The term “content optimization” is frequently used interchangeably with search engine optimization (SEO). Nevertheless, it’s important to note that optimizing your content solely for search engine bots is not advisable.
On the contrary, optimizing the content for humans makes it easier for search engines to identify. This guide will cover the various methods you can utilize to optimize your content for better output, and we will also explain the significance of doing so.
Content Optimization
Basically, content optimization involves ensuring that your content has the highest likelihood of reaching its intended objective, whether that be increasing search engine ranking or converting leads into actual sales.
While you can employ various typical and proven techniques to attain these objectives, it goes beyond merely executing technical procedures and checking them off a list. Both crucial marketing and editorial components must also be addressed in optimizing web content.
Optimizing Content for SEO
The main objective of optimizing digital content in the majority of instances is to achieve search engine visibility.
1. Find the Right Topic and the Right Keyword
Before preparing and writing your content, identifying the topic and target keyword(s) is crucial since it’s the fundamental basis of your piece. Begin by selecting a broad topic to concentrate on. Google now values how you cover the topic rather than just a solitary keyword.
Keep in mind that while keywords are specific search terms utilized by individuals, topics connect the semantic connection between these keywords.
The process can be made more efficient by utilizing the Topic Research tool. Begin by entering a broad concept that you believe will be appealing to your target audience. If you are operating a healthy food delivery business, “healthy eating” is a good place to begin. Additionally, you have the option of specifying your preferred geographic area, such as a country, region, or city.
Afterward, an extensive roster of interconnected subtopics will become visible which you can opt for when composing your article.
One example is selecting the topic of “Healthy fats.” Clicking on the card will display the top headlines and questions related to this content idea, as well as a list of related searches at the bottom.
Once you’ve determined your topic, you can select the target keywords for your blog post. However, keyword research involves more than finding words or phrases that are pertinent to your product or company.
It’s important to take into account both the attainability of a keyword and its alignment with the search intent of your desired audience when deciding whether it’s appropriate for your brand, based on its scale and authority.
With Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, you can produce keyword suggestions that consider not only traffic volume and difficulty, but also user intent. This means you can select keywords that fall under informational or transactional categories.
Proceed to the tool and enter any of the keywords, such as ‘healthy fats’ as an example. Note that several connected keywords have a substantial keyword difficulty. If it seems impractical for your business blog, endeavor to delve deeper and discover more feasible alternatives.
The search term ‘healthy fats for keto’ appears to have a low difficulty rating for ranking, yet it maintains a high search volume.
After selecting the keyword, simply click on it to access the Keyword Overview tool which allows you to examine essential details such as intent, related keywords, variations, and questions.
It is advisable to enter your chosen keyword on Google in order to analyze the displayed outcomes. Are you confident that you can generate superior content compared to what has already been shared? Moreover, do the present search outcomes comply with your intended perspective on this subject matter?
Ultimately, your piece will have a compilation of keywords that it will center on, that can typically be categorized as either primary (the crucial and central keyword) or secondary (supplementary and interconnected) keywords.
In order to broaden this roster, you can utilize the Organic Research tool to scrutinize the highest performing pages. As an instance, upon verifying the write-up that presently possesses the Featured Snippet for our intended keyword, it was revealed that it ranks for 1,800 keywords.
Having this knowledge and incorporating a few of those key terms into your roster can enhance the relevance of your content and construct a compelling blog framework.
2. Find Semantically Related Keywords
Including semantically related keywords that are conceptually linked to your primary keyword can improve your chances of ranking by aiding search engines in comprehending the topic you’re exploring. However, it’s critical to stay on track with the intention of your article.
Utilize the SEO Content Template to effortlessly and promptly identify relevant keywords for your content. This tool offers recommendations based on the top 10 organic search competitors for your chosen keyword. As an illustration, in our piece on healthy fats for keto, you may incorporate keywords such as ‘shedding pounds’, ‘saturated fats’, ‘fat type’, and ‘keto-compliant’, among several others.
3. Establish Your Structure
After identifying your topic and keywords, it is important to create an outline and establish a coherent structure for your content. The Topic Research and Keyword Overview tools presented related questions that can aid in this task. In technical terms, this involves planning the hierarchy of headers (H-tags) for the page.
Our 2022 study reveals that 47% of top-performing organic content comprises articles featuring advanced headings (H2 + H3 + H4). This finding is significant for two reasons:
- First of all, breaking down your topic into subtopics helps readability. Visitors to your page will have an easier time navigating and identifying the depth of coverage you’re providing.
- Secondly, an advanced heading structure makes it much easier for search engines to understand what’s important in your article by breaking them into sections with code that they can crawl.
You can revisit the Topic Research tool and enter your topic again to generate additional innovative concepts for your blog post or generate new associated articles you could include in this composition.
4. Manage Keyword Density
Frequent SEOs and content marketers may recognize the earlier common strategy of keyword stuffing. Despite its outmoded nature, it’s still important to observe the density of your keywords.
In essence, the key is to strike a perfect equilibrium between integrating your keyword in various parts of the content (such as in the heading, link, and text) and avoiding overuse. The latter could cause a negative impact on the reader’s experience and result in Google penalization.
As previously discussed, your approach to each content piece will be more sophisticated than merely targeting a solitary keyword.
5. Make Sure it Aligns With Search Intent
If your content doesn’t match what searchers are seeking, you’ll be at a disadvantage right from the start. This is because Google places a high importance on search intent, and if your content doesn’t address the inquiries of searchers, it sends a signal that your content is not a good match for the query and is not worthy of ranking.
