SEO writing is essential if you want your pieces of content to rank on Google and other search engines. Learn how to do it the right way here.

You’ve heard of SEO writing, and now you’re wondering what it is and how to make use of it. Before we delve into the details of how to write for the search engine, let’s begin with the whys.

Ninety-three percent of online experience begins with search engines. With almost 75 percent of the market, Google remains the most dominant search engine on the internet.

According to Internet Live Stats, over 74,000 individual search terms are being typed into Google every second. That’s more than 6.3 billion queries every single day.

When people type these search terms into the query box, the search engine provides a list of URLs that best suits the keyword. These pages are called the Search Engine Result Page, or SERP for short.

Yes, search engines are a smart way to drive organic traffic to your website. And for the most part, it does. Seventy percent of marketers say that SEO is more effective at driving sales than PPC.

There’s just one small problem.

Almost 75 percent of users don’t scroll past the first page of the SERPs. Furthermore, 67 percent of all clicks go to the first five organic results.

As a result, you have hundreds of websites competing for one keyword or another. That’s where SEO writing comes in.

Writing your content with the search engine in mind gives you an edge over your competitors. Here’s how to do it.

Basics of SEO Writing for Beginners

The first thing you want to do is to find the right keywords for your site.

This entails understanding your niche and goals, then making a list of topics that are relevant to that goal. Next, identify the keyphrase or keywords that reflect a searcher’s intent, and type it into a keyword tool like KWFinder.

A keyword exists in different forms. For example, if a searcher wants to learn about cats, they might type the keyword “cat” into the query box.

Similarly, a buyer that’s looking for the closest flower shop could type the keyphrase “flower shops in Houston.”

A keyword tool will tell you:

• How much competition exists for the keyword
• How many people use the keyword in a search query

From this exercise, you can determine how whether or not you can rank for the keyword.

After selecting the keyword you intend to target, the next step is to use it in specific areas of your content and website. These include:

• Titles and headlines
• Subtitles
• Page’s metadata
• Within the content itself

Also, you can link to other websites that are relevant to your target keyword.

Sounds simple enough, right? There’s more.

5 SEO Writing Tips and Tools For Beginners

Here are five SEO content writing tips that’ll give your website a boost on the SERPs.

1. Focus on the Audience

Google’s primary goal is to provide the most relevant result to its users. That means you must provide content that’ll appeal to the interest of your audience.

In other words, your content must answer the question of readers in your niche or directly address their issues.

Figuring out content relevance was a guessing game in the past. Well, not anymore. Thanks to advancements in technology, writing tools like INK can tell you exactly how relevant your content is.

As more readers look to you for answers, the search engine will recognize your website as an authority in your niche, and reward you with a nice boost.

2. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Using keyword-rich phrases in your articles is like a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it can increase your content relevance when used thoughtfully. The flip side is that excessive use – keyword stuffing – is a turn off to users, and it can incur the dreaded Google penalty.

So, use the keywords as sparingly as you can. Also, it must blend naturally into the posts.

If you’re not sure how many times to use a keyphrase in a post, consider using WordPress plugins like Yoast.

3. Structure Your Post

Structure in SEO writing refers to providing the best reading experience to users.

It’s not enough for your content to be relevant; you have to make it easy for humans and the search engine bots to read. This involves breaking the content into smaller paragraphs with engaging subheadings.

Note that the proper tag hierarchy when using headlines is H1 for titles, H2 for subtitles, and so on.

Also, use natural language that the readers can easily understand, avoid fluffs, and passive voice.

4. Use Images to Support SEO Writing

Content writers tend to treat images as an afterthought, and that’s a bad idea.

Not only do images make a big impression about your post, but it could also help you rank in image search. That could ultimately bring more traffic to your website.

So, add images that support the content. Whether it’s an illustration, featured image, or a product image, it must enhance the users’ understanding of your post.

Also, consider adding alt text to explain what the image is about to your visually impaired visitors.

People love visuals. Moreover, images are content, and you should consider all content as part of your SEO strategy.

5. Promote Natural Link Building

Link building has come a long way since link farms and link buying. But make no mistake, it’s still an essential ranking factor for SEO.

With that said, link building may be a challenge for beginners.

Sixty-five percent of marketers affirm that link building is the hardest SEO tactic to complete. Also, forty-one percent of corporate marketers claim that link building is the greatest challenge in SEO.

How can a noobie like you build links, you wonder?

Well, create awesome content that readers would want to share. And as more people share your posts, you’ll have one or more links that lead back to your website.

Also, consider using tools like Ahrefs and Monitor Backlinks to track your link profile.

Read More: Top 10 Tools To Improve Your Content Creation Process