Many new bloggers and content creators scratch their heads when they first hear the word “SEO.” What is SEO, anyway? People often get started with their websites without a clue in the world what SEO might be, and how it could help their website rank so much higher in search engines.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” which is a fancier way of saying that you’re making content that is easier for search engines (like Google or Bing) to find your website and its content. Have you ever wondered about the order of search results? Well, this is the thick of it.
Whenever you search for something on Google, the search engine takes the main words from your search (excluding words like “the,” “and,” or “of”) and finds websites or pages that fit your search. The more keywords (more on this below) there are in the webpage that match your search, the higher you’ll see that page in your search results.
Headers, Headers, Headers
One of the more important things to remember when writing SEO content is the proper use of H1, H2, and H3 headings. This is lingo from the old days of website creation and HTML, a language people use to tell computers what to show. H1 is the title heading for your webpage and is the most important. H2 is the first subheading which should contain similar keywords as your H1. H3 (or up to H6) headings are increasingly unimportant. Use these headings to break up your article or blog post into sections that are easy to understand. A lot of SEO analysts say that using the right keywords in these headings is essential to get your webpage ranked higher in search results.
How to Write SEO Friendly Content
So, you put together a fun blog, and now you’re looking for information on how to write SEO friendly articles. Different writers across the globe have different steps and practices, but most can agree that writing SEO-friendly content should include the following:
- Research keywords
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Wordtracker to find keywords related to your content that people are searching for. Make sure to use the keywords you find in your content!
- Choose the right length
SEO content comes in a variety of different lengths. Most experts in SEO content writing say that 500 to 700 words is the sweet spot to include a good number of keywords to rank higher in search. The length of your content depends on what you need it for - under 200 words to promote reader engagement, 500 to 700 words for SEO, and over 2,000 words to increase sharing.
- Write post titles and titles
The post title of your blog is what the reader sees in the search engine, and the meta title is what the search engine sees in the background. The post title should be clear and to the point, easy for a human to read. The meta title should include all of your keywords. If you do not designate a meta title (often found in “SEO settings” in your blog writing platform), your post title will also be used as the meta title.
- Write a meta description
The meta description for your content is the small snippet of text that you see under each search result. Think of this as your small opportunity to quickly describe your content and lure readers to click. The meta description should include as many of your keywords as possible.
Final Thoughts
While there are many more nitty-gritty details on technical SEO writing, these four steps will take you a long way in creating content that competes for the top spots in search rankings. The additional visibility from a high search engine rank basically works like free promotion. This increases traffic, improves your brand recognition, and helps expand your audience, among other things. Now, have fun writing your SEO-friendly blog posts, articles, or any other content!
