Making Blogs Appealing to Google AND the Humans That Read Them
We talk A LOT about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how to write blogs and content that satisfies the "Google God's" and all their algorithms. We all know that content is one of the most effective ways to drive website traffic, but often times, it's easy to get caught up in writing for Google, and forget that there are REAL people on the other end who are actually reading your content.
If you’ve ever looked into, or ran across some “canned content” in the past, then you know how to spot it a mile away. It comes with titles like, “Boston and Boston Area Real Estate Agents on Tips For First Time Home Buyers:” or “How to Grow Your Small Business Tips by a Business Consultant for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners”. They are stuffed with keywords and super awkward to read.
While they may match some searches, any real person who runs across them will know immediately. Content should not just drive traffic, it should convert it into sales as well. Today we wanted to dive into 5 of the most important things to keep in mind when writing blogs to ensure that you're appealing to both the automated search bots AND the human beings who have the potential to become your clients or customers.
Write in your own voice. One of the most important things you can do is write from an authentic place. Write as if you were talking directly to your reader. For some reason, the second we see that blinking cursor, our brain switches to robot mode. Don’t try forcing in keywords and crazy phrases. Start by getting your advice out there, and write it in a way that feels real to you.
Do the research. Finding the right keywords and key phrases to add to your content is where you’re going to pull in the search engines. Drill down your goals for the blog, and brainstorm the keywords you need to reach those who meet them. Create a large list first, don’t worry about if they’ll all fit right now. Need help researching keywords? Check out some of our favorite resources: Google Keyword Planner , Moz Keyword Explorer
Integrate your keywords organically. Now that you’ve made a list of keywords, it’s time to put them in your content. Because you’ve already written your blogs with the reader in the mind, keep that mindset while integrating your keywords. See where you can swap out or insert keywords or key phrases while still making sure the content feels organic.
Use Internal Links and External Links (to other reputable sites)! We often recommend that you write first, then go back through and add these links. This practice not only adds context for the reader but is a favorite of the Google bots.
Break Up Walls of Text. Humans have a continuously shrinking attention span. So, when you’re writing your blogs make sure to format it in an engaging and attractive way. Subtitles, lists, bullet points and images (or video) are great ways to accomplish this. You don’t have to stress about writing long articles or white papers. Instead focus on creating 400-600 word engaging blogs weekly (or at least twice per month).
Need help creating a content marketings strategy and getting those blogs out there? Click here to schedule a call with the Hub Digital team to learn more about how we can help.