Why are you creating content?
If your answer is ‘to boost my SEO‘ then you could be helping or hurting your rankings, depending on the type of content you are creating.
Let me show you what I mean…
SEO has changed a lot over the years.
While other digital marketing approaches stay the same, the tactics that once moved the needle and led to rankings on Google’s SERPs are now considered outdated and useless.
Despite these changes, many businesses and marketers are still approaching SEO with an overly technical eye.
The truth is, in 2019 and beyond, trying to write to speak to Google’s complex and nuanced algorithm simply won’t work.
Not only is this approach likely to be ineffective, but in certain cases may actually harm your SEO efforts and impact your rankings.
If you’re creating content based on a lengthy checklist of SEO ranking factors, or you’re adhering to ‘SEO best practice’ you are making a mistake that can severely impact your business.
It’s time to draw a line in the sand. And this is why today is the perfect day to start ignoring Google’s algorithms for good.
The new approach to SEO copywriting
Content is still king. Let’s get that out of the way early. Your content will form the basis of your ranking strength, with technical SEO, site speed, mobile optimisation and off-site SEO all supporting this central goal.
However, there is no arbitrary measure of content that will help you rank on Google. For example, the length of your content has no impact on your rankings if that same content doesn’t solve a problem.
That’s where your focus must be today and every day going forward – the power to solve a problem.
By writing for people, and more importantly the problems they have, you will naturally tick off all the boxes that Google looks for in high-ranking content.
- Improved dwell time
- Reduced bounce rates
- Deep dives into your website
- Organic backlinks
- Increased social shares
These valuable user signals will all help you improve your rankings.
In contrast, if you try and write for Google’s algorithm by focusing on your primary keywords, keyword density, LSI keywords, and stiff language designed to speak to robots, you will fail to engage with your audience. And the result? All those valuable user signals mentioned above will suffer.
This is reinforced by SEO and Marketer, Rand Fishkin, who believes that Google’s lack of transparency and clarity is the clearest indicator that they should be the last person you look to for advice when creating content.
What do people want from my content?
People want two things from your content.
a). To be spoken to conversationally, in the same way they speak to others.
b). To have their problems clearly identified and solved.
When you fall into old SEO copywriting habits your content may well tick all the boxes that Google’s algorithm has asked for in the past, but by doing so your content is not conversational, not easy to read, not engaging and not solving any problems.
The best part of giving your site visitors what they want?
When you create in-depth, rich and valuable content you will naturally use a range of synonyms and LSI keywords that actually make your content stronger than it would have been if you’d spent time researching secondary keywords and trying to place them awkwardly throughout your content.
So the next time you start creating content to boost your SEO, forget that Google exists.
Focus on the problems that your audience has and spend all your time and energy on solving those problems.
The rest will take care of itself.
