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SEO content agency – your questions answered

Learn the secrets of creating SEO content

42group is one of the UK’s leading SEO content agencies and as a result, we get asked lots of questions about what we do, how we do it and how much it costs. We also use Google and know people with these questions there, too. Here we’re going to provide some answers to the most commonly asked SEO content agency questions.

How much do SEO agencies charge?

We can’t answer this question, because we’re not an SEO agency. In our experience, SEO agencies operate several different models. Some charge a monthly fee, others deliver work on a project basis and others don’t do anything at all.

Our recommendation is to speak to several companies and understand what’s included in their SEO offer and what isn’t. Be sure to get several quotes and speak to the agency owners to ensure there’s a shared vision for your project and clear and achievable outcomes all backed by a realistic budget.

What does an SEO blog cost?

This is a good question, and the answer depends on a range of criteria. First off, a generic blog of average length (say 500-750 words) could cost as little as £75. You can probably get a 1000 blog post for £100. That’s for non-specialist topics where research isn’t essential. On the other hand, if you’re working on highly technical content (say about medical devices, taxation or engineering, for example), you should expect to pay more.

Ultimately, with SEO – as with anything – you get what you pay for. It’s unrealistic and unfair to expect people to work for low fees. The result is too often poor-quality content that won’t have a positive impact on your readers, reputation or ranking.

What is an SEO agency?

An SEO agency is a professional company that exists to help your website improve its search engine ranking position. How they achieve this depends on the agency, but there’s a mixture of on-page improvements, off-site work, content production, syndication, link building and black magic. (OK, ignore the last one.)

What is SEO content?

SEO content is written content, such as blogs, articles, whitepapers, Q&As and more, that is designed to help improve your website’s position in search engine results pages (SERPs).

The content itself is written with an expert eye and keen appreciation for the power of keywords. That’s something we cover below.

While the explicit reason for SEO content to exist is to help improve your website’s ranking, it should always deliver value for your readers. Write for your audience, not the algorithm.

How much do SEO content writers charge?

You can find content writers who charge as little as $0.01 per word and those that charge £500 ($600 approx.) per day. In some cases, you’ll find writers that charge in excess of that.

Is that fair, reasonable and realistic? It all depends on what you’re writing about and who you’re writing for.

Do SEO agencies write content?

Most SEO agencies don’t write content. Instead, they’ll often outsource it to content marketing partners, freelance SEO writers, or SEO content agencies – like 42group.

This can be a great thing. It means that you get high-quality content written by experts. But not always. Some SEO agencies try to cut costs and corners by outsourcing to content mills, cut-price freelancers and other writers who just won’t deliver the quality you need.

The worst thing is that the content you post onto your site won’t have a positive impact on your ranking. In fact, poor-quality content could be damaging your website.

The solution is to find a freelance writer or an SEO copywriter that can deliver the quality and consistency of content that you need. Yes, you’ll need to manage two contracts, but that’s much better than wasting your cash on an agency that won’t deliver.

Is SEO content writing worth it?

Do you want your website to rank on search engines? If the answer is yes, then you need to invest in content. If you have the budget, you can of course invest in PPC ads. These can get you straight to the top of search engines, but that position isn’t earned – which means it’s unsustainable.

SEO content plays a vital role in building your website’s ranking, creating and sustaining an audience and ultimately driving your company forward.

When it comes to business, we know that cash isn’t unlimited. You need to weigh up whether SEO content (or SEO in general) is going to be the best use of your finances. We’re huge fans of SEO obviously, but getting results takes time – and if you need immediate sales and profile, then consider PPC alongside, or even instead of, SEO. When you’ve got the capital in place you can invest in SEO.

How much content is needed for SEO?

There is no hard and fast rule here. There used to be a thought that the more content was better, but you’ll find some of the biggest brands out there content pruning – editing, optimising and even removing content from their sites that doesn’t add value or engage the audience.

If the content is old, outdated and inaccurate, then it’s good to go. In fact, if you’re keeping content that’s just plain wrong, then remove it from the site.

Google Analytics and Search Console can provide you with in-depth information on what content is performing well on your site and what isn’t. As content strategists, we can work through this process with you, helping to identify content that performs and doesn’t. We can then build on this, using this to inform our strategy and focus on creating content that helps to build your brand.

What is the 80/20 rule for SEO?

The 80/0 rule isn’t etched into stone, it’s a basic guide that 80% of your content should be about providing insights and adding value to your audience and the other 20% should be promotional.

This is a good rule to keep in mind when creating content but you can be flexible. This post, for example, isn’t a huge promo for 42group, but we can showcase our work a bit. Overall, we believe that by demonstrating our comprehensive knowledge of SEO content writing, we’ll inspire you to get in touch if you need to.

