SEO Writing: 12 Proven Tips to Write SEO Friendly Content

Are you struggling to get your content noticed by search engines? Do you want to learn how to write SEO friendly content that not only ranks but also resonates with your audience?

Welcome to the ultimate guide on how to write SEO content. This blog post is designed for content creators, bloggers, and digital marketers who are looking to enhance their SEO skills and boost their content’s visibility on search engines.

In the digital age, creating high-quality content that is SEO-friendly is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. With millions of blog posts published every day, standing out in the crowded digital landscape can be challenging. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

In this comprehensive guide, we will share 12 proven tips that will help you create content that is not only engaging and informative but also optimized for search engines. These tips are designed to help you understand the details of SEO and how you can leverage it to increase your content’s reach and visibility.

What You Will Learn:

• The importance of SEO-friendly content
• How to structure your content for better readability and SEO
• Tips and tricks to improve your website’s search engine ranking
• How to use keywords effectively
• The role of meta tags and image optimization in SEO

So, are you ready to dive into the world of SEO and transform your content creation process? Let’s get started! Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And your first step starts here. 

The Importance of SEO-Optimized Content

In today’s digital world, the importance of content cannot be overstated. However, it’s not just about creating any content – it’s about crafting content that’s tailored for search engines. This kind of content is the foundation of effective digital marketing and is essential for any website that wants to stand out on the internet.

But why is optimized content so crucial? Let’s break it down:

1. Increased Visibility – SEO-optimized content increases your website’s visibility on search engines, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

2. Higher Traffic – Websites that appear on the first page of search engine results get the majority of clicks and impressions. Therefore, ranking higher results in significant organic traffic increases for your website.

3. Credibility and Trust – Websites that rank high on search engine results pages are often perceived as more trustworthy and credible by users.

4. Better User Experience – SEO isn’t just about pleasing search engines. It’s also about providing a great user experience. Well-structured, uncluttered websites compel a casual visitor to stay longer, thereby decreasing bounce rate and increasing page views.

5. Cost-Effectiveness – SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies because it targets users who are actively looking for your products and services online.

Remember, creating SEO-optimized content is not a one-time task. It’s an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and updates according to the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes. So, keep learning, keep optimizing, and see your content rise to the top of search engine results, gaining the recognition and visibility it deserves.

In the following section, we’ll guide you through a 12-step process (including bonus tips) to create SEO-friendly content that ticks all these boxes. So, without much ado, let’s dive into the steps to master SEO copywriting.

How to Make your Content SEO-Friendly – Step by Step

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Creating SEO-friendly content involves a strategic approach that goes beyond just keyword integration. It’s about creating high-quality content that your audience will find valuable and search engines will reward.

Here are the 12 steps (including suprized bonus tips) to make your content SEO-friendly, so let’s get started:

Step 1 – Start with Keyword Research

Before writing your content, you should always do keyword research around your niche and try to find out which word or phrase people are typing on search engines and make a list of all those keywords.

But always be sure to choose only those keywords, which have high search volume and low competition. But if you are a beginner, we personally recommend that you should focus only on long-tail keywords.

Long tail keywords hold 70% of all searches, and it’s a great opportunity for you to rank higher on the search engines for those keywords and to attract the target audience to your website.

We agree that these long-tail keywords have a low search volume compared to the seed keyword (primary keyword), but the chances of ranking on these keywords are incredibly high.

Further, it would be more beneficial if you regularly focus on your competitors to determine what keywords they are targeting. This process is one of the most effective ways that allow you to compete with them in the search engine results effectively.

You should also create a separate spreadsheet for all of the main keywords that you find during the competitor research process.

Quick Note – Do yourself a favour and get a tool like Semrush first for you all SEO needs. There are many free tools available online, but we recommend using this tool because of the advanced functionality and accuracy of the results, and you won’t get these in any free tool.

Step 2 – Keyword Search Intent

Now you have the list of your main keywords; it’s time to analyze each keyword’s search intent.

