Content creation is crucial to on-page SEO success. The best metadata and site mapping can only carry a website so far. Ultimately, your content needs to be the breadwinner in generating buzz and traffic to your site. Obviously, good content is easier said than done.
However, if you can develop some well-researched, user-friendly content, your website will see ranking rewards. So let’s cut to the chase, and lay out our golden rules for SEO content creation.
Keyword Driven Content Wins
Regardless if we are discussing text, video, graphic, or any other form of content, it needs to start with keyword research. Here is where you need to put on your data scientist hat — keyword research can be overwhelming, and difficult to interpret if you’re new to the game. Hundreds of keywords will generate when you enter the base keyword into your research tool. Understanding the search volume and competition surrounding a keyword are two factors you need to weigh when laying out a content plan.
For example, let’s assume you’re a Manhatten (NYC) ice cream shop, and you want to rank for “best ice cream in nyc.” Depending on your site’s domain authority, and several other factors, this might be an ill-fitting starting place. The large search volume and fierce competition would make it difficult to rank on the first page. So based on this, and a quick SERP analysis — attacking longtail keywords like “best ice cream Manhatten” would be a better starting position for your business.
Continuing with the best keyword practices, it’s important that each piece of content focuses on one primary keyword to not confuse the Google algorithm and weaken your potential ranking for either word. Additionally, in the past few years, Google has placed higher importance on the relevancy and value the content provides viewers. This consumer shift requires content to be filled with in-depth insight that answers the question web surfers are looking for. Therefore, content should be well developed, and for written pages, the word count should eclipse 600 words (if possible).
Good Content Has Links
So you might be wondering why linking is so important to successful SEO content if your content is killing it in the keyword column. Well, a couple of reasons explain it. First, online audiences enjoy links because they provide an easy channel to navigate the internet for more relevant topical content. User experience is a major player in Google rankings, and a strong reason for a visitor to return to your website.
While linking externally is beneficial when played right, so is linking internally. By weaving in related links to other pages within your website, you can help supplement one piece of content with other pieces. Additionally, internal linking can help better the individual ranking of your other pages.
Lastly, is backlinking, which has exploded in value and popularity over the past several years. Searching for backlink opportunities allows other domain’s popularity to feed the value of your website. Producing a quality piece of content that is picked up on a website with a different ecosystem of visitors can funnel noticeable traffic back to your site, and help increase Google ranking positions. Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind when drafting content that it has the potential to be shared — is this blog/video/graphic entertaining or educational?
Just look at the Popeye’s chicken sandwich craze. Sparked by the fast-food chain’s tweet, thousands of websites have picked up on the viral traffic, backlinking to the original Popeye’s content, and building their own offshoot content. Popeye’s is loving life right now, and backlinking perfection is a beautiful thing to witness.
Successful SEO Content is Organized
Have you ever been to a website that was poorly designed and laid out? There was no rhyme or reason for why the menu dropdown had the “About Us” page double listed, or the homepage link was broken. Have you been back to that website? I didn’t think so.
The internet is a vast open space, with over 5.5 billion web pages currently indexed. Web-users are scouring the internet for information, specifically, answers to their questions. “How do I change a tire?” “Best place to get adult braces in Sacramento,” “Nearest furniture store.” To convert web page visitors into leads, your website’s user experience needs to be enjoyable, and content plays an important role in delivering a positive experience.
Nothing is going to send page visitors bouncing faster than unorganized content — from block text to incoherent story progression, users are going to leave your site before your chatbot can ask them, “how can I help you today?” Answer – organize your content.
Use white space to your advantage, and break up paragraphs into two to three sentences. Utilize headers to categorize the content by sections. Add in bullet points and numbers to encourage fast, and easy readability. Prioritize the user experience through the aesthetic look that accompanies your content. How can SEO content be successful if it can’t be consumed?
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