To comprehend search intent effortlessly, you can utilize the prevalent top-ranked outcomes as a substitute. In particular, you can scrutinize them for the three Cs of search intent.
The content type found on SERPs, such as blogs, product pages, landing pages, or category pages, should be considered when optimizing keywords. If the top 10 results are blog posts, it’s best to focus on creating blog posts rather than trying to force a product page to rank. Attempting to do so will likely not yield successful results.
The format of the content displayed in search results, such as step-by-step guides, how-tos, lists, or reviews, can indicate what the searcher is searching for. Identify the top-ranking posts and choose a format that matches their style. For example, if listicles dominate the first page of Google, create a listicle. Similarly, if guides are prevalent, create a guide. The principle is simple.
The angle of the content refers to the distinguishing factor of promoting the products or services on the search engine results page. This can include offering discounts, cost-effective methods, or free delivery. Although it is important to differentiate from rivals, it is equally important to acknowledge the similarities amongst the highest ranked content.
6. Make Sure it’s Easy and Enticing to Read
The majority of individuals do not fully read webpages. Rather, they skim through the main ideas and focus on standout words or phrases. To enhance the attractiveness and readability of your content, below are four useful techniques.
Get rid of unnecessary content – Phrases that are overused, weak adverbs, and difficult-to-comprehend sentences deter readers. Prior to making your post public, utilize Hemingway Editor, Grammarly, or ProWritingAid to identify and correct such mistakes.
To improve readers’ understanding, it is important to avoid lengthy blocks of text. Instead, utilize brief paragraphs and bullet points, emphasize important points with bold text and include relevant visuals to increase the post’s reader-friendliness, similar to what we have implemented in this text.
Including a table of contents (ToC) in lengthy posts enables effortless navigation and informs the audience of the various topics addressed.
Put important information first – A post that is well-optimized provides immediate access to valuable information. Avoid making your readers search for it! Start with your most effective concepts. Keep less critical information towards the end.
7. Compelling Title Tag and Description
The title tag and meta description are the initial elements visible to users on the SERPs. It is essential that they provide a quick overview of your content. Ideally, they should also make your post stand out from the rest of the competition, which ties back to the importance of having a unique content angle.
Bear in mind these few tips while composing them:
Ensure relevance to search intent – Your title tag and meta description must convey a clear correlation between your page and the user’s search intention.
Ensure they are concise – Google typically limits the length of title tags and meta descriptions. Generally, title tags are cut off after 70 characters, while meta descriptions are truncated after 120 characters, though the exact numbers may differ.
Incorporating your chosen term ensures that potential viewers quickly recognize that your webpage aligns with their search query.
Emphasizing particularity enhances reliability and regard. Consider the titles “How to Garner Customers in a Month” and “How to Garner 2,738 Customers in a Month on a Limited Budget.” Which title is more intriguing to you?
8. Make Sure it Has Enough Backlinks
Backlinks are considered one of the top three ranking factors and can help improve your standing with Google.
According to our study on search traffic, it was revealed that pages with a higher number of backlinks tend to receive an increased amount of organic traffic. This correlation is demonstrated in the chart below, which plots the number of backlinks from external sources (referring domains) against the monthly volume of organic search traffic.
To achieve a high ranking on search engine results pages, it is necessary to establish links from websites that are authoritative and relevant. Here’s a simple method to determine the number of websites linking to your page:
- Go to Site Explorer
- Enter your page URL
- Hit Search
The Overview report displays the number of referring domains. Subsequently, you can enter your keyword into Keywords Explorer and examine the KD score to determine if the estimated number of referring domains required to rank in the top 10 is within reach.
If the number of referring domains to your page is significantly lower than this number, it could be hindering your progress.
9. Includes a Persuasive Call to Action
Leaving readers with a cliffhanger after they have read a post that provides substantial benefits is regrettable.
Incorporate a compelling CTA that motivates readers to address their issues by subscribing to an email list, scheduling a complimentary consultation, or simply dropping a query in the comment section.
We can simplify the question of what makes a CTA effective. Our answer is:
The use of conversion-oriented CTAs that resonate with the prospect’s concerns or aspirations can elicit prompt action and emotional response. The objective of your CTA should be to give the impression, “This business understands me.”
Sales are directly proportional to trust. To convince doubtful customers, utilize social proof such as authoritative recommendations, precise information, and personal experiences.
It is essential to time CTAs strategically by considering the prospect’s stage in the buyer’s journey. Do not hesitate to include multiple CTAs within the post.
10. Make Sure it Includes Expert Quotes
The distribution can be enhanced with exclusive quotes provided by experts on a particular topic.
If you include a source in your post, there’s a high chance that they will want to share it once it’s published. Additionally, you’re not only embedding natural distribution into your content, but you’re also supporting your arguments without the need for further research.
Fio Dossetto, the founder of ContentFolks, enlisted the input of 14 marketing executives while composing a content marketing manual for Ahrefs. After publication, several of these executives disseminated the article to their respective audiences.
Side notes
Applying the rocket start technique on Mario Kart is similar to enhancing your content through optimization. This approach enables you to maximize your content endeavors, obtain a head start, and increase your momentum. Utilize the aforementioned suggestions to improve your search engine ranking, boost your social media shares, and appeal to your ideal audience.
