Google has gradually become the “Bible” of online marketing strategies.
People look for answers ranging from “How to beat cancer” to “How to spot a cheater in a relationship”.
It’s like people are relying on Google for picking out information of every sort.
But, as a digital marketing service provider, there is always a conflict between what to write and who to write for. And, most of the times, we end up writing according to our SEO strategies, rather than providing value to our audience.
But, is it the right way to get the things done for creating a niche for yourself in an online space?
Well, at times “YES”, but most of the times, it’s a “BIG NO”.
Let’s understand the importance of “content driven” marketing strategy for ranking better on the world’s most searched search engine “Google”.
But, what does Google actually do?
A Search Engine That Understands Quality
This is what Google is meant to do.
Help people.
This philosophy made Google one of the most loved “search engine” among not millions but billions of users carrying out more than a trillion of online searches every day.
And unlike, what many digital marketers or content creators think, Google is smart enough to rank quality content instead of content written just for SEO purposes.
The sole reason, why people still love Google and will continue to do so.
I understand you would be searching for the answer to the question,
“ Who to write for?”
Or
“What should be on the priority?”
But, before that, addressing some problems can help you understand the final result in a much better way.
What Exactly Is The Good Quality Content?
If you think you can beat search engine rankings with “keywords”, then you are highly mistaken. Google has all the ways to determine whether or not the content published has quality. For the required information, it usually relies on the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines.
And, this rating is entirely different from the factors that might be responsible for ranking your website on SERPs. To make it more clear, we have enlisted the key components that will determine the quality of your content.
- First and foremost is the “intention of the page”. You need to assess the basic reason for developing a particular page or a blog.
- Focus on delivering content as per the concept of “E.A.T”.
- Website information and credibility. I am sure while writing content, many people or rather everyone refers to one or more websites working in a similar niche. So, including the links of good websites will also act as a deciding factor of whether or not you are producing good quality content.
- Next on the list is the relevance of content as per search queries. Producing great content will turn useless if the content doesn’t solve any search purposes.
This does not mean, you start inserting keywords recklessly here and there. This simply means you understand the problem and make sure your content answers the problem in the best possible way.
Coming to…
Who To Write For?
Well, why prioritize one over the other, when we can please both at the same time.
You must be thinking, what the hell?
I know, I know.
But, that’s how you can actually make your audience and search engines happy and that too at the same time.
Without further ado, let’s learn the secret ingredients for writing content that is both user and search-engine friendly.
Content For Search Engines- How To Do It?
Every SEO company loves the YOAST plug-in.
Having this tool will help manage SEO while posting content in the best possible way.
And this is how the plugin works after you add content to a new post edior
- Orange- Content is fine but needs a bit of improvement
- Green – Perfect! Your content is good to go
- Red – You need to re-do it immediately
Tips and Tricks For Making The Signal Green At All Times
Using Keyword In the Right Places
The whole concept of Yoast is about using the right or focused keyword in the right places. For instance, the focus keyword should be used in meta-titles and descriptions along with the first paragraph of the content.
Also, the density of focused keywords along with LSI’s must be around 1.3% to 2% as long as it does not feel too stuffed out there.
Try and Keep The Slug Short
To keep the slug in your favor, you can focus on the objective and effect of data in the content.
For example, let’s look at the headline “Juggling Between Writing For Search Engines or Your Target Audience? “
Here, the objectives are writing, search engine, and your target audience. While the effect is “ balance”. So, here’s what I came up with the ideas for my blog-
- Writing-Search engine-balance
- Writing-balance-search engine_audience
- Balance-search engine-audience-writing
So. I chose the second one.
As it was direct with what I wanted to emphasize on this article, similar to what we said before- objective and effect.
Linking Content
This is something which almost every digital marketer service provider understands the concept of linking — Internal and external.
This builds credibility of your website and blog. Make sure the content is well-researched.
For external links, use websites with high DA or PA, or higher Alexa ranking to the region that you wish to target.
Content-Length
Google algorithms are now considering long-form content as the preferred choice when ranking a post on SERPs.
Writing more than 2000 words generally work in your favor.
But personally, anything between 1000-1500 will benefit you in the best possible way.
Titles
Make sure you write content as per the length recommended.
For instance, the SEO title must be as long as 60 characters or else you might have to cut some content out on publishing.
The same goes for meta-descriptions and page titles.
Now, that we have learned about SEO writing, the trick is to also understand how to write for your audience. After all, that’s who we actually write for in the end.
Content For Target Audience- How To Do It?
You may be be aware of how Yoast works for SEO purposes. What you might not be aware of, or are ignoring is that it also helps track the quality of content.
For starters, it will notify you whether or not the content is readable even for a 9th standard
While RED simply means “Not good for readers”, GREEN means “You did it”.
Tips and Tricks For Making The Signal Green At All Times
Go for Headings and Subheadings
Don’t just write haphazardly.
Think of the layout of your post first, then start writing about it. Ideally, original concept, or providing solutions to trending questions works best for most people.
However, use different headings and subheadings to make the write-up more engaging for your target audience.
Length of Paragraph and Sentences
Don’t just go on with writing long sentences, trying to prove a point.
Instead, go for sentences with around 15-17 words at the most. Along with that, make short paragraphs of around 2-3 lines to avoid getting monotonous.
Using Transition Words
Here are some words that can help you create lively and engaging content for your readers.
- Write in the Active Voice
Writing content entirely in the passive voice will affect the quality and readability of the blog post. Writing in passive also sounds a bit ancient and mundane. Best to let it go.
We are hopeful that these tips and tricks will help you rank higher in the search rankings along with keeping the engagement right at the top as well.
After all, keeping search engines and audience happy is the mission of digital marketing. Ignoring any of the two will affect your business results drastically.
Keeping the right balance is the key to success.
Happy writing!
