SEO Basics for Content Creators

First of all, what’s SEO?

SEO = Search Engine Optimization.

It’s basically using different strategies that help your business rank higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). For example, if you own a coffee shop that serves mainly college students, you’ll want your business to show up on the first page when students in the area search “coffee shops with free wifi”, “best coffee near me”, or even “late night study spots”. Some businesses pay to have their results listed at the top, but SEO strategists seek ways to do so organically in order to increase the quantity and quality of website visitors.

Below are a few fundamental strategies that content creators can adopt in order to improve their website’s SEO.

1. Create content that is useful and relevant to your target audience. This means that when someone finds your content, it will answer their questions, teach them something new, potentially entertain them, and hopefully generate enough interest to consume other content on your website. You can add value to your website by thinking of ways to create entirely new and UNIQUE content -or- take existing topics and make BETTER content than your competitors.

2. Incorporate effective keywords and phrases into your website and content, including your titles/headers. Set aside time to compile keyword lists for your particular business and content topics, taking into account each term’s relevance, search volume, and competition. Tip: Check out Moz Keyword Explorer for free keyword research help.

3. Think about quality over quantity. For long-term results, try producing quality content with keywords wherever they make sense, rather than attempting to post a large number of not-so-great articles filled with keywords. Always remember that your goal should be to bring value to your target audience.

4. Make fun visual and audio content, not just written pieces. An infographic guide on “How to Build a Fort”, a 2-minute video tour of a ski resort in Denver, and a list of “Top Ten Quarantine Movies” with corresponding GIFs are all examples of how to include or combine different types of content whenever it’s relevant to do so.

5. Gain a basic understanding of HTML. You don’t need to be a developer, but it helps to know a few basics. First, customize the HTML title tag and meta description tag: these are what show up as the title and description on search results. Both should include keywords and captivate users to click on the link. Next, use headers, including an H1 header (the title), H2 headers (subtitles), and H3 headers (only after H1 and H2). These will help search engines better understand what your content is about. And finally, use image alt text to describe your image. Since search engines aren’t humans, they rely on this text to know what the image is about.

6. Use internal linking. For example, in the middle of talking about topic A, you mention something about topic B, so you include the link to that other page about topic B. If the content you create is useful and relevant, implementing internal linking can increase the time that website visitors spend on your website. Search engines recognize this as something positive, which in turn increases your rank on SERPs.

7. Take a look at your URLs. Do they accurately and concisely tell you what the page is about? Keep this in mind for future pages, but make sure not to change any existing URLs - this is because these links will continue to show up on result pages, and if they’re broken, they will increase bounce rates and hurt your SEO. Also, remember to use hyphens instead of underscores, since that makes your website easier to read and, again, search engines like that.

8. Don’t expect immediate results, and stay away from any business that tries to offer you that. It takes time to move up on SERPs, and if you try rushing it (e.g., buy links from a scam website), the search engines will notice and you’ll get the opposite effect that you were trying to achieve. Instead, focus on creating an effective content calendar, staying up to date on SEO trends (which are always evolving), brainstorming unique or better content than your competitors, and consistently rolling out content that your target audience will value.

Keep in mind that there are several other SEO best practices and tools available. The strategies listed above are geared towards content creators in particular. There are also sets of strategies for website developers and designers, that focus on everything from optimizing page loading speed to designing a beautiful, easy-to-navigate website. The only way you can increase SEO in the long run is to create and sustain a great website; the whole experience matters, and valuable content is undoubtedly an essential component.