how to write seo articles for beginners

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SEO Writing: How To Write SEO Content (12 Easy Tips)

Learn how to create SEO-Optimized content. Follow our tips to write SEO-friendly content that users love to read.

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What Is SEO Writing?

Why is seo writing important, how to write seo content, key learnings, learn more about seo writing.

Writing for SEO is an art. The job of an SEO writer is to write content for search engines and users. To do that successfully, you must know how to apply basic SEO content principles in practice.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need about SEO writing. I will explain what SEO writing is and give you 12 SEO content writing tips to ensure that each content you write is search-engine friendly.

SEO writing is the process of writing content to rank high in search engines like Google, for related keywords.  This is done by doing keyword research and writing SEO-optimized and helpful content relevant to the user’s search intent.

SEO writing is also known as SEO copywriting or search engine optimization writing.

SEO writing is important because if you want your content to get traffic from search engines, it needs to appear in the top positions of the SERPs. According to studies, the majority of search engine traffic goes to the top 5 positions.

Another reason is growth. If you consistently write content that keeps users and search engines happy, it will have a positive effect on your Google trust and you’ll be able to rank for more keywords.

Over time, you’ll experience a steady growth of organic traffic with numerous other benefits for your business.

Follow these rules to start creating optimized SEO content.

• Find Your Primary And Secondary Keywords
• Craft Your Page Title And Meta Description
• Create An SEO Friendly URL
• Satisfy Search Intent
• Create Helpful, Unique Content
• Use Keywords In Your Content
• Create Meaningful Subheadings
• Add Internal Links With Relevant Anchor Text
• Optimize Content For E-E-A-T
• Optimize Content For Featured Snippets
• Add And Optimize Images
• Make Your Content Easy To Read On Mobiles

1. Find Your Primary And Secondary Keywords

The first step before writing new content is to decide which keywords to target.

This process is known as keyword research, and it’s very important for a simple reason. You need to write content around topics that people search for and keyword research will tell you that.

When you do your keyword research, the outcome will be a set of SEO keywords both head (or primary keywords) and long tail keywords that people type in search engines.

The easiest way to do this is to:

• Go to Google and search for your chosen topic (general).
• Visit the top 5 pages and analyze the type of content they provide.
• Take each URL and, using Semrush or other tools (Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, etc), find out for which keywords those pages are ranking and the traffic they get.
• Then, depending on the results, decide which main keywords you will target in your content.
• Take those keywords again and, using a tool, find out the associated long-tail keywords and related keywords.

Here is an example of how I followed the above steps when writing this post:

I did a general search on Google using “write for SEO”.

I analyzed the first results using Semrush and found out that the keyword that has a high volume for my chosen topic is “SEO writing.”

I then used the Keyword Magic tool (utilizing the advanced filters feature) of SEMRUSH to find other related long-tail keywords.

If you take a closer look at the content, you’ll see that these keywords are used in different places throughout the article.

By following this process every time you write new content, you help search engines understand your content better, and if your content satisfies what users want, this will eventually translate to higher rankings, social media shares, and more incoming links.

2. Craft Your Page Title And Meta Description

The next step is to start thinking about your page title. Choosing a good page title is critical for the success of your content, so allocate the necessary time to come up with a title that:

• Includes your target keyword
• It’s unique for your website
• It’s interesting for users to click
• It’s around 60 characters
• It’s not the same as the existing titles on the first page of Google.

Don’t omit any of the steps, especially the last one. Before deciding on your title, go to Google, type your target keyword, and analyze the first 10 titles.

Your goal is to create a title that is unique. Otherwise, you limit your chances of getting a top-10 position. Google rarely shows pages with the same title in the first 10 results.

Do the same when crafting your meta description . Make it unique, and try to describe your content in 160 characters or less. Include keywords so that users can know if the content matches their intent.

For example, look at the title and meta description below and notice how the keyword ‘learn digital marketing’ is used naturally in both.

3. Create An SEO Friendly URL

The next step is very easy to implement. When creating the permalink of your post, ensure it includes your target keywords and eliminates any unnecessary words.

Look, for example, at the URL of this post. By default, it was the same as the page title, i.e.

https://www.reliablesoft.net/seo-writing-how-to-write-for-seo-12-easy-tips/

But I have shortened it down to:

https://www.reliablesoft.net/seo-writing

Aim for having exact match URLs where possible. Read our guide on SEO-Friendly URLs for more details.

4. Satify Search Intent

After finding your target keywords, the next step before writing the content is to examine what kind of content users like to consume for the particular keywords. In other words, you need to find the search intent behind each keyword.

To do this successfully, search for your target keywords on Google and examine the top-ranking pages. What kind of content is ranking in the top positions? Are they short-form articles, long-form articles, or listicles? What is the average content length? How are the pages structured?

Also, look at the ‘People Also Ask’ section, which shows users’ common questions about a particular topic.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a post on “blogging tips”.

If you perform a search on Google, you can easily make these assumptions:

• Most articles have a list of tips, so the appropriate format for this keyword is listicles .
• For each tip, they give a summary and links to learn more.
• The average article length is 3000 words.
• Top-ranking articles have many custom-made visuals.

If you follow the above guidelines and provide content that is unique and useful, you’ll have more chances of achieving a high ranking.

Another example. If you are writing an article about ‘SEO tools,’ you will notice that almost all results are about lists with ‘Free Tools.’

This means that Google has found out that when users search for tools, although they don’t include the word ‘Free’, they intend to browse lists of Free tools.

This also means that if you target this keyword, you must adjust your title and content accordingly. Otherwise, you minimize your chances of rankings for that term.

Pro Tip: Make sure you research on both desktop and mobile, as the results are presented differently.

5. Create Helpful, Unique Content

Now it’s time to get your hands dirty and get into content writing .

You already know what your competitors have published, you have your title, and you know which keywords to include in your content. What else do you need?

You need content that has the following characteristics:

• People-first – content produced to provide value to people and not search engines.
• Original – content that is not a copy of existing content.
• Unbiased – content that is not biased but presents both sides of a story.
• Complete – content that provides a comprehensive description of a topic.
• Better – content doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be better than what is already published.

Follow the checklist below, every time you start creating content.

What is the ideal length of content?

I’ve mentioned above that you must make your content comprehensive enough so that users can get accurate and in-depth information about the topic.

Despite what you might have read, there is no magic number when it comes to word length.

It all depends on the topic and keywords. For some topics, you might need to write articles that are over 2000 words. For other topics, you can provide a comprehensive answer in 800 words.

Content length alone is NOT a ranking factor. What matters is the quality of the content and how well it can satisfy the user’s real intent.

To avoid any confusion, several studies have shown that the ideal article length for SEO is around 1800 words, and this is true for many cases.

Longer articles allow you to use more keywords (without keyword stuffing), and they tend to do better in social media.

But, this is a general guideline and not applicable to all cases. My recommendation is to find the average length of the first 10 results and try to provide a bit more content but better than what has already been published.

There is no reason to write a 3000-word article if you can have the same result as a 1500-word article.

6. Use Keywords In Your Content

Here is a nice tip that most SEO writers fail to follow. Once you are done with the first draft, you need to go back and revisit your post introduction.

