Write for humans first, then for search engines.
How to write for humans first, then for search engines
When it comes to producing top-tier digital content, are you wondering how to engage your audience and get the attention of search engines [and reach the rankings summit]?
It’s a little-known secret that when you write well for humans first, you’re more likely to rank highly for SEO. If you want to learn how to get the best of both worlds, starting with readable, shareable and discoverable content your readers will love, we’ll show you the ropes.
Understanding SEO-optimised content
SEO-optimised content attracts more targeted organic traffic to your website because search engines, specifically Google, are designed to understand content quality.
Google’s [savvy] algorithm discovers and ranks the content that offers the highest value to the reader. When this algorithm is altered, it adjusts the search results, shifting low-quality, over-optimised content to the bottom of its rankings and riveting reads to the top. So, the main principle is to provide your readers with unbeatable content, not just search engines. But how do you ensure your writing has high value?
Know your audience and use your data
Your primary audience is the people who are interested in your content, so it’s important to frame your content around their needs. Therefore, ensuring that it is easy to understand should always be your main priority.
If you’ve gathered data on your audience that better helps you to understand their needs and intentions [lucky you], you need to utilise this. Signpost the benefits and frame your blogs and pages as a “handy guide” and “expert advice” where appropriate, so they’re sure to be lapped up.
If your content is overly-optimised to the extent it doesn’t flow or it is too technical, you run the risk of disengaging and alienating your readers. If you want to keep their valuable attention and trust, remember who you’re writing for and why.
Prioritise readability
Consider the optimal length – just because your blog is long doesn’t mean the quality will be any higher than something more refined and punchy.
A good variety of word lengths accompanied by simple language and a clear paragraph structure will make your long-form content easier to follow. If you’re relevant, you’re discoverable on the web, and you’ll keep your readers engaged. With this principle in mind, remove anything that does not increase the value of your writing.
The bottom line? Give your audience what they’re searching for. Produce content that is helpful enough to answer questions and clear enough to provide solutions.
Harness the power of keywords
Keywords are nuggets of SEO gold but as we’ve already discussed, they should be sprinkled rather than showered into your content.
If you want to maximise the efficiency of your keywords, include them in the key areas of your page – the title, title tag and meta description, and refer back to them intermittently in your main body.
Create content your audience and search engines will love
The secret to writing for humans is to, first of all, pinpoint the content’s purpose and then produce it with this in mind. Do your research and ensure you’re clued up on the subject matter and audience.
Each piece of content you create should be a valuable resource for your audience that keeps them sticking around for more.
From the copywriting process to designing your keyword strategy and implementing a content plan. We have an in-house team of experts to guide you at every stage of the content process and ensure your writing is loved by humans and search engines alike.
Ready to let Ketchup supercharge your content creation? Don’t be shy, come and say hello.