High-quality content that convinces users to take specific actions and contains key phrases is one of the foundations of success and high visibility in Google’s organic search results. However, few entrepreneurs know how to create content for websites for SEO purposes. In this guide, we will discover the secrets of creating content for the needs of the search engine and users.
Content for the search engine and users – how to keep the balance?
When creating content for websites, it is often difficult to keep a balance between the expectations of the search engine and the needs of users. A dozen or so years ago, this task was even more difficult, and many Internet marketing specialists resorted to not entirely honest methods. With the development of the search engine and its algorithm, reconciling the needs of the search engine and the audience becomes a bit easier. Google Search is increasingly understanding audience queries and search intent, and its goal is to provide users with valuable answers and content. In practice, your main goal should be to create SEO content that is useful and valuable to users, taking into account certain elements relevant to search engines, such as key phrases.
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Why do you need to create content for Google users and crawlers?
Why is it so important to create SEO content that will please users and Google Search? This happens for several reasons:
– if the content contains key phrases and satisfies the search engine, it may be of little value to users – this is associated with a low engagement rate and the same time spent on the page and with a small number of conversions,
– creating content for users only, without taking into account the needs of Google robots (e.g. key phrases) may mean that your content will never reach the target audience, because it will not be visible in the search engine,
– currently, search engine algorithms value content that is valuable to users – this gives high positions to those pages that take into account the search intent and provide information that is useful to the recipients.
How to create content for a website that will delight users and the search engine?
Below you will find a set of practical tips that will allow you to create content that will be approved by the Google algorithm and users. As a result, your website or store will rank high in organic search results, and will also build traffic from organic results.
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1. Focus on content quality in SEO, not quantity
A large amount of content is important in positioning – every URL that is indexed should contain valuable content. However, you can’t overdo it – if you want to please Google robots and users, focus on the quality of content rather than its quantity, and preferably on both. Dedicate your resources to regularly creating substantive and valuable content with key phrases. However, if you have limited resources, it is better to publish less often, but ensure high quality and attractive content content on the site. This is especially true for blog entries – short blog entries that are published daily, but do not add value, are unlikely to have a positive impact on the SEO of the site.
2. Choose your keywords well when creating your content
The Google search engine processes hundreds of thousands of queries every day. How to distinguish your website in this sea of information? You should start creating content for SEO and users by choosing the right keywords, i.e. those that your target audience uses. Also, conduct an analysis of the competition in terms of keywords for which it is positioning and advertising – perhaps the strategy of other companies will include phrases that you have not thought of, and which are also used by your target audience. You can use tools such as Senuto or Ahrefs to analyze the competition in terms of phrases.
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3. Make sure you use keywords naturally in your SEO content
Choosing keywords in SEO is not everything. Equally important for users and the search engine is the natural use of phrases in the content. This means that:
– you should not force keyword stuffing just to be included in the content,
– key phrases should be included in the content in such a way that they do not hinder reading the test – they should remain almost imperceptible,
– it is worth putting phrases in the headlines, main content, URL address, title and description, but remember – nothing by force,
– you should write first of all with the users in mind, and only then the search engine robots,
– it is not worth focusing only on key phrases – the basis should be valuable content that responds to the user’s query.
4. Take care of website SEO
Ultimately, the Google search engine should understand the language of users so well that the gap between the content that satisfies the recipients and the search engine should disappear. However, this does not mean that you should neglect the positioning of the store or website. What long-term SEO tactics to use when it comes to content creation:
– put keywords in the headlines,
– include LSI key phrases in the content,
– add external links and take care of anchor text.
5. Work on SEO titles and descriptions in your content
Title and description are elements of the website’s HTML code that are visible in organic search results to describe the website and its content. They are of great importance to both the search engine and the user. If the content of the title and description do not match the user’s query, there is a high risk that the user will ignore your link. Without keywords in the title and description, Google may ignore your page and not show it at all. How to optimize title and description content for search engines and users?
– Include the main key phrases for a given URL in the title and description of the page.
– Add a call to action.
– Include information in your page description that may be of interest to your audience.
– Remember about the length limits – the title and description will be displayed in their entirety if they are between 50 and 70 characters and about 150 characters with spaces, respectively.
6. Prepare attractive content for the page
Keywords are not everything. For the content to be effective, you need to include information that is important from the user’s point of view, will allow them to make a purchasing decision and encourage them to choose your offer. How to take care of the content of the website content to satisfy users and Google robots?
– Answer user questions comprehensively.
– Talk about topics that interest users and that are popular on Google.
– Use the language of benefits – show users how the product or service can really help them. If necessary and important for your group of recipients – place technical data on product and service pages.
– Match the language and style of your content to your target audience.
7. Create UX-optimized content and take care of the UX of the site
In content marketing for websites, not only the content of the content is important, but also the way it is presented. You can’t forget about the usability of the content and User Experience of the website. A great experience is likely to keep visitors longer and increase the chance of conversion. Why are UX and website usability important to Google robots? Because good UX reduces the bounce rate, increases the engagement rate and time spent on the site, and these factors can affect the position of your site in organic search results. How to take care of the UX of content in SEO?
– avoid long blocks of text – instead use paragraphs, subheadings, headings, bullet points and bolds to highlight important fragments and attract users’ eyes,
– supplement the text content with visual elements, such as screenshots, graphics, infographics (remember to complete their alternative description – this makes it easier for Google robots to read the content of the image),
– add calls to action (CTA) in the form of visible buttons,
– add quotes in blog content,
– add table of contents in blog articles,
– make sure that users can easily find the elements they are interested in,
– improve website speed.
8. Remember about internal links in the content on the page
How to create content for websites that will delight the search engine and users? You need to take care of how the URLs relate to each other. Why is it important for Google users and robots? One of the design elements of the site is the structure of links and links between individual URLs. This is an important element for Google robots, because using Google links, the bot crawls the site and finds mutual connections. The link structure is also important from the user’s point of view – thanks to the links, the user is able to efficiently navigate the website and knows in advance what he will find at a specific URL address. What’s more, good information architecture keeps the user on the site longer and can lead them straight to conversion. Remember to add links to both new content and supplement old content with links to new articles.
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9. Take care of the website design
Good website design not only makes it easier for Google robots to index, but also affects user engagement. When planning the structure of your site, consider an inverted pyramid – put the home page at the top, service pages (product category pages) below, and then recessed pages. Remember that the structure of the site reflects the importance of URL addresses, so don’t put the most important subpages at the bottom. Also remember about the flat structure of the site, which assumes that reaching any URL from the home page takes no more than 3 (maximum 4) clicks. Place the most important subpages in the menu – both for users and Google robots.
10. Improve mobile optimization to increase content effectiveness
How to create content for a website that will satisfy the search engine and users? You need to take care not only of the content of the content, but also its functionality on devices with different screen sizes. To do this, prepare a responsive version of the website and check for any errors in Google Search Console. For example, these can be problems such as:
– too small font,
– too small spacing between clickable elements,
– visible area not matched to the screen of the device,
– content wider than the screen.
All these errors need to be eliminated to make your content more effective and easier for users to read. If the site is not adapted to mobile devices, even the best content will not be effective, because users give up getting to know it on smartphones or tablets due to the difficulties.
Creating content for websites. Summary
Creating content that will satisfy users and the search engine is a real art. If you don’t feel confident in content marketing, consider working with an SEO agency or content marketer who works as a freelancer. If you develop content for the website yourself, remember about key phrases, valuable information, as well as elements of the website structure and functionality that may affect the display of website content. In this way, you will create content that will provide you with high visibility, traffic and conversions from organic results.