How do you feel about lots of traffic? While it might not be what you want on your daily commute, it’s exactly what SEO blogs can bring to your website.
By optimising your content for search engines you’ll see higher rankings and more clicks. At the same time, you’ll want your content to be helpful for your customers to build that brand credibility and trust.
But before you get stuck into SEO blog writing, make sure you’ve got a robust content strategy to set the direction. Then, by following these simple but essential tips, you’ll be writing high-traffic SEO blog articles in no time.
Simply put, an SEO blog is a blog optimised for search engines. It does everything a regular blog article does, just with added features that help it rank higher in search engine results.
The beauty of these features—and SEO in general—is that they can be added to any piece of content. Product page, landing page, anything. Think of them as the bells and whistles that attract people to your site.
Preparation underpins every great article, and keyword research is the best place to start. This is where it helps to know your customers. Deeply. Know what they’re looking for and the unanswered questions they have.
Think of keyword research like eavesdropping but in a helpful way. Being privy to your customer’s chats with Google enables you to tailor content to reflect these chats. That way, when Google looks for an answer to your customer’s question, your content should (hopefully) be the answer Google returns with.
How you conduct keyword research is a matter of preference. It can be a simple Google query or an in-depth analysis using a keyword research tool such as AnswerThePublic or Semrush. Look for high-volume, low-competition keywords; in other words, popular Google searches that few SEO blog articles have covered.
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, stitch them into your content. Here, it’s critical you consider your customer’s search intent (the why behind the query). If you sprinkle keywords thoughtlessly, you’ll only frustrate your customer. Use them to answer the question your customer has asked.
Compelling content, by definition, will grab attention. Simple as that. And for an SEO blog to be attention-grabbing and user-friendly, it needs effective headings and subheadings.
Start with your blog title (H1 tag), as this lure attracts the fish. Then, work on the subheadings (H2 and H3) that follow. Use high-intent keywords in your headings wherever possible, as these will help your blog’s ranking. Remember, it’s about creating content around the things people want to find.
If your blog title is the lure that attracts your customers, then your introduction is the hook that catches them. It’s the difference between your customer hanging around or bouncing. Your intro is also the hardest part of your blog to get right and the part that deserves the most attention.
An engaging intro is like a well-told joke:
Your intro should do the same.
Also, choose your keywords wisely here. Resist the temptation to stuff. The keywords should seamlessly blend into the copy. If you’re unsure, read the copy aloud. Doing so will reveal any dud notes in your composition.
Once you’ve planted your headings in the right spots, it’s time to grow your body copy around them. Again, keep things clear, keep things concise. And always keep the reader at the centre of what you’re writing about.
Your content should respond to the headings you’ve created. If a subheading is a question, let the content that follows answer that question, and so on. Link to relevant internal and external articles when you can, as this will optimise your blog, help its ranking, and enrich the advice you’re offering. The goal here is relevancy, consistency, and value for the reader.
You also need to consider the user experience. The best SEO blogs are simple and enjoyable to navigate. Good UX design is brief definitions, bullet points, and images.
When you’ve addressed all the headings in your blog, it’s time to write your conclusion. This is where you reinforce all your main points, creating a suitable bookend for your intro. Before you call time on this blog, you need to present a call-to-action (CTA) to the reader.
The CTA is the real reason behind writing the blog in the first place. Your blog is like a bridge; on one side is your customer (with their problem), and on the other is your product or service (the solution to their problem).
Customer ➡➡➡ SEO blog ➡➡➡ Product or service
An effective CTA always focuses on user action: clicking a button, calling a number, or visiting a site. It invites the customer to step off the bridge and engage with your brand.
Okay, say your blog is ranking well and getting plenty of traffic. Happy days. If you want to keep it this way, you need to perform regular content audits. An audit will highlight what’s working and what isn’t. If specific keywords no longer rank, likely, they’re no longer relevant. Replacing them with relevant keywords will keep your content visible.
The same goes for your content. Customer sentiments need only shift slightly for your blog to seem dated. That’s why it’s critical you revise your content to reflect any changes in customer moods and opinions.
Don’t forget Google, either. It has a habit of shifting the goalposts the moment you’ve perfected your goal-kicking. Keep abreast of algorithm changes or guideline adjustments, and you’ll avoid being penalised.
To convert those clicks into sales, you need a strategy that makes and keeps your brand visible. Writing quality blogs optimised for search engines is a crucial cog in your strategy machine. If you’re ready to build a content strategy that positions you above the noise, get in touch today, and together, let’s deliver the results you deserve.
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