How to Do SEO Content Writing That Ranks in 2024

Are you struggling to write SEO content that ranks at the top of Google search results? You’re not alone! With Google’s constantly changing algorithms and updates, it can be a real challenge to create content that not only ranks well but also drives organic traffic to your website.

But don’t worry – in this comprehensive guide, we’re going to walk you through the exact step-by-step process on how do you write SEO content that ranks high in 2024. Whether you’re a seasoned copywriter or just starting out, this guide has something for everyone. So grab a cup of coffee and let’s dive in!

How Do You Write SEO Content 

Understand What Your Target Audience is Looking For

Conducting thorough keyword research is the critical first step to understanding what your target audience is searching for. 

Utilise expanded keyword research tools beyond just Keyword Planner, SEMrush and Ahrefs to uncover more opportunities.

 Incorporate newer AI-powered resources to get more keyword suggestions and gain valuable insight into current search trends, changes in user intent and behaviour. 

Analysing search and voice query data can provide a wealth of information on the types of questions and needs your audience has. Spend time tailoring your keyword list and content strategy based on these insights into your audience’s wants and needs.

Target Low Competition Long-Tail Keywords

Put your focus on identifying and targeting long-tail, low competition keywords that have relatively high search volume. Leverage keyword difficulty tools to find these ultra-specific phrases that have less existing content targeting them, making them easier to rank for organically. 

Aim to create pillar content optimised around main head term keywords and their related long-tail keyword variations. Having pillar content built around one primary keyword topic allows you to consolidate authority and own that niche. Be sure to expand your keyphrase list with semantically related long-tail keywords. Targeting these phrases will increase your visibility for a wide range of searches.

Match Your SEO Content to the Search Intent

It is important to ensure your content format, style and tone matches the underlying search intent behind your target keywords. For informational keyword searches where users are looking to learn more about something, you’ll want to create long-form, highly detailed articles, guides and tutorials. 

This in-depth content should extensively cover every question and aspect of the topic at hand. Often content over 2,000 words does well for competitive informational keywords, demonstrating your expertise. On the other hand, transactional keywords where people are looking to purchase require different content, like reviews, comparisons, “best of” lists, and other formats aimed at helping the reader make a buying decision.

Create a Winning SEO Content Outline

Before you start writing, taking the time to thoughtfully create an optimised SEO content outline will make the actual writing process that much easier. Use AI tools like CHATGPT for this purpose. It will also help guarantee you cover all the most important points and questions for your target keyword.

Structure your outline using engaging section headers and subheaders, bullet point lists of key facts or steps, and make sure to include an introduction, main content body, and conclusion. 

Breaking your content down into easily digestible sections and using formatting elements like lists improves readability and SEO value. Outlining provides a content framework that makes writing longform content far less intimidating.

Do Competitor Research

It is well worth your time to closely analyse competitors who are currently ranking high in SERPs for your target keyword phrases. Study what types of content they are creating around your topic and identify any knowledge gaps or ways you could create something even more comprehensive and useful. 

Use free tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and BuzzSumo to dig deep into the content promotion strategies of their top-ranking content. Assess factors like their content’s word count, topic coverage, use of visuals, and backlink profiles. Learn from what is working well for them already and determine how you can improve upon it.

Write In-Depth Content That Covers Everything Users Want to Know

Now you’re ready to start writing your SEO content in earnest. Be sure your finished piece is over 2,000 words in length, since Google tends to favour longer-form, in-depth content. Thoroughly cover every conceivable question, pain point, and aspect of your target keyword, writing in an authoritative yet approachable tone. 

Break up long blocks of text by using section headers, numbered/bulleted lists, quotes, examples, and other formatting elements. Include relevant facts, statistics, SEO expert opinions, case studies, and actionable tips or advice throughout your content. Answer every user question comprehensively and in detail, with the goal of becoming viewed as the definitive resource on the topic.

Figure Out How to Make your Content Unique

In order to make your content stand out from the competition, focus on bringing a novel angle or perspective to discussing your topic. Share proprietary data or statistics from your own custom surveys or research studies. Provide detailed analysis and insights based on your hands-on experience and expertise. 

Use specific, real-world examples and scenarios to illustrate key points. And most importantly, give the reader something truly useful they can’t obtain anywhere else. Offer actionable takeaways they can apply to their own efforts. Your content should highlight your distinct viewpoint on the topic.

Optimise Content with Images, Graphics and Videos

Strategically enhance your content by incorporating relevant high-quality images, charts, graphics, and videos throughout your post. The visual elements help break up long stretches of text, keeping the reader engaged. They also boost rankings by improving click-through rates from search results. 

