As Bill Gates put it in his essay from 1996, “Content is King”. Fast-forward to almost three decades later, and wouldn’t you know it, content is still king.
In order to enter the king’s courtroom, though, you need to have the keys. Follow us, as we commence the journey through the halls, and the corridors, in order to find out…what are the keys to content optimization?
What Is Content Optimization?
The act of content optimization is applying SEO techniques to increase search visibility in the SERPs (search engine results pages), and ultimately reach wider audiences.
What Are the Keys to Content Optimization? 7 Strategies That Work in 2023
- Research the Best Topics and Keywords for Your Business
- Investigate the SERPs and Competition
- Write Great Content and Be Creative
- Optimize Your Titles, Headings, Meta Descriptions and URLs
- Cleverly Use Videos, Images, GIFs
- Build Topic Clusters and Use Your Old Content
- Connect Your Articles With Internal Links
1. Research the Best Topics and Keywords for Your Business
Before you actually start writing content, it’s essential to understand how to optimize your content. It’s not rocket science, but you need to have strong analytical skills to be able to properly decipher the data you obtain.
For starters, every business has one or a few main niches, so always keep that in mind when researching topics and keywords. You’re not Wikipedia (although having a Wiki page is great for business), so don’t try to answer every question on the Internet.
Instead, try to be a sort of mini Wikipedia within your niche(s). It’s no coincidence that Google’s E-A-T guidelines focus on being an expert, authoritative, and trustworthy source.
For example, if your business is about selling handmade toys, and you’re wondering what topics to write about. Type the phrase ‘handmade toys’ into Google, and start analyzing the SERP.
There is a handful of information to consider. First, you see a bar with specifications under your keyword: ‘cat’, ‘Disney’, ‘realistic’, etc.
All of these are not only subtopics but keywords as well. From first glance, you can see that “handmade toys” is a main keyword, and the rest “realistic handmade toys”, “handmade toys under $35”, and so on are also keywords. These other keywords, you can use to write separate articles, or optimize dedicated pages on your website.
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2. Investigate the SERPs and Competition
You continue to browse through the search engine results page, looking for ways to apply website content optimization.
You successfully manage to come up with several ideas for your blog, inspired by what competitors are doing, and the keywords you find spread across the page.
Good job. Don’t forget to also look at Google features like the People Also Ask box, related searches, and the autocomplete search. All these provide excellent insight into not only keywords, but also what users are searching for, or hoping to find more specifically, etc.
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3. Write Great Content and Be Creative
Nothing beats awesome content, written with creativity, knowledge, and storytelling. Always hire professional writers to do this job, instead of relying on someone who has never written, and is just good at the language, for instance.
What’s more, you can’t teach creativity, and that’s an important skill you want your writers to have. You see, when you present information to readers – be it about your product, a ‘how to’, or ‘what is’ topic related to your niche – it’s not just about presenting info, it’s about how you do it.
A dull, boring copy will not trigger any reaction from your readers. A great writer will always try to make things fun, and win the heart of audiences while educating them.
4. Optimize Your Titles, Headings, Meta Descriptions and URLs
When it comes to website content optimization, every detail matters. Your title, for instance, is usually the first thing people see when they’re browsing your website, or looking at a search result.
Often, it’s your title and meta description that play the deciding factor behind what result a user clicks on.
On the other hand, once a person opens your article, chances are, they will not read it from start to finish. They’re much more likely to scan through the content, and that’s where headings play their role.
If you haven’t put any meaning and keywords into your headings, and they’re just some random, unhelpful words, the effect won’t be the same. For example, which of the following headers would you say is more likely to be appealing If the topic is the “usefulness of domains”?:
- What Are Domains Used For?
- Domains Are Really Cool
Yeah, the second doesn’t really matter, nor provide any useful information, while the first is a straightforward indication that the following paragraphs will provide answers to the question.
Additionally, URLs are not without importance. The general rule of thumb is that you should keep them short and to the point, without any unnecessary information. Also, keep a good URL structure that makes sense, and is easy to follow logically.
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5. Cleverly Use Videos, Images, GIFs
Content is not just about text. Including images, videos, memes, GIFs, infographics, etc. is equally important.
Never forget that the average user attention span is just 8 seconds, so a boring page/article, containing only text will not do. Instead, being clever will greatly improve your:
- Average session duration.
- Bounce rates.
- Conversion rates.
- Relatability.
- User engagement.
6. Build Topic Clusters and Use Your Old Content
Building topic clusters, or pillar pages, is one of the high-end content optimization strategies. Topic clusters can immediately help you establish your authority on the given subject, improve your search engine results ranking, enhance your UX, and, of course, increase your revenue.
A good approach when creating pillar pages is to review your existing content. If you notice that you have older articles that can be semantically grouped into a cluster, then go for it. Give those old articles a nice update, and write a few new ones to complete any information one might be looking for on the given topic.
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7. Connect Your Articles With Internal Links
Internal linking is essential for users to be able to navigate throughout your website, and for Google to be able to index and rank your pages.
There is no rule on how many internal links a page should have, as long as they are useful. Still, do not overdo them, since it can become frustrating and confusing for users, if you have a link placed on every other word.
Your websites’ link structure should also be as easy to navigate as possible. Furthermore, it’s always good to run a broken link scan from time to time, in order to fix broken links.
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Wrap Up
So, at the end of our article, let’s summarize the keys to content optimization. First, make sure to conduct proper keyword research, observe what your competitors are doing, and never settle for anything less than perfect in terms of content.
What’s more, pay attention to how you craft your titles, and headers, and follow the best practices for your URLs. Always include internal links to other pages of your website, and think about creating topic clusters which will enhance your authority.
Last but not least, always try to make your content fun by using videos, images, GIFs, and so on.
Team DevriX
This article is crafted by DevriX's seasoned marketing team, boasting over four decades of collective expertise in crafting sophisticated marketing funnels, devising comprehensive content frameworks and pillars, implementing engaging email campaigns, and creating impactful social media content designed for scalability.
Our marketing experts specialize in the complete spectrum of inbound marketing strategies. As an accredited HubSpot Agency Partner and a Semrush Partner, we engage in meticulous research, blending our extensive experience with the unique insights of our highly skilled team.
We set benchmarks in content creation by incorporating cutting-edge marketing trends, leveraging in-depth industry research, and utilizing state-of-the-art AI tools for data segmentation and captivating content hooks. Our proficiency extends across a diverse range of sectors, including working with SMEs, Fortune 1000 companies, global B2B brands, major publishing entities, WooCommerce platforms, business directories, and affiliate networks.
