SEO is really simpler than what people and articles make it out to be. It doesn’t need extra technical knowledge or hours of research to understand, & with practice, SEO will come naturally to any writer.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, in simple terms is using certain key words in your writing to boost the visibility of your work. This will lead to more people finding your content which will result in more dedicated readers, or more customers for your business.
Why is SEO Necessary?
SEO is essential for ranking on google & the right SEO can take your link from the first 50 pages of results, to the first, thus getting more clicks and reaching more people. This not only helps you, but also helps the audience get the answers that they’re specifically looking for.
Using SEO in Your Writing
The combination of great content & SEO will lead to both results, and likeable, efficient writing. If any article or blog no matter what the topic is has both of these, it will inevitably lead to success and great impact. This is because any search being done has one end goal: content. Whether the desired result is an article, blog, pictures, or videos, they are all different types of content.
Primarily, keeping the title of your work short and to the point, with keyword utilization in the beginning, so search engines can easily understand your topic. Both the reader and search engine should know what you’re going to be talking about, just from the title of your article/blog. This, combined with the writing itself being interesting and informative will produce results. This is writing with the audience in mind, to answer all of their questions, and direct them to what they need.
Keywords and How to Know Which to Use
Specific keywords can be found on google trends, but usually you can guess which ones will be searched more by looking inwards to your search habits, when you’re trying to find an answer for something, how do you phrase your search, and if that didn’t bring the desired results, how would you rephrase your search for more specific results? Odds are, people will use the same key words when looking for something, and that’s why Google’s suggested results are often exactly what you’re looking to find out.
Write your article with how someone who is interested in the idea would look for it; the closer your key words and title are to the search, the higher your work will rank.
Tips for Improving SEO and Ranking Higher:
Duplicate high-ranking content that you’ve written previously: If it worked before, it’s likely that it’s going to work again, given that your work is relevant and helpful.
Link to your other relevant articles: If you’ve written something before that ties into what you’re talking about, then the reader may click on it to learn more if they see that it would help them understand something better or make a better decision.
Search engines can’t be paid to have content rank higher, so it comes down to skill and utility. This is actually fantastic for writers that work hard on their content and optimize it accordingly, because their content won’t rank lower than other poor content who someone could’ve paid for it to show higher, as that’s not an option.
Structure your writing, break it up into sub paragraphs with clear headlines so it’s as friendly and clear to a reader as can be.
Use related images to bring your point home or set the mood. People are visual in their nature; a picture can go a long way in persuading someone or grabbing their attention.
Repeat keywords as often as you’d like to boost SEO, but make sure that the repetition is an appropriate amount that always fits in with the topic & is relevant. Basically, make sure that they key words aren’t forced in your content, but flow naturally.
Final Remarks
SEO doesn't have to be complicated or frustrating, it’s actually quite natural and straightforward. If keyword choice fails, proven keywords can be found on Google Trends, and Google Analytics can tell you where your work ranks, how many people have seen it, and other important details such as how long consumers stayed on your page.
SEO ultimately is equal parts skill, and habit. Incorporating it into your work at first may take some effort and changes, but in the long-run, it’ll become natural to your writing, especially if your content is already great and informative. You can read more about writing great content here. With a combination of Search Engine Optimization and quality content, your writing will crush the rankings and lead to the desirable results that you’re aiming for.
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