SEO Content Creation: Your Actionable Guide to Writing For the Rankings
Today and in the future, our audiences are changing the way they consume information and discovering new ways of accessing answers to the questions that drive them. (Bob Dylan was right — the times, they are a-changing!) And their evolving questions are the ones you — or your company — want to provide an answer to. So, how do you let people know you’ve got the answers they seek? Through recognizing the importance of SEO in content creation and negotiating the ever-changing landscape of the content economy. Here’s the thing… SEO has always led the way in driving traffic to websites. Yet, like other online phenomena, SEO content creation is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation of online consumers. [bctt tweet=”SEO content creation is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation of online consumers. Learn how to create future-proof SEO content in this guide from @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”] This change is, in part, pushed by trending technology like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home and a literal explosion of tablet and mobile device usage. So, how is the modern online user changing the landscape of SEO? Let’s jump right in with the two most impactful trends in the industry, and then we’ll go into a super actionable, nitty-gritty guide on how to create SEO content this year in a way that boosts your traffic and end profits. Ready? The Top 2 Trends in SEO Content Creation Today 1. Voice Search Now that people no longer have to key in search terms at a computer, the way they are searching is changing. For example, if I want to know what’s playing at my local movie theater and I’m on my phone, I might key in “Movies Cinemark,” because I know Google will use the closest theater to me named “Cinemark.” However, if I’m using Alexa, Amazon’s assistant, I’d ask using more natural language, like I’m talking to a person, “Alexa, what movies are playing at the Cinemark in Austin, TX?” This is voice search, and it’s one of the leading trends in content marketing this year. To optimize SEO writing in the past, we used to take out all the “filler” words from a search query. So, “Where can I find the best coffee beans in Texas” Became: “best coffee beans Texas” Targeted, yes. Easy to fit into a smooth-flowing piece of SEO content? Definitely not. Fortunately, the new, natural-language search terms are making SEO copywriting easier and more compelling — a winning combination. But, it’s more than search itself that is changing. People are also changing the way they consume content. 2. Video Content According to Wyzowl, video marketing has surged, with 81% of companies using it to market their audience. And there are many reasons to include video in your online content creation campaign, including: Allowing customers to form an emotional — and trust-building — bond with you and your product through voice cues, facial expressions, and dynamic content. Providing content versatility through a range of possible video content — quick demos, longer courses, hands-on tutorials, and more. Encouraging engagement with touch-of-a-button sharing and embedding engagement options. Keeping up with current technology — such as tablets and mobile devices — and the changing ways people are devouring content. This isn’t the first time that marketers pivoted when video brought consumers a more engaging form of content. The Buggles wrote “Video Killed the Radio Star” back in 1979 in response to MTV’s popularity with the music-consuming crowd who was turning from songs on the radio to videos of songs on television. We all know how that turned out. Despite all the fear, there was no apocalypse, no sudden loss of musical talent. The savvy merely repositioned themselves and moved on. So, if you’re a creating SEO content for your website — get ready to pivot. Video content is growing as mobile usage takes the lead over desktop for the first time in 2017. And what better example of a website using video content to drive SEO than SEOmoz? What started out as a simple whiteboard video became so popular that they were renamed Whiteboard Fridays and offered on a regular basis. Here’s a great example of how they produce engaging SEO content from their list of topics of advanced SEO techniques — Using the Flowchart Method for Diagnosing Ranking Drops. This screen capture, below, shows you just how fresh and personable this low-tech the video is while appealing to high-tech on-the-go users. Neil Patel notes that one Whiteboard Friday video drew 402 links and more than one thousand social shares. Of those links and shares, over 37 different domains participated in spreading love for the SEOmoz blog — proof that good video content encourages engagement. 3 Keyword Research Strategies That Deliver Let’s be careful not to get ahead of ourselves. Building great, truly compelling content is only possible after proper keyword research. As Backlinko so aptly puts it: “Without keywords, there’s no SEO.” Content is not something you should attempt willy-nilly. You need a strong plan of action in place before you spend time — and money — on SEO content creation. That plan of action is keyword research. The good news is, there are lots of brand-new strategies out there to help make your SEO content strategy even more on-target. All you have to do is engage them. Let’s start with the basics. 1. Focus on Niche Topics If you want to know how to write SEO content that points directly to your audience’s pain points, their natural curiosity, their need for spot-on information, you’ve got to put in the research. Your first order of the day should be to determine your niche topic — your product or service’s unique standing in your industry and the things related to your product that your customers are interested in. Understanding how to turn your customers’ interests into content will help you narrow keywords with laser-focused efficiency. This, in turn, will contribute to the creation of compelling SEO content that tugs are your … Read more
