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Image source: https://moz.com/blog/5-data-insights-into-the-headlines-readers-click

If you want to succeed in the online industry, you need to do more than simply writing content. Otherwise, your posts are going to be lost in the vast sea of Google pages. In order to deliver good content, that is going to make people want to click on your link, you need to understand that users come first, even before numbers and algorithms.

The biggest challenge of every content writer is to find the fine balance between delivering content that appeals to the readers and optimizing it for search engines. In order to do so, you need to understand and follow some basic rules, that are going to take your well-written content and turn it into SEO-friendly content.

 

Understand the Audience

In order for your page to rank high in Google searches, you need to first understand what drives people towards clinking and staying on a website. Good-written content is extremely important, but there are other aspects that are just as important:

  • Speed

Around 40% of internet users have stated that they will not wait for more than 3 seconds for a page to load. The average loading time for a page should be no higher than 2 seconds, so make sure to always use website speed tests for your pages and optimize them in order to load as fast as possible.

  • Headlines and Titles

Even if your content is top notch, nobody will get the chance to read it, if you don’t come up with an eye-catching headline. This is the first thing people are going to see, so focus on making it attractive. According to studies, headlines that have numbers on them are the most shared on social media, followed by those that address directly to the reader, such as “Things you need to do to succeed in your Ecommerce career”.

  • Keyword density

This refers to the number of times you use your chosen keywords on the page. Although keyword frequency is no longer as effective as it previously was, it is still a thing you should consider. Experts advise you should keep keyword frequency under 5%, to avoid keyword stuffing and get penalized by Google.

 

Take Advantage of The Right Tools

If the internet was not filled with tools to help writers create meaningful content, their job would be 10 times harder. Take advantage of SEO-designed tools that help you master the game of search optimization. Such tools include:

  • Similar Web: this website estimates the monthly traffic for any website and breaks it down by source and location
  • Is Accurate: this army of writers can translate anything, to make your texts more appealing to foreign readers.
  • TrustMyPaper: if you are in need of proofing or editing, professional writers can help you deliver high-quality content for your next post.
  • Kill Writer’s Block: if you are out of ideas for your next post, use this tool to spawn creative ideas that will engage your readers.
  • Backlink Checker: this tool shows the top 100 backlinks to a website, as well as the most common anchor texts and most linked-to pages.
  • Google’s PageSpeed Insight: this tool tests and analyzes the performance and loading time of any web page.

 

Start with Keyword Research

In order to understand how to efficiently use keywords, you first need to put yourself in the searcher’s shoes. This should be the first thing you do, before starting to write an article. To understand why people search for a keyword, you need to master the use of the two main keyword types: informational and commercial.

  • Informational: when people search for these types of keywords, they want to get access to useful information without having to invest in it. The articles that use these keywords should serve as guides. Content writers use informational keywords not necessarily to convert users into buyers but to make them engage with the product or brand and build up the relationship between the user and the brand. Some examples include: how to put up a tent, teenagers driving cars, ways to decorate your bedroom.
  • Commercial: these keywords show the users’ intent to purchase a service or product. People who search for them have already made the decision that they need that certain product. These keywords include certain words that show urgency, such as review, compare, buy, top, best.

 

Focus on Originality and Readability

Due to the ever-increasing number of online content produced daily, content writers need to step up their game and deliver articles that are not only useful but also take a fresh approach to the subject.

A good article should be able to tell a story that sets it apart from other articles found on the internet. This way, you will attract people’s attention and make them want to keep reading. In order to do so, you need to find a way to make the article allure your target audience. This starts with the title, continues with the introduction and ends with the content of the article. As the reader moves towards each element of the story, they should feel the need to read more and discover what you have to say.

If you manage to keep the reader entertained throughout the article, then it does not matter what you recommend or suggest, people are going to trust you and try your recommendations. One way to do so is to accentuate the main ideas of your article through bullet points, headlines, and color call-to-action phrases.

When writing content, make sure you pay close attention to grammar and tone. You don’t want to abuse Passive Voice or deliver a text that is filled with typos and grammar mistakes. Use tools such as Grammarly, Supreme Dissertations, Hemingway, PickTheWriter or Grab My Essay to make sure your content is well-written and you don’t miss any mistakes. These tools help analyze your text, proof it and recommend improvements to make it more readable.

 

Don’t Forget About Meta Description

Meta descriptions are shown below the title in every Google search and are what make people understand what the content is about. It should contain a brief explanation of the content searchers can find on your page. To put it simply, those few words will determine if people are going to click on your page or not.

The meta description should be just under 150 characters, including spaces, and should include the targeted keywords. Just as the content of your article, make sure the meta description is original, otherwise Google will flag it.

There are multiple ways you can write a description that will catch people’s interest, but the most effective ones seem to be those who start with questions and those who blatantly state the obvious:

  • Example one: “Are you looking for the best ways to improve your work productivity? The most important thing is to set clear deadlines.”
  • Example two: “Time is extremely valuable, especially in the business world. But productivity does not happen without a bit of planning beforehand.

In order to write SEO-friendly content, you need to take a step back and put yourself in the reader’s position. What do they want to read? What will keep them entertained? What will make them trust you and your recommendations? These are all questions you need to have a clear answer to before deciding on the keywords, title, and content of your new article.

 

Bridgette Hernandez is a Master in Anthropology who is interested in writing and is planning to publish her own book in the near future. Now she is a content editor at WoWGrade. She works with professional writing companies such as BestEssayEducation and Studicus as a writer. The texts she writes are always informative, based on a qualitative research but nevertheless pleasant to read.