dkonten.com – One important thing we often forget is not applying SEO rules when writing blog articles. As a result, our blog or website traffic isn’t doing so hot.
Yet, if we have good writing skills and know the ins and outs of SEO rules, our website or blog could be swimming in traffic and reaching a wider audience.
The most crucial thing about using SEO for our blog is to get those keywords you’re targeting to land in the best positions on Google.
The best position means your article hits Google’s first page, and it’s even better if it’s the first ranking. People hardly look beyond the first page, you know?
What’s SEO?
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If you want to write good SEO articles, first, you gotta know what SEO is. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. To get a grasp of what SEO is all about, let’s start with its definition.
According to Wikipedia, SEO is “a series of systematic processes aimed at increasing the volume and quality of traffic through search engines to a specific website by utilizing the search engine’s mechanism or algorithm.”
The goal of SEO is to rank a website at the top position, or at least the first page of search results based on specific targeted keywords.
Naturally, logically, websites ranking at the top of searches have a better chance of getting visitors. So, once you snag those visitors, chances of them buying or using your services through your website get higher.
SEO boosts your website’s chances of being found on Google. There’s no guarantee your website will hit number 1 in Google searches or land on the first page, but with SEO, you can significantly increase your website’s visibility to people looking for content like yours.
Why Apply SEO to Your Website?
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If you wanna know how to write proper SEO articles, understand why it’s crucial. How important and impactful is SEO for your business website?
Here are some explanations that might help you realize how crucial SEO is for your business website.
a. Limited Budget
Relying solely on paid advertising like Facebook Ads or Google Ads might be good, especially with high conversion rates. But here’s the thing.
How long can you rely on it? How much budget do you have for advertising?
Starting to understand SEO slowly can free up your ad budget for more critical needs like product development. Thus, using SEO becomes an investment in itself.
b. Long-Term Investment
Getting the hang of SEO means you can generate traffic naturally without heavily promoting it on social media. Essentially, you need a website that can generate its own traffic to provide quality prospects. So, start using this digital marketing technique called SEO now, and slowly witness its long-term benefits for your business.
c. Targeted
SEO allows your website to appear on Google’s first page based on specific keywords. It means people reaching your website have specifically searched for those keywords.
Unlike advertising on Facebook, where you have to target interests, sometimes those interests don’t directly relate to our products. With SEO, you’re targeting more precisely.
Writing SEO Articles
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Here’s a deep dive into crafting good and proper articles based on SEO guidelines.
1. Use Keywords Your Audience Might Search For
Before writing blog articles, find keywords your audience might search for. You need to understand who your audience is and what they read on your blog. That way, you’ll know which keywords they commonly type into Google.
Different industries mean consumers use different keywords. For instance, in cosmetics, consumers might search for beauty tips, skincare, or skin health. Meanwhile, automotive consumers might look for car care tips, automotive trends, or modifications.
Match the keywords you use in your blog articles with what your audience is likely searching for. If you misuse keywords, you’re just wasting time.
How do you determine a suitable keyword for your article? Use this formula:
Ensure the search volume for the keyword is substantial. You can use tools like Ubersuggest to check.
Understand what searchers want related to the keyword on Google.
2. Make sure you have enough sources and data to compete with articles appearing on the first page for that keyword.
Google can gauge if searchers are satisfied with search results based on indicators like time spent reading an article and whether it’s shared or not.
The longer the time spent reading and the more it’s shared, the better the article meets searcher expectations. Make your articles as comprehensive as possible to answer searcher queries.
If your article satisfies searchers, Google will give it extra brownie points.
3. Use Focus Keywords Wisely
Using a focus keyword to get a high ranking in Google search results doesn’t mean you should overuse it. Overusing a focus keyword will lower your article’s quality.
Remember, you’re writing for humans, so the structure should make sense to them. But, consider SEO to rank high on Google.
So, how do you ensure your article is both reader-friendly and ranks high on Google?
Write an article that makes sense to readers and is beneficial to them. After finishing writing, reread it from start to finish with a search engine perspective. Prioritize the reader’s perspective because, in the end, humans read your article, not machines.
4. Make Articles Worth Reading
Writing articles requires precision to maintain professionalism in your blog. It reflects the high quality of your managed blog, whether it’s a corporate or personal blog.
Ideally, an editor checks your articles. But if you don’t have a pro editor, here’s another way.
After writing an article, take some time off for a few hours. Then revisit it with a fresh mind for self-editing.
You can also ask friends or colleagues to read your article before uploading it. Get their opinions on whether they understand what you’ve written or not.
Use their feedback to improve your articles.
5. Use Internal and External Links
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In online articles, sometimes using links, whether internal or external, is necessary. Links provide additional explanations on the main topic.
Internal links refer to articles within your blog. External links refer to sites other than your blog. Both serve their purposes.
External links usually reference other websites or blogs used as a basis for your statements. Usually, it’s research results, statistics, quotes, or references from other media.
