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ContentWritingChat May 10 2016 Recap: How to Kill it in SEO Rankings with Great Content

by | May 13, 2016 | ContentWritingChat

ContentWritingChat May 10 2016 Recap: How to Kill it in SEO Rankings with Great Content

Did you miss our #ContentWritingChat this week? If you did, you missed a great chat! However, there’s no need to feel left out because we have a round-up of some of the tweets from Tuesday’s chat. Get caught up on our session and learn more about SEO and great content!

#ContentWritingChat May 10 2016 Recap: How to Kill it in SEO Rankings with Great Content

ContentWritingChat SEO Rankings

Q1: What are the basics of SEO every online writer should know?

Many people are intimidated by SEO, but it doesn’t have to be hard. You just need to start with the basics! Here are some things every online writer needs to know when it comes to optimizing content:

Great answers from Jenn! She says you need to know how to research, but you should also keep an eye on your competitors. In what areas are they beating you? How can you improve? Use that to your advantage!

One thing you absolutely need to know: How to research keywords. If you want to optimize your posts, you need to make sure you’re choosing the best keywords for your content. And yes, those long-tail keywords are your friend!

Ryan said you need to know which keywords to focus on, how to use heading tags, and how to include meta descriptions. More importantly, you need to make sure your content and the chosen keywords are relevant. Are you adding value to your audience?

Tim said you should be able to prioritize between topics/terms and figure out their potential value. He recommends using tools like SEMrush and Moz.

Amel brings up a great point when it comes to placement of keywords. The days of keyword stuffing are long gone, my friends. (It was never cool anyway!) You should work your keywords into your content in a way that sounds natural, not spammy.

Q2: How can you gain better rankings in Google’s search results through good content?

Optimizing your posts for search engines is about more than just keywords, meta descriptions, etc. You always need to focus on providing good content first and foremost. Google loves good content and so do your readers!

Eliza knows how important it is to keep your audience in mind when creating. What do your readers want to see? How can you help them and add value? Your analytics are a great place to see which posts get the most traffic, which keywords your audience is searching, and more. Create more of what they want!

Jenn’s advice: Be consistent and be strategic about your keywords.

Ryan said to focus on one main keyword and make sure you create engaging content. That’s sure to get noticed by the search engines and your audience!

Monica said to make sure the content you’re writing is relevant to your business. That’s key! You want to stay on topic.

As Tim said, authoritative content helps Google see your content as being useful. Respond to the needs of your audience by writing amazing posts.

A friendly reminder from these three chatters: If you create good, valuable content, your audience will want to share it! Focus on providing quality content every single time.

Q3: What are some don’ts to avoid when it comes to SEO?

There are some things you should avoid when it comes to SEO, otherwise you risk being penalized by Google and turning off your readers.

Debi and Varun are spot-on with their answers! Write for humans, not search engines. Providing great content for your readers should always be your number one priority.

It seems many people from Tuesday’s chat agreed: NO KEYWORD STUFFING!

And don’t try to hide those keywords at the bottom of your posts either. Google sees all.

Don’t try to use irrelevant keywords to increase your rankings either.

Sarah said to ditch the tactics that used to rank content 5+ years ago. Things change and you need to keep up with the latest SEO tips. She also said not to buy links or do any kind of keyword stuffing. These things are not okay!

Badal said to make sure it sounds natural. That’s key!

We agree that would be pretty annoying, Brittany!

Q4: How do you choose the right keywords to use in your content?

Choosing the right keywords is essential if you want your content to rank higher in search results. Here are some tips to help you select the right ones:

Varun recommended using tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush to find your best keywords.

Odds are, your audience is already using the exact keywords you should incorporate into your content. One great way to find out is by checking your analytics. Which keywords are people searching to find your website? Which keywords are they using when searching keywords while on your site?

Great advice from Jenn!

Ryan suggested focusing on keywords with a high search volume, but low competition.

Q5: What are your tips for choosing optimized topics to write on for your audience?

How can you figure out which topics are the best for your audience? Check out these tips:

Sarah suggested figuring out what has already resonated with your audience. Which posts of yours are they sharing and linking to? Which posts are getting them to convert?

Jenn had the same idea as Sarah. Take a look at your previous content and see what you’ve had success with. A quick look into your analytics will reveal what your most popular posts are in terms of traffic.

Debi said to take a look at the search queries to see what people are searching. Use that information to create content your audience will love.

A great tip from David: engage with your audience! When you take the time to talk to your audience and get to know them, you can better understand their needs. What are their problems and how can you help through your content?

Alberto also mentioned the importance of getting to know your audience to determine their needs, wants, and pains.

Another great tip is to answer your audience’s questions with your content. Are you often getting asked the same questions? Address them in a blog post. Keep an eye on the questions they ask through your comments section, emails, and social media.

Some other places to look for post ideas, courtesy of Monica: trending topics, chats on forums, and customer service reports.

As Amalia said, social media is a great place to communicate and connect with your audience.

Always keep an eye on the topics your audience is enjoying and responding to. Create more of the same kind of content for the best results.

Anna said to add your knowledge and expertise to trending topics. That can definitely be a winning combination!

Sabjan likes to use BuzzSumo to monitor content from competitors and to get new ideas.

Shannon said to write with your audience in mind. Make sure you are always adding value.

Remember that it never hurts to ask! Brittany asks her audience what they want to see more of on her blog, then she delivers it.

“Bad content that’s easy to find is still bad content.” Well said, Jim! Providing value should always be your top priority.

Q6: What are your favorite SEO tools to use?

There are a ton of SEO tools available on the web today. If you’re looking for some new ones to try out, take a look at these:

It sounds like Sarah has tried a lot of SEO tools! Google’s Keyword Planner, Moz, and more!

Brittany is a fan of the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress. We are too, Brittany! It’s so easy to use.

Alberto is also a fan of Yoast!

Jenn relies on AdWords and Google Analytics to tackle her SEO.

Amel uses tools like SEMrush, Similar Web, and BuzzSumo.

There’s even more love for Google’s Keyword Planner and their Analytics. Another one to check out is Positionly.

Jesse’s favorite tools help him perform research and optimize his content.

Amalia likes SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Moz Keyword Difficulty.

Badal uses Google Suggest and the Keyword Planner, plus BuzzSumo.

Q7: Can social media help build SEO?

Social media is a great way to build SEO. Just take a look at these tweets from Tuesday’s chat:

As Sarah said, if your audience likes your content, Google will too.

Engagement and sharing are becoming very important these days, so make sure you’re providing great content on your social media channels.

Jesse knows a great social media presence is a key way to send more traffic back to your website.

Amalia suggested using social media as a way to build natural connections with your audience. Make sure you’re taking the time to engage with others and have conversations with them.

Very true, Ryan!

Jim is exactly right with his answer. Social media is one of the best ways to get your content discovered today.

Kelly knows you can’t just wait for your content to be seen. You have to share it across social media for the best results.

With tweets appearing in search results, a great social media presence has become even more essential.

Q8: Do you follow and SEO experts? Who are your favorites?

You can become an SEO superstar yourself if you take the time to learn! Check out some of these experts you can learn from:

Wow! There were some amazing suggestions for SEO experts to follow. Check out those listed above if you want to learn even more about SEO!

And don’t forget those Twitter chats! They’re a great place to learn, right? 😉

We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM CDT for great chats centered around content writing and marketing.

Tags: SEO | seo and content