How to Develop a Content Strategy that Puts People First and SEO Second
When someone asks me about ranking for certain keywords, they’re typically unprepared for my answer. I start by explaining they need to identify and target the right long-tail keywords first and then, develop a content strategy that prioritizes people over search engines. Read on to find out why.
Writing content for people and not search engines is crucial because it ensures that the content is valuable, engaging, and helpful to the target audience. This approach allows you to create content that addresses user needs and interests, leading to improved user experience, increased engagement, and better search engine rankings.
By focusing on people-first content, you provide accurate, well-researched, and enjoyable content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords, improving your search rankings without sacrificing the quality of the content. This also helps build trust and credibility with your audience, as they view your brand as an authoritative source of information.
Additionally, writing for people first allows for adaptability to changing trends and user preferences, making it easier to maintain relevance and SEO success over time. By prioritizing people over search engines, you create content that resonates with your audience, leading to long-term SEO benefits and a more sustainable online presence.
How to Develop a Content Strategy that Puts People First but Also Works to Improve SEO
Developing a content strategy that prioritizes people first and SEO second involves focusing on creating high-quality, engaging, and valuable content for your audience while also ensuring it is optimized for search engines. Here's a brief explanation of how to achieve this:
Understand your audience. Research your target audience to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points. This will help you create content that resonates with them and provides real value.
Research keywords. Identify the keywords and topics your audience is searching for. Use tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find relevant keywords with decent search volume and low competition.
Create quality content. Focus on creating content that is well-researched, informative, and engaging. Use multimedia elements like images, videos, and infographics to make your content more appealing and shareable. (For professionally-written original, quality content, click here right now.)
Optimize for SEO. While creating content, ensure it is optimized for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords, using proper headings (H1, H2, etc.), and adding meta tags. However, avoid keyword stuffing and maintain a natural flow of language.
Prioritize user experience. Be sure to prioritize user experience by ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, loads as quickly as possible, and has easy navigation. High-quality content and a positive user experience can lead to better engagement, lower bounce rates, and higher rankings on search engines.
Promote your content. Share your content on social media platforms, engage with your audience, and collaborate with other websites or influencers in your niche to promote your content and reach a wider audience.
Monitor and improve. Regularly analyze your content's performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. Identify areas for improvement, update your content, and learn from your successes and failures to refine your content strategy.
Remember, the key is to strike a balance between creating content that is valuable to your audience and optimizing it for search engines. By following these steps, you can develop a content strategy that prioritizes people first and SEO second. Now, let’s get on to how to identify your target audience and the keywords and produce content that rings true with people.
How to Identify Your Target Audience and Find Keywords to Create Content that Resonates with that Same Audience
Identifying a target audience and finding keywords to create content that resonates with them involves a mix of research and understanding the audience's needs, desires, and pain points. Here's a step-by-step process to help you achieve this:
Define your niche. Start by defining the specific niche or industry your content will focus on. This will help you narrow down your target audience and create more relevant content. Analyze Competitors. Study the content and keywords used by your competitors to understand what resonates with your target audience. This can provide insights into the type of content that is likely to be successful.
Create audience personas. Develop detailed audience personas based on your research. These personas should include demographic information, interests, and pain points. This will help you create content that addresses the specific needs and desires of your target audience.
Monitor social media and forums. Keep an eye on social media platforms and forums where your target audience is active. This can provide valuable insights into their interests, questions, and concerns.
Test and iterate. Experiment with different content formats and keywords to see what resonates best with your audience. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to track engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly.
By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to identifying your target audience and creating content that resonates with them using the right keywords. Remember to always be open to learning and adapting your approach based on the feedback and engagement you receive. Next, we’ll explain how to optimize your content to pique interest while also improving search optimization.
Best Ways to Optimize Content that Piques Readers' Interest and Also Boosts SEO
This sounds daunting and it isn’t easy, but it can be done. To optimize content that both piques readers' interest and is optimized for SEO, you should consider the following strategies:
Use clear, compelling headlines. Craft headlines that are both SEO-friendly and compelling. Include your target keyword in the headline and make it attention-grabbing to encourage clicks and shares.
Optimize your content structure. Use proper headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) and subheadings to break up your content and make it easier to read. Include your target keyword in at least one heading.
Add visuals and multimedia. Incorporate relevant images, videos, infographics, and other multimedia elements to make your content more engaging and shareable.
Optimize for mobile. This bears repeating, even when practically every platform is mobile-friendly, some still do not have this capability. So, ensure your content is mobile-friendly, as more and more people access the internet via mobile devices. Use responsive design to provide a seamless experience across different screen sizes.
Improve readability. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and numbered lists to make your content easy to read and digest. Aim for a readability score of around 6th-grade level using tools like the Flesch-Kincaid readability test.
Include internal and external links. Link to other relevant and high-quality content on your site (internal links) and reputable external sources (external or outbound links) to provide additional information and context.
Encourage social sharing. Include social sharing buttons on your content to make it easy for readers to share your content on their social media platforms.
By following these strategies, you can create content that both engages readers and ranks well in search engine results. If you need help writing content that contains the right mix of headings, an optimized content structure, and is easily readable, we’re here to help. Click here to get the content you need.
The Most Effective Strategies to Promote Content to Grow an Audience
To effectively promote content and grow your audience, you should consider implementing the following strategies:
Content strategy. Develop a consistent content schedule, including a mix of authority posts, inspirational posts, giveaways, and long-form content. This variety helps maintain audience interest and engagement.
Community strategy. Engage with your audience through livestreams, free evaluations, and building a community. This fosters a sense of belonging and encourages loyalty.
Audience building. Focus on helping people by providing free content that addresses their pain points and networking with your audience. This approach builds trust and makes it easier to monetize your products or services later.
Encourage content repurposing. Make it easy for your audience to share your content on their platforms, which increases your content's visibility and reach.
Paid advertising. If you have the budget, use platforms like Google Ads and Meta advertising solutions to boost your content's visibility and reach more people.
Email marketing and social media promotion. Use your email list and social media channels to notify subscribers and followers about new content, encouraging engagement and sharing.
Content syndication and public relations. Share your content on third-party sites like Medium and get your content featured in media outlets and publications to tap into new audiences.
Remember to be patient and consistent in implementing these strategies, as building a loyal audience takes time and effort.
