Key Takeaways:
"Searchable content is transformational. It puts you on the map as the source your readers land on for the wisdom they’re looking for." It’s the magic ingredient that can make or break your online success.
But here's the thing: There's more to the recipe than just throwing keywords into your articles and hoping for the best. "Crafting searchable content is a delicate balancing act between optimizing content and engaging readers."
You need the result to be strategic enough to land you at the very top of the first page of Google since they say that the best place to hide a dead body is on page two of Google.
Turns out, there’s some truth to that! Nearly 70% of all organic clicks go to the first three results. It’s not good enough to settle for first-page placement, it has to be high first-page placement or no dice.
At the same time, you can’t just throw reader engagement to the wind. Keyword stuffing is so 2004, and it’s the quickest way to lose your entire readership.
Today’s audiences are hard-up for time, and there are a million pieces of content competing for their attention. If yours sucks, they won’t read it, period. Not only does your content’s SEO have to kick ass, but it has to answer a relevant question in a way that makes sense and delivers value.
Here’s how to do that in five easy steps:
Keywords are the lifeblood of searchable content. Don’t create your content first and then try to jam in some hastily-researched keywords after the fact. Instead, do the keyword research upfront and use what you find as your building blocks.
"Pro tip: Simply searching on Google is one of the best ways to see what people are searching for." Start typing a related query into Google and see what it auto-suggests.
Pictured: The auto-suggest results for this blog post’s primary keyword.
Also, check out the “People also searched for…” section underneath all the search results.
Some other amazing keyword research tools include:
Don’t go ham, just focus on one or two keywords in each piece of content. Use them throughout the piece as well as in metadata items such as meta descriptions, title tags, and perma-links.
Google knows if you try to stuff your content with keywords. Search engines reward content that uses keywords naturally and dings content that goes overboard.
Besides the main content body, search engines look at the metadata blueprint surrounding it. That includes:
You should at least have your primary keyword in each one of these locations if you can make it happen naturally. Don’t force a keyword placement that makes your text sound like a robot wrote it. (Wait a second…)
When you Google something, the title tag is the text that appears in blue on top of each result. It’s the first thing readers and search engines see.
Pictured: The search metadata for one result. Note that you generally get credit for variations of a keyword, so “content searchable” comes up for “searchable content.”
A meta description appears underneath the title tag in a search result. It gives the reader a preview of what they can expect to see when they click on the link.
Even the URL slug you choose for your page makes a difference. Optimizing this to make it succinct and descriptive is your best bet.
The best content is easily digestible and segmented for the end reader. Headers and subheaders guide people through content easily by breaking it up into readable sections. Plus, these components help search engines make sense of your material and give it context.
Finally, the image alt text is a sentence or two that describes each image you use. It’s technically an accessibility feature so people with visual impairments can still get the full benefit of your content using screen readers. But if you throw a naturally-placed keyword in there, it becomes part of your SEO blueprint.
Use images to your advantage by including keywords in the alt tags and captions. Again, do this naturally, so it doesn’t sound forced. If it feels repetitive, try a variation of a keyword instead.
Be careful of image size as well. The responsiveness of your website matters to search engines, so if your pages take a long time to load because the image files are too big, you’ll be penalized.
It’s usually easiest to create a few image-size templates that you know work, so you can easily use them throughout your content.
In a search engine’s eyes, "every link to your content is like a vote. The more votes you get, the more popular you become".
Start by building a network of links within your own content. If you’re writing a blog that references information from an older blog, link to it. If you’re publishing a case study, and you have a relevant video on your site, link to it.
Linking to external content can also be valuable when done correctly. Adding data and statistics to articles can build trust with your readers and offer them a place to go for more information. Pro tip: Have these links open in a new window, so your website remains open.
Having other websites link to your content is the golden ticket. It validates your website and establishes you as a trusted source. You can do this by partnering with other companies, sponsoring events, and trading guest blogs with an influencer or organization in the same industry.
Even though most businesses investing a lot of time in content marketing are probably already aware of this, we’re going to say it anyway. Your content has to be mobile-friendly.
In 2015, Google updated its algorithm to heavily favor mobile-friendly websites. Not having a responsive design drives away visitors and potential customers. You have to provide visitors with a good experience and meet them where they’re searching.
if you're looking to transform your online presence and make your content searchable, you've got your work cut out for you. But don't worry, that’s where ContentBacon comes in.
At ContentBacon, our incredible recipe for creating tasty content starts with quality ingredients (like the expertise of a writer, editor, and strategist team). When you outsource your content to us, you get content that’s search-optimized and reads like you’re speaking right to the reader.
Talk to us about what you need and watch your searchable content soar!
Curious about how your existing content stacks up? Check out our Website Grader to get a quick picture!