Intro
Writing content for the sake of it isn’t enough to convert online searchers into loyal customers. In fact, it could even deter users from consuming content on your site, simply because they’re not deriving value from it.
Plain and simple, marketers and business owners need to prioritize the right way to work with SEO.
Here’s the deal. If they can produce content in line with their audience’s pain points, needs, and preferences, they can encourage higher conversions.
But it all starts with knowing what their ideal customer is searching for.
When looking for higher conversion rates, businesses must plan content that’s aligned with the market they’re selling to.
Let’s take a closer look at how marketers can put themselves in their ideal customer’s shoes to create content that serves up tremendous value and converts.
1. Pull main topics, FAQs, and semantic keywords based on search intent
Start by conducting SEO research to discover what your audience is searching for on the web. If you don't have experience doing this, reach out to an SEO strategist or content agency for support.
The All-in-One Platform for Effective SEO
Behind every successful business is a strong SEO campaign. But with countless optimization tools and techniques out there to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. Well, fear no more, cause I've got just the thing to help. Presenting the Ranktracker all-in-one platform for effective SEO
We have finally opened registration to Ranktracker absolutely free!
Create a free accountOr Sign in using your credentials
When conducting research, focus on pulling your ideal customer’s top searches. These are the main topics and themes your audience is most interested in.
Then take a look at the frequently asked questions (FAQs) and semantic keywords related to those topics. Not only will this show you your audience’s search intent, but it’ll also help you uncover their top problems and pain points.
With this information in hand, you can begin brainstorming high-value content pieces that can help solve your audience’s problems and position your brand as a trusted industry expert.
2. Choose your content pillar pieces and plan topic clusters
Marketers and business owners often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks they need to get through to produce content. Thankfully, there’s a way to streamline content production so it doesn’t feel like a full-time job.
Here’s how:
Choose pillar pieces and create clusters around them. That’s where you’ll plan several cornerstone blog articles as well as relevant subtopics to accompany them.
For instance, if one of your content pillars focused on the main topic “courier service” and the subtopic “same-day delivery”, then a few of your cluster pieces might read:
- Facts and myths about same-day courier services
- How does a same-day courier help with plumbing deliveries
- Most interesting same-day courier deliveries of 2022
The All-in-One Platform for Effective SEO
Behind every successful business is a strong SEO campaign. But with countless optimization tools and techniques out there to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. Well, fear no more, cause I've got just the thing to help. Presenting the Ranktracker all-in-one platform for effective SEO
We have finally opened registration to Ranktracker absolutely free!
Create a free accountOr Sign in using your credentials
To help inform your cluster articles further, don’t forget to take a close look at your target audience’s FAQs.
For instance, in the examples above, the audience had questions about same-day plumbing deliveries, myths and facts related to same-day delivery, and most interesting same-day delivery stories. (The last article was about an emergency delivery that saved someone’s life!)
3. Write high-value content that solves problems and follows SEO guidelines
Understanding which topics your audience wants information on isn’t enough to convert website visitors. To truly stand out from the pack, you need to focus on writing high-value content that solves problems and follows SEO guidelines.
Here’s a quick checklist you can use to make sure you’re writing SEO-friendly, high-value content every time:
- Choose a headline that’s informative, includes your main keyword, and uses a unique angle no other article has.
- Follow the PAS framework, where you highlight a pain point, agitate it, and then present a solution.
- Include a thesis as a final line in your article’s introduction that tells your audience what they’re going to learn (don’t bury the lead!).
- Include a “quick links” table of contents your audience can use to jump ahead to the sections they want to read.
- Center every article you write around one main keyword.
- Include semantic keywords (secondary keywords related to the main topic) naturally throughout each piece — no keyword stuffing!
- Weave in relevant calls to action (CTAs) throughout each article. Ask for the business!
- Use writers that are subject matter experts. This is key to building authority.
- Conduct a plagiarism check and proof your work using Writer and Grammarly.
- Embed internal links where they naturally make sense and add value.
- Point your language and messaging to your target customer — personalize everything to their core values, needs, and interests.
- Use proper formatting to support search and readability. Use H1 headers for article titles, H2s for main arguments, and H3s for sub-main points. Include bullet lists to break up long chunks of text and organize examples.
- Include semantic keywords in H2s and write your FAQs as H3s.
- Break up your text and illustrate your ideas and examples with high-value media, such as explainer videos, informative screenshots, custom images, and infographics.
- Make each piece actionable by weaving in tips and tricks readers can implement right away to solve their problems.
- Include a meta-title and meta-description for your article’s headline.
- Include image titles and alt text for every visual you include.
For instance, take a look at the following article about how to create an online course:
As you can see from the annotations, this piece is an effective example of high-value SEO content because it includes:
- A meta-title
- An informative unique headline that references the main keyword
- Quick links as part of its table of contents
- Subject matter expert writing
- An informative thesis
- High-value media
While not pictured above, if you glance at the rest of the piece, you’ll notice it also includes:
- Proper article formatting
- Actionable advice
- Bulleted lists
- Semantic keywords in H2s
- Targeted language and messaging
- Internal links
- CTAs
4. Weave in lead magnets
You may not be able to convert every user that reads your blog articles at first glance. But you can encourage website visitors to give you their contact information in exchange for something they want.
To make the most of visitor activity, thoughtfully weave in lead magnets throughout your articles, blog page, and website homepage.
A lead magnet is something you give away in exchange for a lead’s contact details, such as their email address, name, and phone number.
While the following examples are common, be sure to choose lead magnets that are in line with your ideal customer’s preferences and search history.
The All-in-One Platform for Effective SEO
Behind every successful business is a strong SEO campaign. But with countless optimization tools and techniques out there to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. Well, fear no more, cause I've got just the thing to help. Presenting the Ranktracker all-in-one platform for effective SEO
We have finally opened registration to Ranktracker absolutely free!
Create a free accountOr Sign in using your credentials
Here are some lead magnet CTA examples:
- “Craving more juicy tips like these? Join our newsletter for weekly advice we only share via email!”
- “Curious what others have to say about _____? Request to join our FB community for the inside scoop on all things _____!
- “Want more acne-free tips? Download our ultimate guide on how to achieve clearer skin in 30 days”
Wrap up
And there you go! With the simple tips we covered today, marketers can revamp their SEO efforts to encourage higher conversion rates.
Keep in mind that reaping rewards from SEO is a long-term game. It requires intentional planning, consistent content, and a passion for refining content marketing campaigns to meet audience needs and demands.
By tailoring your topics, CTAs, and lead magnets to your audience, you can encourage higher conversions and, over time, meaningful customer relationships.
That’s it for now. Here’s to your success!