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Semalt: Why Content Is Important For SEO?


Table of contents:

  1. What Is Content?
  2. What Is SEO?
  3. Content and SEO: The Relationship
  4. Creation of Optimized Content
  5. Optimizing the Created Content
  6. Semalt Copywriters Provide Search Engine Optimized Content That Ranks 
Content is the king. 

You might have heard this phrase many times, but have you ever tried to find out why they call content the king.

It is because content has the power to boost the ranking of a website in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).

Well, it’s only the bright side. If there are flaws in the content, it can attract Google penalties and kick your website out of the league.

This article will help you understand the content, SEO, why content is crucial for SEO, what you can do to enhance the quality of content, and much more.

The last section also includes a surprise solution that can help your content surpass competitors and rank higher in search results. 

Let’s start.

What Is Content?

Content is any piece of purposeful information you present to your audience via a channel. This information can be anything and in any form. 

It can be a text, image, video, GIF, webinar, live video, or anything else on a website, social media channel, application (web and mobile), or anywhere else. 

For a better understanding, see these content definitions from more than 40 experts in the Digital Marketing Industry.

What Is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of enhancing the quality and quantity of organic traffic your website receives via search engines.

If, like every website owner, your aim is also to rank your website at the top position on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages), SEO will help.

Today, SEO revolves around Google. So, don’t get confused if someone offers to optimize your website according to Google. 

To learn more about SEO, its working principle, its types, and other relevant things, go through this must-bookmark SEO guide for beginners by Semalt.

Content and SEO: The Relationship

The objective of every search engine is to provide relevant and useful results as quickly as possible. But how do they identify whether the results are relevant and useful?

Well, there are algorithms to detect whether results can direct users to valuable content or not. When search engines validate that a piece of content can provide maximum value, they rank it first.

Search Engine Optimized Content

Search engine optimized content, or high-quality content, is the piece of information search engines recognize would provide value to searchers. The content most optimized according to the search engine ranks first.

Suppose that you initiate a search for eco-friendly products on Google. Within less than a second, a list will appear on your screen containing relevant and useful results. 

The first result on this list contains most search engine optimized content.
 
 

Components of Search Engine Optimized Content

The identification and optimization of different components of content decide whether it will rank higher in the search results or not. 

Here are the primary components of every search engine optimized content:
  1. Information
  2. Purpose
  3. Audience
  4. Form
  5. Channel
When you take care of these components, search engines will identify your content as valuable and rank it first. Let’s understand them one by one.
1. Information
Information is a fact about someone or something you want to provide to your audience. It can be in the form of details, figures, instructions, advice, guidance, or anything you intend to give.

Make sure the information you provide is exact and does not confuse your audience.
2. Purpose
Purpose is the reason for sending this information out. It can be to educate, inform, make yourself popular, introduce your business, or anything else. Purpose also involves your expectations after providing that information to the audience. 

Make sure you design the information in such a way that it connects with the audience and meets your objectives.
3. Audience
Audience is the expected person or group of people you want to receive the information. Targeting the right audience helps you set things like details, tone, and the appearance of information you wish to provide.

Identify your target audience, their needs, the problems they are facing, and questions they may ask after getting your information. Craft the content central to your audience, not something else.
4. Form
Form is the last look of the information when you present it to your audience. Find out how your target audience will understand it best - in the form of text, image, audio, or video.

First, decide the genre of your content – informative, emotional, serious, or humorous. Then choose how you want to present it.
5. Channel
Channel is the medium through which your information reaches the audience. It can be a website, blog, social media platform, mobile app, television, newspaper, or anything that can better communicate with your target audience.

Make sure your content is available on channels where your target audience spends the most time.

Creation of Optimized Content

Optimized content is crucial because it will help your website rank higher in search engine result pages. It will also improve your visibility on the internet.

While creating optimized content, make sure that it is central to the needs of your target audience, and all components of search engine optimized content are taken care of efficiently.

Moreover, you need to consider several technical factors such as keywords, URLs, meta descriptions, meta titles, and others.