Your goal is to make sure that your target keyword is included in your opening paragraph .

The reason is that Google always considers that content that is above the fold and high on a page is more important than content found down the page.

Adding your keywords in the first paragraph gives Google a big clue as to which keywords to associate this page with. It’s also good for the users since you can help them understand that they are on the right page.

With the introduction of machine learning to Google search algorithms (known as RankBrain), Google is trying to truly understand what the searcher wants by using natural language processing.

This means that for a given keyword, Google will look for the deeper meaning of the query and not just for exact match keywords.

For you as an SEO copywriter, it means that you need to add related keywords in your content to help them during this process.

Related keywords are keywords that have the same or similar meaning. You can find these keywords using tools like Semrush. Here is a screenshot of the related keywords for “SEO writing”.

So, you need to return to your copy and enrich it with these keywords naturally. You may have to rephrase some of your sentences, but it’s a step that can improve the relevance of your content.

7. Create Meaningful Subheadings

One of the characteristics of SEO-friendly content is that it’s easy to read by both search engines and users, and headings help in that direction.

Don’t be surprised but the majority of users won’t read your content, they will scan through it. Having meaningful headings helps them find the part they want faster.

Search engines follow the same pattern, especially for long-form content. They scan the page and look for certain elements to understand how it is structured and what topics or keywords the content covers.

To make their job easier, you can use predefined heading tags in your HTML, like the H1 tag , h2 tag, and h3.

Usually, a page has only one H1 tag, which is used for the title, and then the rest of the content has H2 for the main headings and H3 for the sub-headings.

To further improve the SEO friendliness of your copy, try to use some of your long-tail keywords in the headings. Take a closer look at the headings of this article and notice how I have added long-tail keywords in my headings.

8. Add Internal Links With Relevant Anchor Text

One of the SEO principles most SEO content writers tend to forget is internal linking . An internal link is a link that points to a page on the same website.

Why is it important?

When you publish a new page, it has to match your site’s topics. This improves relevancy and rankings. One of the ways to ‘tell’ Google that your content is relevant to the rest of the site, is to use internal links.

Although internal links are not as powerful as SEO backlinks, they are still used by Google to understand what the linked page is about, especially if the right anchor text is used in the link.

They also help users learn more about a topic (look at this article again and notice how I have used internal links to give users a way to find out more information about a topic).

Last but not least, internal links are followed by search engine crawlers, and this leads to better crawling and indexing of more site pages.

9. Optimize Content For E-E-A-T

A lot of content is published on the Internet, and to protect the quality of their search results, Google algorithms can detect which pages demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness on a given topic.

In the SEO world, this is known as E-E-A-T and is a critical factor of SEO content and an indicator of content Quality.

Here is the relevant quote from Google’s guidelines on content quality.

How can you improve your SEO copy for E-E-A-T?

Follow these simple guidelines:

• Every page should have the author’s name and bio published (see how I use this on all my posts).
• A page should have outgoing links to trusted sources.
• A page and website, in general, should have incoming links from other trusted and related websites.

As an SEO copywriter, you cannot control the last guideline (incoming links) since this has to do more with the content promotion part, but you can control the first two.

So, revisit your content again and ensure that it links to other trusted websites and that the author bio is clearly shown on all pages.

10. Optimize Content For Featured Snippets

Another important tip for making your content more visible to search engines is optimizing for featured snippets .

A featured snippet appears on position ‘zero’ of the organic results and has a higher CTR compared to normal listings. Here is an example:

For every piece of content you publish, you should analyze the SERPs to find what kind of featured snippets Google shows for your target keywords and optimize your content accordingly. The most common types are paragraphs, lists, tables, and videos.

11. Add And Optimize Images

Before you hit the publish button, ensure your content includes optimized images.

Adding images to your content makes it more interesting and easier to read. While this is not directly related to SEO writing, it can help in many ways:

• Users are more likely to share content with high-quality images in their social media networks than content with no images.
• You can use the image alt text to give search engines more clues about your content.
• When you properly optimize your images , you have more chances of appearing in Google image search for your target (or related) keywords.

12. Make Your Content Easy To Read On Mobiles

When writing content, ensure it is optimized for reading on mobile devices. This means:

• Use a font that is big enough.
• Breaking the text into short paragraphs.
• Use lists where appropriate to make the information more digestible.
• Use responsive images that adapt to different screen sizes.
• Ensure that the main content is not confused with ads.
• The page loads fast and has no annoying popups.

Anyone can learn to write for SEO. It’s a skill that can be easily mastered through practice and by following some basic SEO principles.

If you work as a freelancer , you can apply for many SEO writing jobs. If you’re doing SEO for your website, learning how to write content for SEO will make your content get found on Google .

What you should not forget is always to put the user first. Your primary concern is providing content users want to read and then optimizing it for SEO.

This is why I have separated the process into several steps that involve writing the content naturally and then revising it for SEO.

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Alex Chris is a digital marketing consultant, author, and instructor. He has more than 18 years of practical experience with SEO and digital marketing. Alex holds an MSc Degree in eCommerce and has consulted with Fortune 500 companies in different industries. He blogs regularly about SEO and Digital marketing, and his work has been referenced by leading marketing websites. Connect with Alex on Twitter and LinkedIn .

32 Comments

July 8, 2014 at 7:52 pm

this article is very useful. As iam a new learner so it helps me a lot. Thanks for all this information 🙂

November 6, 2014 at 7:19 am

Thanks for explaining in detail about SEO Friendly Content, this will be helpful.

January 10, 2015 at 2:37 pm

Great article for content writing and seo optimization..

May 25, 2016 at 8:30 am

Thanks for this wonderful post. SEO is an great part of blogging, and helps to get constant flow of traffic over long periods of time. Both on page and off page optimization are equally important, but I have been trying to learn more and more about on page optimization. Learned quite a few rocking tips on how to write SEO optimized posts.

Thanks bro.

May 25, 2016 at 10:47 am

Thanks for commenting. Glad you find my post useful. You can also check https://www.reliablesoft.net/ebook/wordpress-seo-guide/ for more actionable tips and advice about on-page and off-page SEO.

All the best Alex

January 29, 2017 at 7:19 am

Thanks i read it alreally. Really usefull for my site. Thank you so much bro.

July 15, 2016 at 8:46 am

Great little article! Giving the basics of SEO in an incredibly light and informative way. Very easy to read and understand thank you for your help!

July 16, 2016 at 10:49 am

well..informative blog..I am planning to rewrite content for one of my websites.I would like to ask about keyword density. please guide for the same..thanks in advance ..

July 21, 2016 at 8:01 am

Great article, many thanks.

July 22, 2016 at 6:23 pm

Great tips Alex! Writing for SEO without sounding like an SEO is easier these days. Ridiculous keyword stuffing is redundant and luckily Google is better penalizing for it. I’m generating ideas on my next piece of content with keyword tools. I like search suggestion tools like Answerthepublic.com or sg.serpstat.com but being organic in your writing isn’t something you can acquire with a tool)

January 19, 2017 at 4:31 pm

You are write Alex. If you wanna have frequently visited web/blog, you must have a well prepared showcase.

