15 SEO Writing Tips for Beginners to Rank Well on SERP

Getting started in SEO writing can feel overwhelming at first. It seems like a big, complex world of new terms and strategies. 

However, learning SEO writing techniques can be very beneficial for an SEO writer. Whether you're writing for your blog or a client's website, it's important to understand how to write a seo-friendly article.

In this guide, we'll cover some SEO article writing for beginners that can help your content resonate with your audience and rank well.

What Is SEO Writing?

SEO writing is a process of creating content in a way that helps it rank higher on search engines like Google. This type of writing is conducted by using relevant keywords, ensuring the content is useful to readers, and helping search engines understand the content's topic. 

Without SEO, your content may not rank well, which can make it harder for your target audience to find and engage with it. Most importantly, a study found that websites in the top spot get 39.8% of clicks, while the second spot gets 18.7%, and the tenth spot gets 1.6%. 

If your content isn't on the first page, it's harder for people to find it, which means you might get fewer leads and revenue. Therefore, SEO writing is one of the most cost-effective ways to drive long-term traffic.

The Basics of SEO Writing for Beginners

If you're new to SEO content writing, it's important to understand the basics. Here are a few basic principles to keep in mind when you're adding SEO to your writing.

1. Keyword Optimization

Keyword optimization is strategically placing relevant keywords in your content to increase visibility and ranking. 

It helps search engines understand your content, making it more likely to appear in relevant searches. The key is balancing keyword use so it’s natural for readers while meeting the search engine algorithms.

2. User Intent

User intent refers to the intent behind a user's search. You must recognize this intent to create content that matches what users are seeking, which will likely increase your content's search rankings.

Also, each industry and niche can also change your user intent. Therefore, here are the main types of user intent:

• Informational: Seeking answers or information.
• Navigational: Looking for a specific website or brand.
• Transactional: Ready to take action, like making a purchase.
• Commercial: Researching products/services before making a buying decision.

3. Readability

SEO writing isn’t just about keyword placement; it’s about creating content that is clear, concise, and engaging for readers. 

To have good readability, you can use simple language, logical flow, and make content scannable with headings and bullet points. 

The goal is to make sure the content is both optimized for search engines and enjoyable for the readers.

4. Historical Optimization

SEO is an ongoing process and even evergreen content needs regular updates to stay relevant.

Historical optimization is about revisiting older content, refreshing it with updated information, optimizing keywords, and improving readability. 

This process helps your content continue to perform well in search engine rankings despite changes in algorithms or competition.

10 SEO Writing Tips for Beginners

Here is some easy SEO writing for beginners to help improve your writing and make your content rank well on SERPs.

1. Conduct Keyword Research

The first is to target the right keyword for your content. You can utilize help from keyword research tools to find popular search terms relevant to your content and audience. 

Regular keyword research is needed as trends and search behaviors change over time. Also, you can monitor Google Trends to identify rising keywords and analyze competitors to see which keywords they rank for. 

To make the process easier, you can use some supporting tools for keyword research like Google Keyword Planner or Sequence Stat.

2. Focus on Quality Content for Your Readers

Next, you need to create quality content that is accurate, valuable, original, and engaging. This is especially important for YMYL (your money, your life) subjects like health, financial, or legal, because Google holds these subjects to a higher standard, and misinformation can have significant consequences.

Therefore, quality content is also about addressing user intent—when someone searches for information, they’re looking for a thorough, well-organized answer. 

You also need to keep in mind that you write the content for the audience, not for the search engine so think about what your reader is really looking for from your writing.

3. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

While keywords are important for SEO, overusing them can harm your content’s readability and effectiveness. So, you have to integrate keywords naturally in your content.

For instance, instead of cramming multiple keywords into a sentence, focus on one or two and create a smooth, reader-friendly flow.

Keyword stuffing not only frustrates readers but can also signal to Google that your content is of low quality, which can potentially harm your rankings.

4. Use Subheadings to Organize Content

Subheadings (H1, H2, H3 tags) are essential for structuring your content to make it easier for both readers and search engines to navigate.

Subheadings give a clear outline of your content and break it down into sections. You can also include relevant keywords in your subheadings to improve your chances of ranking well in search results.

5. Add Visual Elements

Adding multimedia elements like images, infographics, and videos enhances your content’s engagement. Visuals help break up text and provide additional context for your content to be appealing and easier to understand. 

In some cases, like “how-to” queries, videos are crucial as they align with user intent. These visuals can also help your content rank in image and video searches.

6. Add Internal Links and External Links

Don't forget to add internal links to direct readers to other relevant content on your site and to spread link equity across your pages. These links also signal to Google that your site is an authority on a particular topic. 

Aside from internal links, external links can also be necessary in your writing, as linking to credible sources adds value and credibility to your content, especially when referencing statistics, studies, or expert opinions.

7. Optimize Title Tag

The title tag is the first thing users see in search results, so it needs to be compelling enough to encourage a click. You can include your primary keyword early in the title to show relevance to the user’s query.

Additionally, the title tag is better to be concise, around 55 characters, to prevent it from being cut off in search results.

8. Write a Compelling Meta Description

Meta description is a summary appeared below the title tag in search results. While it’s not a direct ranking factor, a compelling meta description can affect click-through rates. 

The tip is to use active voice and action verbs to create a sense of urgency or interest, and include your target keyword to indicate that your content aligns with the user’s search intent. 

You may also want to keep it short, as Google typically clipped descriptions after about 105 characters on mobile devices.

9. Create Scannable and Long-Form Content

Longer blog posts generally perform better in search rankings because they provide more in-depth information.

However, to keep readers engaged, you can break down longer content into scannable sections using subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs.

You can aim for posts around 2000 words, but it is better to focus on delivering value rather than meeting a word count.

10. Avoid AI-Generated Blogs

While AI tools can help with content creation and SEO, they shouldn't replace human writers. AI can help with things like generating outlines, suggesting keywords, or optimizing existing content. But at the end of the day, the final product should always have a human touch. 

Search engines and readers can often spot AI-generated content, which can hurt your SEO performance. Instead, use AI to make your writing process better, not as a replacement for human creativity and expertise.

Conclusion

Understanding SEO content writing techniques might seem hard at first, but with these tips, you can learn to make content that attracts readers and search engines. It’s better to keep learning, try new things, and always prioritize quality.

If you seek professional assistance, cmlabs offers SEO Content Writing Services that can help you produce high-quality content. Feel free to consult with our marketing team anytime to discuss your SEO writing needs or other types of content writing!