Tag Archives: seo content

10 fundamental qualities of effective SEO content writing

fundamental-qualities-of-SEO-content-writing

Effective SEO content writing involves writing content for the search engines as well as human beings. SEO content writing has some fundamental qualities. If you stick to these qualities, you experience a significant improvement in your search engine rankings.

With a big share of search engine traffic coming from Google, whenever we talk of search engines and SEO content writing, we normally assume its Google.

Over the years Google has evolved its ranking algorithm in such a manner that it isn’t just the the fundamental qualities of your written content on your web page or blog post that has an impact on your search engine rankings. Social proof of the quality of your content is as important as the content itself.

No matter how advanced the search engine ranking algorithms become, it is going to be very difficult for them to match human intelligence because human intelligence doesn’t just depend on mathematics and logic.

Human intelligence depends on past experiences, emotional biases and future expectations. So, when people access your content, when they view your content, an entire ecosystem of emotions, experiences and bits of knowledge is used to evaluate your content.

Effective SEO content writing takes into account all these factors when creating optimized content for your website. SEO content writing takes into account the needs of humans and the factual information that the search engine algorithms need to process the nature of your content.

Where is your audience coming from? What problems your visitors are trying to solve? What information they already have? What are their backgrounds?

SEO content writing needs to understand where your visitors come from

There can be hundreds of such attributes that can only be thought of by human beings, and only professional SEO content writing can achieve this feat.

Therefore, in its ranking algorithms, Google has incorporated user behavior also. So, no matter how great your SEO content writing is, unless it earns social validation, unless people react to it positively, it is not going to enjoy good search engine rankings.

Fundamental qualities of effective SEO content writing may include

  1. A compelling title
  2. Main keywords in the title
  3. Keyword and search phrases within the body text
  4. Focusing on a problem and its solution
  5. Quality of SEO content writing
  6. Ease of reading
  7. Linking to other internal webpages and blog posts
  8. Strategic use of images
  9. Formatting and arrangement of the text
  10. Length of web pages and blog posts

These fundamental qualities of SEO content writing may be described differently on different websites and blogs, but the underlying features never change.

Universal concepts of SEO content writing remain the same

I repeatedly say on my blog that there isn’t much difference between quality content and SEO content. Quality is of utmost importance.

The only thing that changes in SEO content writing is that you arrange your content in such a manner that it’s easier for the search engine crawlers to access the main part of the content, analyze it, and then rank it for the right keywords.

Below I’m discussing in detail the points listed above

A compelling title for your web page and blog post

Your title is so important that it has a direct impact on the rankings of a particular URL. Some people also call it the “headline”.

Why is your title important?

The concept takes its cue from the traditional printing business. Ever heard the phrase “screaming headlines”?

importance of headlines in SEO content writing

People used to buy newspapers and magazines after reading the headlines. If the headlines were not compelling or interesting enough, those newspapers and magazines wouldn’t sell.

On the Internet, people don’t click your link if you don’t have an interesting headline.

Whether your link appears in search engines or on social networking websites, it’s the headline, your title, that prompts people to click your link.

Your title is the promise you make to your visitors, of what you are going to deliver. Headlines and titles are so important that many SEO content writing services charge extra money for coming up with creative and optimized titles.

Main keywords in the title

Main keywords in the title in SEO content writing

In terms of effective SEO content writing, what does a keyword mean?

A keyword isn’t just a random word or expression to lure people to your website through SEO content writing. It is an expression being used by your prospective customers and clients to find you.

It’s important that your keyword phrase appears within your title or headline. People tend to click your link more if your hypertext contains a search term they have just used.

Keywords and search phrases within the body text – most important part of SEO content writing

Although a greater number of SEO experts discount the overall importance of keywords in the body text of your web page, they matter for effective SEO content writing.

Keywords and search expressions, when used naturally through SEO content writing, convey to the search engine algorithms what you are talking about.

If keywords didn’t matter, how would the search engines distinguish one link from another?

The use of keywords within your body text also keeps your SEO content writing focused. Writing SEO friendly content doesn’t mean going on a rampage with your keywords.

Just make sure you don’t overuse them. After a certain number of times, their appearance in your content writing begins to have a negative effect on your SEO. High quality SEO demands a judicious use of keywords while professionally dealing with the topic.

