How to Write an SEO Friendly Article in 10 Easy Steps
You’ve been tasked with writing an article. Naturally, you begin by researching your topic in order to present relevant information and bolster your credibility as an expert in the field. But there’s one more important step that you might not be thinking about: The way you write can have a huge impact on how well your article ranks in search results, and as such, whether or not people read it and share it with their friends and colleagues. Here are ten steps to consider that will help you write an SEO friendly article so your piece has the best chance at being seen and shared by as many people as possible.
Step 1) Do your keyword research
Before you start writing, it’s a good idea to research keywords for your topic. This will give you a sense of what people are searching for and ensure that you keep your target audience at the forefront of your mind. For example, if you’re planning on writing about entrepreneurship (as opposed to entrepreneurship training or entrepreneur workshops), then make sure that entrepreneurship is included somewhere in your title and content.
Other words like business, startup, or small business are also great keyword fodder. Keywords aren't a one-size-fits-all deal; take some time to tailor them to each individual piece so you can better rank higher on search engines. As always, do be wary of overstuffing your titles with too many keywords—you want to be found, not banned from Google. Use tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Moz's free Open Site Explorer to do your research before you write. If you're looking for more information on how to write an SEO friendly post, check out our guide here.
What Is Your Goal? Why Are You Writing? These might seem like basic questions, but taking a few minutes to figure out why you're putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is important. Do you want people to sign up for your newsletter? Do you want them to buy something?
Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Your goal should dictate how much effort goes into each part of your process—from how long it takes you brainstorm ideas all the way through publication. The easier it is for readers to act on your content, the more likely they'll actually do so! What type of person reads blogs/articles about [topic]?
Step 2) Create Headlines
The headline is arguably one of your most important features, so it’s worth some time putting into. Using action verbs is a simple yet effective way to write compelling headlines. For example, instead of writing Basic Care for Your Pet Cat, you could write something like 10 Best Tips for Training Your Cat.
These tips are useful and actionable—even if your readers may not be cat owners—and your articles will rank higher on search engines. Keywords are also very important when it comes to SEO and can help your articles rank higher with ease once you start including them effectively in headlines and content.
Start off by doing keyword research to figure out what words and phrases people use when searching for information about your industry or niche. Then, brainstorm relevant keywords that fit naturally into titles and body text. This might sound complicated at first but don't worry; we'll get you started below!
Once you've written an excellent title, create short paragraphs that introduce each new idea or topic clearly before moving onto another subject. Make sure every paragraph contains at least three sentences and make sure they flow smoothly from one sentence to another without any abrupt changes in direction or tone.
When writing individual sentences keep sentences as short as possible while still being grammatically correct; think of every sentence as its own tweet—they should all be interesting enough that people want to read more!
Step 3) Categorize Your Keywords
Your keywords are your most important tool in making sure that search engines know what your content is about. When you write a new post, try to focus on one or two keywords and include them naturally throughout your text.
Make sure that each page of your site uses its own set of keywords; a page about dog training probably doesn't need to use any of your cat training keywords. If it's possible, group related articles together so readers can get all their information about similar topics from one place.
This will make it easier for users to find everything they're looking for without having to click through several pages. For example, if you have an extensive archive of posts about pet nutrition, create a separate category specifically for pet nutrition-related posts.
Step 4) Link to Other Pages Within Your Site
Search engines look at both internal and external links when calculating search rankings. Internal links point readers from one page on your site to another, while external links bring visitors from other sites directly to your content.
A good rule of thumb is that you should have no fewer than three and no more than five links within every 100 words of text. This will help balance out link equity and make sure you don't dilute its effectiveness through overuse.
For example, if you're writing a 1,000-word post about ice cream flavors for a food website, it would be appropriate to include five links: two internal (one pointing back to an earlier section of your post and another linking to a related recipe) and three external (to recipes for two different flavors).
The key here is that each link should be relevant—that means they shouldn't just be filler or attempts at keyword stuffing. They also shouldn't lead users away from your site; instead they should direct them toward something else on your website or elsewhere online. That's why it's important not only to use keywords naturally but also strategically in order to drive traffic back toward your site.
Step 5) Keep it Short and Sweet
The typical visitor spends less than a minute on any given page of your website, so there's little time for them to read what you've written. Keeping your content short and sweet is especially important if you want users to engage with it—you don't want anyone feeling bored or overwhelmed while they're reading through your material.
Try breaking up long articles into multiple pages; visitors will be much more likely to continue reading if they can see that what you have has been broken down into digestible chunks. You should also consider using subheadings within your posts.
Not only do these make it easier for readers to scan information quickly, but they also allow search engines to easily determine what your content is about—which makes it easier for them to return relevant results when someone searches for related terms.
