This post is sponsored by Sameweb. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the sponsor.
Did you know this More than 90% of web pages are not receiving organic search traffic from Google?
How do you make sure your pages are seen and ranked on Google?
Your ranking in Google’s SERPs has an enormous impact on the amount of organic traffic your website gets.
If you don’t keep the search objective or high-ranking keywords in mind, they won’t appear high on the search results pages.
That’s why it’s so important to optimize your content based on Google’s guidelines, so you always stay on the good side of it.
Should you create content with Google in mind?
Yeah.
By following Google’s existing rules, you first create user content that works – and vice versa.
Let’s explain.
SEO professionals know that in order to rank well on Google, it is necessary to play by Google’s terms and understand its rules.
And with a complex set of guidelines, the potential for new additional penalties, ever-changing algorithms, and a shift toward user-first content, it can be hard to keep up.
Fortunately, several new Google guidelines have been put in place to make sure that your content is user first.
By following recommended best practices and policies, you are creating exactly what Google wants – user-first content.
So, how do you create content with your readers, and therefore Google, in mind?
How to avoid traffic-mitigating, profit-mitigating manual labor penalties?
To keep your content fresh and high performing, you first need to know what bad content practices to eliminate and what best practices to follow so that you can stay in the good Google Books.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of the do’s and don’ts of creating content that Google will love.
1. Get rid of thin content. Create only high quality content.
Google underestimates the value of using Poor contentand scraped content and keyword stuffing, which can cause your content to rank lower on SERPs.
On the flip side, making sure your content provides rich, meaningful, and actionable information can help improve your rankings.
In short, it is important that your content has clear value to the reader and meets Google’s standards.
One way to do this is to eat your content.
Use EAT to measure the quality of your content
No, not literally (although I’m sure it’s delicious). EAT stands for Experience, Authority and Trustworthiness.
EAT consists of the qualities Google looks for in content creators to ensure their content is up to par.
Basically, the best way to make sure you meet Google’s standards is to create and leverage content like this:
- useful to the target audience.
- Created by an expert.
- It comes from a reputable source.
- It is updated regularly.
The best way to do this is to have a voice Content marketing strategy that is founded on data.
2. Understand your expertise. Be truthful, accurate and comprehensive in YMYL Content.
Not all content is arranged equally.
When determining search quality, Google places extra emphasis on the legitimacy of pages as untrusted content can have dire consequences.
Google refers to these types of pages as your money or your life (YMYL), which poor quality content may have serious reader implications.
What topics are included in YMYL content?
YMYL content includes topics such as:
- News.
- government.
- Legal information.
- financial information.
- online shopping.
- health resources, and more.
Google also puts it in a file Research Quality Evaluator Guidelines“We have very high standards for evaluating page quality for YMYL pages because low quality YMYL pages can negatively affect a person’s happiness, health, financial stability, or safety,” and are therefore heavily monitored.
If you are creating or profiting from YMYL content, it is important that you be doubly careful about the quality you offer there.
By ensuring that your content meets EAT standards, you should be able to avoid penalties related to sensitive topics.
3. Conduct and act in accordance with repeated competitor analysis.
In order to outpace the competition, it is crucial that you keep an eye on what they are up to.
The better you understand your competitors’ content marketing and SEO strategies, the more likely you are to be able to successfully create content that competes.
You should perform frequent content audits in order to compare which strategies and keywords perform best, and identify steps you can take to improve.
How do I do competitor analysis for content marketing?
Tools like Digital Marketing Intelligence for Similar Webmake it easier Monitor your competitors so you can determine their search strategy and determine the results of their tactics.
With Keyword search In particular, you can see which paid and organic keywords your competitors are using and identify untapped opportunities.
You can also monitor search trends across your industry and target the right keywords to drive traffic.
4. Consider user intent and customize content to user needs.
Earlier, we noticed that user experience and Google’s guidelines go hand in hand.
As you scope your competition and research new keywords to target, make sure you pay attention to user intent.
By matching the user’s intent, or the user’s needs while searching, you can create a great user experience for the user, and that’s what Google wants its search engine marketers, content creators, and SEO professionals to do.
How do I think about user intent in search engine marketing?
A good user intent match means a good user experience, which is a win in Google’s eyes.
In 2022, the goal of effective search engine marketing (SEM) is to satisfy a user’s intent in as few clicks as possible.
By optimizing your content with search intent With this in mind, you can improve your SEO and create a seamless user experience.
Take a look at some search intent signals and keywords to guide your strategy:
Image created by SameWeb, Mar 2022Don’t forget that by optimizing your content with long-form keywords, you are more likely to meet customers’ needs.
You can check out the content that ranks at the top of the SERPs for inspiration and try using the same strategy.
Conclusion: EAT & User-First Strategy Makes Content Right for Google
To stay on the good side of Google and have a successful search strategy, you need to consider a variety of factors when creating content.
Make sure that the value you provide to users is clear (Google will know), and that you follow your competitors’ strategies (because Google will, too).
By creating content optimized in line with Google’s preferences and guidelines, you are one step closer to creating powerful, high-converting content that will make you an authority in your industry.
Before you know it, you’ll be swept by the SERPs – and we look forward to seeing you there!
Create a successful content and SEO strategy
Optimizing every piece of content with an SEO strategy can make a huge difference in the quality and amount of traffic your site receives for free.
Following these guidelines will give you an edge over competitors.
Want to learn more about keyword optimization and SEO strategy?
Check out our step-by-step guide.
Image credits
Featured image: A similar image for the web. Used with permission.
