Maximizing SEO for your new article or blog post can make all the difference in beating your competition. Armed with these SEO writing tips, guidelines, and SEO writing principles you can get ahead of your competition and improve your SEO positioning.
These tips are directly from Moz’s Rand Fishkin (watch it above), and we agree fully with the tips and want you to be equipped with them.
NOTE: If you’re looking for the 2022 version on how to write for Search, we’ve just released a new article that includes more information and context about how to write for SEO see: how to write for SEO and engaging SEO writing tips in 2022.
SEO Writing Guidelines
- Intent-matching and solving a searcher’s query is the top priority.
- Meta Titles and Body Content are of the highest priority when it comes to writing SEO-friendly content.
- Headlines, Meta Descriptions, Alt Attributes, and URLs matter and should be taken into account and are also critical, but may be more in the “nice-to-have” bucket.
- Employ words, phrases and concepts that are commonly associated with the searcher’s query to help them solve their problem.
- The user experience (UX) and flow of the content matters more than ever due before. And this is due to engagement metrics. For example, if a user is more likely to not return to search engine results pages (SERPs) and is engaged with content they clicked-through, this is a signal that the content solve the searcher’s problem. If a user returns back to the SERPs, Google calls this ‘pogo-sticking’ and is an indicator of potentially low quality content.
Steps to Write SEO-Friendly Articles
- Assemble all keywords a page is targetting.
- List what the searcher’s are trying to accomplish. These are the intents behind the query.
- Create a visual layout of the content outline to solve their task, with visual and written content.
- Write first, then add keywords, related terms, phrases, and concepts.
- Craft the *hook* that will make influential people and publications want to amplify and link to the content.
Top SEO Articles and Tips
- How to Write for SEO
- Google Is Changing: Is SEO Still Relevant?
- SEO and Content Marketing Tactics for Web Developers During a Redesign
- Off-page vs On-page Website Optimization for Search
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- SEO Agencies: How Much Do They Cost?
- Web Design’s Role in SEO
- How to Hire an SEO Company
- Budgeting for a Website Redesign
- Improve SEO in Six Easy Ways
- Google Reduces the Number of Reviews in SERP in 2019
- SEO for Nonprofits: It Matters
- 6 Ways to Use SEO to Grow a Business (Free Ebook)
- SEO Audit Ebook
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- How to Conduct a Content Marketing Audit
- 6 Website Redesign Tips for Budgeting and Retaining SEO
- Why Hire an SEO Expert?
- 6 Easy Ways to Improve Your SEO
- Professional SEO Services
- How to Create a Keyword List
- Mobile Website Benefits
- Do Websites Matter?
- SEO Principles
- Mobile Site Speed Test
- SEO TIps and Website Optimization Checker
Ali Jaffar has been building dazzling websites and creating amazing online experiences for over a decade. His mastery of the latest innovations in web development results in world-class website experiences set apart by show-stopping style and seamless functionality. A sought-after consultant and 50-time award-winning storyteller, UX expert, and web developer — Ali lends his talents to build and bolster digital experiences for a wide array of clients — with a keen focus on web design for nonprofit organizations, B2B, and government agencies. When Ali’s not helping his clients grow, you can find him cooking, exploring new places with his dog, or experimenting with AI & new gadgets.
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