How do you write a text that is both attractive to your readers and optimized for search engines? It's about aligning your content with the complex algorithms of search engines like Google. The questions of which SEO elements you should apply and how to ensure that your content not only stands out but is also relevant and valuable to your target audience are important. In this comprehensive guide, we take you through a checklist with tips for writing the right SEO texts and what they should meet.
Writing SEO-proof texts, this is what you need to know!
When writing an SEO text, it's important to first know which focus keyword you want to target and what kind of text is needed for that. You need to ask yourself: what does your target audience really want to know and what kind of content does Google show? This is what it's all about. Additionally, you also look at what kind of content Google likes to show for your focus keyword.
Search Intent and E-E-A-T Important for Your SEO Text
What does your target audience want to know?
When writing an SEO text, a keyword research is needed beforehand. Which focus keyword do you want to target and which synonyms and relevant terms are associated with it? Additionally, you need to think about the expectations of the visitor when they land on your page. What does the target audience hope to find? What actions do they want to take? Ensure that your text can answer these questions.
What type of content fits best?
Now that you know what your target audience wants to know, it's time to determine which type of content best fits this. Look at what Google shows in the SERP (search results page) when your keyword is entered. You do this by analyzing the top 10 results. Discover which information and formats are shown and therefore will be most relevant to the reader. This way, you determine which type of page would be logical and useful to meet these expectations. This can be an informative blog post, a guide, a product page, or another form of content.
By thoroughly answering these questions and understanding the search intent of your target audience, you lay a strong foundation for writing an effective SEO text. This helps you create content that is not only search engine friendly but also valuable and relevant to your readers.
Consider E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust, is an essential concept in SEO. These four elements are crucial for assessing the quality of a website. Trust is the most critical part because unreliable pages have a low E-E-A-T, regardless of their experience, expertise, or authority. Adding 'Experience' to the existing E-A-T guidelines emphasizes the importance of personal experience and knowledge about the subject. This can, for example, be about actually using a product or visiting a place. Integrating E-E-A-T into your SEO strategy not only helps improve the reliability and authority of your content but also increases the chance that your text answers what the target audience is looking for. By creating content rich in experience, expertise, authority, and trust, you build a strong reputation that is valued by both users and search engines. Read more about the application of E-E-A-T in the blog: E-E-A-T or Double E-A-T: What exactly does it entail?
Can you use AI for your SEO texts?
Thanks to the rise of AI language models like ChatGPT, writing SEO texts has become much easier. With just a good prompt, you can generate a text in no time. But beware, there are pitfalls and important considerations when using AI for text creation.
Validate
During her presentation at BrightonSEO in September 2023, titled "Embracing AI in SEO: How to 10x your SEO leveraging AI-bots," Aleyda Solis shared a handy step-by-step plan (see the image below). This step-by-step plan can help you determine whether it is suitable to use ChatGPT or a similar AI for writing SEO texts.
However, it is essential to understand that the text generated by an AI is not a certainty of what is true or not; it produces text based on the input it receives. Therefore, it is up to you as a user to validate and verify the generated text to ensure it is completely accurate and reliable.
Human-written content
AI can help you generate useful and reliable information, which is essential for building a strong SEO strategy. However, it is crucial that these AI texts are treated with the same care and attention to detail as texts written by humans. By using AI as a tool, and not as a replacement, we can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of SEO texts. This leads to content that not only appeals to search engines but also provides real value to readers. For more insights on integrating AI into content creation for SEO, read the blog Creating Useful, Reliable, Human-Centric Content with AI: The Key to SEO Success
So, while AI can assist you in writing, it remains important to keep control and be critical when evaluating the results.
Ensure Your SEO Text Contains the Following Elements
As we explained earlier in the blog, writing an SEO text requires more than just mentioning the focus keyword. Various SEO elements come into play that together create a strong, search engine-friendly text. Additionally, the application is not the same for every type of content. Read on about the SEO elements and their application for different content forms, such as blogs, product category texts, and product pages.
