It’s no secret on-page SEO is a very important element of content marketing. Through strategically placed keywords, interlinking and value, you’re able to rank high within search engines driving organic traffic to your website. However, on-page SEO plays an even more important role because it tells search engines like Google what your content is about. These on-page factors help your website appear in the results when a search is triggered by someone else. I believe on-page SEO is more of a science then an “art form” because its not only about making your content appealing but about outranking your competition in the search results.
Over the years SEO has changed and continues to change. Google needs to find a way to stay competitive because other search engines are getting smarter. This involves Google continuously updating their search algorithm and adding new ranking factors which weren’t applicable before. This same philosophy applies to other search engines too because they need to remain competitive also. Secondly, content writers need to keep changing the way they view SEO (on-page) so they can conform to search engine standards. The good news is you have online resources which provide you a great source of information on what’s changing and how to implement the changes into their content writing.
Here are some ways you can tweak your On-Page SEO for the future.
Keyword Research
The elements of keyword research still remains’ as important as it was years ago. Without proper research you won’t be able to generate any relevant traffic to your website. With proper keywords in your content, you’ll generate the type of engagement you need to grow your brand and appeal to the right type of audience.
The most important change will be the elimination of thin content pages based on a variety of similar keywords. I’ll explain this in more detail later.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when doing your keyword research –
- Group relevant keywords together and always stay organized. By grouping them and adding them to a spreadsheet, you’ll be able to see which ones have been used and which you need to include.
- Research your competition based on the keywords you intend to use in your content. This will give you an idea into the type of content you should create. For example, if your competition has written text-format then maybe create an infographic or video. This will also give you an idea into what’s missing, so you can add into within your content to standout.
- Don’t forget to ask yourself what unique value you can offer that’s NOT available online. Remember, your main objective is to standout and create engagement.
The Things to Avoid
The purpose of your content is to provide value and answer common questions within your niche. Your content should guide readers to a complete solution with nothing but value. I often see content written for ranking high within the search engines and NOT for providing value. This will hurt your brand and lower your reader retention. For example, a reader will visit your website once to skim through your content, but if they don’t find the value they need they won’t return. So, how can you increase engagement and retention? Simple, you need to avoid the following –
Thin Content
What is Thin-Content? While it doesn’t exist until you make the comment mistake of splitting up content to rank individual pages. For example, many bloggers try to rank individual pages by splitting content based on keyword or keyword phrase. This lowers the overall quality of the content being written. It’s better to have a longer value piece of content full of different keywords then to have content based on a single keyword. Before this practice would be common and did very well however with the algorithm giving preference to value, it will do you more harm then good. Here’s why…
Each individual piece of content based on a single keyword will limit the value you can provide. This will not help the content rank high within the SERP’s. You’ll probably link this page to others on your website which will do the others harm too. My suggestion is to complete avoid think content going forward. Here’s what you should do instead –
According to moz.com –
“Google is clear that you should have a comprehensive page on a topic instead of multiple, weaker pages for each variation of a keyword.”
No-No Duplicate Content
This includes any type of content which has been copied and pasted from another domain. Even if this means you add some original content to the duplicate content to make it look like your work. Readers can report your content if they know it has been duplicated and this will get your red-flagged by Google. If you do use images or videos from another website in your original work that fine, however make sure you reference and/or provide the source.
Google understands there are many reasons for internal or cross-domain duplicate content. If this is something your doing, then please utilize the “rel=canonical tag” and point to the original content. In the end, nothing is like original high-quality content so make this your number one priority. I believe the difference between someone who write original content and those who copy is passion. If you love what your doing and the topics you select, then you’ll put 100% effort into creating something very special for your readers. A quick illustration from Moz.com on duplicate content –
Keyword Stuffing
An on-page SEO mistake which will ruin your content even if it’s original and full of value. Keyword stuffing will ruin the flow of your content lowering engagement. Google knows when there is a high ratio of similar keywords within your content so avoid this at all costs. Here’s what I recommend you should do when writing content and this is based on nothing but percentage 😊
First, gather all the keywords into a group as mentioned in the keyword research section above. Remember, you are creating one long value-based content which will be anywhere between 3000-3500 words. You should have no more then 2-3 target keywords and another 2-3 LSI (similar) keywords. Use the 1-2 percentage ratio for adding keywords. The keyword should be used within the content (depending on length of content) no more then 1-2 percent. For example, if your using the keyword “fishing equipment” then 3500 x 2% = 70. This means to use the keyword every 70 words within your content. I would make this an even number so make it every 100 words within your content gives you the chance to add your keyword.
The bottom-line when writing content is to provide value and this should be your main objective. Even though Google does look for keyword references, there are close to 200 other ranking factors so keep this in mind.
So, now that you have some things to consider in terms of on-page SEO, here’s what I suggest you do when writing content. 10x The Value Others Are Providing 😊
The 10x Value
When building your brand, it’s important you stand out and provide value that’s not offered anywhere else. You need to research keywords, your competition and do things different. You won’t be able to do what others are doing and expect to standout. There’s just too much of the same stuff online. I keep the 10x rule on my mind whenever I’m writing content and it’s allowed me to create some of the best content out there. It’s allowed me to get huge amounts of engagement and subscribers within a short period. The cool nowadays is that you have social media helping you build momentum. A simple share from the right people will cause a snowball effect driving huge relevant traffic to your blog. So, here are a few things to keep in mind when writing your content –
Don’t reinvest the wheel! You just need to make it better and learn from those before you!
Search the internet using your main keywords and view the results, especially, the top placements. Skim through the content and look at what they have done. Since they are at the top they must be doing something special. However, this also means you can add some magic to your content and outrank them. Create a list of what they are missing then get to work writing your content. Add some magic to your content with more value, images, videos, etc. Don’t focus on ranking but providing value. Once you’ve published your content, reach out to the same people who have shared your competitor content letting them know how you created something more updated. Ask them to share your content and comment. This is an amazing strategy to build your brand and engagement on social media.
Closing Thoughts
On-page SEO is very important when optimizing your content for search engines. But, it’s changing, and you need to keep up to rank successfully within the search engines. Even though ranking your pages and building your brand is priority, you need to stem away from this idea and focus on value. The recent changes within search algorithms focus on providing people with the most value possible. Gather your keywords, jot down your topic and start writing with value being your number one focus. 😊