First of all, you need to understand what actual search intent is and how to analyze it properly.

Search intent is simply a term used to understand the behavior of the searchers, like what type of information users are looking for on Google and why they search for the specific keyword.

For example, when someone searches for ‘formal black leather shoes for men,’ their intention is clear, but when they search for ‘shoes’, they are vague.

The best way to figure out the search intent of any keyword is to type the keywords in Google Search and examine the first page of the results.

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This research will help you understand what type of article Google thinks is best for such queries.

Now you need to check the search intent of each keyword you have on your list and eliminate any keywords whose user intent is irrelevant to the services you offer.

Finally sort out all those keywords that have low competition and high search volume. These are your target keywords.

Step 3 – Find the Idle Length of the Article

You have the list of your target keywords, but before you start writing, you have to decide on the length of your article.

For that, type your target keyword in the Google search box and determine the average length of the articles listed on the first page.

We know that it is a time-consuming process, but if you want to compete with others, you have to go through it.

Otherwise, you can use the SEMRUSH tool to identify the idle word length for your article.

To use this,

    Login to Semrush account.

    On the left side menu, you will see the option ”SEO Content Template’, Click on it.

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On the next screen, there is an option to enter your target keyword. For example, your target keyword is “Content writing”. just type it there.

Now select the country and device you want to target and click on the ‘Create SEO Template” button.

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And, on the next screen, you will get the result for your target keyword.

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As shown in the screenshot above, the first-page average word length for your target keyword is 1030 words.

Alright, you find out what should be the idle length of your article.

What’s next

Now you need to create an outline for your article; For this, you need to re-analyze the top 10 results for your target keyword.

Step 4 – Optimize Post Title and Url

The title of your post is the first thing that catches the reader’s attention. It should be engaging, informative, and include your target keyword. The title should give a clear idea of what the content is about while being catchy enough to entice the reader to click on it.

Guidelines for Optimizing Post Title:

• Include your target keyword: Your target keyword should be part of your title to help with SEO ranking.
• Keep it concise: Ideally, your title should be between 50-60 characters long to ensure it displays correctly in search engine results.
• Make it engaging: Use power words or emotional words to make your title more appealing to readers.
• Provide a clear idea: The title should accurately represent the content of your post. Misleading titles can lead to high bounce rates.

📌 Important: The Post Title, also known as the H1 tag 📝, is the headline of your content that visitors see first when they land on your page. It’s crucial for grabbing the reader’s attention 👀 and should be compelling and relevant to the content. It plays a significant role in both user experience 👥 and SEO 🔍.

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As you can see in the image above, the post title is ’12 Actionable Content Marketing Tips for More Traffic’ and the optimized title length is 53 characters.

In the above example, the target keyword is ‘Content Marketing Tips’ and it has been strategically placed in the post title. This not only makes the title SEO-friendly but also relevant and appealing to the audience who are looking for effective content marketing strategies.

Remember, a well-optimized title can significantly improve your post’s visibility and click-through rate. So, spend some time crafting a title that is both SEO-optimized and appealing to your audience.

How to optimize the post URL –

The URL of your post, also known as the slug, plays a crucial role in SEO. It should be clean, concise, and descriptive, giving both users and search engines a clear indication of what the page content is about.

Guidelines for Optimizing Post URL:

• Include your target keyword: Just like the title, your URL should also include your target keyword.
• Keep it short and simple: A shorter URL is preferable. Try to keep it under 60 characters if possible.
• Use hyphens to separate words: Hyphens are recognized as space separators, making your URL more readable.
• Avoid unnecessary characters and words: Try to avoid using special characters, and remove stop words (like ‘a’, ‘and’, ‘the’) if they aren’t necessary for understanding the content.

For better understanding, let’s take the same example again, if your title is ’12 Actionable Content Marketing Tips For More Traffic’ and the target keyword is ‘Content Marketing Tips’ then an optimized URL for your blog post could be “/content-marketing-tips.

