When incorporating content marketing strategies into your business plan, you should always seek to produce findable, high-quality information. But how do you write quality content that will please both readers and search engines?
Back when SEO first came to be, a lot of online content was difficult to read due to keyword stuffing -a strategy that allowed websites with content that mentioned certain terms frequently to be ranked higher by search engines. Luckily, search engines have become more sophisticated and now rank useful and well-written content higher.
In fact, websites that overuse keywords can actually be penalized.
To create content that is easily found and appreciated by readers, write for the audience first, not the search engines. Do your research and find out what people want to know in regards to your industry or product. When people search online, they usually are looking for something specific. Provide useful and helpful information to gain the readers’ trust and establish yourself as a credible source.
Useful content is nothing if not easy to read.
Make sure it isn’t filled with jargon or technical terms your audience may not be familiar with. You will also want to consider the tone and style of your writing. While many readers appreciate a conversational tone, there may be instances in which your audience expects a more businesslike approach.
Optimization plays an important role in helping readers find your content. It’s beneficial to use a few keywords in articles, meta descriptions and title tags so that search engines and readers know what your content is about. However, make sure that any keywords or phrases fit naturally into your text and are not repetitive. If you start to overuse keywords, not only could your ranking on social engines be lowered, but your audience might begin to lose interest as they read.
When creating quality content, don’t forget the search engines, but make sure the human searchers are your top priority.
