By now you’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king,” but when it comes to maximizing SEO, content can take many forms, from product pages to blogs, articles to whitepapers, infographics to videos. One thing that just about every piece of content has in common is that a fair amount of work usually goes into putting it together, so before you spend a lot of time and energy creating content to attract more business and improve your position within the search engines, it helps to know what elements make for SEO-friendly content.
Many different factors go into creating quality SEO-friendly content that really works, and the specifics change frequently to accommodate new updates to search algorithms. That being said, there are a few essential elements that you will find in just about any piece of good SEO-friendly content. These are called Key Content Quality Factors: Is the content high quality, meaning is it well-written, original, and easy to read? Does the content demonstrate good research into topics and keywords? Does the content use the keywords that you’re trying to rank for? Is the content fresh, meaning not just original and unique, but also topical and timely? What is the word count of the content, and is it part of a regularly updated web presence? Does the content incorporate intra-site linking, which refers to links from one part of your website or blog to another?
When deciding whether a piece of content will be effective for SEO, these six Content Quality Factors are the first things you should keep in mind. Creating SEO-friendly content that really works isn’t always intuitive, however, and sometimes it helps to ask yourself a few questions about the piece as you’re working on it.
- Is your content interesting to your target audience, not to mention other searchers who may find it? (Another way to look at this is: What does this content add that’s not already out there?)
- Do your titles/headlines contain the main keyword that you’re trying to rank for with the article? (If not, it may be time to change the focus of your content.)
- Are you using variations on your keywords, while also not going overboard? (Using the same keywords too many times is called “keyword stuffing,” and it not only makes your content read as stilted and unnatural, but it can also damage your content’s SEO.)
- Are you adding new content to your site on a regular basis? (A good way to ensure that you’re keeping up with this is to have a content calendar that plans new content out in advance.)
- Are you promoting your content? (Such as through social media, paid campaigns, etc.)
- Does your content look like it was written by a professional? (That means good spelling, grammar, structure, voice, and so on. You may not think it matters to search engine algorithms, but you’d be surprised, and it definitely matters to the readers who click through to read your content.)
These are just a few of the many factors that go into creating fresh, effective SEO-friendly content. Sound a little intimidating? It can be, especially since changing search engine algorithms demand increasingly sophisticated approaches to content creation. Fortunately, you can always turn to the content marketing and strategy professionals at iFocus Marketing in Kansas City if you need a hand.
