Having the most incredible content strategy is all well and good, but if your content can’t be found via organic search then it is only doing half of its job (if not less). That’s why I employ a concrete process of SEO content optimisation to ensure that each content piece is discoverable and can draw in new audiences and potential customers to your website.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) content optimisation is the process of making your online content more appealing to search engines, resulting in higher rankings and improved visibility. Drawing new people to your website who are looking for search terms that align with your product or service offering is how you build brand awareness and the start of a content journey that builds a relationship with them, nurturing them to point of sale, loyalty, and advocacy.

I build SEO content optimisation into my content production process, optimising as I go. Below is an overview of my approach to optimising content in line with SEO best practice to create content that is visible, discoverable – and genuinely valuable!

The core ingredients I include to SEO optimise content

When it comes to SEO optimising any piece of content, it’s important to bear in mind how search engines work. I use this as a north star to guide my content writing, upload and management.

Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo use complex algorithms to rank web pages. These algorithms consider a wide range of factors when determining which pages to display in search results. SEO is the practice of aligning content with these algorithms to increase the chances of ranking higher in search results. Being seen. Being explored. Being appreciated. And being returned to again, and again.

The basics of SEO optimisation for content are:

• Conducting keyword research

The cornerstone of SEO content optimisation is keyword research. Keywords are the words or phrases that users enter into search engines to find information. These are their pain points, the burning questions that keep them up at night, or cause a pause in their normal activities. This is where you want your content to appear to them, as the answer to all of their questions, queries and challenges.

The goal is to identify the keywords that are relevant to your business and product and have a decent search volume. I use tools like Google Keyword Planner, AHREFs, or Semrush to discover relevant keywords for content.

Once I’ve identified your target keywords, I strategically incorporate them into your content. Placing them in H1 titles, H2 headings, and throughout the body of your content. A basic rule of thumb I follow is to try and naturally incorporate the primary keyword once every 200 words. This ensures the content is on topic without being penalised by search engines for keyword stuffing (overly using the primary keyword in a way that appears forced and makes for a subpar reading experience).

• Creating high quality, useful content

Content always needs to be high quality, informative, and engaging to establish an impression in your reader’s mind of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. This is the basis of the relationship I want my content marketing to build with your customer to nurture them to the point of wanting to buy from you.

Search engines reward well-researched, valuable, and original content. That’s why I ensure content addresses the needs and questions of your target audience in a well-structured, easy-to-read (scannable) way, that is free of grammatical errors.

• Including the vital on-page SEO elements

Whether I’m optimising a blog, landing page, product page, YouTube upload or any other content piece, there are on-page SEO elements that must be included. I pay special attention to these elements because: while SEO is more of an art than a science, these are the elements that are directly in my control.

These elements include:

• Meta titles and descriptions: I prepare compelling meta titles and descriptions that include my target keywords. These elements appear in search results and can be the difference between someone using your content to solve their challenges or someone else’s. They really influence click-through rates.
• Headings: I use proper heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure the flow of the content so it looks good and can be scanned for the relevant information relating to the reader’s search query. That’s why I include search terms and phrases in the headers.
• URL structure: Each content piece should have an optimised URL that succinctly includes the primary keyword.
• Image optimisation: I ensure that even my images are optimised by using descriptive file names and adding alt text. This not only helps SEO but also improves accessibility for visually impaired users.

• Making it optimised for mobile viewing

So many people will look at content on the go, preferring to view it on their mobiles rather than waiting till they’re sat at their desks with a desktop or laptop. That’s why I take special care to make my content mobile friendly.

That means ensuring web design is responsive, loading times are fast, and images are formatted correctly. Google’s mobile-first indexing means that it primarily uses the mobile version of your site to determine rankings, so mobile optimisation is non-negotiable today!

• Focusing on a good user experience

The user experience is a key factor in SEO. Search engines consider factors like page load times, site navigation, and overall user satisfaction when determining user experience.

A good user experience leads to lower bounce rates and higher rankings. I make sure your site is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and offers a pleasant browsing experience by focusing on the user journey, laying out a logical pathway of useful content that works well, displays nicely, and adds value.

• Including internal and external links

Internal links are the links that send readers on to other pages from your site, they can be a great way to connect other relevant content pieces or to allow readers to view product or service information in a natural way. Internal linking also spreads authority across your site by increasing the number of engaged sessions.

External links, on the other hand, mean linking to high-quality, authoritative external sources. They’re a great way to add credibility to your research and align you with key voices in your industry.

I use both types of linking in each blog, research article, or guide to contribute to a better user experience and improved SEO.

• Making content the right length

While there’s no fixed rule for content length, in-depth articles tend to perform better in search results. There are a lot of conflicting stats out there about word length for articles, Wix and Semrush claim between 1,500 – 2,500 words is the ideal word length, while HubSpot claims 2,100 – 2,400 words is the right length for a blog.

Rather than make every article incredibly long and detailed, I find it more important to focus on delivering value and thoroughly covering the topic outlined by your keyword research. I personally think between 1,000 – 1,500 words is the right length for a blog article. Other types of articles should be longer or shorter, depending on their marketing purpose.

• Updating content regularly

Search engines love fresh content. I regularly update websites with new, relevant content to improve your rankings. This is where the importance of a clear and structured content strategy and calendar can come in handy.

• Including social signals

Although there’s some debate about the direct impact of social signals on SEO, a strong social media presence can indirectly boost your content’s visibility.

I ensure your content can be shared directly from your website on to the reader’s social profiles and share it across your social platforms to ensure it’s seen by the biggest audience possible. This increases the likelihood of discoverability, driving more traffic and increasing your chances of earning backlinks.

• Speaking of backlinks…

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are links from external websites that point to your content as an authority, source or affiliate partner.

Search engines view these links as votes of confidence in your content’s quality and relevance. I focus on building a healthy backlink profile as a vital aspect of SEO content optimisation. However, here it’s crucial to focus on quality over quantity. I focus on garnering high-authority, relevant external website backlinks.

• And then there’s monitoring and analytics

I like to think of content marketing strategies and content pieces as living, breathing entities that are always evolving to better suit the needs of your readers. That’s why I monitor SEO performance via analytics tools.

I use Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, and Google Data Studio to track your website’s performance, monitor your rankings, organic traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates. Based on the data I collect, I identify what works well and what does not work. From there I improve on what’s not working and incorporate any elements that are working into my arsenal of content SEO optimisation tactics for the future!

Is that the end of my content optimisation process? No, not really…

While following these steps allows me to push my content to the top of the SERPs, it’s important to never get overly confident and assume you know everything. One of my mantras in my career is “Never think you know what a blog is.” The algorithms and rules are always changing, it’s important to constantly stay abreast of the latest SEO changes and updates within search engines.

My content optimisation process can significantly enhance your online visibility, attract more organic traffic, and ultimately achieve your online goals. But it’s a long-term process that will yield results over time, refinement, care and attention.

If you’re interested in working together, shoot me an email: gracewrites892@gmail.com