The rules for writing for SEO are constantly changing, but some of them can be considered as constant elements, the lack or improper application of which will have a negative impact on positioning.
What is content creation for SEO?
Creating content for SEO involves skillfully combining traditional copywriting (writing texts with advertising and promotional value) with knowledge of optimizing text for search engines, primarily Google, as the most popular and commonly used ones. SEO copywriting is sometimes classified within the realm of content marketing.
What are the goals of creating content for SEO?
The main goal of creating content for SEO is to improve the visibility of the entire website in search engines. To achieve this goal, content must contain appropriate, well-chosen keywords/phrases, and also have the right structure. One could say that it is more about appealing to the robots that deal with Google's algorithms than to the average reader - recognizing content as friendly to algorithms automatically boosts the website in search engines, thereby increasing traffic on it, which in turn affects higher marketing potential.
The most important rules for creating content for SEO
The rules for writing SEO content are constantly evolving, but there are a few relatively constant elements. When writing for SEO, you need to choose the right keywords/phrases. On one hand, they should fit into the company's strategy and profile, on the other hand, they should predict what potential customers may be searching for. It is a good idea to review similar industry keywords/phrases on competitive websites - since they are high in rankings, it doesn't make much sense to come up with completely new ones, as no one may be searching for them, they are not popular. It is good to introduce so-called long-tail phrases, which are expansions of keywords, their complements (they are less searched for, but considered more valuable). The text should be clear - catchy headlines, paragraphs, leads, adding graphics increases its "power" for Google algorithms, which treat it as user-friendly. In addition, adding a meta description, a short description of the page content visible in search engines, is important. Since the introduction of algorithms, the content itself is also extremely important, with texts that are unique on one hand, not duplicating things from other sites, and on the other hand valuable, rich in information that can both help and engage the audience being highly valued. The content should be closely tailored, in terms of style, tone, amount of information, to the target group - there are industries where catchy slogans are valued, emphasis on fashion, and there are those where people knowledgeable on the topic will look and superficiality will discourage them. Other important elements include external and internal linking, as well as monitoring already added content - algorithms change, which may require changes or even rewriting of the text (failure to do so may result in a drop in rankings). In many industries, CTA is also important, which can be translated as "call to action": using words/phrases that will encourage the audience to revisit the website/blog, subscribe to a newsletter, or purchase a product.
There are several different schools of writing for SEO, such as E-A-T. This principle is based on four "pillars": E (for "Experience" - writing from personal experience), E (for "Expertise" - conveying specific information), A (for "Authoritativeness" - credibility), and T (for "Trust" - this can refer to both high-quality content and the security of the website itself).
Errors made when creating SEO content
The most common mistake is considered to be keyword stuffing - which is an overuse of keywords/phrases: it happens that a copywriter places them, often sounding artificial, in almost every sentence. Algorithms are currently being changed in such a way that the text sounds natural to the reader, flows smoothly, so the accumulation of keywords lowers the quality of the content. Another mistake may be inventing too sophisticated keywords/phrases. Next, we have duplicate content - referring to copying, duplicating content from other sites (algorithms quickly detect this and may block the content).
