When writing for SEO, we need to produce good quality content to ensure that our websites rank high. How do we go about delivering the right quality content to achieve this goal?
“Let’s look at what high-ranking content all have in common, the different elements of quality content, tips to improve your writing and how to write content that people want to share. Fortunately, we have Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help us in the process,” said Marisa Louw, sought-after professional freelancer, integrated marketing strategist and web developer, who unpacked this topic in the fifth and final session of a series of Safrea webinars.
| What does high-ranking content have in common?
Semrush, an organisation used for keyword research and online ranking data, studied more than 24 000 top ranking websites that appeared within the top 10 results when searched. The finding confirmed that the highest-ranking articles measured a perfect score of 9 or 10 out of 10 across the following main pillars: · SEO · Readability · Tone of voice · Consistency · Originality |
Elements of quality content
- Research the topic and related keywords. Refer to using Google Analytics in Session 2: Keyword research, of this series.
- Optimise the article structure.
- Manage keyword density. Don’t repeat the same keyword more than three or four times in the same article. Free AI software will assist you here.
- Avoid using the same keyword for multiple articles on your website. The more varied your keywords, the better. If your article is riddled with the same keywords, Google will mark your website as spam. Refer to Session 1: Search ranking, of this series.
- Add visuals. People want to see visuals such as graphs, tables and infographics.
- Include internal links. Link popular articles with each other, link it to reputable sources and to thought leaders.
- Cover the topic in depth to make your article stand out among similar topics.
- Remember the technical elements such as small image file sizes to prevent delays in page downloading, and to add your meta description and meta title. All these things come together to create quality content.
| Tips to improve your writing
· Write for your audience – focus on things they care about and talk to them in their own language. Remember the importance of audience and keyword research – we are writing for humans, not for artificial intelligence. Use software tools to check your readability score. In South Africa our average English literacy level is on grade seven level. Only 10% of our population speaks English as a home language. Therefore, don’t be too academic in your writing style when writing for the South African audience. · Write like you speak – shorter words and sentences are easier to read and understand. · Use plain language and words. · Vary sentence length – Semrush found that 43% of low scoring articles have sentences that are too long. · Write in short paragraphs – aim for 90 words per paragraph. · Maintain a consistent tone in writing. |
Tips for writing content that people want to share
The purpose of SEO is twofold. Firstly, the artificial intelligence of search engines wants to find your content so that your website can rank high. Secondly, it encourages people to share your content. This is how content reaches its target audience. Therefore, when writing for the purpose of sharing,
- Be controversial
- Be original
- Be confident
- Take a stand
- Follow and leverage trends
- Have a recognisable voice. Create thought leaders and develop their profiles as people want to read their content.
- Resonate with your audience
- Format your copy effectively
- Punctuate effectively
- Don’t talk at people, rather talk with them. Having a conversation will make your content shareable.
| Use AI writing tools
Use various AI tools to help you with grammar, editing, proofreading and checking your readability score. · Grammarly – it also indicates reading time, speaking time for speech writers and has a plagiarism checker. · Hemmingway Editor – visit www.hemmingwayapp.com · Microsoft Word Editor · Chat GPT · SEO Review’s Content Analysis |
| Writing for SEO series
The series of five sessions will cover the following: 1. Search ranking 2. Keyword research 3. On-page SEO 4. Link building 5. Quality content |