When you embark upon an SEO campaign, the SEO company responsible for implementing it will discuss the work with you. The majority of tasks, such as the SEO services, will be undertaken by them in full, but others may involve contributions from you and your team. One task that is often undertaken by those in the business is the creation of content. The reason for this is those within a specific business niche will be far more knowledgeable about it than those working for the SEO company.
Undoubtedly your SEO company will advise you on the most effective ways to create your content, but to give you a head start, here is a 10-step checklist that you can use to ensure your content positively contributes to your entire SEO campaign.
Determine Who Your Audience Is And What Content They Want: Bear in mind you are creating content for those who you hope will visit your website. This is why, before creating content, you must identify your target audience first and what content suits them.
Brainstorm Ideas For Your Content: Now you know your audience you can now set about brainstorming content ideas. Try not to edit at this stage and instead simply write down any and every idea which comes to you. You can always shortlist your content ideas later.
Establish A Content Calendar: Content is most effective in an SEO campaign when it is published in a logical sequence and regularly. This is why you should create a content calendar to establish timings for each content piece to be created and published.
Research The Keywords That Your Content Will Be Targeting: A crucial stage in the development of your content strategy is identifying keywords. Longtail and shorttail keywords will be used for titles, and subheadings as well as being included in the content provided you do not keyword stuff the main text.
Choose What Formats Your Content Will Be Created In: Many assume all content is written but it does not need to be. If your research shows your target audience likes video, audio, or infographics, for example, then use these content formats in addition to some written content.
Establish Who Is Going To Be Responsible For Creating The Content: The choice of who creates your content is important. If one of your team wants to and you believe they have the ability, then let them. Alternatively, options online include freelancing websites such as Fiverr and Upwork.
Once It Is Created Check The Quality And Readability: Checking and proofreading your content is essential as is ensuring that it meets the required quality standard. Inaccurate and mistake-ridden content deters visitors who will leave, never to return.
Optimise Your Content For SEO Before You Publish It: In addition to proofreading, you also want to optimise your content for SEO before it goes live. This involves ensuring keywords are in titles and subheadings, that keyword density is optimal, and alt texts in images have been created.
Share Your Content: The more people who see your content, the better, so look for opportunities to share it. Options include sharing on social media, using it in emails to subscribers, and publishing guest posts on other websites in return for backlinks.
Check The Metrics Of Your Content: You should not just publish content and then forget about it. You should be assessing if it is contributing positively by checking metrics such as clicks, bounce rates, time on page, pages visited, and conversions if any content includes a call to action.