Tips for Writing Content Designed for Search Engine Optimization

When you write content for your online marketing efforts, are you thinking about all the components needed to insure your posts are optimized? Do you work on your online marketing efforts on a daily basis? Are you checking to make sure that your content is going to be effective in achieving the results you are seeking?

Whether you are writing for your own business or other’s with the intent of gaining online exposure, you need to appreciate that content must be structured and actually develop a strategy for online writing activities. The following are some tips for writing content designed for search engine optimization:

Write to Your Target Market While Thinking About Search Engines

When you write any type of web copy, it is important that your website or articles are interesting, easy to read and offers value to your target audience. However, one important member of your audience are the search engine robots that crawl your pages to assess their value. Therefore, it is very key that you consider the structure of your articles and web pages when building a site or writing a post.  Be sure that all on-page fundamentals are being met when structuring each post or page. It is wise to check your webmaster tools for Google and view the page from the eyes of the search engine robot and see how you are measuring up and what adjustments might be necessary.

Be sure that if you are writing about products or services, your posts, pages and articles are all related to the products and services you are writing about. Online visitors are coming to your site to learn more about your products and services, not you. Do not write about personal experiences unless they somehow relate to your products or services. Ensure your content will not only get people coming to your site, but wanting to return.

Quality Content is “Key” as is Keyword Density

Top quality content is a must. Do not pack your web pages or posts with keywords. Instead, consider alternative phrases that re-emphasize the keywords. Quality content trumps keyword saturation any day. Use Google’s keyword search tool to find out which keywords they would suggest for your topic.

Today’s search engines are extremely advanced. They use the latest semantic indexing (LSI) technology when performing their searches. They are able to understand how words relate to one another and can determine whether or not a page is related to the topic featured in your title.

Write Shareable Content

Be sure to use social media to share your content. Be sure when using social media that your are creating unique, interesting and valuable information. When you share high quality, relevant and knowledgeable content you will establish yourself as a leader and expert in your industry.  This status will result in others linking to your site or your blog and becoming your own online evangelists.

Pay Attention to Detail

Try to avoid writing the 300 word post, they have little value in search engines. Yes, all the mainstream marketing and social media channels are suggesting “minimalism is best” – which is FINE for attention grabbing purposes.  But to solely rely on a visual ad with some text that reiterates the message and a quick call to action (CTA) is not going to work long term. Your social media piece should be re-directing your target audience to detailed, interesting posts and pages that are focused on quality and readability. With detailed content, you will establish your own tail keywords that will ultimately make your pages and posts more accessible and valuable to search engines.

Use Title Tags Properly

Catchy titles are the window to your message! When people search Google or Bing, they will be reading your title first and foremost.  If your title is interesting, they will opt to enter your site and read further. You have approximately 70 characters to catch their attention so make the most of them! It is worth performing a little online research to see how other title’s cache.  Look at other articles that are similar to your own and see what knee-jerking content your competition is using and whether or not it has worked.  (Note: Pay attention to those will be the articles that are ranking on the top-fold of the page).

Links are a MUST

When developing your content, links are essential. Links add value to your content in terms of both readability and interest, but especially in search engine optimization.  Search engine robots like them as it makes their transition from page to page a smooth one and they do not “fall off” your pages.  You do not want spider bots to fall off your pages or they fail to gather information off your site.  If information is not gathered off your site, there is no content to report to Google and your site goes “un-indexed” – meaning basically it does not exist.

Therefore, be sure to insert links that connect to other areas within your pages that further emphasize and contain other aspects of the topic you are writing about.  These links can be internal to other pages on your site or external to other top quality resources you have found online.

Use Infographics, Rich Media and Images

When you are looking to engage with readers, you want to appeal to them aesthetically. Be sure the visual component is in alignment with your content so that both further enhance the message you are trying to make. The use of a good infographic, rich media and images enhances your customer experience.This will also make your content much more shareable and likely to get more exposure.

Please understand that there is no magic involved  in getting a good online presence.  It does not happen overnight and it takes hard work and perseverance. Follow these guidelines and remain consistent with your efforts, and in time – your efforts will get noticed.  If you feel that your small business does not have the manpower to make this daily commitment to establishing an online presence, consider hiring a digital marketing agency to assist. Contact Invoke-Media Group for a FREE consultation and learn how we help our clients get their online presence established. We also provide valuable instruction for our clients to maintain their online presence after we have “jump-started” them.