Effective SEO content writing means focusing on a problem and its solution

Why do people use search engines?

They are mostly searching for solutions to their problems. They are seeking answers to their questions. They are looking for opinions and reviews. They are looking for suggestions.

They want answers to their questions. They want solutions to their problems.

A quality SEO service knows that.

Are you solving their problems? When they visit your link, do they find what they are looking for?

Google has a way of finding whether you are delivering the promise you have made through your headline or not.

Web pages in the form of questions and answers, problems and solutions and lists of tips fare better on Google.

When people ask, “What do SEO writers do?” I tell them SEO writers convince search engines that they have exactly the answer people are looking for.

Quality of SEO content writing

Quality SEO content writing

The quality of your SEO content writing is as important as the keywords and search phrases that you use. In fact, the quality of your content is MORE important.

Effective SEO content writing these days involves writing optimized content as well as highly engaging content. Unless your writing is able to engage people, it is not going to enjoy higher search engine rankings.

Quality SEO content writing means

  • It is well-written
  • It is written in a conversational style that is easily understandable
  • It does not have factual errors
  • It delivers on the promise made in the title
  • It does not have spelling and grammar errors
  • It is unique and not a rehash of something published somewhere else
  • People feel encouraged to share with and engage with it
  • Ultimately, it convinces people into doing business with you

Ease of reading

SEO content writing and ease of reading

As mentioned above, your SEO content writing should be conversational and easily understandable, and this is one of its fundamental qualities.

Avoid using complicated jargon. Use simpler and shorter sentences. Use shorter paragraphs.

When you are writing SEO content, you are not aiming for a Pulitzer prize. You just want better search engine rankings along with creating engaging content.

This is not just important for your human readers, it is also important for search engine algorithms because when you use simpler language and a simple structure, it’s easier for them to analyze your content.

Many SEO and content experts recommend that you follow the Flesch–Kincaid readability criteria, though, I wouldn’t advise you to over-obsess with it. Just use your natural style.

The Flesch–Kincaid readability grade followers recommend that use a writing style that is easily understandable to a 6th-8th grader.

simple SEO content writing doesn't mean writing for dumb and dumber

Again, there is no need to over-simplify content because on many blogs I have seen people go to ridiculous lengths to create even single-sentence paragraphs.

Having said that, I sometimes use single-sentence paragraphs these days when I feel that a paragraph has said what it means to say.

Try to capture one thought in one paragraph.

When you are trying to find SEO writers for your SEO content writing job, make sure that your writers are not obsessed with their writing styles and understand your need.

Linking to other internal web pages and blog posts

This technically may not be a part of the fundamental qualities of effective SEO content writing. Linking to already existing web pages and blog posts on your website makes it easier for search engine crawlers to access an index content.

This also helps you avoid creating duplicate content. If there is a concept that you have already explained in another web page or blog post, why rewrite it? Using the appropriate hypertext, link to the web page of the blog post, instead. Linking to appropriate content within your website and outside of it, is an integral part of SEO content marketing.

For example, read this if you want to know what is SEO content.

Strategic use of images

Importance of images in SEO content writing

Aside from the cliché that “one picture is worth a thousand words” visuals actually help you keep your readers focused on your content.

Including images these days is an integral part of effective SEO content writing.

Most of the SEO tools advise you to maintain a particular ratio of text and images and if you don’t maintain that ratio, you get negative markings for your SEO score.

Formatting and arrangement of the text

Of course, text is important for meaningful SEO content writing, but you also need to make it easier for people to read and comprehend your content.

To achieve this, you need to format and arrange your text in a user-friendly manner. Most of the people will be accessing your content from their mobile devices. So, make sure that your content is easily readable on mobile phones.

Use headings and subheadings to organize various sections of your web page or blog post. If you need to list multiple points, use a bulleted list.

Also use the bold font type to emphasize in particular sections or words of your text.

Basically, make your text easily scannable. The information should be organized in such a manner that if a visitor simply goes through the headings, subheadings and the bullet points, he or she should be able to get the gist of your entire web page or blog post.

Length of web pages and blog posts

Google these days prefers longer web pages and blog posts. This is to weed out what they call “thin content”.

Longer web pages and blog posts are difficult to write and hence, they act as a deterrence for spammers and people who just want to create junk content to generate search engine traffic.

