Writing SEO optimized articles is a skill that can be developed.

Writing SEO friendly articles is the very first step before any other parts of SEO attempted. The learning process in SEO Writing can be tricky at first, but with consistent effort and seeking for a proper understanding of article writing service, you could progress from a novice to an expert churning out articles that could get more engagement and online traffic.

This article guides you through a few established steps that will enable you to write a SEO optimized article that will help you to rank higher in search engines. The very purpose of this article is to rank your website higher on Google and other major search engines and this can be served by writing SEO friendly content as one way of SEO optimization.

Before starting off, keep in mind that even the best-written content might become useless if people do not find your pages. So this guide will help you perform beyond the horizon with the least effort of your SEO.

Guidelines to Write SEO Friendly Articles

Now that you know why it is important to generate SEO Optimized Blog posts to enhance your business, let us get to the actual business of writing articles. These are a few of the tips that will stand you in good stead when you start writing.
  • Prepare well before you start
  • Create a structured format with a proper heading and sub-headings
  • Add the title that catches the attention of the user, including the main keyword
  • Use Headings in the correct format
  • Avoid using very long paragraphs. Short and crisp paragraphs are effective for readability
  • Wherever needed, add a link
  • Keywords are important but avoid overstuffing them
  • Know what questions are asked by users
  • Have clarity on the length of your article
  • Images and other elements have to be optimized

Prepare well before you start writing

The time that you spend preparing the materials for your article is very important. This is the stage when you have to conduct thorough research on the topic you wish to write about. Gather as much information as possible about the subject and then proceed to the next level.
Create a structured format with the Heading and Sub-headings

The next step is to create a proper template or structure for the post. The general rule is to start with the Title followed by the Introduction where you give a brief about the subject and then proceed to the Body of the article. This part contains all the points and guidelines that you wish to make and itemize the points that you will touch upon in the article. Below this, each item that you have itemized are explained in detail. The last part is the Conclusion where you summarise the key points discussed earlier. In effect your structure would look like this:
  • TITLE
  • H1 - INTRODUCTION
  • H2 - BODY OF THE ARTICLE
  • H3 - SUB HEADINGS FOR THE ITEMS
  • H2 - CONCLUSION
  • Add a catchy Title

A good title is a must for your post. The title should preferably be between 50 and 60 characters in length and should contain the target keyword. The title should reveal to the user and the search engines an idea about what to expect from the article and at the same time enable the search engine spiders or crawlers to search for fresh data and index them. The title tag is shown in the search engine results pages (SERPS).

Use Headings in the correct format

The Heading (H1 tag) and Sub-headings (H2, H3 tags) should be placed in a hierarchical manner so that it is easy for the user to read and understand the content. The general rule is that there is usually only one Heading (H1 tag) in the article and this heading could include your keyword. The Heading1 and the Title are usually the same; therefore, if the keyword is used in the Title, there is no need to repeat it in the H1tag. 

Avoid long Paragraphs, short is effective.

People generally do not enjoy reading long paragraphs. This is more so when they are browsing and going through blog posts. Current trends indicate that a majority of readers are using their mobiles to browse, it is, therefore, advisable to make it easier for them to read your content by shortening your paragraphs. Make use of small paragraphs and use all the formatting options like Bold, italic, underline, to keep their interest going.

Add a link to your old posts

When you create a post, it is a good idea to link back to your old posts. This will enable the readers to stay in your site longer and also enable the search engines to once again crawl these old posts. This linking adds greater navigability of your site and enables a reduction in the bounce rates.

Adding links to other web properties within your website comes with another benefit when done strategically. Linking to an existing post conveys a signal to Google that the linked page is important. In its technical term, the said act is called “Internal Link Building” which is a way that you tell Google which page(s) should be prioritized for its ranking determination. 

Keywords are important but do not indulge in keyword stuffing

Keywords have a vital role in optimizing your post. Let's face the fact. Your desire is to increase traffic to your website. The important aspect is identifying the right keyboard and this is something that you have to determine before you start your actual writing. This means you have to do a bit of research to identify them and place them in your post at the right locations.

To do this you have to first determine your target audience. This is your existing customers and the new set of people who could be your future customers. All this would ultimately depend on the niche market that you hope to enter. The people whom you will be addressing could belong to various groups with varying needs. You have to keep track of these differences and remember to create your keywords based on these facts. By doing so you can focus your content to attract customers whom you have not yet reached and also encourage existing customers to come back.

Some people resort to keyword stuffing with the intention of gaining undue advantage in search engine rankings. This is done by loading keywords into the meta tags of the web page, its contents or in the backlink anchor texts. Keyword stuffing is not only unethical; it has also proved to be ineffective. This practice is to be avoided.

Know what questions are asked by users

When you search for your target keyword through the search engines, it will show a section marked "people also ask". Identify these questions that relate to your article and answer them in your articles. This is an efficient way to ensure that your SEO friendly article answers the queries that people raise.

This is a follow-up to first identifying your target market. You should be ready with the answers to the questions that your customers are asking after going through your content. As you diversify into newer markets, the questions may change and you should be able to identify them and have your answers ready.

The Length of the Article has to be Optimized

You have to decide early about the length of the post you are going to write. This is important because only then can you have a clear understanding of what you plan to write and how much information you wish to explain. Studies have shown that longer posts have performed better in search. Longer posts receive more likes and get better reviews on social media.

This does not necessarily mean that shorter posts will not rank higher. Importantly, the quality of a post takes precedence over quantity. You have to understand that Google does not rank a page based on the number of words, rather it takes into account the number of links that point to that page.

Study other posts about a similar subject and take your decision. Ultimately, all the factors like quality and length of the post, usage of keywords, links added, and images incorporated will all affect the ranking of the post. 

Images and other elements have to be optimized

Adding color to the article enhances its readability and rankings. Incorporating images, infographics, graphs, videos, and statistical figures enhance the quality of the posts and make it more interesting to read.

Alt tag is the most important point for index ability when it comes to Image SEO. Basically Alt Tag AKA “Alt Attribute” is a HTML attribute applied to image tags. This acts as providing alternative information of an image for search engines in case the image is unable to be loaded. The practice of applying an alt tag to images is a recommended way for better image search engine index ability and more image search traffic because Google considers alt tags as giving a better user experience for image search users. Plus, alt tags provide better image context to search engine crawlers.

Lastly, don’t miss naming your image file as well before uploading. You’re recommended to give it a proper name with a keyword rather than a random irrelevant name like image1.jpg. This would also help with better rankings in Google image search engine.

Conclusion

Let us now briefly go through the process of writing good content for SEO.
Start the venture by spending adequate time in researching about the subject. Be clear in your mind about what you want to write, how much you want to write and most importantly what your goals are. Identify your keywords and place them in the appropriate location in the content.

By following the steps mentioned above you will be able to write good quality and engaging content that is SEO friendly. This is a prerequisite for search engine optimization. Writing content that ranks and resonates with your customers can result in higher traffic. This is what you are planning for and this is what you will get once you follow the SEO friendly article guidelines mentioned above.

Clear the doubts of your customers and get prepared for more doubts to crop up from time to time. Add color to your work by incorporating relevant colorful images, videos, infographics, etc. The going would be tough initially, but as you start becoming more skillful and adept at the task, you will be able to write good content and SEO friendly articles.