January 20, 2017 at 1:43 pm

Very well said! Prepare your content from the beginning so that it’s ready and in good shape once the traffic starts to flow in.

Thanks Alex

January 23, 2017 at 9:37 pm

Really amazing information with full detail but in point 5 you have a spelling mistake “big fun” instead of” big fan”. Thanks Alex

January 23, 2017 at 10:33 pm

Thanks for your comment. Spelling mistake corrected.

April 6, 2017 at 1:23 pm

This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I genuinely enjoy reading through your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same subjects? Thanks a lot!

April 19, 2017 at 8:54 am

Thank you for your advice. I have a question for you: my blog is new, how to develop content the most effectively and get more traffic with content marketing.

April 20, 2017 at 1:40 pm

Take a look at these two posts: https://www.reliablesoft.net/how-to-write-content-that-actually-deserves-to-get-links/ and https://www.reliablesoft.net/seo-friendly-blog-posts/ . They describe the process I use to create new content and increase my traffic.

October 27, 2017 at 4:15 am

Hey Alex, your article is awesome. You start easy and basic and I think everyone can follow your step by step description. What do you think is the worst mistake one can make while writing friendly SEO content?

October 27, 2017 at 8:40 am

Keyword stuffing. SEO Friendly content has to be written naturally without exaggerating with the use of keywords.

December 20, 2017 at 9:24 am

Impressive article on SEO. Very easy to read and understand thank you for your help!

January 11, 2018 at 10:58 am

hey Alex, your post is excellent and so informative. it is really helpful for a beginner blogger like me. keep up the good work. i have a question, what would be the minimum word limit of the article??

June 7, 2018 at 7:05 pm

I am a beginner in the blogging industry. I really benefited by your super reach article. That helps me to write an SEO optimized post. Do I have some question, How to write a perfect SEO title and meta title? and how to find the best keyword? please help me, sir…..

November 6, 2018 at 2:04 pm

Can you please let me know that if I use an image for which I don’t have copyright like images from direct Google search.Then what will be the effect to my website?Are there any risk of penalized my website by Google.

March 26, 2019 at 10:55 am

You should always reference the source of the image by adding a link to your content. There is no Google penalty from using images from Google search.

Hope this helps Alex

October 10, 2019 at 4:18 pm

hi there, informative clear updated thanks for the detailed explanation with a presentation, it will be really helpful to enhance in-depth knowledge about Content Writing Skills.

November 23, 2022 at 3:28 pm

Thanks! Glad I could help.

November 1, 2019 at 3:29 pm

Best article for a beginner to kick start with basic SEO for a blog 2019. I am a beginner and it’s very helpful to me.

January 3, 2021 at 9:27 pm

Hey Alex, thanks a lot. This is a very informative post and you have written all the things about SEO in a very easy way. Thanks for sharing this kind of nice content.

Regards Mohit

May 25, 2021 at 2:23 pm

Writing a content with SEO tactics is not an easy task, but here you wrote a wonderful post which make easy to write SEO friendly content.

September 2, 2021 at 5:54 pm

Wow Very informative article Alex as usual. Thanks for sharing.

November 23, 2022 at 3:29 pm

Thanks a lot for commenting.

January 2, 2024 at 8:58 am

Thank you for this incredibly helpful guide on SEO writing! Your 12 easy tips provide a clear roadmap for creating SEO-friendly content. The breakdown makes it so much simpler to understand and implement these strategies. Grateful for the valuable insights that will surely improve content creation. Much appreciated!

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Getting Started with SEO: A Beginner's Guide to Writing SEO Articles

So you've heard the buzzword "SEO" thrown around and you can't help but wonder if it's some kind of secret code that only tech-savvy wizards can crack. Fear not, my friend, for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, it's a powerful tool that can help your articles soar to the top of search engine results and attract hordes of eager readers.

Whether you're a newbie blogger or a seasoned wordsmith looking to up your game, this beginner's guide will walk youthrough the magical art of writing SEO articles and get you started on the path to online success. So grab your pen (or keyboard) and let's dive into the world of SEO together!

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your website and its content to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results. It involves various techniques to attract organic traffic from search engines. Here's what you need to know about SEO:

• SEO helps search engines understand your content and connect it with relevant queries.
• It involves optimizing your website structure, metadata, and content to align with user search intent.
• By implementing SEO strategies, you can increase your website's chances of appearing higher in search engine results, driving more organic traffic.
• SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, refining, and adapting to changes in search engine algorithms.

Why is SEO important for your website?

SEO is vital for your website's visibility and success. By optimizing your articles for search engines, you increase the chances of ranking higher in search results, attracting more organic traffic. This means more potential customers or readers discovering your content.

For example, if you have a website selling handmade jewelry, optimizing your articles with relevant keywords like "unique handmade jewelry" helps potential buyers find your site.

Additionally, SEO helps improve user experience, making your website easier to navigate and faster to load. It's a cost-effective way to boost your online presence and reach a wider audience.

Benefits of writing SEO articles

Writing SEO articles offers several benefits for beginners looking to improve their online presence.

Firstly, it helps your website gain visibility on search engines, increasing the chances of attracting organic traffic. By using relevant keywords strategically throughout your content, search engines can understand the topics you cover, improving your chances of ranking higher in search results. This ultimately leads to more exposure, website visits, and potential conversions.

Additionally, writing SEO articles encourages you to produce high-quality, informative content that engages readers and establishes your credibility in your niche . This not only satisfies search engine algorithms but also provides value to your target audience, keeping them coming back for more.

Understanding keywords

Understanding keywords is fundamental to writing SEO articles for beginners. Keywords are the words and phrases that internet users enter into search engines when looking for information. By conducting keyword research, you can identify the most relevant and popular keywords in your niche. For instance, if you're writing an article about "growing herbs at home," you'd want to include keywords like "herb gardening tips" or "how to grow herbs indoors.

" These keywords help search engines understand the content of your article and improve its visibility in search results. Choose keywords strategically and incorporate them naturally throughout your article to increase its chances of ranking higher.

Researching Keywords

Identifying relevant keywords.

Identifying relevant keywords is a fundamental step in writing SEO articles. These are the terms or phrases that people use to search for information related to your topic. Start by brainstorming potential keywords that are relevant to your content. Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and consider what they would search for. You can also use keyword research tools to analyze search volume and competition.

For example, if you're writing an article about "gardening tips for beginners," relevant keywords may include "beginner gardening tips," "easy gardening techniques," and "starting a garden for beginners." By targeting these keywords, you can optimize your content to attract the right audience and improve your SEO rankings.

Using keyword research tools

Using keyword research tools is a valuable practice when writing SEO articles for beginners. These tools help identify relevant keywords that have high search volumes and low competition. By understanding what keywords people are using to search for information, you can optimize your content to target those specific terms.

Keyword research tools provide insights into search trends, competition levels, and related keywords, allowing you to choose the most effective keywords to incorporate into your articles. Some popular keyword research tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Moz Keyword Explorer. These tools provide data-driven insights that can inform your content strategy and help improve your website's visibility in search engine results.

Analyzing keyword competitiveness

Analyzing keyword competitiveness is a vital step in SEO article writing. It helps you understand the difficulty of ranking for specific keywords. By assessing factors like search volume and competition, you can choose the right keywords to target. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush provide valuable insights into keyword metrics. For instance, a high search volume and low competition indicate an opportunity worth pursuing.