There are a few steps everyone needs to follow while creating high-quality content. They are:
1. Keyword Research
Keyword research is the first thing you should do because only the right keywords ensure that your content is discoverable via search results.

While researching, try to avoid highly competitive keywords and prefer long-tail keywords. You can also take the help of an efficient keyword research tool, such as Keyword Planner from Google.
 

2. Finalize the Topic
After selecting the right keywords, you should finalize the topic of your content. For higher rank, it is essential to match the topic with your keywords. In other words, your topic should contain the keyword.
3. Create an Outline
Now, you should create an outline of what all your content will contain. Decide heading, how many subheadings, visuals, and after how many words.
4. Make it Easily Readable
Make your content easily readable by breaking it into small paragraphs of 1-2 sentences. Add visuals/ subheadings after every 150-250 words. 

Readers spend very little time on a webpage. If they see nothing interesting to stick, they’ll leave.
5. Don’t Divert from Topic
When you are creating the content, stick to the topic. It is not necessary to include everything in a single piece of content. Focus on the topic and try to make it useful.
6. Stick to Target Keyword
Your content should be central to your target keyword. If you want your content to rank first, stick to your target keyword and don’t target many keywords.
7. Include Links
Search engines recognize that your content is trustworthy when it contains links to relevant, reliable, and authoritative websites. Make sure the words you use to create links are related to the directed site.

For example, see the link below containing the keyword ‘SEO guide for beginners.’ When you click on this link, it will redirect to the website of Semalt, where you’ll find the same thing mentioned in this link.
 

Optimizing the Created Content

Optimizing the created content means you are entering the technical aspect of content optimization. 
It includes optimizing the following:
  • URL
  • Title Tag
  • Meta Description
Let’s understand them one by one:
  • URL Structure

The URL structure of a webpage is the first thing search users see. If your URL doesn’t contain the relevant keyword, chances are users may not visit your site. 

A mysterious and long URL often scares search users, and they hesitate to click on the link. Understand with these three links mentioned below:
  1. https://semalt.com/fullseo - Users instantly understand that this link will redirect them to a page of the Semalt website that contains information about FullSEO. They won’t hesitate to click on it.
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/technology/27google.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin – Users may not be 100% sure but can guess that clicking it may take them to a webpage containing information related to SEO.
  3. http://www.baystreet.ca/viewarticle.aspx?id=588707 – Users don’t understand what this link is all about. So, they hesitate to click on it.
  • Title Tag

Title tag is the headline (clickable) you see in search results. They help Google, and other search engines, comprehend your content. 

Title tags are also the deciding factor when users have to choose the most relevant search result. Consider these four important things while optimizing title tags:
  1. Be specific while creating the title tag.
  2. Do not stuff the title tag with multiple keywords.
  3. Make sure it doesn’t exceed 60 characters.
  4. The target keyword should be at the beginning.
  •  Meta Description

The small text snippet you see below the title tag/ clickable headline and URL is called Meta description.
 
An informative and to-the-point meta description containing the target keyword attracts more clicks. Consider these three important things while optimizing meta description:
  1. Make sure the text snippet is of less than 160 characters.
  2. Make the text snippet a short and specific overview of the content.
  3. Include the target keyword and relevant keywords.  

Semalt Copywriters Provide Search Engine Optimized Content That Ranks

This article explained why content is important for SEO and what all you can do to create search engine optimized content.

What if all this and more expert copywriters do? 

Expert copywriters at  Semalt not only take care of your content but also make sure that it tops the list of Google search results and generate user’s interest. 

Why Semalt?

Every business or website owner requires content for web pages, blog posts, social media platforms, how-to guides, and others.

If they hire a full-time copywriter, he/ she may not fit their budget. And, a freelancer might take a lot of time to create content. 

It creates confusion in the minds of most business or website owners, and they don’t understand what to do.

Well, it is not the situation to get confused but to think of the solution/ Semalt. The expert copywriters at Semalt make sure that all your content needs are taken care of precisely.

Sometimes while self-optimizing the content, people make small mistakes that affect their website’s ranking significantly. To avoid such experiences, you should hire Semalt’s expert copywriters.

Semalt + High-quality Content = You’ll be rich.