How To Write an SEO-Optimised Article Like a Pro

SEO and content go hand-in-hand.

If you write SEO-friendly content, it will improve your search engine rankings. And if you come up with a good SEO strategy, more people will read your content.

Every great SEO strategy includes excellent content writing. If you don't optimise your content for SEO, you won't get your readers' attention. This also applies to search engines, which value relevant content above anything else.

Are you wondering how to write an SEO-optimised article? Then you've come to the right place.

Writing articles for SEO is a step-by-step process. You need to give your readers what they're looking for. But you also need to prep your blog post for search engines.

This article will help you come up with the perfect SEO-optimised articles for your blog.

💭 How To Write SEO Articles

Writing SEO-friendly content isn't only about sitting down and scribbling random information. You need to think carefully about each step.

Your blog posts have to provide your target audience with value. To do this, you need to know what your readers want.

Here are the 10 most important SEO article writing tips:

1. Match the users' search intent
2. Determine the ideal length
3. Conduct keyword research
4. Create a compelling title tag
5. Optimise the meta description
6. Write high-quality content
7. Use proper heading tags
8. Add external and internal links
9. Optimise images and multimedia
10. Keep track of performance metrics

It's also vital to understand why content is so important for SEO.

If you optimise your content for SEO, your site will appear higher in search engine results.

The goal of SEO is to put your site on the first search engine results page. This exposure will improve your online presence.

The more organic traffic you get, the better search results you will have.

Another factor to keep in mind is search engine ranking factors. Google and other search engines value content. They use it to rank your site on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Content is also important for your target audience. It gives them a chance to learn something new. They can also learn more about your business and what it offers.

🎯 Match the Users' Search Intent

As we said earlier, you need to have your readers' search intent in mind when writing content.

Matching your target audience's search intent is very important. It ensures high search rankings and better visibility.

But to understand their search intent, you need to define your target audience.

These are some of the ways you can define your target audience:

• Doing keyword research
• Engaging with your customers
• Creating buyer personas
• Doing market research
• Using analytics and social media insights
• Doing surveys
• Analysing your competitors

The best way to find out what your target audience is looking for is with keyword research. This will tell you what words and phrases they're looking for on Google Search.

Another way to find out what they're looking for is with communication. You can respond to comments and answer questions. This will reveal their needs and preferences.

You can also create buyer personas, which are your ideal customers. A buyer persona can include needs, goals, challenges, and behaviour.

You can even analyse your competition. You can find out what audiences they're targeting. This will give you a clear idea of what type of customers to look for.

📑 Determine the Ideal Length

Content length is another important ranking factor.

You don't want your articles to be too long. No one has the time to read long blog posts anymore. Blog posts with a lot of text can also be too overwhelming.

But you also don't want your articles to be too short. If your article is too short, you won't be able to cover the entire topic. You're also risking not giving readers what they want.

Finding the balance is the key. It can be a game-changer for your search results.

It's recommended to write articles that are around 1,500 to 2,000 words long. This word count allows you to get into the topic and give your readers useful information.

But it's important to remember that quality should always come before quantity. If you can provide all the information in a concise way, then go ahead and do so.

Of course, the length should also depend on how complex the topic is. Some topics can't be covered in only 1,000 words or less.

This is also why you need to understand your audience. You must write the content according to their needs and preferences.

For example, educational institutions and e-learning platforms should write long-form content. The same goes for the healthcare industry and medical websites.

On the other hand, e-commerce businesses can write short-form content. It's ideal for product descriptions and limited-time offers.

Local businesses can also write short content for announcements and event promotions.

🧲 Conduct Keyword Research

We already mentioned the importance of keyword research.

It's the basis of every SEO campaign. It gives you insights into specific keywords and keyword phrases your audience uses. Researching keywords also helps you improve your SEO rankings.

