3 Foolproof Ways To Improve Search Engine Rankings

If you want to improve search engine ranking results, you can’t just settle for the run-of-the-mill content in your content marketing plan. Great content captures attention and engages your audience, and persuasive copy moves the reader, demonstrates your knowledge and facilitates the sale.

So how do you get seen by potential customers? You need both quality and strategic marketing to create exceptional content writing and improve search engine ranking results. If you’re ready to beat the competition, use these 3 SEO content writing tips to boost content performance and see a difference in your Google search rankings.

1.   Focus On The Needs Of Your Readers

Random or unfocused content can sabotage your goals and waste time. Content marketing is all about writing pieces of content that matter to readers. Google ranks SEO content by how helpful they will be to readers. If you want to improve the search engine ranking of your content, you need to keep one important thing in mind: the audience.

Content writing should be focused on the needs of those who will read it. But before you start writing, you need to understand your target market. Are you creating the content your readers want?

Delve Into the Data

Start by analyzing the data you already have. Understanding your audience’s priorities and preferences is key to creating great content and how to improve your search engine ranking. You can discover this important information by using tools created for the sole purpose of understanding the minds of users.

Although there are several paid tools on the market, they aren’t required for high-quality SEO content writing. Free tools that help you identify demographics include:

• Customer service records
• Facebook Insights
• Google Analytics Audience Insights
• Product forums

Start by looking at industry trends. Review reports that indicate where your audience spends money and what topics are most popular. This is an ideal way to get started. It helps keep you current and provides a consistently updated list of content ideas.

Don’t Stop There

Once you get a general idea of who your target audience is and what they want, you can get started on the big stuff. Now, review existing content. Is it driving traffic? Does it get the clicks but no conversions? Is the goal to drive leads or to increase brand awareness? Defining your objectives can help you create the content that will improve search engine rankings and gain the attention of the people you want to buy from you.

The tools you use can help you identify the topics that interest your audience the most. If your subject is nutrition, a content analyzer can help you determine whether the term “Paleo” or “Keto” is more popular. Hone in on the topics with a higher average engagement to give yourself an edge, maximizing ROI. Then use those keywords strategically in your high-quality content or hire a few writers to do the work for you.

Diversify Content Type

You may have gotten the audience and targeted keywords down, and these are important steps. However, these are not the only ways to improve search engine ranking results. Now you need to branch out.

If your subject is highly competitive or saturated, up the ante by creating different types of content. Developing higher production value content that is unique to you — such as original research, e-books, videos or courses — attracts readers and Google rankings. The more you have to offer, the more opportunities you have to build trust with readers and leave your mark on the internet.

Another way to boost the distribution power of your content is to collaborate with niche influencers. Guest post for other businesses and allow them to do the same, therefore cross-pollinating audiences and building up your network. Doing so can attract a larger following within your target audience and is less expensive than a big name, widely known influencer.

2.   Write Strong SEO Content

If you had all the resources you could ever want, what would you create? Don’t dismiss truly great ideas because of time and budget constraints. It may take a bit more time and focus, but crafting amazing content is rarely fast or easy. However, spending more time and effort on expertly written articles is the key to improving search engine ranking results.

What do we mean by expertly written SEO content? We’ll explain with these actionable tips.

Create Original Content

Original content attracts search engines and inspires your audience to share and engage. If there is one thing you can do to improve your Google search results, it is to create fresh content that is relevant to users.

Although tempting, don’t rehash the concepts and perspectives already written. Doing so is faster and less expensive, but it’s nowhere near effective. No matter how compelling your headline, if you’re recycling content, you lose reader excitement, and your voice loses some of the authority you may have already built.

Feeling overwhelmed when trying to create original content? Sometimes it helps to take a step back. If you’re too close to the topic, you may miss opportunities to expand your audience. Outsource your content to get a fresh view and unbiased opinion of topics you may have overlooked.

Build Authority

Another key factor of expertly written content is how well it is backed up by evidence. Facts and statistics can give your voice authority and prove to readers that you are knowledgeable about the topic you write about.

