SEO articles are increasingly used for website promotion. They can bring organic traffic and improve your brand visibility.
But do you know how to write SEO articles that help you promote your website? Let us show you.
What are SEO articles?
SEO articles can be informative (and persuasive) and help increase the visibility, traffic, and sales of your online store.
This aspect of online marketing called SEO (Search Engine Optimization) represents a huge potential for targeted and „free” traffic.
„Free” in quotes because, although you don’t pay directly for traffic like in PPC (Google Ads), most results on the first page are the result of campaigns executed by SEO specialists.
Search engine optimization since the early 2000s is primitive compared to that of 2023. Google has become smarter and increasingly thinks like a human, selecting the most qualitative content.
While in the early 2000s, Google selected results with the highest density of keywords, anchors, and links, now, the same tactics will lead to an immediate penalty from Google.
As a basic rule, the highest quality SEO articles are those that manage to cover as much as possible of what might interest the user on the respective topic.
Why write SEO articles?
Google aims to satisfy informational needs by displaying the most relevant and in-depth articles or pages within search results.
Writing the most in-depth article on a topic is pointless if it doesn’t match the buyer’s intention.
Probably, following a link-building campaign, it will rank on the first page, but the high bounce rate and low time spent on the site will bring it to a lower position compared to sites with relevant content.
To rank for a certain keyword, it’s recommended (but not obligatory) to include it in the title and content.
There are many cases where a result appears for a keyword without it being included even once in the text or meta, although this only happens for keywords with weak competition or optimized very well for keyword synonyms.
Other places where you should include the keyword are: H1, H2, URL, meta-description, and image alt attributes.
When the keyword is included in the URL, people know what to expect just by looking at the URL, thus increasing the click-through rate and referral traffic. Also, a naked URL anchor (the one with a direct hyperlink on the URL) will target the keywords included in the URL, thus increasing the targeting potential for that keyword.
Including the keyword or keyword group in the meta-description is not directly beneficial to search engine optimization, but it will increase the click-through rate because the user will perceive the result as more relevant.
The image-alt attribute helps both in normal searches and in Google Images.
Don’t forget this important detail about optimizing SEO articles
Relevance is more important than ever!
Another determining factor on the content side is the use of terms and words closely related to the topic you’re writing about. For example, if the topic you’re writing about is „Top wealthiest cities in Transylvania,” it’s essential to target the wealthiest cities (Cluj, Timișoara, Brașov, Oradea) to increase your chances of ranking on the first page for keywords like „cities in Transylvania.”
In practice, keyword density matters less than ever. It’s somewhat logical that quality text won’t excessively repeat the same word in an unnatural way.
To write in-depth SEO articles on a subject, it’s good to research at least 5 sources and identify the basic information characteristic of each source.
Also, if you want to make sure you’re one step ahead of the competition, you can aim to write the most relevant and in-depth content, taking the best from each article on the first page.
User experience matters more now than ever, and this is due to the importance of engagement metrics such as „Bounce rate” or „Dwell time.” Google will prioritize sites with a low bounce rate, which is evidence of the quality and relevance of the content.
The good part about content optimization is that it’s entirely up to you to create relevant content with useful information and the potential to receive natural links. That’s the clearest proof that you’ve done your job well on the content side.
Here’s how to write high-quality SEO articles
- Gather all the words you want to target
These words should be related to each other or correspond to the searcher’s intention. There’s no point in targeting two completely different words just to have more words on the page.
Usually, I try to make a list of 10-30 keywords related to each other, selecting them based on their relevance to the user and search volume.
- List the information readers want to know about the topic
I like to make a list of questions containing secondary keywords that I will target in H-tags and content.
Of course, including keywords is secondary, and the main factor I consider is the intention behind the search and how I can provide information-rich content that keeps the reader on the page for as long as possible.
- Actions afterward are just as important, and a high bounce rate isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Sites that practice affiliate marketing have a high bounce rate precisely because the main objective is to direct users to other partner sites that will ensure the commission from sales.
- Consider the visual aspect
Also, think about the visual aspect of the page or post and try to evoke emotions with relevant and high-quality images.
- Include relevant images once every 300 words to make the content easier to read.
- Collect the necessary information and put the raw version „on screen”
Another thing related to effective SEO article writing is separating the writing into two parts: the first stage where you write the content in its raw state.
In this stage, you’ll focus on the essential information. It’s important not to worry too much about how it sounds or the connection between sentences. You’ll address these aspects in the second stage, where you link and shape the information, applying certain copywriting techniques.
- Edit and prepare the final version
Also, in this stage, it would be good to introduce the keywords you’re targeting in H-tags and content. Remember not to overdo it with a particular word and focus on including all relevant keywords in the article.
- Include a call-to-action that encourages the user to navigate further on the site or to reach another site you’re promoting.
Conclusions
The world of SEO has changed a lot in recent years. The tactics that worked in 2013 are now completely useless.
A cliche that still circulates in the world of search engine optimization is: „Content is king,” but in 2023, this is dethroned, and another important factor rises, namely relevance to the user.
However, links still remain the „queen” that dictates the top positions on the first page.
Seems complicated to write SEO articles?
The creative and persuasive members of our SEO team can take care of writing articles that will propel your site to the top results of Google. You can focus on other aspects of your business!