It’s not enough to simply write content for your website,… you must write it in a way that helps you gain search engine ranking. The key is to think about keyword phrases before and while you are writing. Here are some SEO writing tips to help you make the most of your website content.
Select Your Target Keyword Phrase Beforehand
Before you write about a certain topic, think about what someone might enter into a web search to find that content. In fact, you can visit search engine websites and perform a search yourself. Sites like Google will recommend phrases as you start to type. This can help you figure out what combination of words might be popular. Try different starting words and compare the recommendations that appear.
Remember that some keyword phrases have more competition than others. Searching a generic topic can lead to millions of results whereas including a hyperlocal reference might display fewer results. Naturally, you might have a better chance on the less competitive phrases. Based on your research, select a desired keyword phrase before you start writing.
Include Target Phrases in Key Locations
Your target keyword phrase should be included in certain locations of your webpage or blog post. Since you selected a phrase ahead of time, you can strategically insert it as you write. This is much easier than going back afterwards to do so. The exact keyword phrase should be included in the:
- Page/Post Title
- Intro Paragraph
- Subheading(s)
- Closing Paragraph
- Meta Description
- Image Alt Text
The consistency and repeated use of your target keyword phrase will re-enforce it, but be careful not to overuse it. This can be annoying to readers and also a red flag to search engines.
Don’t Force Multiple Keyword Phrases
What we often hear from customers is the desire to target multiple keyword phrases with a single page or post. Depending on the topic, this is not always possible based on the guidelines above. Sometimes forcing multiple keyword phrase use leads to poor readability. Your content will have little value if people don’t want to read it. To expand the keyword phrases targeted on your website, add more content instead. You can often approach a single topic from different angles and with different target keyword phrases.
Include an Optimized Image
Another important SEO writing tip is to add images. Images can help insert color and break up text. Be sure to add alt text that matches your target keyword phrase. Also, beware of image copyright issues; don’t simply Google search and steal images from other websites. Instead, source your images from royalty-free websites or paid sources.
Summary of SEO Writing Tips
Content is key these days. Adding pages and blog posts to your website can help your website grow over time, get listed in keyword searches online, and provide helpful information to your target audience. Make the most of your writing efforts by keeping the above SEO writing tips in mind.
