Don't worry, we have everything you need. In this post, we're going to dive into 12 ways to master SEO writing. It is estimated that Google processes more than 70,000 search queries per second. Amazing, isn't it? For example, if the search term is “How to take a screenshot on a Mac”, you can enter “How to take a screenshot on a MacBook computer like your H1 or H2”, followed by the steps of a numbered or bulleted list. SEO writing is the process of writing content in a way that is intended to rank higher on search engines such as Google for relevant keywords.
SEO writing is important because it helps you reach more people interested in your content. When you write with SEO in mind, your content is more likely to be discovered on Google. For example, we have spent the last few years writing for our blog focusing on SEO. That's one of the main reasons why our blog receives more than 1.1 million monthly search engine visitors, based on the organic traffic estimate of the Semrush domain overview tool.
This is a drastic increase compared to several years ago. And this growth wouldn't have been possible if we weren't paying attention to SEO when writing content. Think of SEO as a bridge that helps search engine users get to your content. Without this bridge, even the most valuable content could go unnoticed. Now, let's see how to actually create SEO-optimized content.
Before you start writing, you must determine your primary keyword. The main keyword is the main term (or phrase) with which you want to optimize your content. To increase the chances that your content will appear when someone searches for that term or phrase on Google. To find your main keyword, use Semrush's magic keyword tool. In addition, the tool will show you the possible candidates for your main keyword.
Having access to all of these keywords is fantastic. But how do you know which one to choose as your primary keyword? Here are some tips to keep in mind. For example, you can choose “vegan diet plan” as your main keyword if you're creating a step-by-step vegan diet plan for beginners. In addition, this keyword has a decent search volume, of 2400 searches per month, and a not too difficult difficulty score of 66%. It's also clear that users who search for this term want to learn something.
So, it's definitely a good primary keyword to segment. Once you have a primary keyword to target, you'll also need to find secondary keywords. Secondary keywords are keywords that are closely related to your primary keyword. These can include synonyms, related subtopics, or extensive variations (i.e., very specific terms) of the main keyword.
Here's how to find secondary keywords in Semrush's Keyword Magic tool. First, check if your main keyword has a default grouping on the left side. These keywords are similar variations of your main keyword. Plus, they're great secondary keywords to segment your content. Another way to find secondary keywords is to use the “Questions” tab on the left side.
This will show you all the questions people are asking related to your topic. Some of these questions (secondary keywords) may be worth addressing as sub-topics in your content. Once you've identified the keywords, you need to make sure that the content you create meets the search intent. Search intent is the reason why users search for your keywords. In the case of blog posts, your primary and secondary keywords are likely to have informational intent.
This means that users want to learn something about a topic. And the best way to teach them about a topic is to use the right content format. You can find out which content format works best for your topic by looking at the highest-ranked pages on Google. For example, we see that almost all of the “vegan diet plan” pages that rank first are guides with tips on how to adopt a vegan diet. And meal plans to help readers get started.
Doing so will improve your chances of getting a higher ranking. Quality content is the foundation of effective SEO writing. Without focusing on quality, no amount of optimization will help you rank higher. How do you create quality content? This is especially important if you're creating content around topics like “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL). YMYL is a term that Google uses to describe topics that can have a significant impact on the readers' well-being.
Google requires that this type of content meet a higher standard due to potential implications on readers' lives. Misinformation or poor writing quality in these areas can have serious repercussions. For example, if you're creating content about vegan diet plans, misinformation in this area can lead readers to make health-related decisions that can negatively affect their well-being. That's why working with a qualified health expert would be a smart decision.
They can help you create accurate, valuable, and original content that covers all aspects of a vegan diet plan. By creating quality content this way, you can build trust with your audience. And establish yourself as an expert in your niche. Incorporate the researched keywords into your content in an organic way.
Google analyzes the words in your content to understand what it's about. Therefore, you can properly classify it. Keyword stuffing is the practice of using keywords in an unnatural way. It's a tactic that some people use to try to manipulate search engines to better classify their content.
