20+ Tips To Write Content That Ranks On Google!
Last Updated on 21st February 2023 by Ajmer Singh
Do you want to rank #1 on Google?
Google ranks pages that are the best for any given user search query. Ranking high on Google means you have a lot of visibility and free traffic.
Before getting started with content writing, it is important to know about google’s algorithm updates.
After all, this is how Google decides what type of content should rank higher.
Google algorithm updates are changes made to Google’s search engine results page (SERP).
They are either targeted toward increasing user satisfaction or increasing the quality of advertisements, which in turn increases how much revenue Google makes from Adsense.
Google algorithm updates do not happen often and according to some sources, they only occur once every 4-5 months.
This means that if you want to keep your site ranking high on Google, you need to work hard and stay consistent.
Before we get started on how to write content that ranks,
Tips to optimize your website for Google!
1. Create a clean and simple website
This is the first impression your visitors will get about your website.
If they find it cluttered, unprofessional or difficult to navigate, chances are high that they won’t be coming back again.
However, I am using the Themify Ultra theme for my websites.
2. Keep a fast page loading speed
According to sources, Google shows preference to websites with faster page load time over those that take a lot of time to load.
This means that you need to make sure your website is mobile-friendly and it loads a lot faster than the other options available for your visitors.
That’s why I recommend Cloudways to my audience for its best performance and speed.
3. Optimize your images
Optimizing your images is another excellent way to make sure your website’s load times are fast.
Make sure you use optimized images and keep the file sizes small.
It goes without saying that they should also be free of any errors or broken links.
4. Keep an updated sitemap
A sitemap is a great way to let Google know about all the pages of your website.
Keeping an updated sitemap also ensures that there are no broken links on your website and it’s easy for visitors to navigate throughout your website.
5. If you have a blog, then write new posts regularly
Regularly updating your blog is another good way to make sure your website stays relevant and Google ranks it higher.
Make sure you use the right keyword density and don’t go overboard with keywords or else this can land you in a lot of trouble.
Link out to authority websites from time to time whenever it makes sense.
This shows Google that your website is a lot more relevant and trustworthy.
7. Focus on user experience
Google also looks for websites that provide the best experience to their users.
They want to show the most relevant results for any given query and this can only be achieved if they have a good user interface, fast page load times etc.
8. Build a good online reputation
The ability to build and maintain a good online reputation is yet another important aspect that Google looks into before ranking any website.
If you can show that your business has been around for a long time and it provides excellent customer service,
then there’s more chance of your website ranking higher on search engines.
9. Improve your SEO
The better your website’s SEO is, the higher it will rank on search engines.
Search engine optimization can be a tedious process but if you have good knowledge of how things work, then it’s not going to be that difficult for you after all.
However, there are a lot of ways that you can improve your website’s SEO and by following the right techniques, you can move mountains.
10. Get your site audited
Getting an audit done for your website is a great way to find out all the errors that exist on your site.
If there are too many broken links or image errors, then this will certainly affect how Google ranks your website.
Semrush is a great tool to audit your website.
20+ Tips to write content that ranks on Google!
1. Use proper grammar and spelling
Google doesn’t like it when you write in poorly written sentences and with lots of spelling mistakes.
So it always helps to check what you have written for any errors that might be there.
Build a site that is credible enough that people trust the information they see on it.
In fact, you can even work with other people in the same field to write an article on their site and put yours in your author bio section.
3. Write for humans, not the search engines
Always remember that Google doesn’t care about how many times keywords are used on your site.
If the content engages your visitors, it ranks. Writing unique contents are more important than other factors.
4. Use keywords but don’t overdo it
This is another aspect of on-page SEO that can cost you a lot if you don’t know how to do it properly.
Keywords are important for search engines, so make sure you use them at the right places and in the right amount or else Google might end up penalizing your site.
5. Format your article properly
Use common sense while formatting your articles.
Google doesn’t have any sort of formula to rank your website so you should keep things simple and relevant throughout the post.
Bullet points are always a good idea to get across all the important information in an organized way,
without making it too difficult for the readers to understand.
6. Don’t use broken links
Broken links look bad and they can even hurt your site.
So make sure you check every part of your website- links included- before publishing an article on your website.
7. Write in a conversational tone
Don’t try too hard to impress Google with your words- write in a casual tone that is easy for anyone to understand.
8. Pick the right keyword
Pick one or two keywords that are important for an article and make sure you use them at least once on the page, but not more than five times.
This is because too much repetition can look bad and can also hurt your search engine rankings.
9. Make it unique
Remember to write unique content that hasn’t been seen elsewhere on the web.
This will not only help you rank higher on Google, but it will also impress your readers and build a good online reputation for you as an author.
10. Go from long-tail keywords to short-tail ones
Instead of using long-tail keywords that are used by many people, try to switch over to the shorter version of things.
Because these will be easier for your readers to understand and they can also help you rank higher on Google.
11. Don’t recycle anything
Always remember to rewrite your content instead of simply copying it from somewhere else.
This will make sure that you are not penalized for plagiarism, but at the same time, you can also rank higher on Google if done properly.
12. Use tools like Copyscape
Using programs like Copyscape is a great way to check how unique your content really is.
