SEO Agency Tips: Effective SEO Content Creation

Once upon a time, not too long ago, SEO meant cramming as many keywords as you could onto a page so that your site would rank up to the high heavens. It got so bad that most of the time, the content does not really make sense anymore. The SEO strategy was a breeze back then because the strategy was basically just using the keywords or keyphrases in every other sentence. Don’t even get us started on the non-SEO optimised website design on every single page on the internet.

Looking for answers on the internet was a nightmare for users from all over the world. Imagine looking for a “dentist in Sydney” then accidentally stumbling upon a website about toners because for some odd reason it popped up on the first page of the Search Engine Results Page.

Content for the People

Website Development. Web Design. Keywords. Confused Internet User.

Long ago, these four elements lived together in—well, they lived. Then everything changed when search engine algorithms attacked. Only proper SEO strategy—the glue that keeps the four elements together—can make things right. But when the world needed it the most, the algorithm changed, leaving SEO experts confused.

Every time the search algorithm changes, it is always a game of guessing for some SEO professionals. What changed and what adjustments did they need to make? The first step of mastering SEO is to accept that there is no shortcut. Stop trying to find an easy way to cheat your way to the top. There is no one-size-fits-all formula to SEO success. You all have to grind your way up to the first page!

For as long as you are following the guidelines set by search engines, you should be fine. But another rule of thumb is that you make your content for your audience. Content is king, but your audience is its demanding queen. If you want to improve your content marketing and see excellent ROI, you have to put your audience first. You should not be asking “how can I make this easier for the team and me?”, you should be asking “what does the audience need?” instead. High-quality content is highly-ranked; you reap what you sow, so sow high-quality stuff.

How to be the Very Best SEO Expert No One Ever Was?

Here are some tips that you can follow to create excellent SEO content that will give you results:

(Note: SEO takes time and, as we said, there are no shortcuts. You will see results, but you have to be patient)

1. Use the right keywords for the right audience.

This tip is to remember that you should have your audience in mind. You want to use the right targeted keywords so that your SEO content will reach the right people. Where is the sense in ranking high for a keyword that is not related to your company? So what happens if a user who is looking for a dentist found your website selling your toners? You won’t be making any money! They probably won’t be staying long enough on your site to even remember you next time they need toner.

So, what do targeted keywords mean?

Targeted keywords are terms and/or phrases that your audience is actively searching. For you to pinpoint what these terms are, you need to ask the following:

• Who is your audience?
• What information do they need?
• Why are they looking for that information?
• Which keywords would they be using to find said information?

Once you break it down, it is not as complicated as you may think. Here are the things you need to do to obtain the answers to these questions:

• Audience research – You need to identify the type of audience that would want what you are offering. Determine where these people gather online. Engage with them through conversations and surveys. Find out what their habits are, preferences, demographics, and stats. It’s like dating, but for your business!
• Keyword research – Now, you need to actually determine what your keywords are. Find out what terms are relevant and profitable. Choose keywords that are related to your expertise, products, services, and your audience’s search intent.
• Topic research – Now that you have keywords to work with, think of content topics based on these terms.

2. Pay attention to readability.

Being informative and factual is one thing, and being readable is another story. You need to make your content incredibly readable for you to rank high. No matter how accurate your information is, if your audience does not want to stay and read it, then what good does your content serve?

You know who else is pleased when your audience stays to read your content? The almighty search engines. The duration in which your users stay on your page tells search engines that your website provides relevant content to the search query. It lets the search engine know that the user found the answers they need on your page.

Here are some qualities that you want your content to have:

• Clarity
• Organisation
• Logic
• Simplicity

Readability means that you have quality information packaged in understandable sentences. There are differences between just being accurate and being understandable. If your content is understandable to more people, then people will stay on your page longer.

3. You need to dig a little deeper.

You need to intensify your focus on the topic. Creating content that goes deeper into the topic is one of the most consistent SEO trends there is. Websites that provide exceptional depth in quality content coverage can soar in rankings throughout the year.

So what do you need to do to create deeper content?

• You need to write longer blog posts (around 2,000 words or more).
• Look for topics that have many different facets and angles.
• Show off your knowledge on a topic by writing “ultimate guides”.
• Do not just touch surface-level information.

4. Make sure that your page is fast.

This is not new information. People want fast answers from the internet. Even if you have all the answers that they need, if your page loads slowly the users will hit “back” even before your content shows up.

5. Make your content visually appealing.

Aside from investing in high-quality content, you should also invest in your visuals. Your visuals can help your readers understand your content better. Aside from that, humans are visual creatures, we are literally wired to notice images and respond to them.

So if you are going to throw in some images on your page, you might as well bring in well-designed, high-quality images to your content. After all, you are working on your brand as well and you want to leave a good impression.

6. Provide facts and show your sources.

There is a good reason why your parents tell you not to believe everything you read on the internet. Although the World Wide Web has helped in making information more accessible, it has also made it easy for people to spread fake news and misinformation. You can assure your readers that you are not a hoax site by citing the sources to your claims.

7. Consider featured snippets when formatting your content.

Featured snippets are kind of an SEO thing right now. So you better pay more attention to them. Featured snippets are little blocks of information that show up on results pages when a user searches for something.

Here are some things that you can do to increase your chances of getting your content snipped as a featured snippet on search engine results pages:

• Definitively answer questions through your content.
• Ensure that your content is at the highest quality possible.
• Maximise the use of numbered and bulleted lists.
• Consider adding stats and data when applicable.
• Learn how to structure your content logically.

8. Show them who’s boss.

Show your audience and the search engines who’s the boss in your field. Search engines give more attention to authority or expert authorship in content nowadays. This fact is something that you should take advantage of—your reputation matters now more than ever.

The credibility of the creator of the content and their history in the field will contribute significantly to your page’s quality.

The evidence of your reputation can include the following:

• First-person experience – This can be your personal experience about a certain topic. For example, you have been making toners since you were 8 years old, and your technique is a family process that has been passed down from one generation to another.
• Reviews – This refers to what other people on the internet think about you. This includes reviews, forum discussions, author bios, news, and Wikipedia articles, etc.

You should give your “About” page, and “Author Bio” pages some love as they are quite vital for reputation-building. It is best if you can create a bio for each of your guest-blogging opportunities.

Are You Ready?

Now that you know how to create effective SEO content, do you have what it takes to execute? The bottom line here is that you should write for the people and write with the intention to inform. When creating quality content becomes your second nature, you will have nothing to worry about.