Writing For SEO

Writing for SEOLaura CreekmoreDirector of Taxonomy and Content [email protected]

Agenda Intros SEO basics for 2020 Writing for SEO 101 Practice Building structure for SEO Practice [email protected]

SEO Basics for 2020

SEO Basics for 2020 How search technology works The role of writing The role of content structure Beware the snake oil Table stakes before shiny [email protected]

How Search Engines Work Crawling the webSEO Basics for 2020: How search technology works

How Search Engines Work Crawling the web Evaluating pagesSEO Basics for 2020: How search technology works

SEO Basics for 2020: How search technology works

How Search Engines Work Crawling the web Evaluating pages Ranking the results Structuring the resultsSEO Basics for 2020: How search technology works

SEO Basics for 2020: How search technology works

On-Site Search [email protected] Type of indexing may differ Control weighting, results Define recommended results Define internal SERPs Go deeper with search analyticsSEO Basics for 2020: How search technology works

The Role of Writing Writing is the raw material Write for your audience Headlines, URLs, good contentSEO Basics for 2020: The role of [email protected]

SEO Basics for 2020: The role of writing

@lauracreekmoreGreat Writing for SEO Is Great Writing Audience understanding Business goals Draft Review structure, audience language Edit Publish ReviewSEO Basics for 2020: The role of writing

Structure Supports the [email protected] Highly structured content supports reading Aim for narrative and structure Avoid formulaic structureSEO Basics for 2020: The role of content structure

Structure Connects to [email protected] Highly structured content is easier for computers toread Structured content aligns with semantic tags H1 tags, URLs, schema.org markup tagsSEO Basics for 2020: The role of content structure

Structure Reduces [email protected] Manage topics and data efficiently Manage changes effectivelySEO Basics for 2020: The role of content structure

@lauracreekmoreStructure Enables Advanced Tech Voice skills Chatbots AI More!SEO Basics for 2020: The role of content structure

Don’t Be Fooled Bad linking practices – you can’t fake it Keyword stuffing – don’t bother Paying a scammy providerSEO Basics for 2020: Beware the snake [email protected]

First Things [email protected] Make sure your site is mobile-optimized Create great content Often For your audienceSEO Basics for 2020: Table stakes before shiny objects

Writing for SEO 101

Writing for SEO 101 Define the audience Find the keywords The longer tail, the better for popular topics Write a great piece Headlines URLs Write again [email protected]

Writing Fails Creating clickbait Thinking short-term Overly chummy, fake blogging style Pageviews over [email protected]

Writing for SEO 101 Define the audience Find the keywords The longer tail, the better for popular topics Write a great piece Headlines URLs Write again [email protected]

Practice

Assignment: Christmas [email protected] Imagine you work for Balsam Hill, the purveyor ofhigh-end artificial Christmas trees. You’d like to create a website that drives organictraffic to your site year-round – and drives sales.Discuss: Expected audience and business strategy.

Assignment: Christmas [email protected]: Draft an article pitch for the Balsam Hill blog.Pitch includes: Headline [Tip: Write this next to last.] URL [Tip: Write this last.] Lead paragraph Summary of audience, topic, how the piece will fulfillaudience need, how the piece fulfills company need.[Tip: Write this first.] Expected keywordsEmail to [email protected]

Critique

Assignment: Tech [email protected] Imagine you work for Dell Technologies. You’d like to create a website that drives organictraffic to your site – and drives sales.Discuss: Expected audience and business strategy.

Assignment: Tech SupportWrite: Draft an article pitch for the Dell website.Pitch includes: Headline [Tip: Write this next to last.] URL [Tip: Write this last.] Lead paragraph Summary of audience, topic, how the piece will fulfillaudience need, how the piece fulfills company need.[Tip: Write this first.] Expected keywordsEmail to [email protected]@lauracreekmore

Critique

Building Structure for SEO

Kinds of Content Structure External System [email protected]

Taxonomy, Tags, [email protected] Website structure can make it easier to find andindex your pages Use audience language keywords in category names,tags, links Never say “Click here” or “read more”Building Structure for SEO: External

External Structures

URLs, HTML tags, schema.org Write your best keywords into the URL And your H1 tags Use HTML tags correctly Look for additional semantic structureBuilding Structure for SEO: [email protected]

System Structures

@lauracreekmoreThe Hidden Structure in Content Recipes, IMDB Rethink your writing Write in a spreadsheet or formBuilding Structure for SEO: Internal

@lauracreekmoreFacets of Content Audience Time/Date Location Use Outcome Input Topic Source Industry-specific facetsBuilding Structure for SEO: Internal

Practice

@lauracreekmoreAssignment: Design a Content Template Imagine you run a website that posts events. You’d like to create a structure that makes it morelikely your events show up on SERPs. Sketch the form your writers should use to enterevent information to make this easier.Tip: Check schema.org for ideas.

ResourcesHow Google Search works videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v 0eKVizvYSUQHow Google Search works s/Preventing pages or sites from showing up in /Search Analytics for Your Site, by Louis nalytics-for-your-site/Getting the Google featured 03/google-featured-snippets/The Battle for the Body Field, by Jeff -body-fieldTraining the CMS, by Eileen sDesigning Connected Content, by Mike Atherton and Carrie ntent Strategy for the Web, by Kristina [email protected]

SEO basics for 2020 Writing for SEO 101 . SEO Basics for 2020: The role of content structure @lauracreekmore. Structure Reduces Liability