On the other hand, targeting highly competitive keywords may require more effort and time to rank. Analyzing keyword competitiveness guides your content strategy, allowing you to focus on keywords with better chances of success.

Writing SEO-friendly Content

Creating compelling headlines.

• Craft attention-grabbing titles that entice readers and improve SEO.
• Use relevant keywords strategically in your headline to optimize for search engines.
• Keep headlines concise and to the point, avoiding unnecessary fluff or jargon.
• Incorporate numbers or compelling adjectives to make your headline stand out.
• Appeal to readers' emotions or provide a solution to their problems.
• Follow the "how-to" format to offer value and address beginners' needs.
• Experiment with different headline styles and analyze their impact on click-through rates.
• Examples : "10 Tips for Writing SEO Articles Beginners Will Love" or "Mastering SEO Writing: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Engaging Content".

Structuring your article for SEO

• Use headers to organize your content and improve readability.
• Place your target keywords strategically in your headers and throughout the article.
• Break up long paragraphs into shorter ones to make it easier for readers to scan the content.
• Incorporate bullet points or numbered lists to highlight key points and make your article more user-friendly.
• Utilize descriptive and concise meta descriptions and title tags to optimize search engine visibility.
• Include relevant internal and external links to provide additional value to readers and boost SEO performance.
• Ensure your article has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion to enhance user experience.
• Use formatting techniques like bold and italic fonts to emphasize important keywords or phrases.

Organizing content with headings

One way to organize your SEO article effectively is by using headings. Headings help break down the content into logical sections, making it easier for readers to skim and navigate the article.

For instance, if you're writing an article about on-page SEO techniques, you could use headings like "Title Tags and Meta Descriptions," "Keyword Optimization," and "Internal Linking Strategies." Each heading represents a specific aspect of the topic, allowing readers to quickly find the information they're interested in.

By using headings, you provide a clear structure to your article and enhance the readability of your content. This improves the user experience and signals to search engines what your article is about. Remember to use relevant keywords in your headings for better SEO optimization.

Writing meta descriptions and title tags

Meta descriptions and title tags are vital elements for optimizing your SEO articles. The meta description provides a concise summary of your content in search engine results pages, enticing users to click. Keep it around 150-160 characters, including relevant keywords and a compelling call-to-action. For instance, if your article is about "SEO tools for beginners," your meta description can be "Discover the best SEO tools for beginners to improve your website's visibility and drive organic traffic."

Similarly, title tags serve as the title of your page in search engine results. Make them captivating, concise (around 55-60 characters), and keyword-rich. If you're writing an article about "On-page SEO techniques for beginners," your title tag could be "Effective On-Page SEO Techniques for Beginners - Boost Your Website's Performance."

Crafting well-optimized meta descriptions and title tags can significantly enhance your article's visibility and attract more organic traffic.

Using keywords strategically

Using keywords strategically is an important aspect of writing SEO articles for beginners. It involves incorporating relevant keywords naturally throughout your content to improve search engine visibility.

For example, if you're writing an article about "easy vegan recipes," include this keyword in your headings, subheadings, and within the body text. However, avoid overusing keywords, as this can be seen as spammy by search engines. Instead, focus on providing valuable and informative content that naturally includes the keywords. By doing so, your article will have a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results and attracting organic traffic.

Incorporating keywords naturally

Incorporating keywords naturally is an important aspect of writing SEO articles for beginners. This means using keywords in a way that feels organic and not forced. Avoid stuffing keywords unnaturally into sentences or paragraphs as it can negatively affect the readability and user experience. Instead, focus on producing high-quality content that provides value to the readers while naturally including relevant keywords.

For example, if you are writing an article about "healthy recipes," integrate related terms like "nutritious meals" or "clean eating ideas" naturally in the text. This approach ensures your content remains engaging and helpful while still improving its visibility in search results.

Avoiding keyword stuffing

Avoiding keyword stuffing is important in SEO articles for beginners. Keyword stuffing refers to the excessive use of keywords in an article, which can negatively impact the readability and user experience. Instead, aim for a natural and organic integration of keywords within the content.

For example, if you're writing an article about "best hiking boots," rather than repeatedly using the phrase "best hiking boots" in every sentence, focus on providing valuable information, using related terms, and answering user queries. This not only improves the article's quality but also prevents search engines from penalizing your content. Remember, the key is to prioritize user experience while still incorporating relevant keywords.

Writing high-quality content

Writing high-quality content is a fundamental aspect of creating effective SEO articles for beginners. It involves providing valuable information to your readers in a well-structured and engaging manner. To achieve this, focus on offering unique insights, actionable tips, and relevant examples. Use clear and concise language, avoiding unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Incorporate different media, such as images or videos, to enhance the overall user experience.

Remember to proofread yourcontent for grammar and spelling errors. By consistently delivering valuable and well-crafted articles, you can attract and retain readers while improving your website's SEO performance.

Offering value to readers

Offering value to readers is the foundation of writing successful SEO articles for beginners. Your content should provide helpful information, answer common questions, or solve problems. By focusing on delivering valuable insights, you can build trust and establish yourself as an authoritative resource.

To offer value, consider incorporating practical tips, step-by-step guides, or case studies that demonstrate real-life examples. Think about what your target audience needs and desires, and create content that addresses those concerns.

Additionally, use plain language and avoid jargon to ensure your content is easily understandable by beginners. Remember, the more value you provide, the more likely readers will engage, share, and return for more.

Using proper grammar and spelling

Using proper grammar and spelling in SEO articles is vital for effective communication with both readers and search engines. When your content is riddled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, it undermines your credibility and professionalism. Readers may perceive such content as untrustworthy, leading to a higher bounce rate and lower engagement.

Additionally, search engines prioritize well-written content as it enhances the user experience. Proofread your articles carefully, ensuring correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling throughout.

For example, avoid run-on sentences, incorrect verb tenses, and common misspellings. By paying attention to these details, you create a more polished and compelling article that appeals to both readers and search engines.

Formatting for readability

Formatting your SEO articles for readability is vital in engaging readers and improving their overall experience. Use subheadings to break up the content and make it easier to navigate. Keep paragraphs short and concise, with a maximum of 3-4 sentences, to avoid overwhelming readers with large blocks of text.

Utilize bullet points or numbered lists to present information in a clear and organized manner. Incorporate relevant images or infographics to visually enhance your content and make it more appealing. Additionally, use a legible font size and style for easy reading across different devices.

For example, imagine you are writing an article about "top 10 SEO techniques." Instead of presenting it as a long paragraph, use bullet points to list each technique individually, followed by a brief explanation. This formatting technique helps readers quickly scan and grasp the main points of your article.

Optimizing SEO Articles

Optimizing url structure.

Optimizing URL structure is an important aspect of writing SEO articles for beginners. A well-structured URL helps search engines understand the content of your page and improves user experience. Keep your URLs concise, descriptive, and relevant to the topic. Include relevant keywords in the URL, but avoid using excessive keywords or unnecessary characters.

