
SEO article writing (or SEO blogging, if you want to give it another name), is the process of creating content that helps you to improve your search engine ranking. SEO articles are a core part of an effective SEO strategy and the logic is, the better your SEO articles, the better your ranking. Want to write better SEO articles? We can help
In this guide to SEO article writing, we’ll explore the reasons why content is still king, how you can write better SEO articles and why you might want to work with an SEO blog writing agency like 42group.
If you’re an experienced SEO blog writer some of this stuff might be a bit simple, but stick with it, there’s probably value here for you. If you’re searching for an SEO article writer for a project, contact us today.)
OK, ready to start? Let’s explore why content is critical to SEO…
Why good SEO articles rank better
Remember when you should just write SEO article writing a hundred times, add a few permutations, buy a few links and – hey presto – your article was ranking well? We do. (That’s because we’re old.)
SEO used to be a numbers game. More links, more posts, more keywords, etc. Today, Google uses much more sophisticated techniques to analyse the originality, authenticity and authority of your content. The purpose of this is to ensure that only the highest quality and most relevant results show up in search.
If you’re pumping out endless pages of AI-written awful content or paying $5 for a post from a non-English speaker we’re sorry to tell you that you’ll never secure a sustainable position.
You might see a bump, bounce or instant impact but over the long-term, your content won’t deliver a solid position.
Google has published it EEAT guidelines about what it considers to be good content. Does it always get it right? No. Is it improving? Yes.
Better content can help you in several ways. It can attract more visitors, result in higher conversions, and lower bounce rates.
What about bad SEO articles? They can have a negative impact on your site. Firstly, you’ll see high bounce rates. You’re also not providing value to your visitors (or Google) and the signs will be pretty easy to spot, meaning a previously high-ranking article can easily slide down the SERPs.
Worse still, publishing poor quality SEO content further debases the internet. The last thing we need is yet another Ultimate guide to, well, anything.
How can you tell the difference between good SEO content and bad SEO content? We’ll show you.
How to spot GOOD SEO article writing
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it provides some pointers on how you can spot a well-written SEO article with a good chance of ranking. (You can’t guarantee anything in SEO, with some articles succeeding and others being ignored, so treat these as broad principles.)
- Pre-reading SEO checks: Before diving into the article, skim it. Do the titles make sense? Are they clear, logical and progressive? Do they follow the thought process a reader/client/customer would follow? Are there any spelling mistakes?
- Does it answer a question? You can sit on your bed like Carrie Bradshaw with your legs up writing an indulgent post if you like, but successful SEO copywriting is goal-driven. When you read you need to assess if the article
- Intro & opening: Does the opening sentence grab you? Does it give you confidence you want to read further? One of the biggest rookie mistakes is creating a boring, unclear and unfocussed intro. The best SEO writers ensure that the intro contains pretty much everything. It sets the scene, provides an insight and promises more if you read further. It’s also clear from the title and the introductory paragraph what it’s all about. If your SEO articles don’t do this, they won’t rank as well as they could.
- Originality: The worst thing you can do (but the easiest for SEO writers) is to copy from others. As a client, you’ll want to ensure your article (on whatever subject) is fresh, original and new. How? Check out the top five SERPs for your given keyword. So many SEO writers use assistants to try and help them write SEO content, but the result is endless derivative articles that are structured identically. This won’t help you to rank but hinder it. Avoid. A good SEO article comes across as fresh, confident and clear.
- Authority & authenticity: You want your business to be bold, and your content must be too. Check the tone of voice and ensure your SEO articles speak with authority. The best SEO articles, blogs and content clearly and establish why you’re the voice to listen to and why. This is done in a subtle way early to build trust.
- Creativity: The best SEO articles are creative. They find new ways to tell old stories. They find great ways to bring concepts to life. Some SEO writers love to use storytelling techniques. (Others like to be plain old simple, direct and a little dull but we’ll get to that.) Whatever you publish should be fresh, engaging, original and creative.
- Leave technical stuff to SEO experts: It can be tempting to judge article quality on the technical stuff, but actually, this stuff is less important than the stuff above. An SEO expert can help you optimise titles, add internal and external links, include CTAs, write a great title and meta and all that other stuff. This won’t have much of an impact if your SEO content is bad.
How to detect BAD SEO article writing
Bad content is easy to spot for experts – and it’s easy for non-experts, too. How? Think like a customer and trust your instincts. Modern SEO content is action-oriented. That means someone is coming to apiece of content to learn something, answer a question or gain an insight. If the content helps them to do this and adds value, it’s worth publishing.
AI-detectors use analytical techniques to spot the quirks, tricks and idiosyncrasies of large-language-model created content. But you don’t need this. Just read it. I reckon that, given the chance, a human reader could detect AI-generated content with around a 90% accuracy. Your BS filter is strong, so trust it.
Here are some signs of bad SEO content:
- Keyword stuffing: Classic rookie error. Writers try and stuff keywords (and different permutations of keywords) throughout the article. This may have worked in 2005, but today is just bad.
- Content written for computers not customers: This relates to above and again, is easy to spot. Content that’s mechanically written, shows no personality, warmth or empathy, won’t rank as well as conversational content that engages a reader personally. Spot it, strip it out and don’t publish it.
- You’re bored: Love, hate, despise, adore… We can have emotional relationships with content. The worst reaction to elicit is boredom. If you find your content boring, imagine how your readers will find it?
