Website Content Writing And Optimization: How to Rank Higher On Google

by Jim Frost

July 4, 2022

in Blog, Content Marketing, Website Content

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Website content optimization is one of the most important factors of search engine optimization. But what does the content look like that search engines and readers love?

Website content optimization is part of search engine optimization. However, content, images, and videos on a website are not primarily aimed at Google and other search engines but are useful for human readers. However, what people like to read usually achieves good placements in the search result lists. The following article applies to website content writing & optimization factors: the focus is on the website visitors and customers.

Importance of good content for the website

Search engines like Google want to offer their users relevant search results that match the search queries. The content of a website must respond to how well it answers the searcher’s question. Quality content has become more relevant since Google first rolled out the Panda update.

High-quality website content primarily offers the readers added value. This means that they answer the specific question asked by the website visitor in as much detail as possible. In the best case, the content also deals with related questions that the reader was not even aware of. Good website content writing must also meet the other criteria:

Trustworthiness
Uniqueness
Adapted to the target group and objective of the website
Well-researched and expertly written
Contain no spelling or grammatical errors
Correspond to the expectations of the readers
Treat a topic as comprehensively as possible
Provide new, previously unknown information
Reflect on different points of view on a topic
Follow a clear structure

Consult TextProz Website Content Writing Service

Headings and subheadings (H1, H2)

Headings and subheadings are the most important means of structuring content. They show readers and search engines what the content is about and what points to expect in a particular paragraph.

The most important heading is the main heading, denoted in HTML with the <h1> tag. The main heading may be followed by a subheading <h2> if necessary. You can structure longer content with subheadings. More important than a certain number of words per paragraph is the content of the sections under a subheading.

It fits the purpose of the content
Also shows readers whether the content meets their informational requirement
It is short and pithy
The content is highly informational
It does not raise expectations that the content cannot fulfill

Headings should also contain important search terms (keywords). In the main heading, the main keyword is relatively at the beginning, subheadings alternately contain the main keyword, secondary keywords, and synonyms.

What exactly is content SEO?

A lot of search engine optimization is not rocket science, but unfortunately, it often sounds like it. The mass of technical terms overwhelms beginners and even some web experts. We explain the most important terms from the wide field of website content writing & optimization.

Looking for answers to your questions? Contact us today to get answers.

The body content

Headings give content its basic structure. The structure with lists, tables, and formatting such as bold or italic content also makes it easier for your readers to capture important content. Mark particularly relevant points in bold, you can use italic content for quotations.

The website content writing structure should follow the classic journalistic structure as far as possible: A teaser tears into the content and shows the reader what to expect. The first paragraphs answer the W-questions: Who? What? When? Where? & Why?

Short sentences are easier to grasp. The linguistic style should also be adapted to the purpose and target audience of the content. If the content is to trigger an action, also include a visible call-to-action button, such as “Buy now” or “Book here”.

Keyword density & Placement

When you think of content optimization, you usually think of keywords & placement. These are the search terms that searchers enter on Google and that should lead them to your company’s website if possible. If the search engines find the search terms entered on a website, they classify them as relevant answers to the search query. Website content should therefore contain all keywords identified as relevant, the main keyword must anchor the top of body content than the secondary keywords.

Many website developers still aim for the highest possible search term density or want to place a certain percentage of keywords in the content. That should suggest relevance. However, many keywords in the content quickly appear unnatural and offer the reader little information density. Search engines evaluate an above-average number of search terms in the content as keyword stuffing and thus as spam.

In addition, search engines today not only analyze how many keywords appear in content but also in which semantic content they stand. For example, they check whether the content also contains terms that are often searched together with the keywords. Readers should be able to find the websites with the greatest added value.

However, the term ‘frequency’ is not equally suitable for all types of content. Longer content can usually be optimized well with it, but it offers hardly any advantages for shorter descriptions. Factors such as structure, tone of the content, and calls to action are also not taken into account.

Website content writers who write content with the actual mind reader, using related terms and synonyms, usually automatically create optimized content for websites.

Negative criteria: Duplicate and hidden content

Negative criteria can lead to the website being devalued, after which it will have a lower position in Google search results and will be harder to find.

