It is not easy to build content that ranks well in the search results. After all, only 10 results are shown on the first page of the search results. This means that you really need your content to stand out to even get noticed. In this article, we share 11 Tips For Building Content That Ranks Well.
To do this, it is all about providing the highest quality content to users, while also showing search engines that the content you have is indeed high quality. There is certainly a balance, but if your focus is on writing quality content, then you are in the area.
I have put together 11 tips that you can implement to make sure that you are building content that will rank well in the search results.
Table of Contents
1. Do research ahead of time
Researching your topic before writing is just as important as writing the content. If you’re writing content about a topic that nobody is interested in, or something that is extremely competitive to rank for, you could end up putting a lot of time into something for nothing.
You should be researching the trends, search volume, competition, and value for the keywords and topics you are considering writing about.
Ideally, you want to be writing about content that has a higher search volume, with low competition. It can also be a bonus if the trend for your topic is trending upward.
2. Target keywords that are attainable to rank for
It can be tempting to go after broad keywords that would be valuable for you to rank for, but it’s important to consider how hard it will be to rank for your keywords and topics.
If you do a Google search for the keywords you want to rank for, and you recognize the companies on the first page as big brands, then it is going to be very difficult to rank for those keywords.
It is better to start off with long-tail, lower competition keywords. Once you rank for those, then move up to the more competitive keywords. Once you have some level of authority built on your site, it will be much easier to rank for those more competitive keywords.
3. Write for readers, not search engines
When trying to write content that ranks well, you need to be sure to focus on writing for your readers.
Many people focus on writing to keep the search engines happy in hopes that it will help them rank well.
In almost all cases, this will hurt your rankings more than it will help them. Search engines have gotten good at figuring out which content is high quality, and which isn’t.
If you are truly trying to provide value to your readers, you are going to be putting out the best content possible.
Also, if you are writing for the search engines, if users do end up on your site, they will likely bounce due to the low-quality content.
4. Go in depth on your topic
One of the best ways to give your content a good chance to rank is to go in depth on your topic. If you can go more in depth on your topic than your ranking competitors, then you will give yourself a great chance of outranking them.
After you have your keywords and topics picked out, do a Google search for the pages that are currently ranking for those keywords, then read the content.
Now you know what is currently ranked, and all you need to do is write content that is better than that, and goes more in depth.
5. Don’t keyword stuff
Keyword stuffing is one of the most common SEO mistakes that people make when they are writing their content. The reason it is a big mistake is because Google is so good at finding this.
They obviously want to rank the best content out there, and if they come across content that has keywords stuffed in it, there’s a good chance, that isn’t good content.
While keyword stuffing used to work very well, it just doesn’t anymore. Sure, you need to make sure you include your keywords in the content but stuffing the keyword 20 times isn’t going to be any better for you than including your keyword 3-5 times within your page.
6. Use variations of your keyword
It’s no secret that users will use different phrasing and variations of keywords when searching for something online.
For that reason alone, you should never be focused on just one variation of a keyword. You should be covering a few different variations of your target keywords throughout your page.
Not only will this help you rank for different variations of your keywords, but it will also sound more natural to your website visitors and to Google.
Think about it, if you just include 10 exact match keywords in your content, there is a good chance your page is keyword stuff (unless you have very long content.)
However, if you use 5 different variations of your keyword, you are not using the same exact keyword more than twice.
7. Create compelling title tags
Title tags are a huge opportunity for you to include your target keywords. It needs to be done in a way that is compelling to users searching for your target keyword though.
Title tags are an important ranking factor because you are essentially giving a title for your page on exactly what that page is about. For this reason, you should be sure to include your keyword in a way that is enticing to users.
If you think about the reason that users are searching for your target keywords, this can help you write title tags that will get clicked more often in the search results.
8. Write for search intent
After choosing your topic and keywords, but before writing your content, you should consider the search intent behind the keywords you want to rank for.
If you can write for the search intent, your post is going to be so much more valuable to your users, and it’s going to result in your page ranking higher.
For example, think about the questions users might have around your target keyword and be sure to include those within your content.
This will help keep users on your site longer and Google will understand that you have high quality content because of that.
9. Link to high quality websites
At this point, we know that the name of the game is putting out high quality content. Another way you can do that is by linking out to high quality websites.
This will allow users to get even more valuable information. Also, making that connection from your site to a high authority site will help show search engines that your website can be trusted.
The important part about linking to other websites is that it needs to make sense in the context of your page. It should always be in a place where it is helping you provide more value to your readers.
10. Use images
Including images in your content is a great way to keep your readers engaged and following your content. Let’s face it, nobody likes to read big blocks of text, so including images can certainly improve the user experience as well.
Search engines like to reward content that includes multi-media as well. When including images or videos, it is often a sign of quality content in the eyes of search engines.
We’ve all heard the saying that “A picture is worth a thousand words”. This holds true when it comes to building content that will rank well.
Be sure to include images where they will provide extra value to readers on your website.
11. Include data and statistics
Including data and statistics in your content is a great way to provide value for your readers. Especially if you can provide value in the form of an infographic or something that is easier to understand than just reading in text form.
People love to see statistics on information that they are learning. With the biggest goal being providing high quality, informative content to your audience, data and statistics can go a long way in doing this.
Conclusion
All 11 of the tips that I mentioned above are all focused on quality content. These are all ways that you can be sure that you are providing high quality content to users, while also showing Google that you are providing high quality content. This is one of the most important aspects to implement in your SEO strategy.
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when creating content that will rank well. You need to put in the time and effort to put together a good piece of content.
This includes digging deep into why users are searching for these keywords. Find that search intent and make sure you gear your content towards what will keep your users and Google happy.
This means you need to do the research upfront and go into as much depth as you can on the topic you are trying to cover. If you can create better content than your competitors, you’ll be sure to rank well in the search results.
Lastly, the more multi-media and data you can provide in your content, typically means the more value you are providing.
Try to include as many relevant images and infographics in your content as you can.
For more articles about SEO Content, check out our SEO section.
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