Try to write normally 1100-1500 words.

Does it matter?

My personal observation is, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. It depends on the sort of web pages and blog posts you are competing with.

Longer web pages and blog posts are preferred, yes, and they definitely have a positive effect on your SEO, but there is no need to go on and on if you have got nothing to say.

Remember that ultimately it is the quality of your content writing that makes the difference, not how long or how short it is. Make it relevant. Try to provide as much information as possible. Try to make it as comprehensive as possible.

So, these are the 10 fundamental qualities of effective SEO content writing. The way they are presented may change, but their inherent implication remains consistent.

Looking for a content writer for SEO? 20 qualities to look for

looking-for-a-content-writer-for-SEO-20-qualities-to-look-for

Are you looking for a content writer to improve your website SEO? Hiring the right content writer for your business website and blog is very crucial.

Need web content writer for SEO?

Although it is very easy to find a content writer for SEO on the Internet, in case you end up with a bad choice, you won’t just be wasting money, you will be wasting your precious time and you will also end up with lots of poor-quality content.

Before I discuss other aspects of choosing the right content writer for not just SEO but also for your overall website conversion rate, let me quickly list 20 qualities to look for before deciding.

20 qualities to look for when you are about to hire a content writer for SEO

  1. He or she should be a prolific writer.
  2. Must have excellent command over the language he or she is writing in.
  3. Your content writer should have very strong research skills.
  4. Having a strong social media presence is a definite plus.
  5. He or she should be a fast learner.
  6. Your content writer should know the intricacies of SEO.
  7. Your content writer should also understand your need for better conversion rate.
  8. He or she should understand and acknowledge the importance of quality content.
  9. Your content writer for SEO must have great proofreading skills.
  10. He or she should be aware of the concept of following writing style guides.
  11. Your content writer must be able to strike a balance between keyword optimization and high-quality content.
  12. Having his or her website is a great plus.
  13. Having his or her own blog that is regularly updated is a very big plus.
  14. He or she should have a great response time.
  15. Your content writer must be a great communicator.
  16. He or she should be able to understand your business needs.
  17. He or she should be able to write on vertically-focused topics.
  18. Your content writer must have a conversational yet impeccable writing style.
  19. He or she should have a very strong bias against plagiarism.
  20. Your content writer should be reachable through multiple modes – email, phone and instant messaging.

These qualities of an SEO content writer will ensure a steady supply of great-quality content for your website or blog for a long time.

10 tips on how to write SEO content for your website.

What is the greatest challenge businesses face, when looking for a content writer for SEO?

greatest-challenge-when-looking-for-an-SEO-content-writer

Accountability is the greatest challenge businesses all over the world face when looking for a content writer for SEO, or rather, a content writer for any other business writing need.

The problem is, very few business-decision-makers, especially those people who are controlling content marketing departments in various companies, are aware of quality content. When they are looking for a content writer, their primary concern is improving search engine rankings through the so-called “optimized content”.

So, when they see that a content writer can cleverly use keywords and key phrases within the content, they think that they should hire this particular writer.

This is not a clever decision.

Read Why hire Credible Content writing services.

If you are serious about content marketing and also about organically improving your search engine rankings, you should look for a writer who is more interested in writing quality content than simply improving your search engine rankings.

Without quality content search engine rankings don’t matter. No matter how great your SEO is, unless your content converts, the writing doesn’t matter.

Consequently, they go with ANY writer. When they go with ANY writer, more often than not, they end up with an unreliable SEO writer, and again, consequently, they end up blaming the entire expertise for their own decision.

I have personally seen that writers who don’t understand content writing are not reliable. They are providing their services simply because it’s easier to provide writing services on the Internet. For them, it is not a business. Their stakes are not high. Many are doing content writing when they are between jobs or when they have got nothing better to do.

It is always better to go with a content writer or content writing service that’s a business.

So, the biggest challenges that businesses face while trying to hire a content writer for SEO are:

  1. Not having a clear idea of what quality content is.
  2. Hiring wrong content writer due to the lack of a clear idea of what quality content is.

How can a trained SEO content writer improve your search engine rankings as well as conversion rate?

trained-SEO-content-writerAn SEO content writer should be aware of the following concepts while creating content for you:

  • How to do keyword research.
  • How to optimize your content for appropriate keywords and search terms.
  • How to organize your content for search engine optimization.
  • Possibly, how to help you promote your content.

