No content marketing strategy can be successful without content optimization. Content optimization allows the pages to rank higher in search engines, attract greater organic traffic, and build trust with the audience. Hold the audience’s attention, achieve greater social media shares and higher conversation rates are some more benefits.
According to one study, more than 90% of marketers use digital content to approach their customers. Using this digital marketing optimization strategy has shown to provide real search results. While the need for content optimization may sound overwhelming, content optimization is not difficult to achieve.
Let’s take a look at some simple yet practical content optimization strategy that lead to productive results:
Identify Content Optimization Needs
There is more than one way to achieve content optimization. Hence, before optimizing content, businesses need to identify their target keywords and keyword research. Finding these items will help to find the content you need to include in the blog for search engine optimization. Some pieces of content can include raising awareness of the business, marketing business services or products, achieving greater sales, etc.
The audience’s intent can also define content optimization needs. For example, the audience might want to know where they can find certain products or services. You can make recommendations for the best services or products.
Identifying the content optimization for your business can help apply a correct content marketing strategy.
Research Keywords
Adding the right keywords is one of the most important content optimization tips. Keywords searches can be based on volume, difficulty, trend, and long-tail searches. Adding difficult and long-tail keywords to the content can greatly optimize content for specific searches. On the other hand, selecting keywords based on volume and trends can lead to greater leads.
While adding keywords is essential for content optimization, stuffing keywords in content can make it read unnatural. Keywords should not stand out or read odd when added to any content.
Add Links
Adding links in content is one of the easiest content optimization tips. Links can be either external or internal.
External links refer to web pages outside of a business’s website. External links greatly increase the credibility of any content and hence its chances of achieving higher search engine rankings. It also adds value to the content by making it more relevant.
Internal links are links to different web pages within the same website.
Links can help visitors with the following:
- find more information about a business
- discover more about the business services or products
- navigate the business website
- stay on the business website for longer
- increase search engine rankings
- allow the addition of relevant pages to the content
Add Optimized Images
Adding images to any content makes it more aesthetically appealing and improves the user experience. Images, videos, and charts should all have alt tags to help with optimization. Be sure to use the correct image file type, adding an image title tags and description relevant to the content.
If you are using high-quality images and placing images strategically throughout makes it visibility appealing. Using different content types helps to break up the blog for easier readability.
Content such as graphs and charts can also greatly optimize content when presented as images. Images of graphs and charts also make a shareable part of content marketing strategy on social media platforms.
However, when adding images, the size of the images must allow for quick webpage loading. If small-sized images are not available try to use a software to reduce their size for quick loading.
Create Long-Form Content
Long-form content ranges from one thousand to two thousand words. While short-form content, i.e., content under 1000 words, provides the audience with short and quick answers. Long-form content contributes to content optimization in the long run.
Long-form content provides in-depth information about a topic. The audience will spending more time on the webpage and find all the relevant information they require. As the audience spends more time on the webpage, long-form content increases conversion rates.
Long-form content also allows for greater search intent of relevant keywords and images.
Utilize Header Tags
Headings allow breaking up the content into small, more readable parts. These smaller parts with relevant headings make it easy for audiences to skim through the content.
Headings and subheadings also make the content aesthetically pleasing, improve its relevance, and help it rank higher in search engines.
Enhance Content Readability
Adding keywords and images or making the content look aesthetically pleasing can be useful if the content is not readable. Content readability greatly impacts the time spent on a webpage, share rates, and conversion rates.
Writing simple, to-the-point sentences that are neither long nor short can enhance content readability. Short paragraphs, optimal use of headings and subheadings, active voice writing, and correct grammar and makes content more readable and optimized.
Meta Description Optimization
Besides the content body, meta descriptions also require optimization by using keywords, especially long-tail keywords. Meta descriptions can incorporate a call-to-action and a little taste of what to expect in the article.
Ideal meta descriptions are neither too long nor too short. They also avoid misleading the audience or bombarding them with too much information. This may be included in the featured snippets on search engines.
Don’t Forget the Title
The importance of writing a good title is equal to that of adding keywords to the content. Each is useless without the other. Writing titles that incorporate keywords seamlessly and are noticeable and clickable can greatly help optimize content.
Titles should also be short and to the point. Optimizing the title to present solutions, such as adding phrases like “how-to,” “best,” or “why,” also help.
Optimize URLs
Among all content optimization tips, optimizing URLs will makes the most long-lasting impact. Short yet keyword embedded URLs rank higher in the search engines. They further increase the chances of the user revisiting them by leading the keyword trail in the user’s history.
Optimized URLs also make for shareable content with greater chances of attracting new visitors.
Last but not least, content optimization for irrelevant topics can be futile. Hence, it is essential to stick to engaging content most searched by the targeted audience.
Depending on the industry, the engaging content can include some of the following:
- lists of top recommendations
- how-to posts
- news updates
- question and answer posts
- success stories
- educational posts
- case studies
- infographics
Interested in Getting Started?
If you need help with website content optimization then reach out to schedule an appointment. Get started today!
