call, or requesting a demo. 

• Ensure a mobile-friendly format – Consider users’ mobile reading habits, including generous spacing, bigger fonts, shorter paragraphs, etc. Also, make sure key points are available above the fold.
• Place SEO tags with target keywords – These include:
  • Title tag (60 characters): The most important tag for SEO must briefly explain the page in around 60 characters. 
    
  • Meta description: This brief content snippet should be around 150 characters and include a sneak preview of the blog post.
    Note: You may use this meta snippet tool to see how your title and meta description are shown in search results.
    
  • H1: The main heading of each page should contain the page’s primary keyword(s). Generally, you’ll want to keep it focused on just that one keyword rather than trying to incorporate Supporting terms.
    
  • H2: The subheadings of the page may have more than one and should have the Main keyword(s) where possible.
    
  • H3-H6: The nested subheadings may have more than one as long as it is hierarchical and include secondary keywords where possible. 
    

• Include pictures, illustrations, and videos. Pages with images and illustrations rank better in search results, as Google and search engines like content to be diversified. Image search can also drive traffic.
  • Image File Name. The image file names should be renamed to something descriptive; for example, instead of IMG_0123.JPG, a better image name should be gracious-homepage-screenshopt.jpg.
    
  • Image Caption. Images should have a caption when possible. 
    
  • Image Alt Tag. Each image should have an alt tag, which explains the image quickly in a few words.
    
  • Image Size. Image size should be optimized so that the page loads quickly. Remember, fast loading times are critical to developing SEO-friendly content.
    
  • Videos. Videos are increasingly integral to robust SEO strategy. When possible, include videos on your page. Important video factors are:
    • Video File Name. The filename should be changed from the default to something that describes the video’s subject matter.
    • Video Title. Each video should have a title, including the target keyword(s) whenever possible.
    • Video Caption\Caption Description. Video captioning is essential, mainly if your caption includes the target keywords. 
      
• Include links – SEO content should include internal links to other website pages to encourage user engagement and facilitate the customer journey. In the case of blogs, external links to high-authority websites, when and where relevant, are highly recommended.
• Refresh content regularly. Routine content refreshment indicates to Google and other search engines that you are actively keeping up to date and providing your users with the most relevant content possible.
• Set Analytics goals – Make sure your SEO content strategy has goals and meets those goals within a specified period. A goal needs to be something achievable and realistic. For example, for a blog post, goals might include encouraging X number of users to:
  • Subscribe to the newsletter
  • Download an eBook or any downloadable  (when available) 
  • Watch a related video
  • Join an upcoming webinar or watch a pre-recorded webinar
  • Click (important) internal links

What’s the Best Way to Distribute SEO Content?

SEO content writing is one thing, but even the best content is useless if it lacks proper distribution. Consider some tips to ensure your SEO content connects with a broad audience:

1. Submit your content to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, ensuring the content is indexed. 
2. Share your content on social media channels. Encourage reaction and participation in your content.
3. Ask your employees, staff, friends, and even family members to react and share your content on their social media.
4. If you have a budget, spend a few dollars to “boost” your content on social media channels.
5. Include your content in your email newsletters. 

There are more sophisticated methods to distribute your content, which goes beyond the focus of this article. But the methods mentioned above are the bare minimum we recommend to get a head start on your SEO-friendly content marketing.

Unique SEO Content Strategy for Your Business

Need help with your SEO, content marketing, or digital marketing strategy and campaigns? Contact Clarity Digital today. Staffed with highly seasoned and skilled professionals, Clarity Digital has helped brands meet their SEO and digital marketing goals time and time again. Reach out when you’re ready to discuss a potential partnership.