How To Write Content That Ranks
The 2022 SEO landscape will look slightly different, but we're ahead of the game. These are fail proof ways to make sure you get high ranking content.
Help your reader solve a problem and offer a different perspective
If your content doesn’t help readers solve a problem or provide real value, then user experience will suffer, and search engines determine ranking based on quality not just key words. So, write content that is unique and sets you apart from others.
2. Spend 40% of your time on your headline
Only 2 out of 10 people will click through to read the rest of your content. You can get more than that with a powerful headline. Write headlines that evoke curiosity without being click-baity. How is your content going to provide value? Use that to create a useful headline, and make sure you deliver that promise within your content.
3. Anchor your topic to keywords with high search volume
What’s your main topic about? That topic is what your keywords should be related to. For example, if you’re writing about landing pages that convert, then you may anchor it with landing page design, LP content, conversion rates, sales funnel, and call-to-actions. All these keywords get loads of traffic, so creating one thorough piece of content where these complementing keywords anchor with the main keyword helps in ranking more. The words you choose to link in and out of your site matter a lot!
4. Build on content that’s working for your competitors
What do you want to write about? Google it and see what others are doing with that same topic. Compare the ones that are ranking well to the ones that are not to give you a better idea of what you should or should not do. Don’t copy them! Find out what they’re missing or how you can improve on what they’ve done. Maybe they’re outdated and you can use that to your advantage.
5. Offer practical, useful advice
Don’t waste anyones time for the sake of traffic. It will hurt you more in the long run. Write content that motivates people to actually take your advice. Write useful content that gives readers something new to walk away with or at least encourages them in a good way. For example, if someone is looking for content on how to hang pictures without damaging their wall, then provide that content in a way they understand. Be specific as to what type of mounting tape should be used for different frame types or weight. Maybe mounting tape is only one way to do it and you have a more clever way. Give them reason to come back for more in the future by showing them you provide value.
6. Interlink to other pieces on your site
Back to our anchoring. Avoid excessive anchor linking. Search engines notice which words you choose to link and how often you use them, so be clear and concise without over optimizing and being spammy. Your interlinks should make sense within the context of your topic, but also shouldn’t be excessive.
7. Don’t forget your basic SEO
Title tags, metadata, image alt texts, H2 tags, URL structures - all the basics of SEO should be considered and checked often. If you’re unsure about all this data, you can use sites like semrush or Moz to help you do that.
