What’s the number one purpose for developing a content strategy and posting new material to your website or blog regularly? There are a few reasons that come to mind immediately, including:
- To establish a person or company as a subject matter expert
- To assist potential clients or current clients with problems they may be facing
- To get found online in search engines
I’m hoping that the last bullet point came to your mind immediately, because if so, we are on the same page here. Content creation and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are so closely related that they might as well be brother and sister. Having a content marketing strategy is so important for search engine rankings. These days, you cannot have one without the other.
So here you are, sitting in front of a blank Microsoft Word document, ready to write the next groundbreaking piece of content for your business. How should you approach your writing so that you can optimize it for Search Engines?
Focus.
Before you write anything, consider what the page will be about. Choose one focus keyword that would be the main subject of the piece. This could be a long-tail keyword or a shorter one.
As you write, keep your focus keyword in mind. Wherever you can naturally add the keyword or a variation of it, do it!
Be like Goldilocks.
If you’re wondering how many times your keywords should show up throughout your content, just pretend you’re Goldilocks. Not too much, not too little, but a happy medium should be your sweet spot. I know this seems like an incredibly vague answer, but there is no magic number to hit. It depends on your post’s length and how detailed the topic may be.
Write in a personable, natural manner and include your focus keyword where possible. Don’t go back through and add your keyword too many times in places that don’t make sense. However, don’t be so concise that your post is extremely short. If you cut it too short, you could be missing valuable opportunities to expand on your thoughts and include keywords while doing so.
Remember the Search Engine Optimization basics.
There are a few steps you should take to fully optimize your page for Search Engines. Make sure that your Page Title, Meta Description, Alt Tags and H1 tags are all set up before you hit “Publish”. This will help you out in leaps and bounds in regards to SEO.
Be Social.
In the past year, search engines have become more in tune to Social Media platforms and their influence. If you post your content to social media channels and it is shared, liked and receives many comments, there will be a positive impact on the page’s search results. Now your network of friends, family, business contacts, clients and prospects is extra valuable!
