If you ask 100 different SEO experts how to write an SEO-friendly article, you will probably get 100 different answers.
The topic of SEO is extremely broad and changes with every Google update.
This makes it difficult to determine whether an expert is up to date or still advocates methods that have only worked in the past.
So, how do you write an SEO-friendly article?
The best way to make an article SEO-friendly is quite simple. So read on, and let’s dive into what you need to know.
Add value
To understand how to write the best SEO-friendly article, it’s worth considering Google’s mindset. What does Google want to achieve?
The answer is simple: Google wants to serve its users by linking them to the highest quality, most relevant content.
Any signal you send to Google to show that your high-quality and relevant content will improve your SEO. The only question is how you do it.
One example is to include links to other useful resources relevant to your site’s content. This shows Google that you’re interested in providing your readers with as much information as possible, associates you with high-quality sites, and provides references to back up your claims (which suggests accuracy).
But that shouldn’t mean every article needs at least two outbound links. This is completely off-topic because it creates a predictable pattern on your page that looks like manipulation. Link out when relevant and useful, and don’t be cynical.
This is also why Google likes to see long content, over 800 words. While there are varying reports, the consensus is that the ideal content length for SEO is around 1,800 words, which increases your chances of being featured in News.
Keywords
It hurts, but some SEO companies still believe that a good SEO article is one in which the same keywords appear over and over again, which negatively impacts the reading experience. This is one of the quickest ways to get your content classified as spam, if not by Google, then by the human readers on your site.
Instead, keywords should be used very sparingly. A density of about 1-2% is recommended, but only if appropriate and fits the content naturally. You should write longer content because there is more room for repetitive keywords in longer posts.
It is also important to know that synonyms and related terms are just as important, if not more so. Try to write around the topic and incorporate related terms naturally into your content. You can expect this to play an increasingly important role in the future. If you want to know how to find keywords that are easy to rank for, check here.
Readability
Finally, you should break up your content and use lots of headings. Use large fonts and a narrative with a user-friendly structure. This helps to keep visitors on your pages longer, and that’s one of the other things Google looks for when evaluating content.
If the average time spent on a page is higher, Google tends to send more visitors because your content appears useful. This means that when you write articles for real users, you also write articles for Google bots.
So keep your quality and readability high, and Google will reward you with lots of traffic!
As you can see, writing SEO-friendly articles isn’t that hard. What are your experiences? Anything you would add? I’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment below 🙂