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Remember, a well-structured URL can provide both users and search engines with more information about the content of the page, leading to better user experience and SEO performance. So, take the time to optimize your post’s URL.

Recommended Reading: How to Start a Blog In 2023 Under 35 Minutes [Quick Guide]

Step 5 – Optimize Meta Title and Meta Description

Another one of the crucial steps in SEO copywriting is optimizing the meta title and meta description of the post.

The meta title and meta description are key elements in your webpage’s HTML that help define the content of your page for search engines.

The meta title is a concise title of your page, while the meta description provides a more detailed summary. Both are displayed in search engine results and can significantly influence click-through rates.

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If you optimize them correctly, it becomes easy for both the users and the search engine to understand what your content is all about.

Then there are good chances that your article will rank better in the SERPs, and as a result, you will get more traffic.

Guidelines for Optimizing Meta Title:

• Include your target keyword: The target keyword should ideally be placed at the beginning of the meta title.
• Keep it concise: Search engines typically display the first 50-60 characters of a title tag. Keeping your title within this limit ensures that it’s fully visible in SERPs.
• Make it descriptive and compelling: Your meta title should accurately describe the content of the page and entice users to click on your link.
• Unique for each page: Each page on your website should have a unique meta title to avoid duplicate content issues.

Guidelines for Optimizing Meta Description:

• Include your target keyword: Your target keyword should be included in the meta description.
• Keep it concise: Ideally, your meta description should be under 160 characters to ensure it displays correctly in search engine results.
• Make it engaging: The meta description should entice users to click on your link, so make it as compelling as possible.
• Provide a clear idea: The meta description should accurately represent the content of your post. Misleading descriptions can lead to high bounce rates.

Remember, well-optimized meta titles and descriptions can significantly improve your page’s click-through rate and SEO performance. So, take the proper time to craft these elements that are both SEO-friendly and appealing to your audience.

Step 6 – Optimize the Content for SEO

In this step, you will learn how to optimize your content for both search engines and users. When you start writing, remember that it is necessary to use your target keyword once or twice in the first two paragraphs. By doing this, you give more clues to search engine spiders on what the rest of your content is all about.

Additionally, ensure that your content is engaging, informative, and provides value to your readers. Use your keywords naturally throughout the text, in subheadings, and in image alt text. Make sure your content is easy to read by breaking it up into short paragraphs and using bullet points or numbered lists where appropriate.

Here are a few tips to optimize your content for SEO:

1. Use long tail-related keywords for subheadings:

You should never use your target keyword over and over again in your content. The best way is you find out the long-tail keywords related to your target keyword and use them in your subheadings (H2, H3).

2. Use LSI keywords in your content:

LSI stands for Latent Semantic Index, and in simple terms, LSI keywords are words and phrases that have the same meaning as your target keyword. You can use the LSI keywords anywhere in your content.

3. Avoid Keyword Stuffing:

While it’s important to include keywords in your content, excessive use of keywords, known as keyword stuffing, can lead to a negative user experience and can harm your site’s ranking.

Search engines consider this as a spammy practice and it could result in your site being penalized or even removed from search results. Always aim for a natural and reader-friendly use of keywords.

4. Consider Keyword Density:

Keyword density refers to the number of times a keyword appears on a page divided by the total number of words on that page. While there’s no hard and fast rule for the ideal keyword density, it’s generally recommended to keep it between 1% and 2%.

This ensures that keywords are used sufficiently to signal to search engines what your content is about, without resorting to keyword stuffing. Remember, content should always be written for the user first, and search engines second.

Here are additional tips to optimize your content for SEO:

• Long-form content: Strive to create comprehensive, in-depth content.
• Table of contents: Always incorporate a table of contents for easy navigation.
• Internal linking: Ensure to add links to related content within your website.
• External linking: Don’t forget to include links to relevant, high-quality external websites.
• Formatting: Always choose short paragraphs and highlight key points using bold or italics.
• Responsive font style: Always choose a font style that is easy to read across all devices.

