Creating content your audience wants to read

DING DONG KEYWORDS ARE DEAD!

Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it’s true.

Think back to the last time you read something truly interesting, something that really stuck with you. . .

Was it educational? Emotional? Did it surprise you? Did it come from a source you would consider reputable? Did you find yourself thinking about it later or sharing it with others?

Thought-provoking, good content is what sticks with people. Keywords are still important for search engine optimization (SEO); however, the days of stuffing content full of keywords like a Thanksgiving turkey are gone. It’s not a strategy that will help you rank higher in search engine result pages (SERP).

I think of high-quality content like a delicious meal. It’s visually appealing, easy to digest, and completely satisfying. I like to believe this is what Google had in mind when they deployed the E-A-T concept. Google expects every high-ranking piece of content to demonstrate expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EAT).

If you’re having trouble figuring out what this means in practice, you’re not alone. Here are three helpful tips to get you started.

1. Put the reader before the ranking

You know those questions I asked at the beginning? Those are the questions you should be asking yourself when you read your own content. Does it teach the audience something, get them excited enough to share it, and sound trustworthy?

This requires knowing your audience, what they like, how they interact with your content, and what questions they might have.

Your keyword research can help guide you here too. It will tell you what users are searching for and what questions they have. You might also identify some questions people have asked that haven’t been answered, and you can create content to fill that knowledge gap.

Bottom line: Your readers aren’t robots, so write something real people want to read.

2. Write what you know, and write it well.

I can almost guarantee you will never see me write a post about color theory. Why? Because that isn’t where my expertise lies. Lucky for us, Imarc has several talented designers that are much more qualified to write on that topic. Google is looking for valuable content. Writing blog posts full of keywords you don’t know much about is not worthwhile for anyone.

Quality over quantity is essential. If in a week you could either write four mediocre posts or two high-quality ones, high-quality is always your best option.

Lastly, don’t forget the basics. No one likes to read content riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.

Bottom line: Stick to writing about content that you know inside and out.

3. Optimize, optimize, and optimize more.

We can only guarantee a few things in this life, and Google’s next algorithm update is one of them. While writing content for ranking isn’t our main priority, we can’t pretend it doesn’t matter.

Make sure you’re keeping up with SEO trends, regularly educating yourself on what Google considers high-quality content, and updating your resources accordingly. Some possible optimizations include:

• Update backlinks and authoritative citations
• Refresh visuals, charts, headlines and sub-headings where necessary
• Adjust calls-to-action
• Update title tags and meta descriptions
• Review keywords and consider including long-tail keywords
• Providing clarifying context around industry news and standards

If you’re getting your blog up and running for the first time, read more about all the ways a blog can help your business.

Bottom line: Keep your content fresh and relevant to keep up with Google’s algorithm.

TL;DR:

• When it comes to writing quality content, write something that people actually want to read.
• Use keyword research data to identify topics, and write about what you know well.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel. Update old content periodically, and fill in gaps with new content.

What are your thoughts on balancing keyword research with writing high-quality content? Shoot me a message at karikennedy@imarc.com and let me know. Don’t forget to visit our blog for more tips, ideas, and resources!