The age-old question of which comes first, the proverbial content chicken or the SEO egg? We don’t have to debate this issue. The answer is easy. It doesn’t matter which came first. What matters is how we balance content quality and readability with SEO best practices. The key is to deliver relevant information for customers in a user-friendly package while making sure the search engine bots evaluate and rank your content for search visibility. Complement your content strategy with your SEO strategy cohesively instead of thinking of them as two separate entities.
Create Content for Voice Search
Media in Canada reported, not too long ago, that 88% of Canadians use voice search at least once a week. Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant continue to become increasingly popular. Use keyword phrases in your content that match voice search. Voice search is more commonly used as a way to get information rather than the actual shopping, but that trend may change fast. Create a foundation for voice searchers using SEO content directed at them.
Use Social Media
Content for social media doesn’t always directly translate to SEO results, but you should incorporate social media into your content strategy. Posting to social media drives greater audience engagement and more traffic to your site, which sends good signals to the search engines. By promoting your best content on social media, you can also get your readers to spend more time on your site. This, too, improves your search rankings.
Edit with SEO in Mind
The best SEO writer edits their work through a different lens. Editing for SEO is about ensuring content relevancy, strategic placement of target keyword phrases and checking for keyword stuffing. It’s important to maintain readability while using every relevant opportunity for a keyword. Check content titles to ensure relevancy and to make sure the right questions are being answered. Having an editor go through content with an eye toward SEO can improve content for readers and search engines.
Analyze Your Competitor’s Content
Never undermine the importance of analyzing your own content to find out what’s working and what isn’t. It can also help your own SEO strategy to analyze what your competition is doing. Browse through local listings and some in other cities around the country. Although you should NEVER plagiarize, you can certainly get some good ideas to use on your own site.
Publish with SEO in Mind
Content marketing isn’t finished until you publish what you create. Finalize your content with a title tag, meta description and alt text for any visual elements you’re including. Include keywords in the meta data for search engines and for readers. Do a final check to see what the reader sees. Is it compelling and engaging? Does it sound credible and relevant? Have you used a reader-friendly, easy to scan format and structure? Skip the school essay format; your readers are likely going to scan this very rapidly on their smartphones!
Keep Updating Content
The search engines look for fresh content as part of your SEO strategy. Your readers also want new content. It can be difficult to keep providing relevant content, even if you have an in-house copywriter. Partner with a content agency to keep the search engines and your audience engaged. MintCopy has a team of dedicated content creators who understand SEO. Contact us today for more information.
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Resources:
Sheetal Pinto is the founder of MintCopy, a content agency that has been helping businesses communicate effectively since 2008. With a passion for words and a knack for SEO, she’s worked with companies around the world to craft copy that not only engages but ranks. Whether it’s blog posts, website content, or social media updates, Sheetal has a talent for turning complex ideas into compelling stories. When she’s not optimizing content or editing for clarity, she’s probably daydreaming about the perfect headline or debating the Oxford comma. With over 16 years in the business, she’s seen the digital marketing and SEO content landscape evolve and grow. Sheetal’s mantra? Fresh copy, refreshing results!