You can choose to ignore the 80/20 rule if you want. Basically, the principle here is not to promote your business, service or solution too much or you could risk upsetting or (even worse) boring your audience.

Can too much content hurt SEO?

Good question. Content is a powerful part of an SEO strategy. How? You can find you have several pieces competing for the same keyword. This can send out confusing signals to readers. In rare cases, you can find your site attracts a search engine penalty (OK, a Google penalty) which can negatively impact your website’s SERP.

Instead of continually churning out the same stuff, focus on finding new ways to engage the topic. Use keywords, long tail keyword searches and other search engine tools to find high-value, low-competition keywords and target those.

How many keywords should I use for SEO content writing?

Another good question. We recommend having a single keyword as the top target for each piece. This one, for example, is all about SEO content writing. Within that you can use permutations (content writing for SEO, etc). Alongside that you’ll find other keywords to enter the content, including SEO copywriting, SEO blogging, SEO article writing and so on.

One of the biggest issues we see among SEO content writers is the use and over reliance on SEO writing tools. These provide guidelines on not only SEO keywords and permutations but other keywords and some key phrases to include in the articles. This can be beneficial to learners but an over reliance on these content tools can lead to the creation of junk content that’s not readable and adds no value.

Resist the temptation to slavishly follow these tools and instead, trust your skills as an SEO content writer (or if you’re not a writer, as a reader).

Does word count really matter for SEO content?

There’s a difference of opinion here. Some people say that word count doesn’t matter but in our experience, it really does. We find that blog posts should be at least 1000 words long and, ideally, between 2000-2500 words is the sweet spot for a good ranking.

Obviously, you should let content dictate word count and avoid the temptation to pad or add words to reach some word count target. 

Can content be too long for SEO?

Not really. Content word count should be dictated by the subject matter, complexity and how comprehensive you want to be.

Instead of trying to find a magical formula for SEO success, just write what you need to and have confidence that the best quality content will end up on top. (Doesn’t always work because Google is fallible, but only focuses on what you can influence.)

Are too many keywords bad for SEO?

Yes. You should narrow down your keywords and focus on one or two that really will add value to the reader.

What should be avoided in SEO content writing?

Where to start? Firstly, the biggest issue we’re facing at the moment is AI. People are using AI to generate content at-scale and it’s simply not going to deliver sustainable results because it adds no value.

Secondly, we see poor quality content being produced by writers, SEO companies and others. Things like keyword stuffing can see your precious content plummet down the SERPs.

What else? People pay SEO agencies cash for junk content and then wonder why it doesn’t work. Oh, and SEO agencies “optimising” content without understanding the implications of their changes. (Basically, taking clear content and translating it into SEO bullshit.)

What is the biggest problem with SEO?

SEO is a process and part of your business growth. It’s not a single solution that will deliver everything. Unrealistic expectations of what SEO – and SEO content – can achieve are a huge issue. Companies need to understand successful SEO is a long-term process that takes time and should be considered as part of a digital marketing strategy and approach.

The other problem is companies putting their faith – and investing cash – with terrible SEO agencies. This is a harder one to fix and, if we’re honest, reflects the current state of the industry.

Does repeating keywords help SEO?

Simply repeating SEO keywords over and over won’t help your search engine ranking. In the end, the best way to approach SEO content is to take out the SEO focus and instead just write in a way that adds value to your audience.

Think audience first, second and third and (if you’ve got any focus left) think about SEO.

When should you not use SEO?

Fiverr, chap freelance writers or the SEO content writer your agency recommends (unless it’s 42group).

Does punctuation matter in SEO keywords?

Are you one of those people that capitalises email addresses? Sorry, bad joke. Anyway, punctuation does have an impact on SEO but it’s properly technical. Read more here.

Do SEO keywords need exact order?

In the past, the Google algorithm was a simple (well, relatively simple) tool. Today, it can assess your pages on a whole range of factors, including relevance and readability. This is a long way round to say that no, you don’t.

Instead of trying to be smart with SEO keywords, just write normally, intelligently and coherently and you’ll be fine.

Does adding alt text improve SEO?

Yes.

Does adding tags help SEO?

Yes.

Does including pictures of cats help SEO?

Possibly. Incorporating media, like images, infographics and embedded videos and animations – can increase engagement with your content which can improve SEO.

Have any more SEO content questions?

You can send your SEO content writing questions to us at: hello@42group.co.uk. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have on SEO content, SEO copywriting, SEO website writing and more.

Searching for an SEO content partner?

You’ve found them. 42group is one of the UK’s leading SEO content and copywriting agencies. Contact us today and we’ll help you transform your business and grow online through engaging and inspiring SEO content, all delivered on-time and within budget.

Get in touch today.

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