Creating Content that Ranks: Tips & Tricks

Oct 10

Digital experiences can sometimes feel like a maze. While the access to information that is facilitated by the internet is a privilege, it can also feel like the opposite from time to time.

When accessing so much information on a daily basis, we can get into autopilot. For example, have you ever asked yourself how much of that information stays with you for more than a few minutes?

So, what’s the use in making an impact on your visitors if it’s not going to be long-lasting? As an online business you need to go that extra mile to make sure that visitors will remember you.

What better way to do that than through great content? Visitors will come to your website for a reason, so by matching their search intent and offering them quality content, you are giving them what they came for.

Besides, the biggest possible SEO myth is that content creation doesn’t matter. You are creating content for people, not search engines. Although SEO is a 21st-century necessity, your readers don’t necessarily care about backlinks or keywords, they are interested in your content.

Not sure where to start?

Continue reading to find out what to keep in mind when putting together a content strategy.

Why Bother with Content?

Not only does high-quality content set your website apart from others in your niche, but it can also drive engagement and conversions to your website.

Additionally, creating valuable, informative content won’t only meet your visitors’ wishes, but will also improve your website’s performance in SERP (Search Engine Results Page).

If you still aren’t convinced that going the extra mile and focusing on content creation is worth it, read on to find out more about the benefits that insightful content can bring to your website.

Build a community: Producing informative content will enable conversations with visitors, as you can interact with them by answering their comments and questions. Creating a sense of community can eventually lead to customer loyalty and retention.

Increase website traffic: Did you know that content marketing generates at least 3 times more leads than outbound marketing while costing 62% less?

So, by producing top-notch content, you are attracting qualified traffic to your website. That said, the right audience is more likely to engage with your content and take desired actions (download, share, buy) on your website.

Emphasizes your brand’s authority: Insightful and valuable content can generate more backlinks and build trust. So, not only does this strengthen your brand, but it also boosts your search engine results.

Powers SEO: Although writing for SEO shouldn’t be the main focus, SEO without great content is like a house without a foundation. Besides, a search engine’s job is to answer user intent, and what better way to do that than through informative content?

Passes the test of time: If your content is well-written, updated over time, and complies with SEO, it can remain useful for your clients even months after publishing.

This type of educational content is called evergreen content and comes in lots of forms, from “how to” pieces to tutorials or lists.

You don’t need to write a Pulitzer-worthy piece for your content creation to be considered evergreen, you just need to produce valuable content that your visitors will find helpful in the future.

Gets shares: Your visitors are more likely to share content that has an impact on them. So, by creating worth-sharing content, you are making your brand more visible and increasing traffic.

How to Create Content That Ranks?

Only 37% of businesses have a documented content strategy, so it’s no surprise that “content marketing strategy” was the most searched query related to content marketing in 2019.

Having a content strategy aids the creation of top-quality content as you know what you should prioritize.

1. Know your audience

Before you start writing, you need to establish who your target audience is and what content they are interested in. After all, your audience must resonate with your content.

In this case, analytics reports come in handy, as they are the closest we have come to reading peoples’ minds. Thanks to web analytics, you can better understand user behavior while also breaking down their demographics.

For example, you’ll get insight into their age or gender, as well as into their interests.

These as well as the users’ bounce rate or average session duration enable the creation of buyer personas. A buyer persona or a customer avatar is a representation of your ideal customer.

An effective buyer persona will embody your customers’ characteristics as well as pain points or challenges that they face.

So, buyer personas will help you understand what kind of content your audience will resonate with, as well as how to market that content effectively.

2. Do keyword research

Keyword research is not only essential for understanding what people are searching for or what your competitors are ranking for, but also for generating content ideas.

That being said, once you have established what keywords your business can rank for, you can start planning your content. So, it’s easier to use keywords as ideas generators rather than write an article and try to fit them in after.

Other ideas generators are sites like Reddit and Quora or digital places where your audience gathers, such as forums or Facebook groups.

If you want to gain more insight into what generates engagement, search your main keyword and see what related searches generate the most views and comments.

It has become a common 21st century fact that using the right keywords will increase your website’s visibility and performance. So, you should treat keyword research as a necessity rather than an option.

3. Switch up your content

Did you know that 72% of American consumers prefer videos to learn about services or products?

Recording a podcast or a video is definitely more challenging than writing an article, but it will also be worth it.

Mixing up your content will differentiate you from your competitors. Besides, it will also make targeting different audiences easier as you are producing content that matches various preferences.

So, including video in your content strategy will have a long-lasting impact on users. In fact, studies show that viewers retain 95% of messages when watching a video and only 10% when reading the same information.

Although this doesn’t mean that you should give up written content altogether, it’s definitely a sign that you should experiment with different media types.

4. Write compelling & informative titles

Title tags will inform both users and search engines about your content. Besides, they also help search engines assert the relevancy of your web page.

Some things to remember:

Keep titles shorter than 60 characters

Include relevant keywords but avoid keyword stuffing

Use action words

Write different titles for each page

First impressions matter and headlines are the first things that users see. It would be a shame if people didn’t read your interesting article just because the title didn’t speak to them.

Keep content above the fold

Above the fold content appears near the top of your web page or blog. This type of content is especially important for organic search visitors, as they are offered what they came for without encountering distractions and having to scroll down.

Although Google doesn’t prioritize above the fold content anymore, placing content like this can help with user experience and social shares.

Check out our article on content above the fold to find out more about its benefits.

Start Creating Content for Humans, Not for Search Engines!

In this ever-changing digital world, it’s easy to forget your priorities. However, your customers are the heart of your business hence they should also be your utmost priority.

Creating content that ranks shouldn’t be the final aim. Instead, you should focus on creating valuable content that matches the users’ search intent and offers them what they are looking for.

Convinced that insightful content is the way to go, but not sure where to start? CadenceSEO may just be the answer you have been searching for. We navigate the latest trends and practices while prioritizing a customer-centric approach.