Make sure the data you provide is helpful and cite unbiased sources. Look for websites that are well-trusted and don’t forget to mention where you get the information from.

Go the extra mile to improve search engine ranking results by providing your own data from reports, studies and surveys. Not only will this be fresh, original data, but others may start citing you as a resource, too. This can help you establish your brand as an industry leader.

Engage and Connect

Although data is very important in helping you build authority, be wary of excess. Relying heavily on hard data can also make the writing dull and lifeless. Unless you’ve got an engaging infographic to connect all the data, you may lose viewers who get bored of all the numbers.

How do you hold on to readers? People love to hear a good story. When you share frustrations or problems and how you worked through them, or answer questions, it adds a personal touch and helps you connect with your audience. Humor and vivid imagery add dimension to the story, but to be effective, it needs to illustrate a point. When writing, keeping the flow in mind. Take the readers on a journey and show them your human side.

Be Bold

You’re an industry authority, an expert in your field. If you really want to improve your Google search rankings, you need to write with confidence.

But how do you seem knowledgeable without coming across as overbearing or prideful? Approach your audience the way you would chat with a friend over coffee and let your passion show through. Before posting, ask yourself, “Have I given the best answers or information I can?”

Using exceptional grammar and active voice can also help you portray the right attitude in your writing. Consider reading aloud your work before you publish or use online tools to help check your work. Hiring an editor to look over your content and make expert corrections can also boost your power in writing.

Use an Appropriate Voice

While your content should be free of spelling and grammar errors, it doesn’t always require strict adherence to formal writing requirements. Think about where the content will go. Social networks are usually less formal than a white paper or case study. As you aim to improve search engine rankings, you should consider the tone and voice that’s appropriate for the content and the location.

3.   Grab Your Audience’s Attention

Relevancy and high-quality writing will get you places, but if you’re truly looking for content that persuades, inspires and converts, you have to catch the attention of readers.

Easier said than done, right? Engaging content takes a lot of work to write, and good writing doesn’t always guarantee a good ranking for search queries. However, there are a few tips that can help you hit the content marketing bullseye and have been proven to improve search engine results. Pay close attention, we wouldn’t want you to miss a single detail!

Use Great Titles

Vague or obscure headlines are easily overlooked. Even if you have interesting, relevant content, if you can’t catch the reader’s eye, it doesn’t matter. Catch them from the very beginning and entice your audience with compelling headlines.

Headlines should use keywords that not only increase searchability but also describe the content. An effective headline does more than begin your message. It’s a crucial component that:

• Generates the need for knowledge
• Creates a sense of urgency
• Builds a relationship

Don’t rush the creative process. Give it time and play with different phrases and perspectives until it delivers the power you need. Avoid using the headline to make unfulfilled promises or to mislead readers. Your audience will feel duped, and when search engines notice it, your content value could take a nosedive, affecting your rankings.

Be sure to include keywords in your titles and headers to improve search engine results. The higher your article is ranked combined with an actionable headline can create astonishing results.

Follow Best Practices

Since we’re on the subject of jaw-dropping headlines, remember that creating a great headline takes practice. From the search engine aspect, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Keywords work best for searches and social media when they’re at the front of the headline.
• Keep the title to 65 characters or less, including spaces. This ensures it’s not shortened on the search engine results page.
• Use an H1 header. Search engines pay attention to this heading, expecting that it indicates the topic and content of the article, blog or webpage.

Write for People

Although we can all agree how important it is to optimize content for SEO, remember that you’re writing for an audience of humans, not the search engines. Yes, you want your SEO content writing to improve search ranking, but your content also needs to be authentic. Google algorithms mimic human behavior and look for quality content that provides value.

So how do you write content that engages people? Write it for them. Care about them and offer valuable information that can help them. Add a flare of personality and write with sincerity, and you’ll be on your way to bigger and better content.

Improve Search Engine Ranking Results Today

Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Think about the type of person you want to connect with and create content they want to read. By attracting readers and improving engagement, you have the means to surpass your goals and crush the competition. This takes focused effort on quality, relevancy and the SEO of each piece. Learn how to improve search engine ranking results by going the extra mile with your content.