What is SEO content writing?

Search engine optimization (SEO) content writing is the process of creating content that both engages your audience and includes keywords and phrases that are relevant to a given topic.

These keywords and phrases are placed in a way that allows the content to rank highly on search engines for specific terms.

Search engines use over 200 ranking factors to rank your websites and pages in their algorithms. However, creating useful and relevant content with keyword targeting is one of the top on-page ranking factors.

SEO content writing also involves writing meta tags, which are included in the body of a website. This is also another crucial ranking factor.

Importance of SEO content writing

Good SEO content writing will help you rank higher on Google. This will help you get more visitors to your website, increase your brand awareness, and make more sales in the end.

That’s why it’s important to create relevant and engaging content that captivates your readers and improves the conversion rate of your website. You can do this by learning SEO content writing. 

Also, when the search engine algorithm sees that lots of people are engaging with your content, it will detect that your content is relevant and useful to the search query and rank your page higher.

My SEO content writing process and strategy

Below is shown an SEO content strategy example that I use to write content on my website, Passive Secrets. This has helped me rank at number #1 for competitive keywords.

Also, I am going to show you my SEO content writing process to do exactly that for any article you are writing. By the end of this article, you will learn to research, write, and optimize your content for higher organic traffic in a fraction of the time.

Let’s get started!

Step #1: SEO keyword research

If you want to write content for SEO, the first step is to make sure your desired topic is worth the time spent writing.

Nobody wants to write something and only hear crickets in response. Everybody wants to write an article that not only ranks on the first page of search engines but also brings in a lot of organic traffic and sales.

My content writing process starts with a simple search for my desired topic keyword.

The first thing to do is look at the types of articles that are already ranking on the first page. Here, you want to pay close attention to the headlines being used.

One of the reasons I love SEO is that it is basically like playing cards with the most successful bloggers in your market. But in this case, you can see the exact cards they are using to win.

For example, when writing this post, I discovered that most of the articles ranking on the first page were how-to guides.

This means that most people that search this query are looking for a guide.

Here’s how it works:

Search engines automatically rank an article that gets more organic clicks and traffic higher, as that tells them that the article is relevant to the search query.

So, the click-through rate your article has in the search results is another crucial ranking factor.

Note: If you notice that all the articles on the first page are of the same type, then it may be difficult for your article to rank on the first page unless your website has a higher domain rating than the other websites listed.

Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that ranks pages from 1 to 100. Basically, the higher the DA score, the better the website’s ability to rank in search engine results.

Once you have confirmed that it will be pretty easy for you to rank on the first page for your target keyword, it’s time to move to the next step.

Step #2: SEO content research

The second step is to plug in your target keyword into Outranking.io.

Outranking is an advanced AI-powered writing and researching tool that helps create high-quality SEO-optimized content in a fraction of the time.

If you haven’t created your account yet, sign up with this link and you will be amazed just how much this tool simplifies the content writing process.

Once you are in, simply create a new document using your target keyword. Select the United States so you can get the best results.

The software will then gather data from the top search engine pages to guide you in creating the most powerful content that aligns with user intent.

You can do your content research right inside the Outranking content editor. Outranking also shows you the domain authority (DA) of the first 20 websites ranking for your target keyword.

You can also read the articles right in the Outranking SERP editor.

Outranking also gives you a list of related keywords to include in your article. It shows you the average number of searches these keywords get per month and the competitiveness of the keyword in the search engines.

You can use these related keywords to better optimize your article to rank higher in the search results and bring in more organic traffic to your website.

Once you have finished reading most of the articles already ranking high for your desired topic and gone through the related keywords to include in your article, you should have a better understanding of how to write your own content and what your content should be about.

This takes us to the next step in our SEO content writing process.

Step #3: Start writing good content for SEO

Now, it’s time to write your content using copywriting and all the information you have gathered so far from the search results.

You have already done the following:

• Figured out what topic to write about
• Determined the traffic volume and search difficulty
• Checked that the article is worth spending the time in regard to the domain authority of your website
• Read the top-ranking articles and listed the topics to cover in your own article
• Compiled a list of related and relevant keywords to include in your article

Here is where you use those keywords you gathered in Step #1 and the sub-topics you found in Step #2 to write your article.

The first step is to create the outline for your article. Outranking also helps you easily generate your outlines right in their SERP editor, with clear instructions on how to do so.

You want to cover these topics as in-depth and comprehensively as you can to show Google that you are the best article on the web and deserve to rank in the first position for this search query.

