New writers conceive an unusual feeling of beating Google in their own game and rank their written articles somehow. It is not that easy to insert keywords anywhere in the paragraph and depends on Google to send traffic. But with experience, they know how to insert keywords in blog content that damn sure works.
Beginner Content Writers made this blunder to the next level by overstuffing keywords. In the end, this black hat SEO practice penalized their clients’ websites, and no more writing gigs.
Writer’s Note:
- You have to read more about keyword overstuffing before starting your Freelance Writing Career.
- Writing content & writing rankable content are two different things. If you’ve written articles or blog posts that gained a good ranking, don’t forget to add them to your writing portfolio.
Back to the article, How to optimize blog content with target keywords, I will provide a comprehensive guide to inserting keywords smartly and gaining maximum SEO rankings.
How to insert keywords in blog content smartly to boost rankings:
1. Add keywords in the article’s title & headings.
Title:
The topmost headline of your article (blog post) will be the first step for search engines and readers for relevant search results. Try to include your targeted keyword or phrase in the title is always a good idea. Also, try to keep it persuasive but short. A fine line is almost 60 characters.
Pro tip: Most of the time, I started my title with a targeted keyword if my title tag is more than 60 characters.
Headings:
Next in our row is headings. They are from h2 to h6 or another way for Freelance writers to add more keywords (semantic) smartly. But don’t let your readers seem like you are adding headings forcefully. As for my expertise, you should have to use LSI keywords in your content because they allow your content to rank higher.
Pro Tip: Ultimately, from the writers’ point of view, these headings (h2-h6) work as an outline of any article or blog post. Next time, make your outline first, then go to write.
2. Use names in Image files; alt tag of the blog post.
Visuals are a new way to blog. Have you ever wondered why blog posts containing eye-catching visuals & graphics are ranking higher? Search engines look at images differently than humans, alt tags are for them to identify the purpose of images on web pages.
At HTML level, the image might look like,
<img class=”wt-minimalistwriter-image” src=”image.jpg” alt=”image-description” title=”image tooltip”>
When you incorporate your image tag with your target keyword, you help search engines to identify the context. Results, with a higher ranking in search as well as more images in “Google Images.”
Pro Tip: Keep in your mind when creating alt text for your blog images:
- Describe the image in detail.
- Be specific with your descriptions.
- Use similar keywords in your descriptions.
- Don’t keyword stuffing.
3. Relevant keywords in Meta Description is best to insert keywords.
One of the tactics that can help freelance writers/bloggers is to optimize it for meta description. It is the additional text below the SERPs that adds more context to titles and helps readers to click or not. Next time, you should leverage these 300 characters’ descriptions and improve your site’s CTR. Use all space, don’t write fall too short.
Writer’s Note: I am using the Yoast SEO plugin that helps to write clear meta descriptions because it has an inbuilt indicator. That shows ratings while writing.
Pro tip: Writing compelling & relevant meta descriptions is an art, but always try to write reader-friendly. Also, try to include your target keyword (especially, the long-tail keyword) for which you are trying to rank.
4. The article’s Url is exceptional with targeted keywords.
Another smart way to embed your targeted keyword is in the URLs. Every article that gets published on the Internet, has a unique URL (address) to find and index easily. Search engines are also looking at URLs to figure out the subject, context, and purpose of the published article.
In other words, what the post is about. That makes sense to optimize it for better SERP ranking.
Pro tip: Write clean and also include your targeted keyword for which you’re trying to rank.
For example, if Your targeted keyword is “how to start blogging in 2020”, then you should make your URL for your blog post like:
- blogging-2020.
- start-blog-2020.
- how-to-blog-2020.
5. Use one/two keyword phrases intentionally Good with LSI.
In the old days, it was easier to rank on any ‘targeted keywords’ because of less competition. For freelance writers, I am suggesting asking their clients to include more targeted one/two phrases in every article, you will write.
With time Google became advanced with its search strategy, trying to show search results that add value to its users. One/two similar phrases help Google to determine your written articles to rank on similar searches too.
6. Blog labels/categories are always great.
Labels are used to distinguish content published on a blog. But it also affects the SEO on a site. How do labels magnify your SEO affords?
Labels (aka categories) if you are using WordPress, sort out the articles for search engines in different sections. These sections determine whether you have high authority in certain topics/sub-topics.
Suppose, you have a tech site. And, you are writing more in “mobile chips & semi-conductors”, then your site will show on top when someone looking for information regarding semiconductors.
7. Internal linking with proper Anchor text.
Internal linking also termed Inbound links help show validation of your content. It also helps your website visitors to dig deep into the topic (blogpost) you have written.
Pro tip: If you are covering one topic and have additional resources like another blog post, web page, landing page, ebook, or product, it’s the best practice to link internally.
It helps visitors spend more time on your blog checking out additional resources within the site. It also helps to build trust among your audience that you’re an expert in the niche.
One more tactic that nobody tells is ‘Anchor tag.’ It determines the subject of links embedded. You should use your keywords (similar to the target keywords) in the anchor text.
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Conclusion- Must Optimize your blog content:
No matter what subject you are writing about. If you are not leveraging these smart tactics to insert keywords in your blog posts/articles, you will certainly fall short on your freelancing clients.
Similarly, this advice works well with bloggers who are looking for ways to boost their organic rankings. You should incorporate these steps at the early stage of your blog publishing.
For freelancing clients, this works best to retain them for long, sure. You should keep your focus on optimizing blog posts for search engines with proper keywords.
I am writing this kind of valuable post on the MinimalistWriter blog. Be a part of improving our writing journey by joining our “Write Clear!” weekly newsletter. We are sharing actionable tips on Freelance Content Writing every week.
I am an Indian Blogger & Freelancer Writer. I write concise and clear on his ‘MinimalistWriter‘ blog. Also, I write content for businesses to accomplish the best results with Content Marketing. When not working, I am busy creating witchcraft with words & characters on the Internet.