Your goal should be to use:

• Keywords with a high search volume
• Relevant keywords with low competition
• Long-tail keywords
• Informational keywords
• Descriptive keywords
• Keywords relevant to your industry or niche

It's not only about the type of keywords you use, but how you use them. You should place keywords into your content strategically. You can add keywords to headings, subheadings, and text body.

Avoid keyword stuffing. The goal might be to use as many keywords as possible, but be careful.

It can impact your SEO score in a negative way. Keyword stuffing can even get you a Google penalty.

You can also use a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner. It can help you analyse keyword rankings and keyword density.

It's important to target keywords relevant to your industry or niche. For example, let's say you own a small local business, like a flower shop. A good target keyword would be "flower shop" + "your location."

If you're selling products, you can use relevant commercial keywords. For example, a good commercial keyword for technology would be "best keyboard 2023," and so on.

✍️ Create a Compelling Title Tag

SEO is all about capturing your readers' attention. That moment starts with an interesting title tag.

The title tag is the first thing users see when your site appears in search results. That's why it needs to be compelling and relevant.

When users search for something, good title tags can get them to click on the link.

It's a good practice to add the target keyword to your title tag. The main keyword should go at the beginning. This also helps search engines understand what the web page is about.

When it comes to length, it's a good idea to keep it short. The ideal length is under 60 characters. This length will help you rank higher for relevant search queries.

You'll also want your title tags to stand out from your competition. An effective way to do this is by adding power words or emotional triggers. Doing so makes your audience more curious and excited to read your blog post.

For example, words like "ultimate," "essential," or "secret" can create a sense of urgency. They can make users more interested in clicking your link.

You can also use numbers or statistics in your post titles. This implies your article provides specific and valuable information.

Writing compelling title tags boosts your online visibility and search rankings.

🌟 Optimise the Meta Description

Meta descriptions are just as important as title tags.

Meta descriptions are short snippets of text. They appear below the title tag on search results. They provide a brief summary of what your web page is about.

Meta descriptions can attract potential visitors and make them click on your link.

A good meta description can lead to:

1. An improved click-through rate
2. A better user experience
3. Higher rankings on search engines
4. Reduced bounce rates
5. Better brand visibility
6. Social media sharing

To optimise your meta description, start by keeping it concise and interesting. Aim for a length of around 150 to 160 characters. With this length, your meta description will be fully displayed in search results.

Use action-oriented language and power words. This can make site visitors want to read your article even more.

For example, don't write, "We offer a wide range of products." You can say, "Discover an extensive collection of high-quality products that will transform your life."

Make sure your meta descriptions are unique for each page. Tailor them to reflect the content of the page.

Include relevant keywords to improve their visibility in search results.

Don't forget to include a call-to-action that encourages users to click on your link. For instance, you can use phrases like "Learn more," "Find out now," or "Get started today."

✏️ Write High-Quality Content

The most important part of every blog post is the content. We can't stress this enough.

All your other SEO efforts may as well be pointless if you don't write good content.

Creating content involves writing articles that are relevant and valuable. To do this, you must understand what your readers need. You can then create content that resonates with your readers.

Here are some SEO content writing tips:

• Do your research before you start writing.
• Define the goal of your content. Do you want to persuade, educate, or inform your readers?
• Write content that's 100% original. Don't just copy what others say.
• Grab your readers' attention with a good headline.
• Use clear and simple language. Avoid technical terms and jargon unless your audience is familiar with them.
• Be concise. Don't use unnecessary words, and focus on delivering your message.
• Use a clear and logical structure with headings, subheadings, and bullet points.
• Offer valuable information, insights, or solutions to your readers' problems.
• Include relevant images, infographics, videos, and other visuals to improve your content.
• Use questions, calls-to-action, and interactive elements to engage your readers. Encourage them to comment, share, or take part in discussions.
• After publishing, encourage readers to provide feedback. Constructive criticism can help you improve your future content.

Many website owners don't know how to write an SEO-optimised article. Writing content of any kind requires good writing skills.

