After identifying the search intent and writing content to fulfill intent, all you have left are the finishing touches. These are the extra details that turn a good post into a great post. Tackle these remaining steps to maximize lead conversion.
Review Keyword Optimization on the Page
The best way to write a blog post or webpage is to write it all the way through from start to finish. This creates a natural flow of information, much like an essay or short story. Your natural writing may not be ideal for SEO, but that’s where the finishing touches come in. You can use this final review to check for keyword optimization on the page.
As a general rule of thumb, you should have your target keyword or phrase in the title, intro paragraph, conclusion, at least one subheading, and a few times sprinkled throughout the content. The amount of times the keyword is used will depend on the length of the content and how naturally it could be incorporated. For instance, the term “fast food restaurant” may be easy to work into a sentence, but “what is the best fast food restaurant near me?” is less versatile. Find a balance that incorporates your desired keyword without sounding forced.
Insert Applicable Related Keywords
Using related keywords will help boost the page’s authority for a target topic. Let’s say you’re writing about theme park rides. Complementary phrases like rollercoasters, amusement park, Ferris wheel and tourist attraction would further establish the theme of the page.
In 2018, the term latent semantic indexing (LSI) went viral in the SEO community. It refers to the use of similar, related words within a piece of content. The phrase LSI quickly lost its popularity, but the principle remains the same. Having variations of your target keyword makes the content appear more natural and directly impacts organic search ranking.
When selecting additional keywords to incorporate, consider how relevant they are to the search intent. If someone is looking for the top theme park rides in the country, they may not care about the parts of a rollercoaster. However, someone researching engineering of theme park rides would resonate with that verbiage. Always relate back to the search intent!
Eliminate Unnecessary Wording and Check for Errors
If you can say something in one word instead of five, do so. While there is merit to writing a long blog post, readers prefer concise, scannable wording. A long post is only beneficial if the information within it is valuable and necessary. Otherwise, it’s fluff.
Review your writing to check for grammar errors, misspellings, and lengthy phrases. You could use a tool like the Hemingway Editor to verify readability and pinpoint redundant phrasing. Simplify your writing to create a concise, engaging post that attracts search engine and clients alike.
Create Meta Content That Utilizes the Target Keyword and Search Intent
Last but certainly not least is the meta data – specifically the title and meta description. These are the elements displayed on a search engine results page (SERP). The title and description should illustrate the search intent. A reader can clearly see that what they click on is going to fulfill their needs.
The title within the meta content can be the same as the page heading or a slight variation. The description should be a 1-3 sentence blurb that summaries the purpose of the content. Revert back to the target audience. Who is searching for this, and what is their search intent? Provide a concise meta description that utilizes the target keyword and fulfills the intent.
With those final touches in place, you’re ready to publish! A simple change in perspective can have a tremendous impact on content performance. Remain mindful of your audience and their goals, and you’ll have no trouble enticing high-converting leads.
