Contextual relevance strongly impacts organic search rankings, but relevance requires words that are sometimes difficult to produce.
You have a subject to write and a blank page. You also have the writer's block, this dreaded mental paralysis that accompanies a clean sheet of paper or an empty Word document. Now what?
Contextual relevance is one of the key elements that determine search rankings – organic and paid. But relevance requires words, and words need inspiration.
As search engine marketers, we have access to many resources to help you. Here are nine of my favorites.
9 Ways to Break the Block of the SEO Author
Keywords of the search. The first way to break the block of the writer is to consult the basic tool for SEO: the search for keywords. Since search queries reflect the information that people want to know about and the products that they want to buy, it is a natural tool to consult when you are not sure what you are going to write.
Start with the main keyword you are targeting in your message and look for phrases and questions that you can answer. Layer long-tail keywords that are less research than the most popular terms. These can support the contextual relevance of your content, and create a more natural tone.
Search on Google. Content that ranks well is an excellent model for creating more content that ranks well. Look at the manufacturers 'descriptions and competitors' sites as starting points.
Never plagiarize, both because it's illegal and search engines will easily detect it and deflate your rankings anyway. But there is no harm in using content that others have written as a source of inspiration for yours.
Mimic customers. If your products are on the market, there is a good chance that consumers will have reviewed them, posted them on their blogs or mentioned on social media. Take note of how they describe things – the words they use and the attributes that matter to them.
Your business could use nifty marketing phrases, but if nobody talks about these phrases, it may be because this language does not sound. How do buyers talk about it? Mirror that language, at least to describe the smooth sentences.
Solve a problem. Imagine what your target customers want. So imagine how your product can meet that need. Consumers do not initially want the product itself; they want the benefit that the product brings.
A buyer may want a high-heeled shoe because it lengthens his legs and makes them look thinner. She wants a Bluetooth headset because she's tired of accidentally pulling headphones off the rope when she lifts weights at the gym. He wants a cup of coffee quickly without spreading wild boars everywhere.
Make an outline. List the main points of your story, then turn those thoughts into sentences and paragraphs. It's a great way to cover critical points and then organize them in a consistent order.
Do not consider an outline as the rigid device that was taught to you at school with Roman numerals and indentations required for each sub-thought (unless that helps you). On the contrary, think of it as an evolutionary notebook that contains your raw content.
Start small. Sometimes it's just helpful to get words on paper. Do not worry about writing perfectly or even spelling correctly. Write a shabby sentence. So congratulate yourself, grab a cup of coffee and get yourself to correct this sentence and develop it.
One of my colleagues who is a writer reminds me of "Say it square, then say it with flair." It is a tenant to write a strong advertising copy that we can borrow for SEO. Write something and optimize it for the target keywords.
Apply the voice of your brand. If you have written in a purely descriptive tone, apply the voice and tone of your mark to increase the words.
Slick marketing expressions are not necessarily negative. On the contrary, your content must represent your brand well or it does not belong on your site. However, to enhance the performance of natural research, one must always balance the trend of using abstract and fluffy terms with simple and accurate language.
Use an SEO content editor. Some companies have developed tools that allow you to write your content while following the optimal length and use of keywords. (Searchmetrics Content Suite is my favorite.) Essentially, the tools analyze the pages that rank in the top spots for a certain keyword, or on a certain URL, and extract the length of the text and the relevant words that they use to influence their rankings. Then they determine how close your content is to those criteria when you write it.
But watch out for content editors. Use them to write brand-sensitive, meaningful and unique content – rather than inserting all the recommended keywords. Do not over optimize. Create something that works for SEO and engages your target customers.
Consider an initiator of thought. In my experience, automatic content generators that take a phrase or URL and "write" related content are either barely veiled plagiarism devices, or they completely miss the mark – or sometimes both. But they could help as beginners of thinking for writing your own unique content. Remember my colleague's maxim: "Say it square, then say it with flair." Use the content generator to say square. Then rewrite it.