Outranking can also help you write or rewrite your content with ​​their advanced AI-powered writing feature.

One thing to keep in mind when writing is not to bore people. You can use Outranking AI to help write your content from scratch to overcome writer’s block and keep things interesting.

Be sure to keep your writing entertaining and personal.

Search Engine Journal advises you to use a formal and respectful tone of voice, as this is what search engine algorithms love.

Whatever you choose, make sure to use a consistent tone of voice throughout your article and website, as this helps with branding and building trust with your audience.

SEO content writing tips for beginners

Step #1: Start with the headline first

The first step to writing engaging content is to start with the top headline.

Your headline should make a promise for what people will get out of reading your article. It can also give your audience a feel of what the article is about, which will entice them to read on.

Step #2: Use copywriting techniques

If you excel at copywriting, understand how search engines work, and write content as I show you in the steps below, you will create content that search engines love and rank on page #1.

Copywriting is the skill, as well as the field of work, of strategically crafting words (whether written or spoken) that motivate people to take some form of action, such as clicking on a link, making a purchase, scheduling a consultation, or donating to a cause.

You can use various copywriting techniques to make your content more engaging to your readers.

For example, I frequently use a secret copywriting technique I learned from Backlinko called Bucket Brigades to get people to read through my article. It’s quite simple.

The secret is using short phrases that end in a colon or question, such as:

• Here’s the deal:
• Now:
• What’s the bottom line?
• You might be wondering:
• This is crazy:
• It gets better/worse:
• But here’s the kicker:
• Want to know the best part?

You can use this where necessary to break up your content and make your readers stick around until the end.

Step #3: Write for humans first, SEO later

When writing your article, do your best to write for your target audience first.

It’s important to make your article flow as naturally as possible.

After you complete the first draft of your article, the next step is to edit it for the search engines by optimizing your content with the related and relevant keywords recommended by Outranking.

SEO content writing best practices

Step #1: Write a compelling meta description

When you are done optimizing your article, it’s time to write your meta description and open graph contents. Also, make sure to include your search keyword and related keywords in your meta description. Writing a compelling meta description will also help increase the clickthrough rate of your article in the search results.

Step #2: Include internal and external links in your content

Also, don’t forget to interlink your content to other relevant articles on your own website.

You also want to create external links to other relevant authoritative articles from other bloggers.

This is another ranking factor. It helps the search engine algorithms know what your article is about, which will boost your content in the algorithm.

Therefore, make sure to only link to relevant authoritative websites.

Step #3: Add images and videos, then publish

Once done with that, go ahead and add rich content (images and videos) to your article.

Then, publish your SEO-optimized content. It’s almost guaranteed to rank on the first page.

Frequently asked questions about SEO content writing

What does SEO mean?

SEO is the acronym for search engine optimization. It’s a technique to improve a website’s visibility on search engines.

What is an SEO content writer?

SEO content writers are people who are experts in writing content for the web with an intent to rank said content on search engines to improve online visibility. They often do this by following a series of rules and guidelines to optimize their content to obtain high search engine rankings.

How do I learn SEO content writing?

If you want to learn SEO content writing, you have to understand the fundamentals of search engine optimization and build your skills as a writer. Then, learn more about copywriting, sales, and persuasion. These skills will help you become a better SEO content writer.

Why is content writing important for SEO?

Content writing is important for SEO because it improves the website’s user experience by providing informative and helpful articles that visitors can read while on a site. And, since content writing often involves the use of keywords, it helps the site to rank higher in SERPs.

Are SEO writers in demand?

In my opinion, yes. SEO is a field that requires writers with specific skills and knowledge.

How much do SEO writers make?

It is difficult to answer this question directly because the salary of an individual can vary greatly depending on several factors. The average annual salary for an SEO writer is $30,000.

Do all the above with an all-in-one SEO content writing tool

If you don’t want to spend hours writing content for SEO…

Try out Outranking for free.

Outranking is an advanced AI-powered writing and researching tool that helps create high-quality SEO-optimized content in a fraction of the time.

Outranking shows you the domain authority of the websites already ranking on Google.

With Outranking’s SEO content software, you can easily:

• Create outlines, meta descriptions, and featured snippets faster
• Use AI to write your content from scratch
• Find questions and related topics to cover in your article
• Get LSI and NLP keywords to include in your article
• Perform SERP analysis
• Get step-by-step instructions to optimize content for SEO
• And lots more

Outranking makes SEO content writing easy, fast, and reliable.

Try out Outranking for free today.