Basic SEO guides that every content Writer needs to know

Optimization for search engines and users is one of the most important things you can do for your content. However, creating SEO-friendly content often takes time and effort, but you can expect it to pay off at the end of the day — if you do it right. Many people think that SEO-optimized content cannot be user-friendly. This is a complete misconception. Well-optimized, high-quality content essentially improves your chances of placing higher in search results. To help you improve your content ranking in search engines, check out these SEO rules and tips that I collected in this article.

1. Perform a keyword search

Although SEO tends to encourage users to create content that plays a thought leadership role, keywords still play an essential role. Finding the right keywords helps you dominate search results and satisfy your target audience. A few must follow guidelines are:

Using the wrong keywords is a waste of time and budget.

Understand the intention of the searcher behind keywords you want to use.

Focus on long-tail keywords. They may have a low search volume, but they still offer a high possibility of ranking on the SERPs. People usually use longer keyword phrases if they want to learn more specific information on a particular topic.

2. Structure your content

If you want to create great content, follow a solid structure. First, identify the main body of your post. Splitting into different parts can make your writing more accessible and faster. Once you have structured your content, you can work on any part without organizing your thoughts. Each piece of content should include an introduction, main body, and conclusion. You can split the body into different parts and write your content that highlights your personality and resonates with your audience. End your satisfaction with a solid Call-to-Action (CTA) for people to take the action they want.

3. Write catchy titles

Titles have a massive impact on your SEO purposes and ease of use. Descriptive and memorable titles can help readers recognize what your blog post is about and what they get from reading it. To increase your chances of achieving higher placement, optimize your titles for SEO by following these simple tips:

Use your target keyword at the beginning of your title.

Keep your title below 60 characters. Google displays the first 60 characters in search results.

4. Write SEO friendly URLs

Well, thought-out URLs are one of the most critical elements of SEO. According to Backlinko, URLs are an essential ranking factor. They offer a better user experience and are easier to share. When it comes to creating SEO-friendly URLs, use the following rules:

Add the target keyword for each page to improve your site’s visibility and help search engines better categorize and identify the site.

Shorten your URLs by removing unnecessary words; the average URL should be about 60 characters or three to five words.

Use hyphens to separate words, for example http: / / website.com / how-to-write-seo-friendly-posts /

Use lowercase letters. Capitalized letters may lead to diversions or 404 errors on some servers.

Avoid stopping words such as a, an, but, and or.

Keep your URLs simple, compelling, and relevant.

5. Use small paragraphs

It does not mean that every sentence has to start with a new line, but paragraphs should be arranged logically and have their idea. Stick to small sections over 2–3 sentences. Use different formatting options, such as adding bullet points, highlighting text, changing the font. This makes it easier for mobile users to read the content and makes your content less dull.

6. Optimize Meta Description

The meta description summarizes your content that Google uses to show up in search results under your title. It is essential to make it appealing and informative to encourage readers to click on your blog entry. The meta description should explain what your article is about and contain your target keywords. The meta description length is between 155–160 characters. There is no guarantee that the original meta description you have been working on will appear in the search results, so the best solution is to find your target keyword and, of course, include it in your meta description. If Google sees a match in your meta description, it will probably use your tag.

7. Optimize images

The inclusion and optimization of images in your content are a great way to convey your points and improve the reader’s experience effectively. Image optimization is similar to traditional SEO. Google Images cannot read the text in images. Still, they can interpret the content of images to define the relevance of images in search results. You must provide correct alt-text and descriptive titles, captions, and filenames. ALT text is not visible to website visitors. Still, search engines use this information to understand the subject of an image. If images are not loaded onto a particular device, people will see ALT text instead. Try to create valuable and informative content that includes your core keywords appropriately and naturally in your ALT text.

8. Add shortcuts that make sense

When you write a new blog post, you add some words, statistics, or points that could benefit from further clarification. This means you don’t refrain from adding internal and external links to your article. They help your readers to explore a topic more deeply while focusing on the main point.

Internal links are an effective way to:

Help search engines understand the relevance of your content.

Allow your readers to spend more time on your page.

Reduce the bounce rate.

Try to use a reasonable number of links. No one knows how many links you should include. Just make sure that your links are relevant, natural, and helpful to readers.

9. Use the optimal length of the content

For a typical blog post, 300 to 500 words should be the minimum number of words. Google likes longer content, as it tends to get more likes and mentions on social media. Longer posts, therefore, have a good chance of getting a better ranking in the search. The optimum length of content is around 1500 words. However, it should not be your primary goal to write 1500 words each time. First and foremost, you need to provide your readers with the most valuable and informative content that determines their search intentions. So, look at your top-ranking content to see which articles get the most views and analyze the impact of the length of content.

10. Optimize your content for mobile devices

Today, Internet usage on mobile / tablet computers is 56% worldwide. Optimizing your blog for mobile devices is a must for search engines, as Google now rates mobile-friendly websites higher. It is therefore critical to have responsive web design, as Google penalizes non-mobile friendly websites. You also want to customize your web design for mobile devices, tablets, and desktop devices. Easy navigation and layout make it easier for users to find all the necessary information quickly. This means you want to analyze the loading speed of your website. To find out if your website has any problems, such as website speed, mobile optimization, HTML validation, etc., I recommend SE Ranking Website Audit. The tool evaluates all essential parameters and gives actionable tips on how to fix problems when needed.

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