When writing for SEO, there are dozens of things to keep in mind. Keywords, topics, word count, images, banners, calls-to-action, navigation, and HTML tags all play an important part. Not only are these necessary items to include, but it also makes a difference where you put them, how often they are used and more. So many factors are at play when optimizing your website.
Because this form of marketing has evolved so much in the last decade, the whole topic has gotten very convoluted. If you asked a handful of SEO’s which factors were most important to include in your content, you’d get a variety of answers. At Voxxy, we concern ourselves most with the three following factors:
Does the content clearly answer the customer’s question?
Can more information be shared related to the topic?
Is the content clearly communicating to the search engine?
When SEO was first imagined and put into practice, websites were built with the search engine in mind. This resulted in webpages geared towards robots instead of the actual people we wanted to buy our products and services. This approach leads to tacky web content and distrust from readers.
As we create web content with the reader in mind, we create more useful content. Content that actually answers the questions being asked by our readers. When our focus is geared towards the needs of our customers, we are simultaneously creating content that search engines are reserving for their customers as well.
While your website might benefit from SEO practices of the past, consider the most important user – the potential customer. Let’s dive a little deeper…
Solve the searcher’s query.
Does the content clearly answer the customer’s question? Imagine you search Google looking for a good way to lose weight quickly. When you type your query into the search engine, you expect to find results that supply you with the answer. Creating content to clearly answer your client’s question is the best way to hold their attention and to capture their business. If you aren’t supplying the answer, someone else’s website will, and the customer will likely continue their research elsewhere.
Now figuring out which questions your site should answer will boil down to your keyword research. Depending on the business you run, the questions could be endless. This is where our team at Voxxy shines! After hours of scrupulous keyword research, we narrow down the best keywords to target so your web traffic translates into meaningful leads. Then our team works with you, the expert, in providing answers to any possible questions your potential customer will have concerning your business.
Include related topics.
Can more information be shared related to the topic? Going back to our example search query “how to lose weight quickly”, consider all the elements a reader would want to know concerning this search phrase.
- What foods help most with weight loss?
- What exercises burn the most calories in the least amount of time?
- What supplements help with weight loss?
- What surgical procedures can help with weight loss?
The list goes on and on. Ideally, you would take every one of these questions and create more resources to develop the answers. While you are aiming to answer any potential questions the reader might have, you’re also aiming to include like-terms in your content. Search engines have evolved to not only look for exact match keywords (“how to lose weight quickly”), they’re also scanning for related phrasing (weight loss, quick weight loss, burning calories, weight loss supplements, exercise, diet, etc.). This concept is called “Intent Matching”. By expanding on the initial question and providing a wealth of related information, you’re producing a better user experience as well as a clear indicator to the search engine that your content is all about the user’s search query.
Strategize keyword placement.
Is the content clearly communicating to the search engine? Before writing the actual piece of content, make sure you know which keywords (and their variations) you’re trying to target. These keywords should be tactfully placed around the web page in places like the meta description, title tag, and headers. Exact match keywords and subtle variations should also be found within the body of the text as well.
Strategic keyword placement is a balancing act between signaling the search engine and not annoying the potential customer. Readers know when a word is overused. It turns the experience into an obvious sales pitch. So instead of trusting your expertise, the reader tends to be turned off by the pushiness of your overuse of specific phrasing.
Search Engine Optimization Is A Full-Time Job
When someone tells you to save your marketing budget and do the SEO yourself, take a look at their own search result rankings. It’s likely they aren’t seeing much in results. Researching, planning, testing, and implementing tactics used in boosting meaningful web traffic takes more time than any business owner has to offer.
While you can pick and choose bits and pieces of SEO to implement as time allows, only doing a portion of the work is going to lead to disappointing results. Voxxy has a team of skilled and creative writers, marketing specialists, and programmers that work together to make sure every piece of the puzzle comes together. Our number one goal is to wow you with the growth of your web traffic numbers and an undeniable difference in lead generation. To learn more about search engine optimization and search engine marketing, speak to a lead generating professional at Voxxy.
