How to write articles for SEO

How many times have you read an article on the Internet that was so paraphrased that you didn’t find it a pleasant read? And, is that introducing a certain keyword density is the obsession of most of the people who write an article focused on obtaining a certain positioning. In addition, it is true that until a while ago it was quite frequent to discover websites with poor or low quality content, over- optimized, duplicated and even with spelling errors.

With the emergence of the Google Panda algorithm, SEOs soon realized that one of the keys to appear in the top positions of the search engines and what is more, avoid penalties, was to generate quality content, original, updated and above all, natural. A unique and valuable content for the user, capable of giving an optimal answer to their questions.

In short, it is about writing articles thinking about the user and not the search engines, that is, generating a unique content that adds value to the reader and is useful. Therefore, common sense and naturalness are key aspects to write good SEO content. Of course, we must always take into account a series of technical aspects that decisively influence the positioning.

Do you want to know what they are? We are going to tell you!

Tips for writing content for SEO

Think about your target

What is the type of your website? Depending on your site, you will have a target audience or another. It is not the same to write content for an online store, in which you will mostly talk about the descriptions and benefits of the products with a language focused on sales, than a corporate website aimed at executives or commercials. The language, style and tone of the communication is different in each of the examples presented and, depending on this, we must write our content.

Take care of the volume and structure of the keywords

As we discussed in the 10 Myths about SEO article: “The user experience on a website has become increasingly important and texts that repeat many times certain terms do not produce a pleasant experience.”

The keywords should appear in the text but in a logical and structured way. In addition, it is essential to include the keywords at the top since it is when the most relevant information is told and in the end, what, how, when, where and why of the subject is resolved. Of course, varying its wording to make reading more dynamic and enjoyable.

One way not to repeat the keywords is to use semantic text, that is, to include synonyms for a keyword or variations of these, as is the case with middle or long tail keywords. For example, if our site is a pet store and the keyword to be positioned on one of the pages is “small dog food”, you can use terms such as “small dog food”, “puppy food”, “buy food for Puppy dogs ”or“ natural dog food”

 

Tips for writing an article that ranks

Creating original, quality and attractive content for search engines is not always easy. Therefore, it is essential to take into account a series of technical aspects that influence its positioning.

Here are some tips to optimize it:

Text optimization

• Forget about SEO! The content must be oriented to the users and not the search engine. After all, they are the ones who read you and therefore, it is essential to generate content that brings value.
  
• Choose a striking title: The article title is a vital weapon to get the attention and interest of the user. It is important that it is attractive and, what is more, that it includes the keyword for which we are positioning that specific article.
  
• Write original and relevant content: Sometimes we don’t know what to write about or how to focus on what we want to convey. In this case, it is advisable to visit several sources to obtain information but never copy and paste, as it is considered plagiarism and Google can penalize us, be unique! In addition, it is essential to use bold letters to highlight the most important, for example, we can bold the keyword.
  
• Take care of the extension: The theory that a long text positions better, although true, can cause confusion. The optimal length for a text is simply that you need to deal with a topic in depth and therefore generate a good user experience. That is, get the reader to answer your questions and have no need to search for information on other websites. Therefore, avoid the nonsense content that does not add value and choose to write quality and meaningful texts that provide relevant and novelty. Don’t get obsessed with keywords!
  
• Follow a structure: Although it seems obvious, using header tags H1, H2, H3, H4 … is a fundamental aspect to organize and structure the content. In addition, it is a way to make Google see the relevance of the content and thus define the different sections and subsections of the article.
  
• It includes internal and external links: It is essential to link from the article itself to the different sections or pages of the website itself, as well as include external links to other authoritative websites.
  
• Check and review!: Before publishing the content, check that the text contains no errors and that the links work correctly.

Optimization of images

When generating content, it is convenient to use images or infographics because the presence of graphic elements encourages a more enjoyable and dynamic reading. However, they must be properly optimized for search engines.

The aspects to consider for image optimization are:

• Include alternative (ALT) text in the images. It’s the way Google recognizes the image and relates it to the context.
• All images must have a file name that describes it because otherwise the search engines will not know what it is.
• Use the keyword in the file name and in the alternative text ALT.
• Use high quality images. If they weigh too much and can slow down the loading time of the page, we recommend compressing them before uploading them to the CMS.
• Separate the words from the name of the image with dashes.
• It is essential to choose a compressed format. For example, upload images in JPEG or PNG format
• Includes a caption for each image. It is a very useful option for search engines to relate the image to the content of the article.

What should we avoid when writing SEO content?

As important is knowing what should be done as what should be avoided. Therefore, we have prepared a list with some of the prohibited practices when writing SEO articles:

• Keyword Stuffing: This practice refers to the abusive and unnatural use of a keyword throughout the text in order to better position in the search engines It generates bad user experience and therefore it is a practice that can be penalized by Google.
• Duplicate content: The content must be unique, fresh and relevant to the user. Therefore, it is more than forbidden to include content copied from other websites or automatically generated.
• Plain text: The organization and structuring of content for the user is as important as for Google. Therefore, avoid the inclusion of plain text blocks and long paragraphs that make reading difficult. In addition, as we have commented previously, it includes H1 and H2 header tags.
• Thin Content: The thin content refers to the short, poor or poor quality content that does not add value to the user. Avoid it!

As you can see, there are many key techniques and aspects to consider when writing content for SEO. However, the most important thing is to always keep in mind who your target audience is, in order to generate quality content that brings value.

We hope you found this article useful. If you have any questions or just want to share with us more tips or advice to write SEO articles, contact us. We will be happy to read your comments!