Agreed, capabilities mentioned above require greater expertise than a normal content writer can provide you, but if you can get all these expertise from a single source, it will be good for your business as well as your SEO.

Why keyword research is important before content writing?

Thorough keyword research gives you a direction and keeps you focused. It also gives you a clear idea of for whom you will be writing your content.

Suppose you are selling study tables. Will people be just searching for “study tables”? No, they may search for terms like

study table for kids
buy study table online
small study table
study table home delivery
study table with chair
wooden study table
bedside study table
folding study table
study table with cartoon characters
animal shaped study table

… and so on.

If you want people using these search terms to come to your website (assuming you are selling study tables) then you will be optimizing web pages and blog posts using these search terms.

But then, getting people using these search terms to your web pages and blog posts will only benefit you if many among them buy study tables from you.

This is where high-quality content matters.

Whatever people are searching for, if they are not happy with your content, they will go back and look for another website.

Anyway, once you have a list of keywords, you know what content you need to generate. You know what questions you need to answer. You know what things to tell people.

This is why it’s very important to have as comprehensive as possible a list of keywords before you start preparing (or your content writer) SEO content.

A trained content writer understands your need to optimize your content for your keywords as well as have relevant, engaging content that turns visitors into customers and clients.

Normally, when people are looking for a content writer for SEO, somehow, they end up neglecting the conversion part. Remember that the conversion rate of your content is as important as its ability to draw targeted traffic from search engines.

SEO Writing And How It Improves Your Search Engine Rankings

SEO-writing-can-improve-your-search-engine-rankings

SEO writing is one of the most influential forms of writing on the Internet. Whether it is New York Times or your neighbourhood food processing factory trying to attract customers on the Internet, everybody uses SEO writing to draw search engine traffic.

Since the late 1990s search engines have been the mainstay of most of the businesses on the web. This is because 90% traffic, and even more, still comes from search engines, mostly Google. So, naturally, every business wants to improve its search engine rankings.

This Search Engine Watch article on the click-through rate on Google says that the CTR for branded keywords is 50% for the top result position (#1 rank) – CTR is like, if 100 people see the result in front of their eyes, 50 among them click it.

For the nonbranded keywords inquiries, the first position gets a 33% CTR. The second place gets 15% CTR. The third place gets 10% CTR.

Just imagine, if the CTR for the third place is just 10%, what the CTR must be for the remaining search results on the first page, and how low it must be on the second page.

Consequently, businesses want to use SEO writing to appear on the first page at least, and after that, to appear in the top three results.

want-to-improve-your-search-engine-rankings-with-SEO-writing

Read 10 SEO content writing rules you cannot ignore.

In recent years the concept of SEO writing has been redefined

In the initial days of search marketing, SEO writing mainly involved selecting your keywords and then creating lots of content around those keywords, with their various combinations.

Yes, the same thing happens even now. In fact, more than 80% of the clients that approach Credible Content for SEO writing services are merely interested in getting better search results for the keywords they think should be able to grow their business. To be frank, even at Credible Content it is our constant effort to cover all possible keyword combinations and search terms to make sure that we get targeted traffic (that converts) to our website and blog.

But that’s just a tiny part of it. I have personally observed that it’s not about optimizing your content for selected keywords. There might be many keyword and keyword combinations you think are important for your business but there are zero searches for them on Google. This fact can only be known by using specialized keyword research tools.

The point that I’m trying to make is, optimizing your content through SEO writing, though, is important, more important is creating engaging content. Your content should be able to inform your prospective customers and clients and help them make the right decision.

Read 10 tips on how to write SEO content for your website.

SEO writing and quality writing are interrelated

There is a newly-emerging concept called “Search Task Accomplishment“: does your link that appears in the search results help people accomplish something? If it doesn’t, it loses its rankings. If it does, it improves its rankings.

quality-content-writing-is-good-for-your-SEO

Suppose someone searches for the phrase “how to optimize my website?” and one of your links appears among the top three results. The person clicks the link, comes to your website or blog and after reading a couple of sentences, goes back to Google and searches again.