Excessive use of keywords can make your content look like spam to both Google and your readers. As a result, your content may not rank very well. To check if you're using your keywords correctly, try Semrush's SEO writing assistant. Stand out when any of your keywords are used unnaturally.
Subtitles (H2-H) are miniature titles that divide content into sections. Do you see how the example on the right is much easier to scan for information? You should structure your content in a similar way. First, start by writing a compelling title that includes your main keyword. This will be your H1 (the first header of your content)).
Then, organize the rest of your content with relevant H2 and H3 captions, etc. H2 captions should be compatible with H1, H3 captions should be compatible with H2, etc. One of the key aspects of good SEO writing is readability. Readability is a measure of how easily your audience can read and understand your content.
If your content is difficult to read, readers will leave your page (and will likely never return). Behavior like this tells Google that your content is of low quality. Therefore, it may not rank very well. Run your content through Semrush's SEO writing assistant to measure its readability.
Internal links are links that point to other pages on your own website. They direct readers to other valuable and relevant content. Internal links are also important for SEO because they distribute link equity (ranking power). Therefore, other content may also rank higher. The idea is that the link is very relevant.
So, don't add links anywhere and everywhere just for the sake of doing so. Only link to content where it naturally makes sense. These links will help readers learn more about a vegan diet. And show Google that your site is an authority on the subject. Google may show prominent snippets of your primary and secondary keywords.
These are huge opportunities to increase your visibility. Featured snippets are direct answers returned by Google, usually in the form of a paragraph, list, or table. Google usually extracts the highlighted snippet from one of the highest-ranking pages. You can steal this snippet from a competitor by optimizing your content for them.
First, search for your keywords on Google to see if there are highlights in the search results. These aspects will help you understand what Google and users are looking for. And how you can improve your content to rank it based on those featured snippets. This will increase your chances of winning a featured fragment.
A title tag is the title of your web page or article that may appear in search results. Google examines the title tag to understand the topic of your content. Therefore, you can classify the content appropriately. How to lose weight with a vegan diet plan (7 easy steps) You should do the same with the title tags of your own content. A meta description is a brief summary of your article that may appear below the title tag.
Google may not always show the meta description you've set for your article. Sometimes, they override it and generate the description that they think will work best for users. And it's worth mentioning that meta descriptions aren't a direct ranking factor. Are you wondering how to lose weight with a vegan diet plan? Dive into the secrets that many don't talk about. You should apply the same principles when writing meta descriptions for your own content. A URL slug is the last part of your page's URL.
Google analyzes the URL slug to find out what your content is about. By following these tips, you can create an optimized URL slug that will help your article rank higher on Google and generate more traffic. That's pretty much all you need to know to start writing SEO content. For each piece, follow the tips we've shared above.
And it's likely that your articles will start to rank well on Google. And using Semrush tools can make your SEO writing process even easier and more effective. SEO writing is the process of writing content to position it on the first page of search engines such as Google. As marketers, our goal is always to write content that ranks high on Google, and SEO is the bridge that will help you achieve this.
Every SEO writer knows that an imperishable blog post will never be completely finished, even after it's published. To title your post with SEO in mind, write something attractive that also incorporates your main keyword. This aspect of SEO is very important because it helps search engines to better understand your content, increasing the chances of it appearing in relevant search queries and attracting organic traffic. With all these SEO guidelines, it's easy to forget that when a user searches Google, they're looking for an answer. But that costs money, and if you're on a tight budget, why don't you invest time in SEO writing? It's free and is likely to generate traffic for much longer than a campaign would.
It might seem complicated at first, with these SEO tips, you'll be on the first page of Google in no time. While some SEO tools can help you from the technical point of view of your site, you can also choose to use SEO content writing tools to help you write correct, concise, and easy-to-use content for people who rank well and attract readers.