Meta Title: The SEO Title for Google
The meta title is what people see in Google's search results. It's your first chance to make an impression. Make sure your main keyword is included, but also make it attractive and clickable. A good meta title contains the following:
Be concise and clear
Your meta title should be short and powerful. Try to keep it within 60 characters so that it is fully visible in the search results.
Use your focus keyword
Ensure that your main keyword appears in the meta title. This helps search engines determine the relevance of your page.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: For a blog post, make sure the meta title is intriguing and relevant, with the focus keyword at the front. This attracts readers looking for specific information or stories.
- Product Category Text: Use a clear and descriptive meta title that summarizes the category well, with the main keyword for that category.
- Product Page: The meta title should include the product name and, if possible, a unique feature or selling point.
Meta Description: The Description of Your Page
The meta description provides a brief summary of your page. Here too, it's important to use your focus keyword. But don't forget that it's also a sales pitch. You want to make people curious so that they click through to your website.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Write an engaging summary that captures the essence of your blog post and entices the reader to read more.
- Product Category Text: Provide an overview of what customers can expect in this category, focusing on keywords.
- Product Page: Briefly describe what the product is and why it is unique or valuable, using relevant keywords.
Example meta title and description for a category page
Below is an example of a strong meta title and description for the focus keyword: fridge-freezer combination.
Use a Search Engine Friendly URL
Your URL should be simple and clear. Use your focus keyword and avoid unnecessary words. A clear URL is not only good for search engines but also for users. It makes your website more organized and user-friendly.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Ensure a short, descriptive URL that reflects the title of your blog post.
- Product Category Text: Use clear and logical URLs that indicate the category and are easy to remember.
- Product Page: Integrate the product name into the URL for clarity and better findability.
Make Use of Headings for Your Title and Subtitles
Headings help structure your text. They make your text more organized for readers and search engines. Use them to highlight your main points and divide your text into logical sections.
Use different levels of headings
- Use H1 for your main title. The H1 plays an important role in both SEO and the reading experience. In the title, you indicate the subject. Here you also mention the focus keyword, as it is the subject you want to elaborate on.
- H2 for main sections. These are the different subtopics that serve as the title of the paragraphs.
- H3 for subsections, and so on. This helps organize your text and makes it more structured.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Use headings to structure your story and guide readers through your article.
- Product Category Text: Organize information about different products or subcategories with clear headings.
- Product Page: Use headings to highlight product features, benefits, and other important information.
Quickly Mention Your Focus Keyword in the Text
Your focus keyword should appear early in the text, preferably in the first paragraph. This helps search engines quickly understand what your text is about. But don't overdo it: your text should remain natural and readable.
Be natural
While it's important to mention your keyword early, your text should remain natural and readable. Avoid excessive use of keywords, known as 'keyword stuffing'.
Use variations
The clever use of synonyms and related terms is a subtle art in SEO texts. By varying your word usage, you make your text richer and more interesting for the reader. Additionally, you help search engines better understand the context and relevance of your content. For example, if 'banner' is your focus keyword, consider terms like 'sign', 'canvas', or 'advertising sail'. This prevents repetition and keeps your text fresh and engaging.
Use Relevant and Valuable Internal Links
Internal links are links to other pages on your own website. They help search engines understand the structure of your site and pass value to other pages. Additionally, you also communicate to Google that you have much more information on your website that is relevant to the subject. This also ensures that you score better on the E-E-A-T aspect. Therefore, make sure your internal links are relevant and logically fit into your text.
Internal links are not only important in the SEO text but also in obtaining internal links. A page that is often internally referenced is seen by Google as an important page. Additionally, you make it easier for Google to reach your SEO text.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Link to related blog posts or sections on your website to provide readers with more context.
- Product Category Text: Link to related categories or products to facilitate navigation for users.
- Product Page: Use internal links to related products, blog posts, or FAQ sections for more information.
Place External Links to Valuable Sites
External links are links to other websites. They can enrich your text and provide additional value to your readers. Make sure you link to reliable and relevant sources. This can also benefit the credibility of your own website.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Refer to external sources for further reading or to support your arguments.
- Product Category Text: Link to external reviews or articles that are relevant to the product category.