If the person does that Google uses it as a negative indication that the information the user was looking for wasn’t available on the link it was ranking higher for.

The user clicks another link and finds the information he or she is looking for. Google takes this as a good indication. It increases the ranking of that link and decreases the ranking of your link.

It shows that if your content doesn’t solve any purpose, even if initially it has good search engine rankings, those rankings are lost if other links have better information.

Hence, SEO writing, along with taking care of your keywords, also involves providing valuable information to your visitors. You should be able to find the solution your link promises to provide. If your website title misleads them into visiting your website you begin to lose your search engine rankings. Quality writing is very important for your search engine results.

How to use SEO writing to improve your search engine rankings

Here are a few pointers you should keep in mind if you want to improve your search engine rankings through SEO writing:

  • Do an unbiased keyword research: This is a new concept I am talking about on my website and blog repeatedly these days. You will be surprised to know, even shocked sometimes, that the keywords that you think is very important for your business, are not being used by your prospective customers and clients. Yes, zero searches for them. Make sure you are doing proper, unbiased keyword research before starting your SEO writing process.
  • Provide solutions rather than make claims in your titles: Remember the title is a very important. Your web page title or your blog post title appears as a highlighted hyperlink in search results. When people post your link often it appears as the biggest text in the update. Spend ample amount of time creating the most appealing and compelling title, preferably a title that offers a solution to a nagging problem. For example “Worried about your content quality? We can help.” Or “Suffering from very low website conversion rate? We have a solution.”
  • Creatively use your keywords in the title: Being creative can be very useful during your SEO writing process. You have to use your keywords, but you have to use them in such a manner that they should become an integral part of your SEO writing. It shouldn’t appear as if you are using them just to get better rankings. They should be a part of your conversation.
  • Focus on the quality of your content during SEO writing: When you prepare your first draft, don’t bother much about your keywords if it’s a problem. When I write content for my clients I’m so used to naturally using keywords and search terms that I can seamlessly use them during my first draft. In fact, all the ideas that come to my mind are wrapped around those keywords and search terms. But for you if this is a problem, first, just focus on the quality. Make sure that your content is compelling and it offers a solution people are looking for.
  • Strategically incorporate your keywords: When you have created your first draft, start inserting your keywords in sentences. Your keywords should appear, preferably, within the first 100 words, once. Throughout your text, you can use the exact phrase a couple of times and then use its various parts all over the text. You can also use the exact phrase within the headline tags but don’t overuse it unless there is a reason.

When I provide my SEO writing services to my clients – whether I work on the project myself or through one of my content writers – I make it clear that my primary concern is quality content. The writing should be of great value. We should be writing to serve your prospective customers and clients and not to hoodwink them into visiting your website.

Yes, keywords are important for your SEO writing, but they come later. They are important for your search engine rankings, but if you don’t have good content, they’re not going to help you.

Want to improve your search engine rankings? Looking for an SEO writing service that can help you improve your rankings and conversion rate holistically and organically. Let’s have a talk.

10 ways to find the best content writing/SEO copywriting service for your business

Looking for the best content writing and SEO copywriting services for your business

Looking for the best content writing and SEO copywriting services for your business?

Finding the best content writing service for your business is one of the most, in fact, the most significant part of initiating an effective content marketing strategy.

A big problem on the Internet is, although you can find lots of information, often it is very difficult to find the information you actually need, the information you can use to grow your business.

The same applies to finding the right content writing and SEO copywriting service for your business.

Whom do you hire?

How do you decide?

Sometimes a company looks lousy but delivers great content.

Sometimes a company looks great but delivers lousy content.

A great problem is you cannot find that out unless you have worked with the service provider for some time.

Content marketing, although is the strongest marketing tool available on the Internet, also takes its own good time to give you results and by the time these results manifest, it is a bit late to realize whether you should have hired this particular content writing service or not.

The same goes with SEO copywriting services. Any decent SEO effort takes anywhere between 4-5 months before it begins to show even small results (especially when you face lots of competition).

By the time you realize that you haven’t partnered with a competent SEO copywriting service, you may have spent lots of time and money.

Is there a sure shot way of finding the best content writing service for your business?

Is there a set formula that helps you find the best SEO copywriting service to improve your search engine rankings?

No, there is not. But of course you can minimize the chances of ending up with a lousy service.