- Content isn’t authentic, confident and clear: Experts can normally sum up complex concepts clearly and concisely – and so should SEO writers. Bad SEO content is lengthy, complex and rambling.
- Long sentences: This is another sign your SEO writer is struggling. Mult-clause sentences can work, but for SEO, shorter (not simpler) is better.
- Writing like we’re friends: Creativity can capture the attention but an overly friendly tone can put off readers and algorithms. If I’m reading a blog about how to bleed a radiator, I don’t want to be your friend or learn about why your brand is passionate about radiators, I just want to know where to get the key, how far to turn it, how to capture the water and what both valves do at the bottom.
The most effective way to assess if your SEO content is good quality or not is to publish it and see how it ranks. That, of course, has its inherent risks – so don’t do it.
Let’s show you how you can create an SEO article that will help you to rank.
Step—by-step guide to SEO article writing
SEO article writing isn’t a science, it’s an art that involves a bit of science. (A lot of science if you’re writing about science, of course.) We’re going to try and give you 10 pointers about how to write better SEO articles. Let’s see how we get on:
- Start with a question: Too many SEO articles are based around what a business wants, or to put it another way, a demand. (I want to get to the top of page 1 in Google for SEO copywriting, for example.) This is the surest way to create poor SEO copy and content. Instead, think about what someone interested in SEO copywriting might be searching for. (A guide on SEO article writing, perhaps? We couldn’t possibly say.) Google searches are solution-oriented and ask questions. If your content provides answers, you’re already going to improve your ranking.
- Provide keywords, links, sources and suggestions: But steer clear of dictating a structure, section content and more, based on existing competitor content. This is a common problem with SEO articles (and many SEO agencies, too). They use assistants like SEMrush to provide article outlines without considering the point above (answering questions!).
- Write for clarity, not word count: The best – and most effective – SEO content answers questions clearly and effectively. Sometimes, that can be achieved in 250 words (or even less). Labouring the point to achieve a word count isn’t a great SEO strategy.
- Research, research, research: And then do some more research. The best SEO content is written confidently and clearly. That only comes from knowing your subject matter inside and out. Whether you’re writing about radiators, railways, radiation or real-estate prices, research will give you the confidence to create great content.
- Use keywords and key phrases sparingly: This is a classic mistake many writers make. They use an AI-assistant that tells them to use a key phrase a specific number of times. Why? Computer told me so. This is so utterly pointless it shouldn’t need pointing out. There is no magic number of keyword mentions that will help you rank. It’s all contextual. Don’t keyword stuff or attempt to shoehorn in a key phrase where it’s not needed just to satisfy some stupid system.
- Write for customers not computers: There is no magic method to game Google, so don’t try. The best content engages readers, answers questions and offers value. Do that and you will rank well.
- Build up progressively: Knowledge is built in layers, with each stage on top of another. This is how the human brain works and your readers are humans, right? There’s a more serious point here about applying a logic to the structure of your work that’s positive to SEO.
- Be creative, clear and conversational: This is contextually relevant, but online SEO articles aren’t textbooks, instruction manuals or technical documents. Unless you’re dealing with serious subject, be serious. But for everything else, aim to introduce a bit of personality, colour and character. This will not only improve the readability of your article it’ll boost SEO, too.
- Use storytelling techniques if you want, but focus on answers: The storytelling brand phenomenon is great and it works, but it can lead to some unfocused and poor ranking content. You want to take your readers on a journey, but this should reach its destination quickly. (Basically, don’t waffle on, get to the point.)
- Edit for readers not ranking: SEO copywriters love long posts, but if you’re aiming for word count at the cost of clarity, that’s a problem. The edit process is vital, so build this into your processes. When you do, approach content like your audience would and cut out anything that’s irrelevant.
We can’t tell you that following these rules will make you an expert SEO copywriter (sorry) but they should provide some focus to your SEO article writing. If you’re a client or customer commissioning SEO articles from a blogger or agency, these are some of the things to consider and, if you need to, support your writer with.
Why work with an SEO article writing agency?
Do you have over 20 years’ experience creating blogs that rank online? Have you helped some of the UK’s largest and most loved brands boost their search engine rnaking position? Do oyu have strong internal processes to brief, create, edit and optimise content?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, then you are me.
If you want to work with a leading SEO copywriting, SEO content and SEO article writing agency contact 42group today.
SEO article writing questions answered
Here are some SEO copywriting questions (as generated by Google!) answered by us as a shameless way to improve our search engine ranking, win more business, buy a nicer car and upgrade our next flight to premium economy.
What is an SEO article writer?
An SEO article writer is (or should be) a skilled an experienced writer who can crete content that engages audiences and provides clarity for algorithms. SEO bloggers regularly produce content for websites to help them grow online.
How much does an SEO writer cost?
You can pay an SEO writer as little as $5 to create content for you. An average cost is around £100 per 500-750 word blog post, but be prepared to pay more for longer posts or those on specialist subjects.
What are SEO articles?
If you’ve read this far, do you really need us to answer this? SEO articles are pieces of content published on a website with the explixity aim of improving the search engine ranking position of a website.
What is the salary of SEO blog writer?
You’ll have to ask them.
What is SEO in blogging?
Same as it is everywhere. SEO stands for search engine optimisation. It’s the science and art of improving your website’s search engine ranking position using approved and ethical tactics.
Is SEO writing free?
No and you should never ask an SEO writer (or any writer, for that matter) to work for free. Would you work for free? (If so, my garden lawn needs to be mowed).