Effective SEO content writing is like the fuel in the SEO propulsion engine to take your website high up in the SEO stratosphere. By ranking high in SEO, you can increase traffic to your website. Because of this, it’s a top priority for businesses that want to attract more customers. But many businesses don’t know how to write SEO content which could lead to a lot of brand-defining errors. These pitfalls can lead to failure in achieving your goals, which is why it’s important you learn how to do so. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by businesses when it comes to their content.
Not Understanding The Target Audience
If you don’t invest time in learning about your target market, you will never be able to produce content that they find engaging. For instance, if you are a brand of hip-tech accessories targeting teens, then the way you will market will be drastically different if you were targeting corporate America. You can analyze your target market by using tools such as Google Analytics which can break down variables about your target audience, such as their demography, geography, etc. Using this information, you can create personas about your target audience and focus all your efforts on creating content that these people find relevant. Create a detailed content plan and calendar to guide your efforts throughout the year.
Not Using the Right Keywords
Companies make the mistake of using the wrong keywords in their content. Having keywords that are highly competitive and cater to a broad market can lead to you wasting your marketing dollars. Similarly, some businesses resort to keyword stuffing which makes the post seem unnatural and causes it to be penalized in the search engine ranking algorithm of Google. Not including keywords in the meta description also makes it harder for your content to rank. You can find these high-value keywords through different free or paid tools or by analyzing your competitor’s keywords.Aim for long-tail keywords based on your target market’s search intent.
Poor Grammar and Spelling Errors
Google penalizes websites with poor grammar and spelling errors. Websites that have no errors have a greater chance of appearing on the first page of Google search results as people perceive them to be professional. Companies that don’t put in the extra effort to write clean content are perceived as lazy and unprofessional. Some readers even see it as an alarm that the site can be a fraud and quickly exit the site.
Not Using Links
External and internal links to your site make the job of search engines easier to find and index your site. Generally speaking, well-researched content has links from reputable websites in it so that the reader can go fact-check on the mentioned things themselves. Google search engine algorithm rewards the usage of links with a better ranking. A lot of sites don’t use external links and internal links which is why they lag in the rankings. Internal links help to improve the categorization of content pages of the site. Many times there are broken links, which can lead to the reputation of the firm being hampered. The more relevant links you have from high-quality websites, the greater the odds of ranking well in search engines.
Not Making Use of Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
The title tag is the first thing that pops out from search engine results. If your title tag is too long or boring, the reader will move on to one that is more compelling. Companies also need to include an important keyword in the title. The title tag and meta description need to match the internal content. Many times people are left frustrated when they don’t find what the title and meta description has promised to deliver. It’s important to have a catchy title tag and a compelling meta description.
Not Looking at Data
A lot of firms don’t look at the metrics after publishing the content piece. This leaves them in a stagnant position as they don’t know where to improve. Ideally, you should do a thorough content analysis of your website and your competitors regularly. This will help you identify weak points and fill content gaps.
Indicators such as impressions and CTR, as well as content shares, can help you access the success or failure of the content piece. You can benchmark it against the metrics of your competitors.
Not Building a Story
SEO content writing should be structured in a way that helps your brand or business stand out from the crowd.
Content that lacks a story is forgotten faster. Make sure that the content structure is concise and that there isn’t any technical jargon in it. Engaging content is all about simply explaining difficult concepts. Write in a conversational tone and provide actionable information. For example, you can write how your product helped change the lives of a particular customer. Include high-quality images and videos as well to keep it interesting.
The content must have all the elements that make a successful story, such as an interesting headline that captures the imagination of the readers. The introduction needs to have a hook that can get the reader’s undivided attention and get him to read through the whole content piece. There needs to be a hero in it that symbolizes your brand and explains how your brand is solving a particular problem. You can even add twists and turns in the story to keep it interesting. The content you write must be useful for your target audience.
If this seems overwhelming, then consider working with a good blog post writing service. There are plenty of companies that offer this service, but not all of them are reliable. Here’s what you need to look for in a good content writing service:
Track Record of Producing High-Quality Content
Reputable SEO content services have a track record of producing high-quality content. These companies write original content and use the latest tools to fix grammar issues. The second thing you should look for in a content writing service is the quality of their work. If they don’t have a portfolio of work to show, then it’s highly likely that they won’t be able to produce high-quality content for your business.
Meet Deadlines
Another thing that you need to look for when hiring a content writing service is its reliability. Make sure that their SEO content writers have been working with other customers before and that they know how to meet deadlines and deliver on time. Look at their reviews from past clients or other people who have used their services before.
About the Author
Lucy James is a highly experienced SEO expert working for a reputable SEO content writing firm in San Diego, Search Berg. Through their SEO content services, she helps companies write stellar content that works wonders for their rankings.