Finally, remember that Google doesn't like spammy websites (which are typically full of keyword-stuffed garbage), so try writing naturally and avoiding obvious keyword stuffing. Be sure to include keywords throughout your posts naturally as part of well-written sentences.
Step 6) Use Subheadings Frequently
Subheadings are a great way to break up content for readers, but they also serve as metadata for search engines. Using subheadings like What is SEO? and Common SEO Mistakes will make it easier for search engines like Google and Bing to identify topics of your articles. Make sure you only use a subheading once per page, though! Otherwise, it could look spammy.
Step 7) Keep it Simple, Stupid
If you want your page to rank well on search engines, it’s important that your content is easily digestible. Users will look for articles that can be easily understood and answered their questions as quickly as possible. Make sure you keep your sentences short and sweet (under 15 words per sentence), use simple vocabulary, avoid industry jargon, and make sure everything flows logically from start to finish.
The easier it is for users to consume your content, whether through traditional or social media channels, or through direct access to the site itself, then more likely users are going to stick around—and that’s what search engines want. Longer pieces of writing may be better suited towards blogs than websites specifically created for SEO purposes.
Keep it under 1,000 words at most if you plan on publishing your piece elsewhere first. It might not get as much traffic directly from a search engine result, but people will share a shorter piece more often, increasing exposure to new audiences who don’t necessarily have time to read long-form content.
Also remember that each paragraph should have one main idea and stay focused on that idea throughout each section. It should also have supporting details used only when necessary for clarity or understanding; otherwise, remove them so you aren't weighing down your copy with excessive filler text just because there's space available in a given line of text. Writing an SEO friendly piece takes practice—so get out there and write!
Step 8) Not all Title Tags are Created Equal
The headline is what potential readers will first see. It should be short and snappy, but must also include keywords that searchers are likely to search for. This is a great opportunity to be clever while still being relevant. Remember, you want to make sure your content ranks highly on Google’s search engine results page (SERP).
Here’s a quick rundown of some important title tag rules: Keep it under 70 characters: Google recommends keeping your title tags under 65 characters—but that doesn’t mean you should go beyond 70 or so, especially if it starts getting really hard for users to read. You can get away with more than 65 characters when you’re including a number (e.g.,
The 5 Biggest Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make), but don't use more than 80 total characters. In general, though, keep it concise! Use hyphens to break up long words: Hyphens help break up long words and give them space without adding extra letters. If you have too many words in one string without any hyphens, they might run together on mobile devices or look strange when printed out. Stick with proper capitalization: You shouldn't capitalize every word in your title tag—just like you shouldn't do that with regular sentences!
Step 9) Check for Typos and Broken Links on Regular Basis.
Make sure you’re not making common mistakes like typing it’s when you mean its. Pay attention to punctuation and your use of capital letters, so that articles aren’t misconstrued as shouting when they aren't supposed to be. And make sure there are no broken links on your site—having dead-ends is a surefire way for users to abandon your website and move on. If you take just one thing away from these ten steps, it should be that if one tiny thing isn't working, it's all going down. So stay vigilant, and check for errors regularly!
Google pays close attention to spelling and grammar, because if potential customers can’t understand what you’re writing, they might not trust your business or see you as an authority on a subject. Don’t think bad grammar won’t be noticed: Google will catch everything from dropped prepositions to improperly placed commas. It may seem basic, but good spelling shows Google (and visitors) that you care about their experience with your brand.
Check for Typos and Broken Links on Regular Basis - Third Paragraph: Additionally, small details such as maintaining a consistent style throughout all of your pages can also improve how often people link back to them!
Step 10) Backlinks Matter. Period.
You know that Google rewards sites with lots of incoming links (backlinks) when it comes time to rank your site. You also probably know that they penalize sites with spammy backlinks. The good news is there are plenty of ways you can generate legitimate, high-quality backlinks. First, though, you need content people will want to link to and share.
The fastest way to do that is by creating something truly helpful for your audience—not just what's best for you as a business owner. For example, do you run a car repair shop? Why not create a how-to guide for common brake replacements? Or how about creating a list of auto maintenance tips and reminders?
These types of articles help people solve problems, which makes them more likely to share on social media. And if someone shares your post on their own website or social media page, it’s like getting a free backlink! If you really want to get technical about it, here are some great resources: Moz: How To Get Backlinks From Social Media Sites (10+ Ways!) Authority Hacker:
How to Get High Quality Backlinks for Your Website No matter where you find inspiration, remember that your content needs to be valuable. Think through every word so readers will actually benefit from reading it. This doesn't mean being overly salesy or promotional either; in fact, taking a less direct approach may work better in some cases. Just remember to make sure any information included is useful and relevant first and foremost.
In other words, don't force your product into everything you write; offer genuinely helpful advice instead. Another option? Do a lot of research first so you have interesting statistics at hand whenever possible - studies show that websites featuring data win 50% more clicks than those without any statistics!
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