The main negative criteria include:

Duplicate content: Content that already appears word-for-word on another website or sub-page of your website.

Hidden Content: such as white content on a white background that contains a lot of keywords.

Neither duplicate nor hidden content offers website visitors any added value. Duplicate content should be avoided whenever possible. If Google recognizes duplicate content, the search engine first tries to find out which URL has the highest relevance for a search query. If Google suspects that duplicate content has been fraudulently copied, the search engine ranks the page lower in the search results pages. The website may even be removed from the index altogether.

Hidden content can now be recognized by all major search engines and evaluated as an attempt at manipulation. As a result, the subpage is penalized with a poorer ranking, or the entire website is even removed from the search engine index.

Image optimization

The perfectly optimized website articles are not as appealing as added images. The website content should therefore be added with at least one image. Websites with a meaningful mixture of content, images, and videos attract the most attention.

Images should be optimized just as carefully as the content. So that all browsers can display images correctly, use common image formats such as .jpeg, .gif, and .png. Equally important is the correct image size. The minimum recommended size is 300 pixels wide and 300 pixels high. Landscape (16:9) images work best with most website designs.

To avoid long loading times for large images, you should optimize the file size for the web. The optimal resolution is 72 dpi.

Also, assign three attributes to the image:

Image file name
Alt tags, or alternative content, that the reader sees when the image is loading
Image title that provides additional information on mouse hover

All three attributes should be assigned uniquely for each image. For error-free display, write the file name in lower case only, without special characters. Replace spaces with hyphens.

Whenever possible, the image is accompanied by a brief, descriptive caption. This should contain a relevant keyword. Search engines analyze the content surrounding images and extract keywords from that.

Optimize videos

Videos often rank well on Google. They also increase the time spent on the website. The same content-related criteria apply to good videos as to good content: They offer added value, suit the information needs of the website visitor, and are tailored to the target audience and the objective of the website.

You upload videos to services such as YouTube or Vimeo, for example, and link them to the website. Alternatively, you can also host videos directly from your website. However, check whether videos still run smoothly if they are viewed by many website visitors at the same time.

Give videos a unique, meaningful title. Upload the video to third-party providers, create descriptive content and assign keywords that contain relevant search terms.

Fresh website content

Search engines not only want to offer their users high-quality information, but also the most up-to-date information possible. Google, therefore, analyzes websites based on various freshness factors:

The release date
Number and frequency of updates
The frequency with which new subpages are added
Changes to relevant content
Incoming links from current websites

Google’s search algorithm uses more than 200 factors to rank websites

If a website regularly offers fresh, new content, it is more interesting for searchers in the eyes of Google. Accordingly, it can achieve better placement in the search result lists.

However, this does not mean that older content has to be continuously updated. A lot of content is static and changes little or not at all. However, you should look at frequently visited content from time to time and check whether all the information is still up to date. It is also worth creating an area where fresh content is regularly published. This can be a company blog, a news page, or a page with new guides. Of course, the content should fit the industry and orientation of the company as well as the intended target audience.

Shareable Content

One goal of search engine optimization is for the website to be seen by as many people as possible. It helps when readers share content on social media. Shareable content is, above all, current and exciting. Offers are particularly popular, but readers also spread helpful guides, tips & tricks, reports as well as pictures and videos on social networks.

You should make sharing as easy as possible for your readers. Integrate social media buttons on your website. By clicking on the corresponding button, readers post the page on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. This increases the reach of the website and generates social signals. Social signals are not one of Google’s ranking factors. However, if your content is seen on social networks, it will receive more attention, may be linked by others, and attract more visitors to your site.

Conclusion: This is what good website content looks like

Good website content writing is not primarily aimed at search engines but at human readers. Website visitors appreciate content with added value that offers them new, useful, and reliable information. Creating website content, images, and videos plays an important role along with the content.

However, content optimization is only part of search engine optimization. Other factors such as loading times, website structure, and the links that refer to your site also have a significant impact on placement in the search result lists.

You can get further insight into all areas of search engine optimization by contacting TextProz SEO writers and requesting a free analysis of your website.

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Jim Frost

Jim Frost is an experienced content writer with a decade-long experience in helping businesses grow. He has written multiple articles on topics such as business, finance, technology, marketing, and more.