For example, instead of using a URL like "example.com/p=123456," use "example.com/seo-article-basics." This not only helps search engines index your page but also makes it easier for users to remember and share your content.

Optimizing images for SEO

Optimizing images for SEO is an important aspect of creating SEO-friendly articles. When adding images to your content, make sure to use descriptive and relevant file names. This helps search engines understand the content of the image.

Additionally, optimize the alt text attribute by providing a concise and descriptive summary of the image. This not only improves accessibility for visually impaired users but also helps search engines index and rank your content. Compressing images to reduce file size improves page loading speed, which is crucial for a positive user experience. Always aim for a balance between image quality and file size to improve SEO performance.

Internal and external linking

Internal and external linking are important components of SEO articles for beginners. Internal linking involves linking to other pages within your website, which helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content. It also allows users to navigate easily.

For example, within a blog post about SEO tips, you can link to a related post about keyword research.

External linking refers to linking to reputable sources or relevant websites. This helps establish credibility and shows search engines that you've done research. For instance, when discussing a specific topic, you can provide a link to an industry study or an authoritative website. Remember to use descriptive anchor text for both internal and external links to provide context to users and search engines.

Getting backlinks from authoritative websites

Getting backlinks from authoritative websites is an important aspect of SEO articles for beginners. When high-quality websites link back to your content, search engines gain trust in your site's credibility and authority. To get backlinks, focus on creating compelling, informative, and shareable content that others would naturally want to link to. You can also reach out to relevant websites in your industry and suggest collaborating on guest posts or requesting them to link to your content.

Remember, the more backlinks you have from authoritative sites, the higher your chances of ranking well in search engine results.

Linking to related content on your website

Linking to related content on your website is a fundamental SEO practice. When you include internal links within your articles, it helps search engines understand the structure and relevance of your website. It also keeps users engaged by providing additional valuable information.

For example, if you're writing an SEO article for beginners and mention the importance of keyword research, you can link to another article you've written specifically on that topic. This way, readers can easily access more information and spend more time on your site. Remember to use descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the content you are linking to.

Optimizing for mobile devices

Optimizing for mobile devices is crucial in SEO articles for beginners today. With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, websites that are not mobile-friendly can lead to poor user experience and lower search rankings. To optimize for mobile, ensure your website is responsive and loads quickly, as page speed is critical for mobile users. Use a responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes, and make sure buttons and links are easily clickable on smaller screens.

For example, use larger font sizes and provide enough spacing between elements. By prioritizing mobile optimization, you can reach a larger audience and improve your website's visibility in search results.

Measuring SEO Success

Tracking website traffic.

Tracking website traffic is a vital aspect of SEO articles for beginners. It helps to gauge the effectiveness of your content and optimization efforts. Some practical ways to track website traffic include:

• Utilizing web analytics tools like Google Analytics
• Monitoring the number of unique visitors to your site
• Analyzing page views and time spent on each page
• Identifying the sources of traffic such as organic search, social media, or referrals
• Tracking user behavior through click-through rates and conversion rates
• Comparing traffic patterns over time to identify trends and make data-driven decisions.

By regularly tracking website traffic, you can gain insights into your audience's preferences, measure the success of your SEO strategies, and make informed improvements to enhance your website's performance.

Monitoring keyword rankings

Monitoring keyword rankings is a vital part of SEO article optimization. It helps you understand how your content is performing in search engine results. By tracking the positions of your target keywords, you can measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts and identify areas for improvement. There are various tools available, such as Google Search Console and SEMrush, that allow you to monitor keyword rankings over time.

For example, if you notice that your article is consistently ranking higher for a certain keyword, it indicates that your optimization strategies are working well. On the other hand, if your rankings decline, it may be time to reassess your approach and make necessary adjustments to your content or SEO techniques.

Analyzing user engagement

Analyzing user engagement is an important aspect of SEO articles for beginners. It provides valuable insights into how users interact with your content. Look at metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and click-through rate to gauge user engagement. For instance, a high bounce rate may indicate that your article isn't meeting user expectations. By analyzing user engagement, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your content.

For instance, if users spend a longer time on articles that include visual elements such as images or videos, you can consider incorporating more of those elements to enhance engagement. Use analytics tools to gather and interpret user engagement data, allowing you to continuously refine your SEO articles.

Key takeaways

Are you new to the world of SEO article writing and not sure where to begin? Look no further! This beginner's guide provides a concise overview of how to get started with writing SEO articles. Learn the importance of keyword research and optimization, understand the significance of high-quality content, and discover effective techniques to improve your article's visibility on search engines.

By following these tips and guidelines, you'll be well on your way to mastering the art of SEO article writing.

SEO Content Writing Guide for Beginners with QnA

April 9, 2023

Are you a beginner in the world of content writing and struggling to understand how to optimize your content for search engines?

Have you ever published an article or blog post but failed to get the traction you were expecting?

Don't worry; you're not alone!

Many beginners face challenges regarding SEO content writing, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

In this blog, we'll address the ten most common questions beginners have about SEO content writing and provide practical tips to help you get started.

We'll cover everything from understanding the basics of search engine optimization to how to conduct keyword research and tips for writing compelling and engaging content that both your readers and search engines will love.

Whether you're a blogger, content marketer, or just getting started with writing online, this guide will provide you with the information you need to take your content to the next level.

So, let's dive in and start with our top 10 common questions about SEO content writing for beginners.

1. What is SEO Content Writing?

SEO content writing is creating content optimized to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

It involves using keywords in strategic locations throughout the content, optimizing meta descriptions and title tags, and ensuring that the content is high-quality and engaging for readers.

In addition to optimizing content for search engines, SEO content writing also involves understanding the target audience and creating content that meets their needs and interests.

This can include researching the topics that are most relevant to the audience, using language and tone that resonates with them, and providing valuable information or insights that they are likely to find useful.

Effective SEO content writing requires a balance between optimizing for search engines and creating valuable and engaging content for human readers.

2. Why is SEO Content Writing Important?

SEO content writing is essential because it helps websites rank higher in SERPs, driving more organic traffic to the site. This can lead to increased brand awareness, more leads and conversions, and ultimately, more revenue for the business.

In addition, SEO content writing can also improve the user experience on a website, making it more engaging and easier to navigate.

By creating high-quality, informative content optimized for search engines, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and build trust with their audience.

Moreover, SEO content writing is an ongoing process that requires regular updates and maintenance, which can help businesses stay relevant and competitive in today's digital marketplace.

With so much online competition, a strong SEO strategy is essential for any business looking to succeed in the long term.

3. What are Keywords, and How Do You Use Them in SEO Content Writing?

Keywords are the words and phrases that users type into search engines when looking for information.

In SEO content writing, keyword research identifies the keywords most relevant to your business and incorporates them strategically into your content.

The goal of keyword research is to increase your website's visibility and rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By understanding what keywords your target audience is searching for, you can optimize your content accordingly and drive more traffic to your website.

However, it's important to note that keyword stuffing or overusing keywords to manipulate search rankings can harm your SEO efforts. Instead, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords.

Additionally, regularly updating and refreshing your content with new keywords can help keep your website ranking high and attracting new visitors.

4. What Are Meta Descriptions, and How Do You Use Them in SEO Content Writing?

Meta descriptions are the snippets of text that appear below the title tag on SERPs. They provide a summary of the content on the page and can impact click-through rates.

In SEO content writing, it's essential to create unique and compelling meta descriptions that accurately reflect the content on the page.

Meta descriptions are also an excellent opportunity to entice users to click through to your website by highlighting the unique value proposition of your content.

To make the most of your meta descriptions, keep them between 150-160 characters and include relevant keywords that match the searcher's intent.

Also, avoid using duplicate meta descriptions across multiple pages, which can confuse search engines and users. Remember, a well-crafted meta description can make all the difference in attracting visitors to your site!

5. What is the Ideal Length for an SEO Content Piece?

There is no definitive answer to the ideal length for an SEO content piece, as it can vary depending on the topic and the audience. However, studies have shown that longer content tends to perform better in SERPs and can provide more value to readers.

When writing SEO content, it is essential to remember that the piece's length should not be the only factor considered.

Quality and relevance of the content are equally important and can significantly impact how well the content performs in search engine rankings. It is also essential to consider the user experience, as readers are more likely to engage with content that is easy to read and provides valuable insights.

Therefore, writers should aim to strike a balance between length, quality, relevance, and user experience to create effective SEO content.

6. How Do You Conduct Keyword Research for SEO Content Writing?

Keyword research involves identifying the keywords most relevant to your business and audience.

Several tools can help you conduct keyword research, including Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush .

Choosing keywords with high search volume and low competition is essential.

Once you have identified the keywords most relevant to your business and audience, it's essential to incorporate them into your website content, blog posts, social media profiles, and other digital marketing efforts. This will help improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your website.

However, using keywords naturally and organically is essential rather than stuffing them into your content unnaturally.

Remember also to consider long-tail keywords, which are longer and more specific phrases that can be easier to rank for and often have higher conversion rates.

7. Can Duplicate Content Hurt Your SEO Efforts?

Yes, duplicate content can hurt your SEO efforts.

Search engines prefer unique and original content, so if you have duplicate content on your site or across multiple sites, it can impact your rankings in SERPs.

In addition, having duplicate content can confuse search engines as they may not know which version of the content to index or display in search results. This can lead to lower visibility for your website and ultimately impact your organic traffic.

It's important to regularly audit your content, identify any instances of duplication, and take steps to remove or consolidate them.

By creating fresh and original content, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages and attracting more visitors to your site.

8. How Do You Optimize Images for SEO?

There are several ways to optimize images for SEO, including using descriptive file names and alt tags, compressing images for faster load times, and ensuring that images are relevant to the content on the page.

Another effective way to optimize images for SEO is by using the correct file format.

JPEG is the most commonly used image format and is ideal for photographs or images with many colors. On the other hand, PNG is best for images with fewer colors and transparency, while SVG is great for vector graphics such as logos and icons.

Choosing the correct file format can improve your website's load time and enhance the user experience, leading to better search engine rankings.

9. How Do You Track Results for SEO Content Writing?

Tracking results for SEO content writing involves measuring key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates.

There are several tools available that can help you track these metrics, including Google Analytics and Ahrefs.

Google Analytics is a free tool that provides insights into your website's traffic and user behavior. You can use Google Analytics to track the number of visitors to your website, the pages they visit, how long they stay on your site, and where they come from. This information can help you optimize your content for better user engagement and improve your website's overall performance.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, is a paid tool specializing in SEO analysis. It provides detailed data on your website's backlinks, keyword rankings, and competitor research. With Ahrefs, you can monitor your website's SEO performance and identify areas for improvement.

Both tools are essential for tracking your SEO content writing results and improving your website's search engine visibility.

10. How Often Should You Update Your SEO Content?

There's no set rule for how often you should update your SEO content, but it's a good idea to regularly review and refresh your content to ensure that it's up-to-date and relevant to your audience. This can help improve your rankings in SERPs and drive more organic traffic to your site.

One effective way to keep your content fresh is to conduct keyword research periodically. This will help you identify new keywords and topics relevant to your audience and industry.

Additionally, consider updating your existing content with new statistics, insights, and examples to make it more informative and engaging.

Another strategy is to incorporate multimedia elements like images, videos, and infographics to make your content more visually appealing and shareable. This can not only help improve your SEO but also increase engagement and social shares.

Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and regularly updating and optimizing your content is crucial for staying ahead of the competition and maintaining your online visibility.

SEO content writing can seem daunting at first, but it's crucial to understand if you want to succeed in the digital world. By addressing these ten common questions about SEO content writing for beginners , we've provided you with practical tips and strategies to help you create compelling and optimized content that both your readers and search engines will love.

However, we understand that SEO content writing can be time-consuming, so we want to introduce you to LongShot AI , a powerful tool that can help you create high-quality content in a fraction of the time.

LongShot AI uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to generate unique, SEO-optimized content for your website or blog. It's the perfect tool for beginners who are just starting with SEO content writing or for anyone who wants to take their content to the next level.

So, what are you waiting for?

Give LongShot AI a try today and see the difference it can make in your content creation process.

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How to write for SEO: A step-by-step guide for beginners

We often collaborate with writers and build sites for clients that have limited experience writing with SEO in mind. We decided to make this overview to help get an understanding of how to optimize your content for search engines.

Writing for SEO involves creating content that people enjoy reading and that helps them solve their problems as fast as possible. Search engines are designed to identify and rank that type of content. There are various details to consider when writing in order to improve your chances of achieving higher rankings.

Our suggested approach for starting out with a new article or blog post is this process:

• Choose a keyword to target with your content.
• Research what type of content already ranks well for that keyword.

Consider the intent of the person searching for the keyword.

• Create an outline for your content that covers the topic and meets the searcher's needs.
• Write a compelling introduction that clearly explains the value of reading the rest of your content.

Write the article for people and search engines

• Add/update internal links on existing posts to feature the new content
• Submit to google search console to make sure indexation happens instantly

There's a lot that goes into SEO, but some key things to keep in mind include using relevant keywords, making sure your website is easy to navigate, and having high-quality content.

In addition to the above, we will also discuss general SEO tips such as:

• Onpage optimization
• URL Structure
• Internal and external linking

Common technical SEO issues & best practices

• Helpful tools for SEO writing

I hope you find this article useful and consider sharing it with someone who could benefit from learning SEO writing too.

Choose a keyword to target with your content

Keyword research.

When creating content for your website, it's important to first choose a keyword to target. This keyword should be relevant to your website's content and something that people are frequently searching for.

If you are a professional writer, you will probably get the keyword from your client, but I thought I would give you some information on this topic in case you are tasked with keyword research too.

To find the right keyword, you can use keyword research tools. These tools allow you to see what keywords people are searching for, and some of them allow you to see how often they are being searched for.

