Top Tips to Mastering the Art of SEO Writing

Are you a content writer? Do you have to write content for clients that is optimised for SEO?

Without SEO, your blog post may get lost somewhere on page 50 of google search results – a well-optimised blog post or service page can drive a real boost in traffic and rankings to ensure your content performs. But how do you write content with the audience and SEO in mind?

Improve your SEO writing skills with these top tips from FireTap Marketing.

Tip 1 – Keyword Research First

With unlimited access to information on the internet, there are thousands of keyword research programmes and software available at your fingertips. Keyword research is a personal approach, find out what works best for you, and do it. Our SEO writing experts at FireTap, are continuously researching new and relevant keywords – ensuring our clients have fresh new content that is SEO optimised in the most efficient manner!

Tip 2 – Keywords are the bread and butter of excellent SEO

You could have the most intelligent, thought-provoking content… but without keywords, it could be lost amongst the sea of articles available on the internet. No matter how intelligent they become, search engine algorithms are unable to recognise an excellent piece of writing, however, with the use of strategically optimised keywords, google will notice your content and you will have a better opportunity to be heard.

Tip 3 – Avoid keyword stuffing

Back in the day ‘keyword stuffing’ also known as the practice of putting as many keywords onto a page as possible, was used to manipulate a page’s ranking on Google SERP. Fast forward to 2020, you should never keyword stuff as Google will flag your content as bad quality and you won’t be ranked well. This is known as a “Black Hat Technique” and one which search engines do not stand for. It is vital to add relevant keywords whilst ensuring your sentences are coherent and informative.

Tip 5 – Use keywords where they matter most

To let search engines know your content exists, it’s important to used keywords in the below order (prioritised by importance)

• Title tag
• Internal links within content
• The alt attribute of the image
• Headline tags (always have an H1)
• Meta description

Tip 6 – The bold and the bullet point

Bullet points are the best friend you never knew you had. Here’s a bullet point list of why:

• Breaks up the page
• Dual incentives for your SEO and conversion metrics
• Ease of reading
• More likely to appear in Google reach snippets

Google loves bullet points and pays attention to them so make sure to use target keywords in bullet points where possible.

Tip 7 – Keep it short and sweet

In a digital age where change is the only constant, short, concise, writing needs to be accepted and embraced. With so many distractions online, no one has the time or the attention span to read long, drawn-out sentences. Keep your sentences short, sweet and to the point.

Tip 8 – Write about what you love

Do what you love and love what you do. No truer words could be said when it comes to writing. If you write about what you love, you will naturally write better as you are passionate about the subject, you have a valuable opinion and a lot to say. The more you write about what you’re passionate about, the better writer you become.

Tip 9 – Ask questions daily

The more you know, the more you can write about. Keep up to date with general news and world general knowledge. By asking questions, you are keeping your mind open to new ideas, perspectives and ways of doing things. You never know, you may just be able to enlighten someone on a concept they previously knew nothing about or add value to an opinion. Writing is a powerful tool, and when used correctly can change the world.

Tip 10 – Check Your Spelling & Grammar

Now that you have mastered the concept of keywords, you are keeping it short and sweet, including relevant and engaging bullet points and have found something you love to write about. The final step is to check, recheck and just when you thought you were done, check again! As soon as you miss-spelling a word or a name, your writing and article lose credibility. Craft your content to ensure it flows eloquently and your spelling is perfect.

(I bet you didn’t notice that we jumped from tip 3 – 5 ? You see, it’s easier than you think to miss an error, that’s right – we’re testing you)

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If you need expert advice on SEO writing or looking for a creative digital marketing agency that knows how to get the job done, get in touch with our team. Whether you are in the market for a new SEO optimised website or you need your current digital presence updated, we will work with you to examine the current state of your website. Get in touch with our team of SEO experts today.