After all, if there is too much similarity between your work and others on the internet, then Google might decide to penalize you for it.
13. Spend more time on SEO than promotion
SEO takes time but it is the cheapest and most effective way of promoting your website.
So spend more time on writing articles for natural search engine rankings instead of trying to promote your site with paid advertisements.
14. Reach out to influencers in your field
Make connections with people who are already popular in your industry.
For example, you could get in touch with an influencer on Twitter and ask them if they would be willing to read your article or share it with their followers.
This will help a lot in building a good online reputation within a short time period.
15. Answer questions people have
One of the best ways to write an article on your website is to answer the questions which people have and search engines will also appreciate it if you do this.
Because it means that your content is helpful, informative and relevant.
16. Use headings
Headings are important for structuring a post.
Without them, Google might not be able to identify what’s important and what’s not.
17. Use the right anchor text
Anchor text is the invisible link behind a sentence or phrase which tells Google about where your viewers will be directed to when they click on it.
For example, you need to use words like more, click here or read this instead of simply using an empty hyperlink.
18. Have an editorial calendar
It would be a good idea to create an editorial calendar and schedule your articles ahead of time in order to avoid rushing through things at the last minute.
19. Do not engage in black hat SEO
Under no circumstance should you resort to black hat SEO because it can get you banned from Google for life.
Stick to white hat SEO strategies that are completely harmless and won’t get you into any trouble.
Google search engine optimization is one of the most important factors in ranking your articles on Google.
But it can take time to optimize your pages perfectly enough to rank high up.
20. On-Page SEO
Optimize the content for on-page SEO by including internal and external links, using header tags (H1, H2, etc.), and optimizing images and videos with alt tags and file names.
Keep these 20+ tips in mind when writing content for natural SEO rankings.
And you will reap the benefits that come with a higher position within the search engine results pages.
Q: Should I include links in my content?
A: Yes. Links are important for both readers and Google because they help increase the flow of information within your website.
Make sure that you add links to credible sources which hold weight when it comes to the topics that you write about.
This will be helpful in increasing your credibility as an authority figure in the industry.
Q: Should I write something different or unique for each article?
A: Google prefers it if you write something brand new for each blog post.
Recycling content that you’ve already written is considered lazy and will negatively affect your rankings.
Q: How often should I publish articles on my site?
A: It’s recommended that bloggers post at least 2-3 times a week in order to keep their site active and current within the eyes of Google.
Q: Should I be worried about keyword density?
A: Not anymore- this is not an issue that will have a significant impact on your rankings nowadays,
because Google prefers to rank pages based on natural search engine optimization rather than hard numbers.
Q: How long should my articles be?
A: According to Google, the length of your article does not matter- as long as your content is engaging, it will remain on top without any problems.
However, the optimum word count that you should aim for when writing anything is about 1,500 words or more.
Q: How much research should I do before publishing?
A: It’s best if you do extensive research about your topic before writing anything.
This way, you can include a lot of credible, relevant sources within your article.
In addition, the more time that you spend on your content, the better it will be always aim to create high-quality work!
Q: Should I outsource my content?
A: Yes- but only if you know what you’re doing.
Many bloggers resort to hiring writers on Fiverr or Upwork for $5-$20 because it’s cheaper than outsourcing to people that specialize in this field.
However, their articles may not be high quality enough to rank well online.
If you want your pages to rank, make sure you hire a writer that specializes in SEO copywriting and is knowledgeable about all of the latest trends within your industry.
Q: Should I write content for humans or Google?
A: Both! Make sure that your articles are easy for both bots and people to read.
If your content is full of jargon terms, it will not be useful for people, which is why you should consider using words that are more commonly used.
Q: What’s the best platform to write on?
A: It doesn’t really matter because any popular blogging platform will suffice.
However, WordPress has one of the highest levels of SEO compatibility for ranking articles, so I recommend using this one.
Q: Should I use long-tail keywords?
A: Yes! By using longer, more detailed phrases rather than generic words you will get more search engine traffic.
Because your chances of appearing on the first page are usually higher than when you only use shorter catchphrases.
However, don’t overdo it by stuffing these words into every sentence of your article.
Make sure it flows nicely and is something that you would read.
Q: Should I write a blog post or an article?
A: It really doesn’t matter!
While some people prefer writing articles because they allow more freedom when it comes to the word count,
others prefer to write a blog post because they can include more pictures and information that will be beneficial for their readers.
Q: How do I make my articles stand out?
A: There are a lot of ways to achieve this- however, the best way is by writing something that’s unique to your specific site or industry.
For example, if you own a dog kennel, write about how to care for a pet dog!
The more original your content is, the higher you will rank in comparison to sites that only copy and paste generic information.
Conclusion
We hope you realize the importance of content marketing to your brand.
Whether it’s written, video or photo-based, creating compelling and informative content is an investment that will pay off in the long run for both your business and potential customers.
The 20+ tips we covered should help you get started with some simple ideas on how to write content that ranks by considering:
who your audience is, what they want to know about certain topics related to yours, where they spend time online (i.e., social media networks) as well as which type of content might work best for them given their preferences.
If all this sounds overwhelming so far, don’t worry! This guide was meant to be read from start to finish.