Be sure to optimise images file names and alt text with target keywords. Create custom graphics, diagrams or illustrations using tools like Canva to visualise concepts. Embed videos from YouTube or Vimeo. Include data visualisations like tables or charts using programs like Venngage.

Also Read: These Top 3 SEO Techniques which are Often Neglected

Write Killer Meta Titles and Descriptions

Optimising your meta title and description tags is absolutely essential for maximising click-through rate from search engine results pages. Your meta title should concisely summarise the content in under 60 characters, with the target keyword appearing early in the title.

This title snippet must capture attention and entice clicks. The meta description of 155-160 characters has more space to describe what the content covers and highlight its value to the reader. Use persuasive, emotive power words to compel the searcher to click.

Did You Know

According to a study by Nielsen, the average person spends only 10-20 seconds scanning a webpage before deciding whether to stay or leave. This means that effective copywriting is essential for grabbing and holding a reader’s attention. 

Grab my 8 Step Sales Page Formula for Winning Copywriting That Converts 

Add Internal and External Links in Your SEO Writing

Link building is still an important on-page SEO element. Link out to related, high-quality pages both on your own site and external authority resources. Use your target keywords as the anchor text for these internal and external links. 

Outbound links show you as a trusted resource while inbound links help establish your site’s authority on the topic. Strategic internal linking helps readers navigate your content while passing link equity.

Include FAQs, Structured Data and Links

Consider adding an FAQ section with questions your target audience may have about the topic that you can provide answers for. This allows you to incorporate and optimise more long-tail keyword variations naturally. 

You can also include structured data markup like JSON-LD to highlight key content. This semantic markup adds more context for search engines.

Polish and Promote Your SEO Content Writing

After drafting your content, conduct a final review with your core keyword targets in mind. Check that you have sufficiently optimised critical elements like titles, section headers, image alt text, internal links, URLs, and opening paragraphs. This final SEO polish can help give your content an edge over the competition. Once published, be sure to extensively promote your new content to drive traffic and engagement.

Also Read: How to Increase Website Traffic Organically 

Incorporate Voice Search Optimization

With the increasing popularity of voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri, optimising your content for voice search is becoming more important than ever. Here are some tips for optimising your content for voice search:

• Use conversational language: Voice search queries are usually longer and more conversational than traditional text-based searches. Use natural language and phrasing that matches how people speak.
• Focus on long-tail keywords: Voice search queries tend to be longer and more specific than text-based searches. Focus on long-tail keywords that are more likely to be used in voice search queries.
• Use schema markup: Schema markup is a code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand the content on your pages. It can also help your content appear in search results for voice queries.
• Optimise for featured snippets: Featured snippets are the answer boxes that appear at the top of search results for certain queries. Optimizing your content for featured snippets can increase your chances of appearing in voice search results.

Promote Your Content

Once you’ve created and optimised your content, it’s time to promote it. Here are some tips for promoting your content:

• Share on social media: Share your content on your social media channels to reach a wider audience.
• Reach out to influencers: Reach out to influencers in your niche and ask them to share your content with their followers.
• Use email marketing: Send out an email newsletter to your subscribers with a link to your new content.
• Leverage paid advertising: Consider using paid advertising to promote your content to a targeted audience.
• Build backlinks: Reach out to other websites in your niche and ask them to link to your content. This can help increase your search engine rankings and drive traffic to your website.

Measure and Analyse Your Results

Measuring and analysing your results is an important part of the SEO content creation process. Here are some metrics to track:

• Organic traffic: Track the number of visitors coming to your website from organic search results.
• Keyword rankings: Track your keyword rankings over time to see how your content is performing.
• Bounce rate: Track the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page.
• Conversion rate: Track the percentage of visitors who take a desired action on your website, such as filling out a contact form or making a purchase.

Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your metrics and to drive engagement and ultimately get leads through SEO content writing. 

Also Read: More Techniques to get Leads Through SEO

Conclusion

Creating high-quality SEO content that ranks in search results and drives organic traffic to your website is a complex process that requires careful planning, research, and execution. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create SEO content that not only ranks well in search results but also provides value to your target audience.

Remember to focus on understanding your audience, targeting low competition long-tail keywords, matching your content to search intent, creating a winning outline, writing in-depth content, making your content unique, optimizing for visual elements, writing killer meta titles and descriptions, adding internal and external links, including FAQs and structured data, polishing and promoting your content, incorporating voice search optimization, and measuring and analyzing your results. With these strategies, you can create SEO content that not only ranks well in search results but also drives engagement and conversions for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions