How To Write Content That Ranks Well In 2013

Along with many other factors of SEO, copy is also an important aspect. But due to frequent updates in Google algorithm, many of the old tactics don't give result anymore. Moreover, it is quite difficult to keep an eye on what really does work. So to help you out, the team at contentverve.com designed a cool infographic on SEO Copywriting in 2013 - how to write content that ranks well in search engines.

Write for humans - optimize for robots

It's 2013 - nobody wants to read SEO content, not even the search engines! Everything points to the fact that Google prefers natural content to obvious SEO stuff. moreover, there is no point in great ranking of your content does not convert. So focus on your flesh and bone target audience - but help the robots find your content.

Forget about keyword density - once and for all

Keyword density is one of the most tenacious SEO myths out there. but there is nothing to indicate that Google favors a certain density over another. It's important to use relevant keywords in your copy, but use them naturally. Cramming keywords in where they don't belong will most likely do more harm than good.

Use related keywords, synonyms and grammatical variations

Google and other search engines use Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) to match search results to the intentions of the person performing the search. Using synonyms, related keywords, and grammatical variations is an easy way to make your content more relevant - without stuffing the actual keyword into the copy.

Use the Google Tilde to find related keywords

If you add ~ before a keyword and perform a search, Google will show you a number of related keywords at the bottom of the page that Google finds relevant in relation to your query. Use these keywords to increase the relevance of your content.

Write long, in-depth, quality content

The average web page ranking on the first page of Google has over 2,000 words. Moreover, evidence points to the fact that in-depth articles get more shares an links that short, superficial ones. Aim for content that delves deep into the subject matter and provides real insight. but don't write lengthy articles just to please search engines - do it because you have knowledge and insight to share with your audience.

Take advantage of the long tail

The problem with big, fat keywords is that they usually are super competitive and ranking for them demands a huge effort. In many cases there are lots of related searches that are much easier to rank for example "landing page" vs. "how long should a landing page be?" long tail phrases have a smaller search volume, however the traffic quality will be higher as the visitors are more motivated and likely to convert.

Answer your prospects questions

If your prospects have questions about your product or service, they'll probably type those same questions into Google. provide your prospects with content that delivers credible answers, and they'll visit your site. Provide them with better answers than your competitors, and they;ll buy from you. Additionally, answering questions is a great way of taking advantage of the long tail.

Get your content noticed and shared

Sharing gets you links and traffic, and the more "shares" your content gets, the more relevant and popular it will seem to Google. Do your part to get your content out there and shared via relevant forums, blogs, influencers, communities, newsletter, groups, and the usual suspects like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest etc. And don't underestimate the incredible power of guest blogging!

Get down with Google plus

Google+ is going to play a bigger role in SEO. Moreover, the inevitable introduction of Author Rank means that Google will start connecting ranking factors to individual authors - not just the websites hosting the author's content. Setup you G+ profile, add your authorship markup, claim ownership of tour content, build AuthorRank, and play an active role on Google plus. By doing so, you can boost the authority of every piece of content you produce - regardless of where if gets posted.

Title tags and snippets are still king

Your title tag is one of the first things Google looks at when categorizing the individual web page. Moreover, the combination of title tag and "snippet" (meta description) is what your prospects are going to see in SERPs. So include keywords - but make your titles and snippets sound natural and focus on motivating prospects to click.