SEO writing is a lot easier than it sounds, but it takes time to get good at. That’s why we’ve created this guide for beginners who are just getting into SEO and want to learn how to write great content that will rank well in search engines.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to optimize your title tag and meta description tag.
URL structure and more so that your website gets found by searchers who are looking for exactly what you offer online and then convert visitors into customers by creating compelling content that they can read quickly without having to jump around from site-to-site searching for answers themselves!
Takeaways |
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1. Understand the basics of SEO and its importance in content writing. |
2. Learn how to optimize content for search engines using relevant keywords. |
3. Implement on-page SEO techniques to improve your content’s visibility. |
4. Focus on creating high-quality and engaging content for your audience. |
5. Build backlinks and promote your content to boost its search engine rankings. |
Know Your Keywords
As a writer, you need to know your audience and their interests. You also need to understand your industry, competitors, and target market. To be successful in SEO writing, you will need to know your business goals and SEO strategy as well as what keywords are driving traffic to the company or organization’s website.
Finally, because search engines are looking for certain elements when ranking pages on the results page (known as on-page factors), you must write with these elements in mind so that readers can find relevant information quickly and easily.
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Understand The Searcher’s Intent
The search query is the most important piece of information you need to understand when writing SEO-friendly content. Whether it’s a single word or a phrase, knowing what your searcher is looking for will help you craft content that answers their questions and addresses their needs.
If you can’t find an exact match, don’t stress! Your next step should be finding something close enough that reflects the intent of the searcher’s question.
If they’re asking “How do I make pizza?” but your product guide only talks about ordering pizza from your local pizzeria, then reword it so that it still provides value while addressing their initial question. This can mean adding more information (like how long to cook each ingredient) or even rewording one of your product descriptions (like subbing “pizza dough” with “dough mix).
Write Great Content
Write for humans, not search engines. Search engines are just looking for keywords and links, but your content should be written in a way that appeals to people.
Use a conversational tone. Write as though you’re talking to one person directly: “You should.” Not: “It is recommended that [you] take [step 1].”
Use active voice over passive voice. Instead of writing “I saw my dog sitting on the couch,” write “My dog was sitting on the couch.” This makes it much easier for your reader to follow along, and will make them more likely to read through your whole article if it’s easy to understand!
Don’t use short sentences or paragraphs unless you have content that needs them (like lists or tweets). People like longer articles because they feel like they’re getting more information out of them than they would from shorter ones; but keep in mind that there’s such thing as too long!
You don’t want anyone losing interest halfway through reading something because they think there’s no end in sight… especially if what you’re trying to say can easily fit within two paragraphs instead of five pages worth :-p
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Optimize Your Title Tag
- Title tags are clickable.
- Title tags are used for SEO.
- Title tags are used as a snippet in search results.
Your title tag should be between 45 and 65 characters, contain the most important keywords from your content, and be relevant to the page it’s on. Each page of your site should have its unique title tag, which means you’ll need to optimize them all separately!
Optimize Your Meta Description Tag
The meta description tag is a snippet of text that appears under your URL in search results. It’s important to use keywords in your meta description tag, but you should make sure it’s relevant to the page it is on.
If you run a site about dog training and have a blog post about walking your dog through the park, you want to include “walking” or “park” somewhere in your meta description tag so people searching for these terms will be more likely to click on yours over other websites’ descriptions that don’t contain those words (and might not even be related).
However, if someone searches for “dog training,” they probably don’t care about walking through parks they just want information on how dogs can be trained! So instead of including those words in the HTML code for this particular post, try including them here instead: “How do I teach my puppy not to bark?”
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Make Sure Your Content Is Easy To Read
Make sure your content is easy to read. Your SEO copy should be easy for your audience to understand, not just for search engines. To make sure it’s user-friendly, try following these tips:
Use short sentences and paragraphs. Short sentences are easier to comprehend than long ones, especially when you have a lot of information to convey in a single piece of content. You can also use bullet points, subheadings, and lists if needed (see below).
