Write relevant blog posts by understanding user intent
Optimizing content for SEO keywords is a common approach to driving inbound traffic. However, as Google's search algorithm gets more advanced, the smart approach is to being by understanding the user intent.
User intent goes beyond the words the user types into a search engine. Instead, it focuses on the purpose behind the query. In other words, "what is the user hoping to find?"
It takes a step-by-step strategy to understand the user's intent and fulfill their need. The steps include:
- Analyze competition to find content.
- Understand where your business currently has authority and how we can build on it.
- Leverage existing content to make better recommendations for new content and optimizations.
Look for opportunities to introduce quizzes in blog articles
Quizzes are incredibly effective at generating leads and engaging your audience. People love quizzes. They can get visitors to engage with your content, and they are also very sharable, potentially bringing more people to your site. You can create interactive quizzes with tools like Typeform.
Add the first snippet of the article on the top above the fold
The term "above the fold" goes back to the age of newspapers. The content must be visible even before the newspaper is unfolded to grab the reader's attention. Now, the fold refers to the point where a user needs to scroll down. If you can't catch your visitor's attention right away, they may never scroll down to see the rest of your content. So, give them a sample of what is to come by adding a snippet of valuable content that is visible right away. This text will help engage readers and encourage them to scroll down and continue reading the article. In addition to user experience, content above the fold massively improves your article ranking because Google prefers content near the top of the page.
Leverage the table of content for longer articles
For longer-form content, adding a table of contents is vital. Web visitors like to scan content quickly. If they don't see what they are looking for right away, they may move on. The table of contents allows readers to see the main topic headers right away. If something catches their attention, they can skip right to it.
Add article schema
Schema is data you can add to your blog to create a rich snippet of enhanced descriptions that can help users find your content on search engines. This is a great way to make your pages look better in search results. It can even help social networks understand your content. Even better, blogs with schema consistently surpass peers that don't include this structured data, even if the other blogs have higher domain and page authority. You can use Merkle tools to auto-generate article schema and add it to your project.
Optimize your image's alt-text
Alt-text is an HTML attribute that describes an image and will appear instead of the image if it fails to load. It has the added benefits of improving your website's accessibility and making information about your images available to search engines.
There are a few things to keep in mind when optimizing images.
- Rename the file to include your primary keyword
- Keep alt text short
- Describe the image content as accurately as possible
- Don't include phrases like "image of" or "picture of."
For example, for the following image found on the FAQ page, a possible alt text would be: 'Man in white crew neck t-shirt holding black dslr camera.'
Write a proper meta description
The "meta description" is the name for that short snippet Google shows about a page's content on their result pages. If you fail to include a proper meta description, Google will choose what it thinks is relevant text. So, by adding the meta description, you can control what users will see about your site when it shows up in search results. That can be the difference between someone ignoring or clicking your link.
Add call to action
We use the call to action (CTA) to guide visitors and customers toward a specific goal. This goal is usually for the person to purchase a product or service, make a reservation, signup for a free trial or newsletter, or download a free resource. Implement a CTA in the article to increase your number of engagements and conversions.
Add breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are an extra navigation tool that helps users understand where they are within the overall content of a website. This feature gives them navigation options other than the back and forward buttons. This makes navigation easier and allows visitors to move quickly around the site. These breadcrumbs on every page also help search engines index your website.
Include the date and estimated read time
Date and estimated read time can both help to engage readers, increase the amount of time spent on your site and decrease bounce rate. If you keep your blog content updated, you want users to know it right away. So, be sure the publishing date is at the top of your posts. Also include an estimated reading time. Studies have demonstrated that showing the estimated reading time decreases bounce rates and increases the reader's amount of time on the website.
Add sticky share buttons.
When visitors share your content, you get free promotion and more traffic. So, make it as easy as possible for users to share. Including share allow readers to share your content without leaving your website. Sticky share buttons have the added benefit of always being on screen as a reminder to share the content no matter where the user scrolls on the page.
Add newsletter form
The simplest form of conversion you can encourage on your website is newsletter signups. Don't make this call to action difficult to find. Instead, add it in the middle and end of your article to increase your numbers. Once you start collecting email addresses, you can automate with tools like Zapier and connect to Mailchimp to build relationships and drive revenue and growth.
Include keep reading thumbnails at the end of the article
If a reader finds your content interesting and valuable, you want to do everything possible to keep it on your website. Including "keep reading" thumbnails is a simple way to get visitors to engage with additional content they may be interested in.
Add a scroll indicator
To get people to continue reading your content, you want to give them every possible tool to help. Progress indicators help readers know how far they have already scrolled and how far they have left to go. This type of feedback is proven to keep people interested and engaged with content.
Ebda can help
If you're looking for help to optimize your website and get it to rank, Ebda can help! Contact one of our digital marketing experts and learn more about our process and how we can help.
