10 Essential SEO Tips For Content Writing To Rank In Google SERPs
Search engine optimization is the backbone of good content writing. So, what’s the best advice for writers in 2022?
Since search engines are solely responsible for 68% of all internet activity, writers need to keep that in mind in order to make an impact. However, knowing and doing are two different things. That’s why writers need assistance in order to make their content stand out in SERP.
Since Google considers over 200 factors before ranking a page, what do you need in your content to be counted among those 200 factors? Let’s dive in and find out:
What Are SEO Tactics?
SEO or search engine optimization is the practice of increasing content’s quality. This is a necessary tactic to increase the chances of content’s likeability to stand out on the SERP or search engine results page. Two of the most important type of SEO tactics include:
– On-Page SEO
On-Page SEO tactics involve optimizing a singular page’s content or page prowess in a domain. These tactics include using interlinks and ensuring content integrity and quality.
– Off-Page SEO
Off-Page SEO or Off-site SEO is the tactic in which the optimization takes outside your domain. This includes guest posting, backlinking your website on other domains, etc.
Defining SERP: Three Important Aspects
Before talking about content tips for SERP performance, let’s first understand SERP itself. This is the first page you see on Google whenever you search for a query. So, the three major things you will see are as follow:
– Knowledge Panel
The knowledge panel describes the primary information regarding your query and helps you understand key aspects of it.
This critical information that you see on the right-hand side of your page is the knowledge panel. It’s an advanced level of SERP optimization, which helps marketers portray key information to the masses.
– Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are a result of proper metadata/on-page SEO tactics, which allow you to convey important information to the searcher.
As demonstrated here, this featured snippet provides vital information before you even click the page. As mentioned above, this is the result of proper metadata, i.e., meta description.
– Google Ads
Google ads are the direct results of SEM or search engine marketing. These SERP results stand out among organic by-products, such as follow:
As you can see here, the ads are separate from the typical/organic results. This is yet another primary part of SERP. However, instead of SEO, it relies on SEM.
Read also: Guest Post Sites List
Top 10 Content Writing Tips To Rank High In SERPs
Writing words that stick is imperative to create content that ranks higher in SERP. In other words, this text shouldn’t only compel your target audience, but search engines should also recognize them as the ideal results for a query.
So, how do you get there?
- By focusing on originality
- By leading with examples
- By providing informative value
- By ensuring powerful SEO methods
So, how do you tend to all these requirements? To help it make it easier for you, we have devised a list of top 10 content writing tips for high SERP ranks. So, let’s begin:
1. Write A Powerful Headline: Raise A Question Or Make A Promise
Writing a powerful headline needs to be one of your top priorities. Why is that? Because 36% of SEO experts hail the headline as the most important SEO element. Think about it, what’s the first thing you notice when you see results in SERP?
It’s not the featured snippets, and it’s certainly not the contents within the page. The headline and how much it compels you will drive you to click any article. So, pose an important question or grant a promise of information in your headline.
2. Fix Content Tone: Use A Paraphrasing Tool
If your content’s tone is not up to standards, then it will not make the impact that you wish it would. That’s why you need to paraphrase online. How will that help your cause? Here’s how:
As you can see here, the content initially wasn’t bad either. However, after paraphrasing it, we have made it 10x better than the original. In other words, the paraphrased content is more likely to be featured on SERP.
3. Writing Meta Descriptions
The meta description is the glimpse that search engine crawlers require before indexing content. This HTML-based data requires the writer to provide the key snippets of content within a few characters. This is the writing that you see in featured snippets on Google.
So, how do you go about writing this? You can use a summarizer to achieve this or ensure that you write the keyword or query’s answer in this. This way, search engine crawlers will understand your content’s intent better.
4. Meta Title, Slug & Alt Title
Much like meta description, Meta Title, Slug, and Alt Title serve the same purpose. These essential metadata elements require you to focus on the key information present within an article. Therefore, they need to:
- The meta title should consist of primary keywords
- The slug should use keywords as the URL
- Alt title or alt label of your images should also use keywords
Therefore, it’s imperative to tend to these elements to stand out in SERP.
5. Use Proper Keywords: Try AnswerThePublic
Using proper keywords is yet another thing you need to tend to if you wish to stand out in SERP. So, how do you pick the right keywords for your content? Try using AnswerThePublic.
It’s a remarkable tool that can help you gather all the questions related to your keyword on the internet. You can properly create content that stands out in SERP using these keywords.
6. Ensure Readability: Avoid Fluff & Keyword Stuffing
Content readability is yet another thing you need to tend to. If your content is not readable features keyword stuffing and fluff words, search engine crawlers will deem it unsuitable for SERP.
That’s why you need to focus on writing concise content. Be descriptive, but try to avoid stretching out something longer than it should be. Moreover, use keywords only 2-3% of the time during your entire content.
7. Remove Plagiarism: Check For Plagiarism
Plagiarism can cause your website or blog to be penalized by search engines. So, not only will it annul your chances of being in SERP, but it will also ruin your online reputation. Therefore, you do not want to see this:
So, you need to sscheck for plagiarism, and if you see this image, then you need to remove this content or paraphrase it. Until it becomes this:
As you can see, the plagiarism checker now shows this content as 100% unique. In other words, it’s ready for SERP and online ranks.
8. Use Inbound & Outbound Links
An inbound link is vital to bringing more traffic to your website from outside your domain. You need to use them thoroughly in your guest posts.
On the other hand, you also need viable outbound links. This way, search engine crawlers will recognize your domain as a legitimate one and rank it higher in SERP.
9. Focus On Informative Value: Try Using Stats, Facts & Examples
The informative value of your content will also determine how well it performs in SERP. That’s why you need to make sure you increase your content’s informative value by using stats, facts, and examples.
10. Structure Your Blog Properly: Use Subheadings
A blog’s structure will be key in it ranking higher in SERP. So, if the information is well-spread throughout your content, then it will ensure that your content ranks among the top results in SERP.
Conclusion
These are the essential tips for SEO content writing. Therefore, you need to ensure that your content is integral, original, and outstanding but that it also features all the necessary aspects of SEO.