• Google Keyword Planner: This tool shows you how often people search for certain keywords and gives you ideas for related keywords to use.
• Ahrefs Keyword Generator: This tool generates a list of keywords related to your topic and also provides data on search volume, CPC, and competition.
• Spyfu: This tool shows you the keywords that a specific website or domain is ranking for, as well as the keywords that their competitors are ranking for. Spyfu is well known for their insights on how companies advertise in search results. Therefore it can be a great tool for finding commercial keywords.
• Google Trends: This tool shows you how popular a keyword is and can help you find new and trending keywords for your website.
• Answer the Public: This tool generates a list of questions related to your keyword, which can be useful for creating content that answers those questions.
• Keyword Surfer: This is a browser extension that helps you find keywords related to the website you're currently viewing.
• Keyworddit: This tool generates a list of keywords from Reddit, which can be useful for finding niche keywords. Reddit is constantly moderated, so if you find a good discussion there, you can be quite certain that it is real people discussing topics they care about, and thus it can be a real gem for research.
• Google Search Console: This tool gives you data on how your website is performing in Google search results and helps you identify keywords that your website ranks for. This tool is mostly useful when you have already started ranking for some keywords.
• Questiondb: This tool generates a list of questions related to your keyword, which can be useful for creating content that answers those questions.

If you are writing for a small website with little authority, it can make sense to target a less popular keyword with less competition so you have a higher chance of ranking.

It is more fun to rank position 1 for a keyword that gets 100 searches a month than rank page 3 for a keyword that gets 1000 searches a month.

On the other hand, if the website you are writing for is authoritative, you can go for more popular keywords.

Clustering is the secret to topic authority

If you only work on one article, you can skip this section.

But if you are working on an elaborate SEO strategy for a website, it makes sense to keep topic silos and clustering of content in mind.

Once you have chosen a keyword to target, you can use keyword clustering to group related keywords together. This creates a more organized and deliberate site architecture which can help improve your SEO strategy and allow your website to rise up in the rankings.

To create topic clusters, you need a large set of keywords you want to rank for:

• Make a keyword list
• Segment keywords into groups based on topic
• Create and optimize pillar pages for clusters
• Create internal links between pages in the same cluster and the pillar page in the same cluster

Start with the most niche topics that have the least overlap with other topics.

For example, if you have a blog about gardening, you may choose the keyword "organic gardening" to target. You can then use keyword clustering to group related keywords such as "natural gardening," "sustainable gardening," and "green gardening" together. This will make it easier for search engines and users to understand the content on your website and improve your chances of showing up in search results.

Here is an example of how topic clustering could be done for a blog about “writing for beginners”:

If you would like to make a good cluster based on the keywords you are targeting, I recommend collaborating with an SEO agency.

Agencies typically have experience from many industries and a set of professional tools to help them make keyword analyses based on multiple data sources.

If you don’t currently have an agency helping you out, feel free to reach out to us and see if we are a good fit for your project.

Search intent

When you're writing for SEO, it's important to think about why people are searching for a certain keyword. This is called "search intent." It's what the person who types a keyword into a search engine is looking for. Understanding search intent can help you create content that meets the needs of the people searching for that keyword.

To research search intent, you can start by searching for your target keyword to see what kind of content is ranking well and try to understand the intent behind those searches.

You can also analyze the keywords you want to target by looking at the words and phrases in the keyword and trying to understand what the person searching for that keyword is looking for.

Additionally, use tools like Google's Keyword Planner and Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer to see what related keywords and phrases are being searched for.

As you can see, this is not really rocket science, but something that is often overlooked or forgotten. Especially when you get into the flow of writing it is important to zoom out and double check you continue to keep the search intent in mind.

Create an outline

Creating an outline for a blog post involves researching what's already out there, figuring out key points, organizing content, deciding on an article angle, choosing a content format, and analyzing top-ranking articles.

It can be a good tactic to identify websites in the top 10 results that rank despite having a low domain and page authority and few referring domains, as this basically tells you that google ranked them based on the quality of their content and not the site authority. You can use a tool like MozBar ( linked below ) to get this kind of insight directly on the search results page.

When you have found pages that are performing well against all odds (low authority), load them up in your browser and see how the are structured and take inspiration from that.

Blog posts should have only one h1, the main title of the post, but can have multiple h2 and h3.

Each h2 can be followed by a number of nested sections that each have an h3. It is important to be structured and logical in the way you use h1, h2, and h3.

I have seen examples of sites that started with multiple h3 headers followed by more than one h1 header without any obvious structure.

To verify you set the outline up correctly, you can use a tool such as Detailed SEO Extension ( linked below ). This chrome extension allows you to analyze on-page SEO and get suggestions for improving your website's ranking.

Click-through rate and attention

Search engines rank content that:

• Gets clicked in search results
• Gets read once you have clicked it

The average organic CTR forThey can measure this easily. If you click on a search result and immediately go back and click another result they know that the first result didn’t answer your question.

On the other hand, if you keep reading the page you clicked, it must mean it is useful.

Based on these two metrics, it is important to grab people's attention in the search results and afterward hook the reader by writing a compelling introduction that clearly explains the value of reading the rest of your content.

Here is a statistic for your reference when it comes to CTR (Click-Through Rate):

SEO is 2%, though the #1 result in Google's organic search results has an average CTR of 27.6% and the first position typically has a CTR of 39.6%. A good CTR for organic searches is anything above 3%, and the first result in Google's organic search results had an average CTR of 31.7%

To grab people's attention in the search results, you can make an effort to write compelling SEO titles and Meta descriptions as they are the texts that search engines will feature on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). These two will only be considered as input for the search engine as they often make their own using machine learning, so you don’t have full control over what the searcher will see in the end. But it is still worth it to optimize for clicks.

When people click the link and land on the website, you need to get their attention and prove the worth of the article instantly.

You can use persuasive writing frameworks to improve the conversion rate and time spent on each article.

Here are a few examples of persuasive writing frameworks you can look into.

AIDA Model: This framework helps grab attention, build interest, create desire, and make a CTA. It stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. For example, if you're selling a product that helps with weight loss, you would first grab attention by highlighting the problem of being overweight, build interest by explaining how your product works, create desire by emphasizing the benefits of using it and make a CTA for the reader to buy the product.

Pain-Agitate-Relief: This framework helps identify customer pain points, amplify the consequences of those pain points, and offer a solution. For example, if you're selling a product that helps with back pain, you would first identify the pain of back pain, agitate it by emphasizing how it affects daily activities, and then offer relief through your product.

Solution-Savings-Social Proof: This framework focuses on stating the problem, emphasizing the savings that come with the solution, and using testimonials from satisfied customers. For example, if you're selling a product that helps with energy efficiency, you would first state the problem of high energy bills, then highlight the money saved by using the product, and finally, include testimonials from happy customers.

Story-Solve-Sell: This framework helps you tell a compelling story, demonstrate the solution your product offers, and make a call to action (CTA). For example, if you're selling a product that helps with productivity, you could tell a story of a person who struggled with time management, show how your product helped them solve that problem, and then make a CTA for the reader to buy the product.

Now that you have started writing your text we can move onto a bit more technical suggestions.

SEO writing is a special kind of writing that helps websites rank higher on search engines like Google. It's different from regular writing because it includes optimizing the content for search engines.

To do SEO writing well, it's important to think about keywords, create content that answers the user's intent, and use techniques like structuring posts and using keyword-rich phrases.

It's also important to keep in mind that SEO writing is for humans first and search engines second and to always create compelling and informative content.