Remember, SEO isn’t just about search engines, it’s also about engaging your audience. Focus on producing top-notch content that is valuable and captivating for your readers.

By doing so, you’ll not only improve your search engine rankings but also encourage more sharing of your content, ultimately enhancing its visibility.

Step 7 – Use of Optimized Images and Infographics

n this step, you will learn how to effectively use images and infographics to enhance your content and improve SEO.

Adding images and infographics to your blog posts makes your content more engaging and visually appealing. Additionally, when optimized correctly, they can improve your search engine rankings.

🔍 Interesting Fact – According to the Content Marketing Institute, content with relevant images 🖼️ gets 94% more views 👀 than content without.

How to optimize your images and infographics for search engines:

Here are some essential guidelines to get you off to a great start to help you ensure you’re optimizing your images or infographics properly.

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• Use Relevant Images and Infographics: Always use images and infographics that are relevant to your content. They should support the information you’re providing and add value to your readers.
• Optimize Image Size: Large image files can slow down your page load speed, which can negatively impact your SEO. Always optimize your images to ensure they load quickly without compromising on quality.
• Use Alt Text: Alt text is a description of an image that search engines use to understand what the image is about. It’s an essential aspect of SEO as it helps search engines index your images correctly and improves your website’s accessibility.
• Use Descriptive File Names: Instead of using generic file names like “image1.jpg”, you should always optimize the image filename; for example, if you have an image of kids who are playing, you need to use an image file name like “kids-playing.” 
• Use Infographics to Simplify Complex Information: Infographics are a great way to simplify complex information and make it more digestible for your readers. They are also highly shareable, which can increase your content’s visibility.

Remember, while images and infographics can significantly enhance your content, they should not be used as a substitute for high-quality written content. Always ensure that your content provides value to your readers and is optimized for SEO.

⚠️ Important – Avoid using images 🖼️ or infographics that are protected by copyright laws ⚖️. Instead, opt for royalty-free images 🆓 or create your own original visuals 🎨 to enhance your content.

Step 8 – Use Proper Heading Tags

In this step, you will learn about the importance of using proper heading tags in your content. Heading tags are crucial for SEO as they help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.

When writing your article, always use proper heading tags. If you are using an SEO-optimized theme, by default, the post title uses the H1 heading tag. For the next subheadings, you should use the H2 tag, then the H3 tag, and so on. This helps to maintain a clear structure in your content and makes it easier for readers to navigate.

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Here are some tips for using heading tags effectively:

• Use Your Keywords in Headings: Include your target keyword in your H1 tag and related keywords in your H2 and H3 tags. This can help search engines understand what your content is about.
• Keep Your Headings Concise: Headings should be short and to the point. They should give readers a clear idea of what the following section is about.
• Make Your Headings Engaging: Headings are the first thing that readers see, so make them engaging. An interesting heading can grab the reader’s attention and encourage them to read more.
• Use Heading Tags Consistently: Be consistent in your use of heading tags. Don’t skip levels (for example, don’t go from an H1 to an H3), as this can confuse both readers and search engines.

Remember, while heading tags are important for SEO, they should also improve the readability of your content. Always write for your readers first, and optimize for search engines second.

⚠️ Important – The h1 tag 🏷️ is reserved for the main title 📜 of your blog post and should be used only once per page📄. This helps search engines 🌐 understand the main topic of your content. 🎯

Step 9 – Internal & External Linking Optimization

In this step, you will learn about the importance of internal and external linking, as well as the use of anchor text in your content. Proper use of links not only enhances the user experience but also boosts your SEO.

1. Internal Linking:

Internal linking is a key SEO strategy that helps search engines understand the content and structure of your website. It involves linking from one page on your website to another page on the same website. Here are some tips for effective internal linking:

• Use Descriptive Anchor Text: The anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. Make sure it is relevant to the linked content and includes keywords where appropriate.
• Link to Relevant Content: The linked content should be relevant and provide value to your readers. This can help reduce bounce rates and increase time on site.
• Don’t Overdo It: While internal linking is beneficial, too many links can be distracting and may look spammy. Aim for a balance.
• Use DoFollow Links: By default, all links are DoFollow links, which pass link juice (ranking power). Make sure your internal links are DoFollow to get the SEO benefits.