What are the best ways to find the right content writing service  or the best SEO copywriting service for your business?

The best way of finding a content writing-SEO copywriting service for your business

The best way of finding a content writing-SEO copywriting service for your business.

Your business is unique, your customers and clients are unique, so your content requirements are also unique.

Why so much stress on being unique?

It is your USP – unique selling proposition.

This is what sets you apart.

With thousands of people offering almost the same sort of service or the same sort of product, especially on the Internet where one website is just a click away from another, how do your prospective customers and clients decide whether they should do business with you or with someone else?

You need to provide something that they cannot get from someone else or at least it is very difficult to get it from somewhere else, or at least, comparatively much more expensive, or whatever.

The thing is, there must be something that should draw them to you rather than to someone else.

Once this is decided and settled, let us explore some ways to find the best content writing or SEO copywriting service for your business.

The service – whether content writing or SEO copywriting – has a website

For a long-term business partnership this is a must.

Yes, you can find good content writers from niche business directories and portals, they are not very reliable because most of them don’t have much stake in being consistent.

Since most of these business directories accept listings for free or at a nominal fee, you don’t find very dedicated and serious people in these directories (I don’t intend to paint everyone with the same stroke).

Of course, if the very same people also have websites running legitimate businesses, things become different.

When a content writing service has a business website it means it is serious and it has invested time and effort establishing shop on the Internet.

The website looks professional

If they have a website, the website should look decent and professional.

It doesn’t mean it should be able to compete in design contests, but it should have a clean design with all the needed information available on the website.

The homepage copy should clearly explain all the services that are being provided.

There should be terms and conditions.

An FAQs is a must.

All the contact details must be available on a separate, dedicated page.

The SEO copywriting service also has a blog

What’s the use of working with a content writing service if it does not promote its services via content?

Most of my business comes from my blog.

My business also comes from LinkedIn and Google, but even traffic from these websites is drawn to my blog so that is the main attraction.

On my blog regularly sharing tips, guides and my thoughts on content writing an SEO copywriting..

Just imagine, a content writing and SEO copywriting service not being able to promote its own services through its own content.

There should be a business blog that is regularly updated.

The content writing service has a mailing list

This is because no matter what people claim, email marketing still rules the roost when it comes to promoting your services and products on the Internet.

500 people subscribing to your email updates are far better than 5000 people “Liking” your Facebook page or following you on Twitter.

So yes, a serious content writing service would obviously have a newsletter subscription box on the website and if it doesn’t, it isn’t serious about content marketing.

Every best content writing and SEO copywriting service publishes a newsletter.

Here, I’m using the superlative “best” as a category. I know there cannot be multiple best services.

It has a solid social media presence

Most of the world these days spends time on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn (just to name a few).

It is also a good way to attract people.

Want to find someone?

Want to find the best products and services recommended by people you interact with on daily basis?

There is a great chance that you will find its reference on Facebook or Twitter (or whatever social networking platform is in vogue when you are reading this).

Also, if the content writing service can be easily reached on Twitter you can get a response faster in case you have some problem.

Your best content writing or SEO copywriting service puts greater stress on quality than quantity

If you have quality content on your website or blog, your search engine rankings automatically improve.

So if a content writing and SEO copywriting service says that you should have lots of content to cover all your keywords so that your search engine rankings can improve, you are being shortchanged.

Of course you need to cover your keywords but that is secondary.

The first priority should be the quality.

The content writing service has a strict policy on plagiarism

Just because text is digitally present everywhere on the Internet it becomes very easy to copy/paste it and then slightly spin it to pretend as if you have unique content at hand.

This is what those $ 5-per-article services do.

It’s a sure shot way of nipping your content marketing strategy in the bud.

The service you’re planning to hire for your business must have a strict policy about how to handle plagiarism and how it controls its content writers in case it has multiple content writers.

Its content writing an SEO copywriting charges are reasonable

Actually what’s reasonable differs from business to business, but you can find out what the industry rates are and do the calculations accordingly.

As I have mentioned above, those $ 5-per-article services can wreak havoc with your content marketing campaign for your SEO strategy, but in the rarest of rare cases, they can also work to your advantage.

If your content writing service is charging pittance try to figure out how it sustains itself.

Take for example charging $ 5 for an article or a blog post.

