SEO, or search engine optimization, is a set of strategies to help websites become more visible on the web. Whether your website is in need of local SEO, enterprise SEO, or medical SEO, there is one common factor that works to determine the success of any website: content.
For anyone familiar with the SEO world and digital marketing, you’ve probably heard the adage that “content is king.” Over the years, as Google has changed their algorithm thousands of times, this adage is one of the few factors that remains true. If you have any interest in landing on page one of Google or other search engines, you’ll need high-quality and consistent content.
But how do we define “high-quality?” What exactly is Google looking for? While, like the algorithms, these qualities do change over time, there are certain aspects that remain consistent. Therefore, we could say that Google “likes” a certain type of content. Here, we take a closer look at how to write content that Google will love.
KEYWORDS
When users are searching for something online, they’ll use specific keywords to answer their questions or find the right product or service. Knowing which keywords your potential customers are using is critical for SEO success because you want to mirror this same type of language in your content. Perform keyword research to see which words are ranking and trending and work to incorporate them (naturally, of course) into your writing.
LENGTH
While the digital age may be notorious for shortening our attention spans, Google still prefers longer content to short blurbs. Why is this? In general, longer content has a better chance of providing a comprehensive answer and satisfying a user’s search query. It may even lead them on to other questions and help them expand their knowledge on a certain subject.
The ideal content length depends on the genre you’re working with. For your standard article, you want to hit at least 1,000 words in length. For longer forms, like a blog post, you’ll want to land around 1,5000 words. The more comprehensive your content is, the less need your user will have to go looking elsewhere.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should fill your content with “fluff” and unnecessary words. This will only serve to slow down the reader and leave your information more convoluted. Try expanding on a topic, adding more novel information, or approaching it from a unique angle to increase the length of your web content.
CONTENT ORGANIZATION
Google loves content that is effectively organized for the reader. Not only does this make it easier to process the content, but it allows a user to effectively navigate the content to find what they need—this is especially useful for longer genres of content like blogs. But what does an effective organization look like?
Use headers that incorporate key, ranking keywords to divide your content into subtopics or questions. Under each header, try breaking your content up into smaller paragraphs, focusing each on one key point. This makes your content much easier to read and process. Bulleted and numerical lists are another excellent way to break down your content and improve your overall organization.
READABILITY
Effective content organization plays an important role in making your work more readable, but there’s more to the equation. Readability refers to how accessible your content is to the average reader. While you don’t want to “dumb down” your content by any means, you should be strategic and accessible in the language and organization you’re using. After all, the purpose of your content is to help users and answer their questions.
The readability level of content is not a major factor in search engine rankings, but it will make a big impact on other important factors—many of which Google does care about. If your content is easier to understand, a user will spend more time on your site. This means a longer on-page time and lower bounce rates and exit rates, which are all factors search engines do take into account with their algorithms.
ELIMINATE DUPLICATE CONTENT
Let’s say you’ve got an amazing webpage or article—wouldn’t your first instinct be to copy and paste this content all over your site to make it as noticeable as possible? Google doesn’t think so. In fact, duplicate content is one of the most important things to avoid when writing quality SEO content.
Google and other search engines value quantity in addition to quality, which means that they want consistently fresh and original content. Duplicate content on a website looks lazy and unoriginal. Google wants diverse content that can answer users’ questions and provide the most relevant information or services.
WRITE WITH AUTHORITY
Google loves to EAT high-quality content. This acronym stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EAT). Quality content, in general, comes from quality sources, which is why search engines value writers and voices that know what they’re talking about. This is why, for example, you often see doctors or other healthcare professionals referenced in medical articles. As experts in their field, these are the voices (and information) you can trust.
Of course, you don’t need to be a professional in a certain field to be able to write high-quality SEO content. You can also reference professionals and experts by quoting them or by providing external link to their content. When including external links, you want to make sure you’re taking users to trustworthy content. Linking out to poor quality sites can drag down your quality. Look for professional websites and organizations when linking out. Sites with an .edu, .gov, or .org are strong candidates for external linking.
CONCLUSION – WHAT SEO CONTENT DOES GOOGLE LIKE?
For many companies looking to climb the search engine ladder, hiring an experienced digital marketing firm can be a very effective option. These professionals can optimize your website, and even develop high-quality content, to help your company reach the first page of Google. They know exactly how to tailor content to fit exactly what Google likes. Additionally, since Google is always changing its preferences through algorithm updates, these teams can keep up with the changes to ensure the long-term success of your website and content.