Make use of bold text or italics on important phrases or words that help break up the flow of text (“shouty headings”), but just remember that using too many different types of formatting will distract from what you’re trying to say!
Write in a conversational tone rather than an academic one this helps establish rapport with readers who might not be familiar with some terms used in technical writing like “SEO copywriting services provider”.
Optimize Your Url Structure
URL structure is an important component of SEO writing. If you want to be found by search engines, there are some rules to follow when constructing your URLs.
Use hyphens between words:
Examples: This-is-a-great-article, this-is-not–great article
You should use a hyphen between words and numbers:
Examples: This-is-an-article–about–SEO writing, this is another article about SEO writing
You should also use a hyphen before dashes:
Examples: This is an article about -SEO writing, and this is another article about -SEO Writing
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Make Sure All Your Pages Are Available Through A Sitemap
Sitemaps are a great way to make sure your content is searchable, crawlable, and linkable.
A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. Search engines use this list to find new content more quickly than they would otherwise be able to do when they have to rely on their algorithms alone.
That means that if you don’t submit a sitemap with your site, it could take longer for users’ search results pages (SERPs) to show up in search results than if you did submit one!
Sitemaps can also help people find links from other websites back into yours by increasing the likelihood of someone including links in their articles about topics related or associated with topics relevant within yours.”
Use Alt Image Tags To Describe Images And Videos Effectively
Alt tags are another important part of SEO writing: they’re used to describe images and videos. Alt tags should be unique, short, concise, and descriptive. They should also be relevant if you’re writing about bears in the forest, don’t use an image of a dog wearing sunglasses as your alt tag!
Connect With Influencers To Get Additional Exposure And Build Links Naturally
Another tip to get more exposure is to connect with influencers and build links naturally.
You can write about their work and link to it, which will give you a natural backlink not only from your website but also theirs.
If they share your content on social media, it will be better for you as well because you might get more shares than if they didn’t mention it in the first place.
Linking to their sites via anchor text is another good way of building links naturally because most people won’t notice that the link looks unnatural at all!
Seo Writing Is A Lot Easier Than It Seems
SEO writing is a lot easier than it seems. It’s not about being an expert in SEO or technical writing, nor does it require you to become an expert copywriter. You just need to follow a few simple rules.
Are you a beginner writer looking to excel in SEO? Our article on 11 search engine optimization tips for the beginning writer is the perfect starting point. Discover practical insights to optimize your content and gain a competitive edge in the digital realm.
Conclusion
If you’re still feeling a little nervous about SEO writing, don’t be! It’s a lot easier than it seems. Once you get the hang of it, your content will start to naturally rank and gain more exposure for your business.
Further Reading
A Beginner’s Guide to SEO and Content Writing: Explore the fundamentals of SEO and content writing in this comprehensive guide, perfect for beginners looking to enhance their online presence.
Guide to SEO Writing: Dive into the world of SEO writing with this insightful guide, packed with valuable tips and strategies to optimize your content for search engines.
SEO Writing for Beginners: If you’re new to SEO writing, this resource is for you. Learn the basics and get started on your journey to becoming a skilled SEO writer.
FAQs
What is SEO and content writing?
SEO and content writing involve crafting compelling and optimized content to rank higher in search engine results and engage the target audience effectively.
How can SEO writing benefit my website?
SEO writing can improve your website’s visibility, attract organic traffic, and enhance user experience, ultimately leading to increased conversions and business growth.
What are some essential SEO writing techniques?
Keyword research, on-page optimization, writing high-quality content, and building backlinks are key SEO writing techniques to master.
Is SEO writing different from traditional writing?
Yes, SEO writing involves incorporating relevant keywords strategically to optimize content for search engines, while traditional writing may focus solely on creative expression.
How can I improve my SEO writing skills?
Practicing regularly, staying updated on SEO trends, and analyzing the performance of your content can help you continuously improve your SEO writing skills.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.