If I charge you this rate, try to figure out how much money can realistically make.

Even if I write 10 articles or blog posts in a day I will only be able to make $ 50.

How much can I be worried about providing you quality content this way?

It also sends me a signal that if you desire cheap content then maybe you aren’t even interested in quality that much.

It works both ways.

You get what you pay for.

So if a content writing service or an SEO copywriting service charges a very low rate, always be cynical about their offer.

The charges should be reasonable from both ends of the spectrum.

It can scale according to your requirements

It isn’t always about how much content writing and SEO copywriting the service you’re planning on hiring can do, it’s also about how much content you need.

Perhaps you require 10 blog posts or articles everyday but your content writing service can only supply 2-3 at the most.

This deal is not going to work for you.

Similarly, if in a package they offer 20 blog posts every month but you require only 5, and they don’t have an alternative package for you.

Again, it’s a no-deal.

So you should look for a service that can scale according to your business.

Many businesses and individuals vouch for it

Recommendations and testimonials tell you that the agency has provided excellent services – services that have actually helped businesses grow.

Simply writing content doesn’t help much.

The content must be able to take a business forward.

It isn’t also just about improving your SEO.

Your content should also be able to improve your conversion rate and in fact, this is much more important compared to your SEO.

So if a content writing service has actually helped businesses, they will readily provide testimonials and recommendations.

Despite taking care of the above-mentioned 10 attributes that can help you find a content writing & SEO copywriting service for your business you can end up with a lousy service provider, but then this can happen in any industry, in any service and with any product.

Taking care of these 10 things will just reduce the chances of ending up with an inferior service.

How to write content for humans but optimize for Google and other search engines

The greatest objective of your content should be that it appeals to your human readers and provides them the information they need in order to decide in your favour (that is, when they seek something that you provide). But for many businesses, search engine optimization takes precedence over the relevance of the content they are writing. How do you create a balance? How do you make sure that you write content for humans but you optimize it for Google and other search engines? How can you make both the parties happy?

SEO chart that explains the entire process of SEO content writing

Can you ignore your search engine rankings?

There are many online marketers and in fact, even content writers, who will tell you that don’t worry much about search engine rankings because if you have great content, your rankings should automatically improve. Ideally, yes, they should automatically improve. But do they? No. We don’t live in an ideal world. In the world we live, there are people who can manipulate their search engine rankings and search engine algorithms can be manipulated. Not just that, you are constantly facing competition. Someone or the other is going to get better of you no matter how hard you try.

Sure, it is the quality of your content and the regularity with which you publish your content that has the biggest impact on your search engine rankings but optimization also plays a very important role, so you cannot ignore your search engine rankings if qualified and targeted traffic matters to you.

In his recent blog post the renowned online marketer Neil Patel has explained how you can create content that is both human friendly as well as search engine optimized.

SEO content writing to improve your search engine rankings

Neil says that in order to search engine optimize your content you first of all need to understand what all helps you improve your SEO, and the first stress he makes is SEO copywriting. Many content writers and content marketers are of the opinion that every piece of content that you produce and publish must have the ability to “sell” something. I have used quotes because selling doesn’t always mean selling products and services. You can sell an idea. You can sell an opinion. You can sell an action. For example, if you want people to subscribe to your newsletter, for you THAT is selling. If you want people to download your e-book, then that is selling for you. If you want people to click your ads than that is selling for you. When you are making people do something, you are selling to those people. So even convincing content writing is like copywriting. How do you convince people? By writing logically and convincingly, of course. So this automatically makes your writing human-friendly.

How do you make your content writing SEO-friendly? By writing in the language used by people who are looking for solutions rather than products. By actually using the words and expressions people use in order to find what you have to offer.

A peculiar thing about search engines like Google is that their crawlers and ranking algorithms study bits of text at particular locations. For example, your page or blog title must contain your keywords. It helps if even your description contains some combination of your keywords. Then, the algorithm also studies your first paragraph and checks for the appearance of the main words. It also looks for your relevant words in the headings and subheadings that you use while writing your content. The bulleted list also gets some sort of importance and also does the text inside the hyperlinks.

These are small things that are often ignored by content writers but they can make a big difference. The above-linked blog post also contains some tools that can help you significantly improve your search engine rankings. Do check it out.

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