2. External Linking:

External linking, also known as outbound linking, is another important aspect of SEO. It involves linking from your website to other relevant websites. Here are some tips for effective external linking:

• Link to Relevant and Trustworthy Sites: The sites you link to should be relevant to your content and trustworthy. Linking to authoritative sites can help improve your site’s credibility and SEO.
• Use Descriptive Anchor Text: Similar to internal linking, the anchor text for external links should be descriptive and relevant to the linked content.
• Nofollow vs Dofollow: By default, all links are DoFollow and pass link juice. However, for paid links, links in comments, or any link you don’t want to vouch for, use the NoFollow attribute.
• Open External Links in New Tab: It’s a good practice to open external links in a new tab so that users don’t navigate away from your site.
• Regularly Check for Broken Links: Broken external links can harm your site’s SEO. Regularly check your site for broken links and fix them as soon as possible.

📌 Quick Facts – 📊 Databox’s research indicates that 42% of SEO specialists 🎓 allocate an equal amount of their time ⏰ to the development of both internal and external links 🔗.

Remember, while links are important for SEO, they should also add value for your readers. Always link to content that is relevant and useful to your audience. This not only enhances the user experience but also builds trust with your readers, making them more likely to return to your site in the future. So, while optimizing for search engines, never forget the most important element – your audience.

Step 10 – Review and Publish Your Article

In this final step, you will learn about the importance of reviewing your content before publishing. This is a crucial part of the content creation process as it ensures that your content is polished, error-free, and ready to be published.

Here are some tips for reviewing and publishing your article:

• Proofread Your Content: Always proofread your content for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Even minor mistakes can detract from the professionalism of your content and distract your readers.
• Check for Consistency: Ensure that your content is consistent in terms of tone, style, and formatting. Consistency helps improve the readability of your content and provides a better user experience.
• Review SEO Elements: Make sure all your SEO elements, such as keywords, heading tags, internal and external links, meta title, and meta description, are properly implemented. Use SEO tools to check for any issues that might affect your search engine rankings.
• Test All Links: Click on all the internal and external links in your content to make sure they are working correctly and redirecting to the right pages.
• Schedule Your Post: If you’re not ready to publish immediately, schedule your post for a later date and time. This can help you to post consistently and reach your audience when they’re most likely to be online.

Once you’ve thoroughly reviewed your content and made any necessary adjustments, it’s time to publish your article. But remember, publishing your article is not the end of the process. You should also promote your content through various channels to reach a wider audience.

Step 11 – Update Your Content Regularly

In this step, you will learn about the importance of regularly updating your content. Keeping your content fresh and up-to-date is not only beneficial for your readers but also crucial for maintaining and improving your SEO rankings.

Here are some tips for updating your content:

• Monitor Performance: Use analytics tools to monitor the performance of your content. Look for posts that are performing well and see if there are ways to improve them further. Similarly, identify posts that are not performing well and consider updating or rewriting them.
• Stay Current: Ensure that your content is current and relevant. This includes updating facts and statistics, adding new information or sections, and removing outdated information.
• Refresh SEO Elements: As you update your content, also refresh your SEO elements. This includes keywords, meta titles and descriptions, and internal and external links.
• Republish Updated Content: Once you’ve updated your content, don’t forget to republish it. This can help to attract new readers and improve your SEO rankings.
• Announce Updates: If you’ve made significant updates to your content, consider announcing it on your website or through social media. This can help to draw attention to your updated content.

Remember, updating your content is an ongoing process. By regularly reviewing and updating your content, you can ensure that it continues to provide value to your readers and perform well in search engine rankings.

Step 12 – Some Important Tips (Bonus Part)

In this bonus section, you will learn about some additional strategies that can further enhance your SEO copywriting. These strategies go beyond the basic steps and can give you an edge in the competitive world of SEO.