If you're struggling with content writing, you can always hire an SEO agency.

🆎 Use Proper Heading Tags

Good SEO content should go with proper headings. This will take your SEO strategy to the next level.

Heading tags include H1, H2, H3, and so on.

Headings make your article's visual hierarchy better. They also improve your search rankings. They can help search engines understand the structure and relevance of your content. This ultimately boosts your visibility to your target audience.

It's important to understand the hierarchy of heading tags:

1. H1 tag - For the main title of your article.
2. H2 tags - For subheadings and major sections.
3. H3 tags - For further subheadings within those sections.

Headings provide a clear and organised structure to both search engines and readers. They make navigation easier. Your content is easier to comprehend as well.

Remember, your primary goal should be to create a seamless user experience. You need to cater to search engines and human visitors.

It's also a good idea to use the target keyword in the headings. It doesn't matter if it's a long-tail keyword as long as it sounds natural.

Your headings need to be informative and engaging. A good heading will get readers to stick around and read your article.

🔗 Add External and Internal Links

Every good strategy needs external and internal links.

Let's start with internal linking. It's the process of connecting different web pages with hyperlinks. The best place for internal links is your blog.

By adding internal links to relevant pages, you're improving your navigation. Readers will be able to find more information about your business. Not to mention that search engines will understand your content better.

When making internal links, use descriptive anchor text that describes the linked page.

External links are hyperlinks that connect your website to other websites.

When you link to reputable sites, it shows that your content is well-researched. It also makes your site more trustworthy.

This can boost your website's credibility. You're also improving your chances of ranking higher in Google search results.

External links can provide your readers with more information about your SEO content.

But it's important to choose wisely the websites you link to. Make sure they are reputable and relevant to your content.

🖼️ Optimise Images and Multimedia

It's very important to optimise images and multimedia for SEO.

Make sure to use high-quality images relevant to your content. Use image alt text and descriptive file names with appropriate keywords.

This doesn't only help search engines understand what the image is about. This is essential for visually impaired users.

Compressing images without reducing their quality is another good idea. It can help improve page load speed, which is an important ranking factor.

Incorporating multimedia can also benefit your website's SEO. These can be videos and interactive elements.

Videos can increase user engagement. They can also keep visitors on your site longer. This can impact your search rankings in a positive way.

Optimise their titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. If possible, host the videos on your own domain. You can also use a reputable hosting platform for faster loading times.

Consider providing transcripts for videos. This makes their content accessible to search engines.

By optimising images and multimedia, you can create a more engaging website. Not to mention that you're also boosting its visibility in search results.

📊 Keep Track of Performance Metrics

While it's important to write content that's SEO-friendly, there's much more to content creation.

You've figured out how to write SEO articles. But how do you know if your content is reaching the right audience? How do you know your SEO efforts are paying off?

With every SEO article you write, you need to keep track of its performance.

Some performance metrics to track include:

• Click-through rates
• Organic traffic
• Bounce rates
• The number of backlinks
• Conversion rates
• Page views
• Average session duration

These metrics will tell you how well your articles are performing.

For example, you might notice a high bounce rate. This means that your visitors are leaving your site before doing anything important. There might be many reasons that stand behind this. They might not like your site. Or, they didn't find what they were looking for.

These metrics will identify areas for improvement. As a result, you'll create an even better SEO campaign.

These metrics can also help you improve user experience. They'll tell you what your audience likes and doesn't like about your blog. This will help you write SEO-friendly content in the future.

☕ Follow These SEO Content Writing Tips

Writing SEO content isn't easy, and it's not for everyone. It's not just about writing blog posts. You also have to think about a dozen other factors.

If you want to write SEO articles, but you're not sure how, we're here for you.

RankRise is an SEO agency specialising in content writing. Our articles will help you reach your target readers. We can also help you boost your organic search results.

Just reach out to us, and we'll do the rest.