Internal links allow readers to explore other articles on your blog. When readers not only read the main article but also other articles, it increases their time on your blog. Also, using internal links helps Google understand your blog’s focus topics.
On the other hand, external links convince readers that you’ve researched to write your article. And placing links to other sites on your blog can help improve your website’s ranking. It also shows your dedication to providing the best understanding for your readers, even if it means redirecting them to other sites.
6. Pay Attention to Blog Components
Blog article components involve more than just sentences and paragraphs. They include technical components like URL, blog title, and headings.
If you want your article to appear on Google’s first page, you gotta consider these blog components.
First off, let’s talk about URLs. Usually, systems automatically create article URLs like this: https://www.yourdomain.com/blog/how-to-make-crafts-from-used-plastic-bottles-quickly
Too long, right? Shorter URLs are better. You can make it concise like this: https://www.yourdomain.com/blog/making-crafts-from-used-bottles
Then, create an interesting and brief article title that describes your content’s main points. The article title should contain the focus keyword determined earlier, preferably at the beginning.
After ensuring the focus keyword is in the title, also ensure it appears in one of the article’s headings. But again, keep it reasonable, don’t overdo it.
7. Image Optimization
Adding images to your article is great to keep readers engaged, especially in lengthy articles. But there are some details to consider for optimal image use.
Firstly, before uploading an image, ensure the file name matches your focus keyword. This helps Google correlate the image with the uploaded article.
Secondly, write alt text for the image according to the focus keyword used. This helps search engines detect what the image is about and the text surrounding it. Plus, if an image fails to load, this alt text will show up.
8. Consistently Upload Content
Writing and consistently uploading articles benefit readers. They get up-to-date and factual information from your blog.
Plus, by always posting articles, your blog looks active, signaling positive vibes to Google. Google favors more active blogs over those rarely updating content.
9. Use a Unique Perspective
From one keyword, various perspectives can develop to expand on that focus keyword. You need to find a new angle not used by others.
Everyone has a unique perspective on an issue. Use your personal experiences related to the focus keyword you’re discussing.
10. Structure Your Article
Before starting an article, create its structure first.
Generally, an article is divided into three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Structuring it like this makes writing easier.
Also, a clear structure helps readers find what they need. If they’re looking for the article’s conclusion, they can jump straight to it.
11. Ensure Optimal Article Length
An article should be at least 300 words. 300 words is the minimum for a blog article. As for the maximum, experts use different numbers. According to the Orbit Media Study, the average article word count in a blog is 1,142 words.
The optimal length of an article varies based on the writer’s goal. If you aim for your article to be on Google’s first page, according to CoSchedule, it should consist of at least 2,500 words.
12. Pay Attention to the Opening
After the catchy title, readers won’t automatically read the entire article. You need to convince them that your article will truly benefit them.
Start the article with an opening line that assures readers your piece will answer their questions and problems. You need to hook readers in from the get-go, ensuring they keep reading till the end.
Begin with a relatable line so readers feel connected to the article they’re reading.
13. Utilize Headings and Subheadings
Headings help readers grasp the main topics in an article. This readability enhancement increases searcher satisfaction with your article.
Headings also help Google find the main topic of your article, assisting in search result rankings.
Additionally, use subheadings to elaborate on the main topics from the headings in an organized manner.
14. Short Paragraphs
Making your article easy to read involves using short paragraphs. If your standard article length is, say, 2,500 words, you need to break it into several paragraphs.
Each paragraph should not be too lengthy. Online article writing differs a bit from print media. Print articles might have longer paragraphs, unlike online ones.
Online articles tend to have shorter and succinct paragraphs, making it easier for readers to grasp.
15. Maintain Content Relevance
You can use various keywords in your blog article writing. However, they all must be relevant to your blog’s main goal.
For example, if your blog is about automobiles, your keywords should relate to the automotive world. It’s the same for other types of blogs. All content in your blog must be relevant and interconnected.
High relevancy among articles on your blog or website sends positive signals to Google. Consequently, the chances of your articles appearing on the first page of search results also increase.
16. Be Specific
When writing an article, ensure it follows a coherent and relevant flow. The discussion you present should be comprehensive to convey the benefits to readers. This way, when readers finish the article, they leave with new knowledge.
If your article is too long, lacks clear focus, or lacks an organized and comprehensive delivery, readers might leave your article halfway through.
If your article covers multiple discussion points, use points like this article to help readers understand deeply discussed topics.
17. Promote Your Articles
This part isn’t a technical step in writing SEO-friendly articles, but it’s crucial for wider readership.
The next step is to promote your SEO-friendly articles across all your social media platforms. Sharing articles on social media is one of the easiest ways for people to read your articles.
By promoting your articles on social media, you broaden your audience reach. Traffic from social media links becomes a catalyst to boost your ranking in Google search results.
Now that you know how to write good and proper SEO-friendly articles, it’s time to apply it to your website or blog. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll see better rankings in Google searches. Ensure everything is relevant and meets your blog visitors’ needs.
