An SEO-friendly blog should be two things: 1) optimised for crawler bots (the digital insects that inspect content for indexing) and 2) interesting enough to be read by humans. In almost every instance, what’s good for the bots is good for the humans.
Here’s what we’re covering:
Strategy. Strategy. Strategy.
Wanna write an SEO-friendly blog? You gotta have a plan. Brainstorm your main topic (or topics). Think about the potential subcategories. Not only will this kick off the creative process, but it also lays the foundation for blog structure. A blog optimised for search is greater than the sum of its parts. A key reason websites own a blog is to build topical authority:
“Topical authority refers to the level of expertise and credibility a website has on a specific subject or topic. It is determined by the quality and relevance of the content provided, the number of high-quality backlinks from other authoritative websites, and the engagement and interaction of users with the content.”
cODARITY
Creating a truly SEO-friendly blog requires organisation. Everything you write falls under a topical hierarchy, and each blog post interconnects with relevant content. This structured approach is achieved with pillar content:
“Pillar content supports all other content. It’s the broad topic that neatly arranges your subcategories”
How to create pillar content: The complete guide
Research. Research. Research.
Brainstorming your topics is one thing, but if you want your content to be found on search engines and cited in LLMs, you’ll need to conduct market research. Delving into searched-for topics gives you an idea of how popular the subject is (and if it’s worth creating lots of content). The free keyword tool, WordStream, is great for general research. Also, try asking ChatGPT what it thinks you could blog about.
Google is a free keyword tool. Yeah, it is. Take a peek at its People Also Ask (PAA) section:
The PAA reveals other search queries users have around your subject. And have you ever noticed that when you start typing into Google, it automatically displays suggestions:
You’ve guessed it, those suggestions are also previous searches, and they offer clues about the kind of content your audience is interested in.
Keywords aren’t just for blogging ideas. Every blog post requires a focus (main page) keyword:
“Keywords still matter to SEO coz they remain a ranking factor. The broad keyword assigned to your homepage is your website’s entry to organic traffic. As is any focus keyword attached to any web page. They’re absolutely a thing, and a thing you need to kickstart search engine visibility.”
Keywords still matter to SEO (for now)
Individual blog post structure.
User experience is the interaction between the user and your content. You want that experience to be a positive one. Blog post structure comes down to how well users navigate the content. When navigation is frictionless and important information is easy to find, your content is also a cinch for crawler bots.
Click-worthy titles.
Blog titles should hit the spot with the reader, and if they don’t fully answer the search query, users won’t click. Or they will, but won’t stay on the blog post for long. So blog titles need to fulfil the search intent, plus point to blog content that does the same.
Take a look at this snippet from the HubSpot blog:
The above is a page preview, AKA page snippet, from the digital marketing giant, HubSpot. SEOs don’t agree about snippet length (and some SEOs recommend NOT customising snippets). As an SEO and a user, I want to read the blog title in full. The blog post below, HubSpot’s (5 Tips for Writing Brilliant Blog Titles), can be read in its entirety, and so the user knows instantly what they’re getting.
Uncluttered is best.
A busy blog is a distraction. The content is the main attraction. Using GIFs, images, and infographics enhances user experience, but they can sometimes become intrusive. Break up content with white space. Avoid autoplaying videos and animations, coz if you bombard the reader, they’ll just leave.
Correct headings.
Crawling and indexing content is the goal for websites. Content doesn’t get found on traditional search engines (Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo) without those two things. Heading hierarchy is another structural element. Search engines use headings to understand page content. Just bolding a line of text doesn’t tell Google it’s a heading. Your website theme/template uses page headings (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6). A main heading introduces a new page (H1) or a new section (H2). Subheadings (H3, H4, H5, H6) make a new point that’s in keeping with the main heading.
Heading rules:
- Only one H1 heading per blog post (AKA blog title)
- The H2 is the only heading beneath the H1
- H3 headings live beneath H2 headings and so on
Skimmable content.
An SEO-friendly blog is skimmable. When you write long blog articles, include a table of contents. That allows the reader to skip to the bit they want. Use paragraphs. There’s nothing more daunting (or off-putting) than a wall of text. If the user can scan an article and get the gist, you’re doing a good job.
Explorable content
Keeping visitors on your blog is the aim of the game. You want them to stay a while because there’s other stuff to read. Internal links point to blogs and pages that are topically related. Add clickable descriptive words leading to relevant content or use descriptive CTA (Call To Action) buttons. Users and the bots must understand the content the internal link leads to. That’s why descriptive internal links win every time.
Finally, blog like no one’s watching.
Blog with confidence. That happens when you know the subject and the audience well. As you blog, your unique voice will develop. Be bold and don’t be afraid to share an opinion.
The reader always comes first. Always. Be as considerate to them as you would a cherished lover (cripes). No one else matters. Brilliant writing (well-crafted words that effectively answer a search query) is a huge part of building an SEO friendly blog. So if you’re planning to half-arse your blog, don’t get pissed when folks don’t stick around to read it. The burden of creating interesting, quality content lies with you:
“When you write engaging content, it can be funny and polarising, and anything you choose your content to be. But those things are the conduit for the message, a message that only your audience wants to ENGAGE with. Ultimately, the goal is to give potential customers a reason to say yes.”
Learn how to write engaging content
Article first published, 27th June 2024.
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One response to “Write an SEO-friendly blog that humans love to read”
Great article with a simple way to understanding the basics of SEO. I also agree with you on the thought that it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a lot of work but if we’re consistent, we can make our goals happen.