How to Write Blog Posts for SEO

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We recently covered the differences between content marketing and standard blogging. Writing content requires skill, and not just in the sense of using appropriate grammar and spelling. Each piece of content should be structured in a way that’s easy to follow and appealing to the reader. This makes the content more likely to be shared with others, increasing traffic and rankings.

As you create content for your own content marketing strategy, here are a few tips to keep in mind for writing SEO-friendly blog posts.

Do Your Keyword Research

Before you start writing, perform the necessary keyword research. These are words and phrases that your audience uses when searching for information related to your products and services. As we move into an era where people are performing more specific searches, it’s important to understand the intent behind the search and utilize long-tail keywords.

Create a Clear Structure for Your Content

Every post should have an introduction where you introduce your topic, a body where the main message is written and a conclusion which summarizes the main points of your article. Pay attention to what you want to include in these three sections so that your content follows a cohesive structure that readers can understand.

Write in Short Paragraphs with Headings

Each paragraph should have its own idea or subject. Keep them short, usually around 3-4 sentences. Readers tend to skim over paragraphs, so long, lengthy sentences make it harder to do this. Also, include headings and subheadings in your work so that the content is well organized. Not only are headings great for readers but also SEO. Google crawls through the headers to learn more about what your content is about.

Include Transition Words

Transition words, or signal words, help readers understand the key points of your article. They include words like first, second, third or nevertheless, surely, indeed. If you have several points to make in a paragraph, or an idea to expand on, transition words make it easier for Google and online readers to grasp each point.

Link to Previous Content

If you write two articles that are related to each other, link these posts together. It makes each post stronger because it shows that you already wrote on this topic and have an understanding of it. Don’t forget to link to outside sources as well, as this shows that you’ve done your research and can point readers to additional information.

Update Content Regularly

Finally, add more content regularly. This shows that your website is alive and continuing to engage users. Of course, you don’t want to add content for the sake of it. Each piece of content should be relevant and helpful to your audience. Remember that there are many content forms you can experiment with, such as infographics, videos and podcasts.

SEO-friendly content is king. Google favors good content and ranks it higher in the search results, leading to more shares, tweets and likes. By following our tips above, you can write content that supports your SEO goals.