Creating content that is search engine optimised (SEO) is essential for businesses that want to be found online.
Although SEO is an ever-evolving field, there are some basic principles that should be applied to your content for it to be optimised for organic search traffic.
In this guide, we’ll look at how to craft SEO-friendly content in a step-by-step manner. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating content that will be found by your target audience.
Step 1: Research and understand your target keywords
Before you begin writing, it’s important to research and understand the keywords that you want to target. This doesn’t mean simply inputting a few words into a keyword research tool and taking the top results. You need to think about what your target audience is likely to be searching for and use this to inform the keywords you’re targeting.
For example, if your business is selling running shoes, you might want to target keywords such as ‘best running shoes’, ‘running shoes for flat feet’ and ‘running shoes for long distances’.
Step 2: Write content that is relevant and engaging
Once you’ve identified the keywords you’re targeting, it’s time to start writing your content. The key to SEO-friendly content is to write content that is both relevant and engaging.
Make sure that the content you write is focused on the topic you’re targeting. If you’re writing about running shoes, don’t stray off into topics such as hiking boots.
In addition, make sure that your content is engaging. Use storytelling techniques to draw the reader in, and use visuals such as images and videos to keep them engaged.
Step 3: Optimise your content
Once you’ve created your content, it’s time to optimise it for SEO. Start by ensuring that your content is optimised for the keywords you’re targeting. Make sure to include these keywords in the title, meta description, headings and body of your content.
In addition, make sure to include external and internal links to other relevant content on your website. This will help to improve your website’s overall SEO.
Finally, make sure to optimise your content for search engines by using structured data. Structured data is code that is added to your content that helps search engines to understand what the content is about.
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Step 4: Publish and promote your content
Once you’ve optimised your content for SEO, it’s time to publish and promote it. Start by publishing your content on your website and any other relevant platforms.
Once your content is published, it’s important to promote it. This can be done through social media, email, paid advertising, link building and other techniques.
In closing, please remember, search engine optimisation is an forever evolving and (overtly) complicated field, so make sure to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques.
Good luck.