SEO is an essential strategy for boosting your website’s traffic. And when it comes to creating SEO content, there are several things you need to know.

The main thing is, it’s no longer enough to just write high-quality content with catchy titles. Because unless you have a big following, that isn’t enough for search engines to pick up your content.

Plus, a good SEO content strategy will drive high-quality traffic to your site for years to come. You won’t just get an initial spike and then see the article you wrote drop off the face of the earth.

In this article, we’ll go over 9 steps you should take to create content that lasts.

1. Do Keyword Research

Keyword research is the #1 most important thing for driving new people to your site via SEO. The words you choose to create content tell search engines what your website is about and what type of people they should drive to your site.

For example, if you run a car wash business in Orlando, probably the top keyword that you want to rank for is “car wash in Orlando.” If you can get your website onto the first page of Google, you will absolutely see a spike in business.

There are dozens of keyword generating tools, including a great one made by Google.

2. Determine Search Intent and Identify the Right Format

To better understand search engine optimization, put yourself in Google’s shoes for a moment. Their job, as a search engine, is to give people the highest quality information they can find based on their search.

Google doesn’t work if they don’t return good search results. So above all, they want to know exactly what your site is about so they can figure out who would benefit from finding it.

This is where search intent comes in. Why would someone be searching for your product or brand? What could they need from you?

From here, it’s your job to figure out the best format to deliver that information to them. Articles, podcasts, and videos are all popular methods. 

3. Create a Catchy Title for the Page or Article

Catchy titles do matter. They just aren’t the only thing anymore; otherwise, clickbait would dominate the internet.

Your article’s title is the first thing a searcher sees and the first thing Google crawls. With good keyword and search intent research, you should have a clear idea of who is coming to your site and for what.

Now, it’s your job to hook them with a catchy headline. There are many ways to write catchy headlines, but one popular method is to use power words. Words like shocked, stunned, inspired, and slammed help generate emotion for your readers, prompting them to click. 

(Just don’t overdo it.)

4. Create a Well-Optimized Meta Title (SERP)

How often do you search on Google and get an answer right at the top of page one?

A few years ago, Google started making a big deal out of meta titles. A SERP gives a brief description of what the page is going to be about, and is often displayed right at the top of the first page of search results when it ranks number one.

Take your time crafting these. Be sure to use keywords and write something that matches searcher intent.

5. Optimize the Meta Description

Your meta description is a short paragraph (usually two to three sentences) that tells readers what the page or article you’ve written is about.

These are equally important for search engine optimization. If you can write short, clear, and concise meta descriptions that include the keyword and factor in search intent, you can drive more traffic to your site.

You have around 160 characters to describe your content. Make it count.

6. Structure Your Content and Make It Readable

There’s a reason listicles and other concise pieces of content dominate the internet. They’re what people read the most.

Structured articles are easy to navigate and provide the answer to questions without a hassle. Your entire article and the paragraphs within should both be structured.

Listicles (such as “7 steps to…”) and advice articles (“Here’s how to..”) are both very popular. Readers know they’re easy to consume.

When structuring your paragraphs, answer the question in the first line. Doing this can help you rank higher for SERPs, which can significantly boost the results of your strategy.

7. Add Visuals to the SEO Content

Google can’t necessarily scan and rank websites based on images yet. But that doesn’t mean images don’t matter.

Here are two reasons why:

• Studies show that images draw people to articles
• Images can be tagged with words that beef up your written SEO strategy

Filling in the “Alt title” and “Title” categories help bolster what your content is about and makes it easier for Google to drive traffic to your site.

8. Make Your URL Readable

Sloppy content seems unprofessional to readers and therefore, is worthless to Google.

A basic SEO tool (or even just WordPress) should allow you to change your URL to something easy to read and understand. Ideally, put the keyword you’re trying to rank for in the URL.

9. Interlinking and Backlinking

Last but certainly not least is Google’s emphasis on authoritative content. Even if you write captivating prose, Google still wants to know that what it’s giving to other readers is valuable and accurate.

This is why adding internal links and backlinks to your articles is important.

Internal links keep readers on your site longer and may help them solve a different problem they’re experiencing. These both encourage Google to rank your site higher.

Backlinks—or links to your website found on other domains—show Google that others trust you. The more authoritative the websites that link to yours are, the better off you’ll be.

Implement Your SEO Content Strategy

Creating a good SEO content strategy is not a complex process, but does require planning and attention to detail. The sooner you get started on implementing these strategies, though, the better.

The end result of getting high-quality traffic to your website for years to come is worth the hassle.

Want to learn more? Contact us.