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Is SEO so good and worth the buzz? It is. That’s because a lot of people (around 70%) begin their online experience with a search engine. 

But what is more interesting is that search engine optimization has expanded beyond blogs and articles. Posts on social media sites and user-generated content are making it to the first pages of search engines. 

This makes SEO crucial for any business owner or content creator because of the visibility it offers. 

But it’s difficult to get started with SEO content writing. I have been there. It took me classes, videos, articles, and practice to get a hang of it, and there’s still more for me to learn. 

In this article, you will learn SEO content writing tips for beginners.

Summary

Understanding SEO Basics

• How Search Engines Work

Keyword Research

• Tools for Keyword Research
• Choosing the Right Keywords
• Long-Tail Keywords

Writing SEO-Friendly Content

• Keywords Density
• Content Quality
• Headings and Subheadings
• Internal and External Links

 On-Page SEO Techniques

• Meta Descriptions
• Alt Text for Images
• URL Structure
• Mobile Optimization

Understanding SEO Basics

SEO is more than just keywords, and having a proper understanding of the basics is key.

What is SEO?

It is the process of enhancing content to increase its visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). It involves optimizing elements of the content, like keywords, meta tags, and links, to help it appear higher in search results. This simply means making it easier for searchers to find your content.

The Importance of SEO

Good SEO content attracts more organic traffic and improves your credibility. That’s not all; SEO strategies can result in higher conversion rates and better engagement. This ultimately increases your revenue.

How Search Engines Work

Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine the relevance and quality of your content. These algorithms consider factors such as:

• Keywords: Search engines look out for phrases that match what users are searching for.
• Content Quality: Beyond keywords, the relevance, uniqueness, and value of the content are important. Search engines prioritize content that provides comprehensive and accurate information.
• Backlinks: The number and quality of links from others can also significantly impact rankings. 
• User Experience: This includes site speed, mobile friendliness, and ease of navigation. Content that provides a good user experience is ranked higher.
• Engagement Metrics: Metrics like click-through rates, bounce rates, and time spent on a page or content matter. They help determine how users interact with content.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is sometimes the biggest burden on SEO content for beginners.

Importance of Keywords

Keywords are popular because they are the foundation of SEO. They are phrases or terms that internet users type when looking for information.

For example, if you want to assemble a cabinet but don’t know how, you might type “how to assemble a cabinet.” There is a keyword right there.

The first step to SEO writing is identifying relevant keywords and optimizing your content around them.

You Might Find This Interesting:Master the Craft of Writing Headlines

Tools for Keyword Research

You’re probably thinking, How do I know what keyword is relevant? You need data to determine this, and some tools can help you. These tools provide insights into keyword volume, trends, and keyword competition. 

The cool part is that these searches can cut across multiple platforms (Google, YouTube, Amazon, etc.). Here are some examples of keyword research tools:

1. Google Keyword Planner

This is a free tool offered by Google Ads. Google Keyword Planner provides search volume estimates, a few related keywords, and competition.

However, it’s very basic but a good starting point, though you may need to complement it with other tools.

2.      Semrush

Semrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that offers detailed keyword analysis. It reveals search volume, keyword difficulty, and competitor analysis. It is a paid tool, but it has a decent free version with daily limits.

3. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

Another good tool is known for its vast data on search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keywords. Ahrefs helps you find the best terms and phrases to target, and it’s a premium tool.

4. Moz Keyword Explorer

Moz provides keyword suggestions, difficulty scores, and SERP analysis to help you choose the right keywords. It’s a premium tool, but you can use the limited free plan.

5. Keywords Everywhere

If you’re on a budget, this is a good tool for keyword research because it’s more affordable.

Keywords Everywhere provide keyword volume, competition, and related keywords. 

Choosing the Right Keywords

There are factors to consider when you conduct keyword research.

Relevance

The primary keyword or search phrase has to directly relate to your content and target audience. Using irrelevant keywords can bring you traffic but will not convert and may increase the bounce rate.

Search Volume

Keywords with high search volume are an idea because they impact your reach. But also look out for the low difficulty of ranking for those terms.

Competition

Keywords with high competition will need more effort to rank. So target less competitive keywords for quicker and better results.

Intent

The user intent behind a keyword is very important. Your keywords have to align with what they are looking to accomplish. This could be informational, navigational, or transactional.

Seasonality and Trends

Identifying trending keywords and seasonality in your niche helps when choosing keywords.

Long-Tail Keywords

Long tail keywords are keywords that are more than a phrase or term. They are better than seed keywords due to several reasons: 

Specificity

Long-tail keywords are very specific and include many words.

Instead of a broad term like “shoes,” a long-tail keyword might be “women’s running shoes for flat feet.”

Lower Search Volume

They usually have a lower search volume, unlike broader and more popular keywords.

As a result, the total search volume of many long-tail keywords can be significant.

Less Competition

Long Tail keywords are also less competitive, which makes them easier to rank higher in search results.

