Search Engine Optimization or SEO is an important marketing strategy for businesses today. It allows content to be found by users online despite the similar content which may also appear in Google search engine results. However, many businesses are unable to grasp SEO completely because they do not have a strong strategy to work with.

That is where you come in as a writer. Whether you are doing to increase traffic to your own website or you are a freelance writer bidding on project gigs, one skill you need to have is SEO to add on your profile to increase your value to potential clients.

To help you out, here are some crucial SEO tips that every writer should practice:

1. Know your readers

Before you write anything online, you should know who will read it. If you want it to encompass everyone, writing content that fits everyone is the ideal solution.

If you just monologued your piece, it will not get people to trust your content and share it. If people do not like your post, search engines would notice it and put your page down the results list.

Research the market you want to reach out and know what content they want from your site. Use it as your guide to create content and make sure it appeals to them.

2. Follow your Competition

While it is ok to write something completely different, it can disable search engines from putting you high in search engine results.

Before you write something, research what others are writing about the topic and see how you can tweak your content. Create a balance between original content and preferred cliques to help your content be seen by others.

You should also take into account that your content should talk about something specific. This will help consumers when they need to decide on a product or service.

My competitors? Among the many, the obvious ones are Inc.com, entrepreneur.com and Harvard Business Review. Even as I gain inspirations from their articles, my articles are different in terms of speaking to my audience without using big words or complex figures and without quoting percentages and presenting graphs.

3. Use keywords strategically

Keywords are very important and can help you immensely with your SEO strategy.

Use your keywords in key areas like the title, meta description, headings, URL and in the article itself. Make sure that they are naturally added and not too littered around the text. If you need help in generating keywords, just think of 1 word to describe your post. Think of those 1-word as tags for your post.

One mistake that many freelance writers make is that they input too many keywords into an article, sometimes forcing a keyword into a sentence, making it awkward to readers.

Example:
Freelancing allows me to fully maximise my time according to my different priorities weekly. Freelancing also lowers the chances of being micromanaged. One of the perks of freelancing is having control on when to work and play, offering a spontaneity that traditional time-structured employment cannot unlike the freedom that comes with freelancing. She also brushed off worries that the freelance arrangement will not be able to consistently provide for her financial needs.

Spot the keyword? It’s freelancing.

4. Always stick to the point

When you post something online, it has to be on point. Readers will not anything if your articles are not straight to the point. They also look for interesting information before they take in the article before them.

Organize your article and write it in simple English. Use short paragraphs and highlight key information. Don’t forget to use images to catch your reader’s attention. Pictures do speak a thousand words. Always use good and attractive pictures as they leave a lasting impression on your readers.

5. Support your arguments with data

Like writing a research for school, you need to ensure that your readers know you are telling the truth if your statements are backed by facts.

Some SEO agencies like this Denver SEO company suggest that having links to support your content will help a lot in building trust and give it value. Use dependable sites, research and related content to support your content.

Citations dependable sources from newspapers and government sites are safe bets, long-standing websites are good too.

6. Keep content updated and relevant

Google checks a content’s recency when they select search engine results. Check your content and add or remove the parts that are no longer relevant for your readers. The more you update your content, the better your chances are to score higher in the search results.

You can practice these changed on one or two pages and make sure that they are the ones that are always read by your readers. You should also remember to refresh your statistics and links when you update posts.

7. Get people involved

When you do an article, you need to get people compelled to interact with you. If you want them to buy your item, write it clearly on your content. If you want them to check the link you are promoting, let them know what to do.

Telling them what to do will give your viewers an idea on what you are expecting them to do when they read your content. You can also use the data to see how you can adapt your content based on how viewers see your site.

Lastly

SEO is a strategy that every company must learn to apply to  improve the quality of their content. With these steps above, you will be able to adjust your content and get more visitors to visit your site and content.

For more writing tips and tricks, check these out:
10 Writing Jobs That Pays For Real
Writing To Get The Point Across (Or In The Face)
7 Ways To Rekindle The Joy Of Writing

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