SEO is a complicated subject. But it doesn't have to be!
SEO is a constantly changing beast and can be intimidating to some writers. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with a crash course on the basics.
While there’s a lot more to SEO than what we’re covering here, these core concepts should be implemented into every piece of content you write on Scripted.
Check out the tips below to get writing for SEO:
- Use tools: Google Trends, Yoast, and other industry leaders offer excellent free tools you can use to optimize the search engine performance of your content. We recommend using them on every piece of content you produce on Scripted. Check out the SEO section of our recommended tools here.
- Research your keywords: Finding the right keywords is crucial to ensure your content gets in front of the proper audience. Put yourself in the place of the person searching for solutions — people who might end up reading your work. Search for your keywords, and note what results you get. Do the results seem relevant? If so, you’re on the right track.
- Know the different types of keywords: Keywords are not simply a list of words you feel like incorporating into a piece of content. There are different kinds, and they serve different purposes. You should be including all of these unless otherwise instructed.
- Primary keywords: These are used to describe the content in the most general terms. For example, Cat food
- Secondary keywords: These are closely related to the Primary Keywords, but serve to define the specific focus of the piece or capture semantic variations of the Primary Keywords. Examples: pet food, kitten food, cat treats, kitty treats
- - Long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer phrases that aim to capture visitors looking for a specific aspect of the content. Examples: cat food online, best wet cat food, cat food for old cats
- Don’t stuff it: Despite popular belief, cramming as many keywords as possible into your content without strong context is not a successful SEO strategy. Resist the urge to keyword stuff; instead, use keywords strategically throughout the blog post. If you use the principles outlined above, you’ll naturally avoid keyword stuffing.
Put keywords in the meta description: Aim for 50~150 total characters. Make it compelling! You’ll also want to use your keywords within the title and in H1 & H2 lines.
Optimize for featured snippets: Ever Google a question and find the answer automatically right at the top? Those are Featured Snippets. Content should answer the searcher's question quickly and organically. To make your content eligible for a featured snippet, your content should be the answer to the question posed by the longtail keyword.
- Include 2-3 internal links to relevant blog posts: Internal links help Google find, index, and understand all the pages on your site. They also boost the overall optimization of your work. Do a site search for relevant articles by utilizing site:domain.com [keyword]. This shows you all the articles a website contains related to that keyword.
In your content, use keyword-rich anchor text with a maximum of 3 words, without using the same anchor text for different pages. Link only to important pages. Linking to the home page does not count as an internal link.
- Write for humans, not search engines: This is the tough part. If you incorporate the concepts above literally, you may end up with content that performs well in theory but reads terribly. A good way to avoid this is to read your content out loud, from the beginning, as you write.
Remember, the above are not just suggestions. They’re requirements for every job you take on Scripted. Keep your account in good standing by incorporating these items into your workflow.