Search Engine Optimization (SEO) the process of optimizing your content so that search engines rank it higher and show it at the top of search results of a certain keyword.
Doing it right can greatly increase the visibility of your website in the search results and, in turn, make more people know about you.
So, how do we effectively implement SEO in your content? Here are a few tips to get started:
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Find good keywords
In order to know what keywords we need to include in our content, we first need to know how Google handles keywords.
Try typing “Hotels in Melaka” into Google, you can see that Google will automatically suggest longer keywords such as:
- Hotels in Melaka with private pool
- Hotels in Melaka near Jonker Street
- Hotels in Melaka with bathtub
To rank higher in the search results, we need to find keywords that are not too competitive (eg. “Hotels in Melaka”), but more specific ones (eg. “Hotels in Melaka near Jonker Street”).
The fact that Google suggested them means that people are searching for them.
Therefore, choosing these keywords will lead to a higher chance of getting ranked higher in the search results.
2. Create good content
It's always a good idea to create long and in-depth content where the user can get all the information on one page. The content that ranks well today covers an entire topic on one page.
Let your user get everything they're looking for on your page without having to go back and look elsewhere.
3. Satisfy user intent
Know what your user wants, and create content based on it.
Once you have identified the keyword you want to use, think about what the user wants to see when they search for that keyword.
Go straight to the point of what the user wants in your content.
4. Keep the users on your site for as long as you can
Google can detect the amount of time people are staying on your page. Therefore, you should always make your page presentable so that the user does not leave your site immediately after entering it. That behavior will have a negative impact on your search rankings.
Encourage your user to stay on your site by providing a great user experience, making them stay on your site longer, and increasing your search rankings.
5. Create descriptive URLs
You want your users to know what your page is about when you are giving them the link. Well, it turns out that the users are not the only ones looking at the URL, so do search engines!
Creating a descriptive URL will help search engines to better understand the content of your website more than a string of numbers and letters.
Example descriptive URL:
https://page.mysoftinn.com/en/payment-gateway-in-southeast-asia
6. Use keywords strategically
Do not use keywords for the sake of putting more keywords in your content.
Use them in titles, headings, and the introduction of the content.
Make them look natural so that it flows with your content.
7. Use internal linking
If you have created pages on some of the topics that you have mentioned in the content, link to them whenever you can. Internal linking helps search engines understand your content better, and the better the search engine understands your page, the better it is at ranking it.
Good content pairing with just the right amount of internal linking will greatly improve the visibility of your page in the search results.
8. Always use alt text for images
Search engines cannot see the images on your website. That is why you need to tell them what is your image showing through the use of alt text.
For example, let's say your image is about your hotel rooms. You can set the alt text to be your room name (eg. “Deluxe Room View”).
In conclusion, those are the points to keep in mind when creating your content.
Want to know more about content marketing strategy? Find out here!