Here are some bonus tips:

• Mobile Optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it’s crucial to ensure that your content is mobile-friendly. This includes having a responsive website design that adjusts to different screen sizes, ensuring fast load times on mobile devices, and making sure that your content is easily readable on smaller screens.
• Social Sharing Functionality: Incorporate social sharing buttons on your page. This allows readers to easily share your content on their social media platforms, thereby increasing its reach. It’s also a good idea to optimize your content for social media by creating engaging post titles and using eye-catching images.
• Schema Markup: Implementing Schema markup (also known as structured data) can help search engines better understand your content and enhance your visibility in search results. It can lead to rich results, which are more visually engaging than standard search results and can significantly improve click-through rates.
• Quality Backlinks: Try to earn high-quality backlinks from reputable websites. Backlinks are a key ranking factor in SEO, and having backlinks from high-authority websites can significantly boost your SEO performance.

Essential Tools for Effective SEO Copywriting and Content Optimization

In the ever-changing world of SEO copywriting, having the right tools can truly make a difference. These tools not only assist in creating top-notch, SEO-optimized content but also ensure it resonates with your readers and performs well on search engines.

In this section, we delve into some of the essential tools that we use and recommend for enhancing your SEO copywriting process. From content creation and optimization to social media sharing, these tools can significantly elevate your SEO copywriting game.

Let’s explore how these tools can help you create content that is not only loved by search engines but also your readers. 🌐

1. RankMath – This is a comprehensive SEO plugin for WordPress that provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of SEO tools. It’s an excellent choice for optimizing your content for search engines.

2. Grammarly – An AI-powered writing assistant that enhances your writing by checking for grammatical errors, correcting typos, and offering style suggestions. It’s a great tool for ensuring your content is error-free and professional.

3. Linguix – An AI-based writing assistant that checks for grammar and spelling mistakes and offers style suggestions. It’s a great tool for improving the quality of your writing.

4. Frase – An SEO content optimization tool that helps content creators go from keyword to well-researched, SEO-optimized articles faster and better. It’s a great tool for those looking to write SEO optimized articles and create research-driven SEO content.

5. SurferSEO – A cloud-based SEO tool that helps website owners audit their content, analyze their competition, and optimize their pages to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s a great tool for improving your website’s rankings.

6. Social Snap – This is a comprehensive social media plugin for WordPress that allows you to control how visitors view and share your content across their network. It offers features like social sharing, social followers, social auto poster, advanced analytics, and more.It’s a great tool for leveraging the power of social media to drive more traffic and increase engagement.

7. Link Whisper – This is an advanced WordPress plugin that simplifies the process of internal linking and helps you improve your site’s SEO. It provides insightful link suggestions that can help you build better internal links, leading to improved site structure and higher search engine rankings. It’s a great tool for enhancing your SEO strategy with effective internal linking.

Using these tools can significantly improve your SEO copywriting by ensuring your content is grammatically correct, well-structured, and optimized for search engines. Remember, while these tools are powerful, the content you create should always be original and plagiarism-free.

FAQs – How To Write SEO Friendly Content

Final Thoughts: How To Write SEO Optimized Content

Writing SEO friendly article is not just about stuffing your article with keywords or linking to other sites. It’s a strategic process that requires understanding your audience, researching relevant keywords, and creating high-quality content that provides value to your readers.

Remember, the ultimate goal of SEO is to improve your site’s visibility in search engines and drive more organic traffic to your site. But, the only way to achieve this is by consistently producing content that is informative, engaging, and meets the needs of your audience.

So, keep your focus on creating content that your readers will find useful and interesting. The SEO benefits will follow naturally.

In conclusion, writing SEO-friendly content is a skill that can be learned and perfected over time. With the right approach and tools, you can create content that not only ranks well in search engine results but also resonates with your audience.

If you still have any doubts or questions about how to write SEO friendly content, feel free to comment below. We are here to assist you.

Happy SEO copywriting! 😊📝