Better Audience Targeting

They are often peculiar to specific niches, products, or user intent. This allows for targeting a niche audience with specific needs or questions.

Higher Conversion Rates

Users searching for long-tail keywords have a clear idea of what they’re looking for. This awareness leads to higher conversion rates.

Consider these long-tail keywords:

“Healthy chicken recipes” or “Quick dinner recipes for busy moms.”

They will suit the intent of users more than the keyword “recipe.”

Instead of using “laptop” as the head term, these long tail keywords will yield better results.

• best laptops for students under $500
• lightweight laptops for travel
• gaming laptops with RTX 4090

Focusing on long-tail keywords can improve your SEO efforts.

Writing SEO-Friendly Content

When you’ve decided on your keywords, the next step is to write your content and incorporate them.

Keyword Density

While it might seem right to use your keywords as many times as possible, it’s not the right move. Here’s a quick overview of how keyword density works for SEO:

Optimal Keyword Density

Although there is no perfect keyword density percentage, a density of 0.5% is considered optimal. This means that if your content is 1,000 words, the keyword will appear roughly five times.

Avoid keyword stuffing because it can harm your rankings, and search engines can also penalize you.

Keyword Placement

Where you place your keyword within your content is also important. Including it in the title and subheadings signals to search engines that the content is focused on that specific keyword or topic.

Natural Language Use

In addition to keyword density, you must incorporate your keyword in a natural, reader-friendly way. Don’t force it into your content; instead, let it seamlessly follow along. This helps search engines understand the focus and relevance of your content.

Variety and Synonyms

Using variations of your keywords and synonyms is a common SEO content writing tip. They help improve SEO by showing that your content covers the topic thoroughly. 

Content Quality

Don’t get carried away with the benefits of SEO. Your focus should be on providing high-quality content and not over optimizing.

Relevance

Put your keywords to good use by creating content that directly addresses the search intent of your target audience. Whether it’s an article, blog post, social media post, or tweet, it should inform and provide actionable tips or solutions. If it’s not relevant to people, then search engines won’t recommend it to them.

Readability

Content is more than words and paragraphs; it’s a means of communication. To make your content SEO-friendly, use clear and concise words and avoid long, complex sentences. In addition to this, formatting and font size help to improve readability.

Also Read:10 Simple Strategies to Improve Readability and Boost Engagement

Using Headings and Subheadings

Headings and subtitles are not for fancy; they provide structure to your content. Breaking up long blocks of text guides your viewers through your content; bullet points are also helpful. This enhances SEO because it improves the user experience.

Internal and External Links

The internet builds on interconnectivity, and the same applies to SEO.

Internal Links

Your page, website, or page authority depends on how much specific information you’re sharing. A good way to show this is by linking your related content to each other. This improves the experience of your viewers and how they navigate your content.

External Links

Besides internal links, linking your content to reputable sources will enhance its credibility. It provides extra value to your audience, and relevant anchor text also boosts your keyword rankings.

On-page SEO Techniques

This is one of the often overlooked SEO content writing tips for beginners. Because text takes center stage, it’s easy to forget that other accompanying aspects matter.

Meta Descriptions

Have you noticed summaries that appear underneath a post on search engine results pages? That’s meta descriptions; they are places there to help you understand the content of the content.

But incorporate your keywords naturally in your meta descriptions, and aim for not more than 160 characters.

Alt Text for Images

Alt text (alternative text) is a brief description of an image that can be read by search engines and screen readers.

The alt text displays if an image fails to load. More essentially, visually impaired individuals rely on it to understand the content of the image. Iif you’re using an image of a red apple, the alt text could be “red apple.”

However, do not compromise the clarity of your description; only include keywords if they are relevant.

URL Structure

Including your target keyword in your URL improves your content ranking and relevance. A good URL is clear and concise, which makes it easy for users and search engines to understand.

Let’s compare the URLs below.

 www.example.com/organic-skin-care-tips

www.example.com/page?id=123456

It’s easy for both users and search engines to understand what the top URL is about. The URL is SEO-friendly because it includes keywords like “organic” and skincare tips.”

Meanwhile, the bottom URL doesn’t provide any context and has no meaningful keyword.

Mobile Optimization

Mobile optimization is an important aspect of modern SEO because people spend more time on their mobile devices. Irrespective of your form of content, mobile friendliness helps your content rank on search engines. 

The takeaway here is to optimize your content for touch. The elements, links, buttons, and others should be properly spaced for finger taps.

Conclusion

Your content can get more eyeballs if you give search engines the right nudging.

Follow these SEO content writing tips for beginners to attract more organic traffic and visibility. But remember, SEO writing is a continuous process; practice what you’ve learned and keep learning. 

Did you find this helpful? I’ve written other articles on content creation processes that might interest you.

And if you need help with your blog or articles, feel free to reach out. I specialize in writing well-researched, informative, and engaging SEO content.