- Product Page: Link to external sources such as manufacturers or reviews for extra credibility.
Good SEO Texts Don't Have to Be Long
A common misconception is that longer texts automatically score better in search engines. The truth is that the quality and relevance of the content are much more important. A concise, well-written text that directly answers your visitors' questions can be much more effective than a lengthy piece. Ensure that every sentence adds value and directly contributes to the topic.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Focus on quality over quantity; a concise, informative blog can be more effective than a lengthy one.
- Product Category Text: Be direct and to-the-point; customers often seek quick information about products.
- Product Page: Provide essential information without unnecessary details; keep it clear and concise.
Help Google Better Understand Your SEO Text with Structured Data
Structured Data is a powerful tool to give search engines more context about the content of your page. By marking your content with Schema.org, you can, for example, indicate that a certain text is a product description or contains a FAQ section. This helps search engines better index and present your content in the search results. Google has created a list for us where you can find all Structured data possibilities. Check out all structured data possibilities. When applying Structured data, it is also important to test it. Creating structured data can be very error-prone. You can test your structured data with 2 free tools: Schema Markup Validator and Rich Results Test.
Make Use of Multimedia
Multimedia elements such as images, videos, and infographics can significantly enrich your SEO text. They not only make your content more visually appealing but also provide additional information or context that supports your text. However, ensure that these elements are optimized in terms of size and loading speed, and don't forget to add relevant alt texts.
Application on different content forms
- Blog: Add relevant images or videos to strengthen your story and improve the reading experience.
- Product Category Text: Use images of products or categories to be visually appealing.
- Product Page: Integrate high-quality product images and videos to increase attractiveness and informational value.
Use Alt Texts for Your Images
Images enrich your text, but search engines cannot 'read' them as we do. Therefore, alt texts are essential. These descriptions help search engines understand what is on the images and how they are relevant to your text. We adhere to the guideline of writing an alt text of about 140 characters.
Improve Your Site's Loading Speed
The loading speed of your website is an important factor for both user experience and SEO. A slow website can lead to a high bounce rate, which can negatively affect your search engine ranking. Optimize images, minimize the use of heavy scripts, and consider a reliable hosting provider to improve loading speed. You can check the loading speed using various tools. One of the free tools for this is the PageSpeed Insights tool.
In Summary
Writing an effective SEO text requires a deep understanding of both the technical aspects of search engine optimization and the needs and expectations of your target audience. We have taken you through a series of essential steps to ensure that your content not only stands out in search engines but is also valuable and relevant to your readers. Additionally, you have also seen the difference in application per content form. For example, when writing a meta description for a blog, you focus on different aspects than for a product page.
We have emphasized how important it is to start with thorough keyword research and discover the search intent of your target audience. This enables you to create content that closely aligns with what your readers really want to know. Additionally, it is crucial to pay attention to the E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust), which determine the quality and reliability of your website. Here, the role of AI in writing SEO texts also plays a significant role. While AI can be useful for generating content, it is essential to validate these texts and enrich them with human expertise and insights. This ensures that your content remains authentic, reliable, and engaging.
Furthermore, we have looked at the technical aspects of SEO, such as optimizing meta titles and descriptions, using search engine-friendly URLs, structuring your text with headings, and cleverly using internal and external links. The importance of multimedia elements and alt texts for images has also been discussed, as well as improving your website's loading speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How important is keyword research for SEO texts?
Keyword research is crucial. It helps you understand what your target audience is searching for and allows you to tailor your content to it.
Can I rely solely on AI for writing my SEO texts?
No, AI can be a useful tool, but it is important to validate and enrich AI-generated texts with human expertise and insights.
What is E-E-A-T and why is it important?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. It is important because it determines the quality and reliability of your website, which is essential for SEO.
How can I structure my SEO text for the best results?
Use headings to structure your text, quickly mention your focus keyword in the text, and ensure a logical structure that aligns with the search intent of your target audience.
Are multimedia elements important in SEO texts?
Yes, multimedia elements such as images and videos can enrich your text and improve the user experience, contributing to better SEO.
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