Some general tips:

• Consider your writing style - make sure it is clear and easy to understand for your target audience.
• Build credibility by linking to high-authority websites and citing sources.
• Keep your content short and mobile-friendly for easy reading on-the-go.
• Avoid keyword stuffing - it is not necessary and can actually harm your SEO.
• Make your content engaging by adding imagery and using an appropriate tone.
• Use eye-catching titles to grab attention and make your content more shareable.
• Keep in mind that scannable, longer posts tend to perform better than short ones.
• Link to other posts on your site to keep readers engaged and on your site longer.
• Make sure your content is easy to read by focusing on terrific readability.
• End your post with a call-to-action, such as "Sign up to our newsletter" or "Download our free guide on SEO writing."

SEO-friendly headlines

The key to writing SEO-friendly headlines is to be straightforward, written for humans, include keywords, and use emotional and attention-grabbing vocabulary. Furthermore, keep the headlines short and easy to read, with simple wording.

On-page optimization

On-page optimization is all about making sure your website is easily understood by search engines and users.

This includes optimizing elements like title tags, meta descriptions, body content, alt attributes, and URL structure to ensure they are relevant and accurately represent your website's content.

• Use H1, H2, and H3 tags to organize content and make it easy to read.
• Include keywords in headings whenever it makes sense (more often than not)
• Make important text stand out by using strong tags (bold text).
• Make your page H1 header fairly short and super catchy, and include the main keyword in the beginning. Examples: "SEO Tips for Beginners - An easy start"

Here are some examples of H1 headers that are two ends of the scale when it comes to length. Ideally, you would come up with some middle ground of 4-6 words that grabs the attention of and includes the keyword in the beginning.

• SEO titles are typically similar to the H1 header. However, I often see people using slightly longer SEO titles than H1 headers. You should aim for max 60 characters since longer titles will get cut off in the search results on mobile devices.
• Make your meta description informative, max 160 characters, and include keywords. Examples: "Learn simple ways to improve your website's visibility in search results"
• Describe your images using alt texts and include keywords. The ideal length of alt text is around 125 characters or less. This is because screen readers typically stop reading after this point. Alt text should be as concise as possible, providing a short phrase or sentence that accurately describes the image's purpose.
• Make your links relevant and descriptive by using keywords in anchor texts. Examples: "Learn more about easy SEO techniques"
• Use nofollow and follow attributes to tell search engines which links to follow and which to ignore. This means the link will not affect search engine rankings or help a page's placement in search results. It is a good idea to use nofollow on links to untrusted content.
• Use structured data to help search engines understand your content and improve visibility in search results. Examples of adding structured data could be like adding FAQ schema, recipe schema, book schema, product schema and video schema to your website.

Create a logical URL structure

Along with the SEO title and meta description, the URL is one of the first things people see in the SERP (Search Engine Result Page).

A short and logical URL structure will help search engines understand what your website is all about and make it easier for users to navigate.

• Use clear and descriptive words in your URL.
• Keep it short and separate words with hyphens.
• Use keywords in your URL.
• Don't use numbers, special characters, or underscores in your URL.
• Avoid using “stop” words like "a", "to", "for" in your URLs. (its like “uhm” for computers)

Examples of good and bad URLs:

Now that you have created a nice and short URL you can link to and from this page on the website. In the next section, we will discuss internal linking.

Internal linking and information architecture

A well-structured website with logical information architecture and internal linking makes it easier for users and search engines to understand and navigate your website.

Make sure your internal links are relevant and provide value. Link to other pages on your website that have relevant information, which will help keep visitors on your page and improve your SEO.

Be mindful of the anchor texts when linking both internally and externally. Use a descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the content of the page you’re linking to. This way, your readers will get a better understanding of what the link is about, and search engines will recognize the relevance of the page to your website.

With your new page optimized and crosslinked on the site, you need to make sure that Google indexes it. If you link from existing indexed pages to this new page, it will probably be noticed fairly quickly, but it is always good to be on the save side. In the next section, we will discuss getting indexed on Google.

Getting on Google

Submitting your website to Google is important in order for search engines to find and index your content. This will increase the chances of your website appearing in search results and drive more traffic to your site.

Here are the steps to submit your website to Google:

• Register your website with Google Search Console: This will give you access to tools and insights to improve your website's visibility in search results.
• Create a sitemap: A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. You can use a plugin like Yoast SEO to create a sitemap for your website.
• Submit your sitemap to Google: Go to the "Sitemaps" section in Google Search Console and enter the URL of your sitemap. This will help Google understand the structure of your website and index your content.
• Use the URL Inspection tool: This tool allows you to submit individual URLs to Google for indexing. You can use it for new pages or content that you want to be indexed quickly.

It's worth noting that Google may already have found your site, so you can check if your site is already indexed by searching site:yoursite.com on Google.

If you want a higher chance of ranking and getting indexed, it can be helpful to get a backlink from an existing authoritative page.

When you start ranking, you want to make sure that your efforts across the site makes a the difference, and luckily you can easily track your SEO performance. We will look at this in the next section.

How to Track SEO Success

Measuring organic traffic and keyword rankings is essential for SEO success. This will help you understand how your website is performing and make adjustments as needed.

Tracking visibility is also essential for SEO success. This will help you understand how your website is performing and make adjustments as needed.

You can track your visibility for free inside Google Search Console (GSC).

Setting up GSC is a great way to track your website's SEO performance for free. It provides valuable insights into how your website is performing in organic search results and how users are interacting with your website.

With GSC, you can find the right keywords to target, monitor your rankings, analyze the performance of your website, and set up tracking to make sure that you are getting the best results possible.

GSC also allows you to identify technical issues and make sure that your website is optimized for SEO. With all of these features, GSC is an essential tool for any writer looking to improve their SEO performance.

Along with your content, there a multiple technical roadblocks that can lower your chances of SEO success.

Let's address some common issues like page speed, mobile friendliness, and security to ensure your website is easily understood by search engines and users.

Implementing best practices for these issues can improve visibility in search results and provide a better user experience.

• Make images smaller to increase page speed
• Minify code to make it faster to load
• Use a CDN to deliver content quickly (For example, Cloudflare)
• Make the website responsive to work on mobile devices
• Optimize for small screens and touch navigation
• Fix broken links to avoid 404 errors
• Use redirects to send users to the right page
• Use robots.txt to block search engines from unwanted pages
• Use meta noindex and meta nofollow tags to block search engines from certain pages
• Use schema and markup to help search engines understand content
• Use HTTPS to secure website and protect against hacking
• Eliminate duplicate content
• Monitor technical issues and track website performance using Google Search Console and other tools.

If you find the list above overwhelming, don’t hesitate to reach out to us . We are experts in auditing websites for issues like the ones above and finding ways to solve them so your website doesn't rank worse than your competition.

Helpful tools for your writing process

As with anything else, having great tools can be game-changing. Here is a list of tools you might find useful in your SEO writing process.

• Hemingway App : A tool that helps you improve the readability of your writing by identifying common errors and complex sentences.
• Grammarly : A tool that helps improve your grammar, spelling, and delivery and also checks for plagiarism.
• Wordtune : An AI-powered writing companion that offers features such as a “sentence rephraser”, style editor, and suggestions for new sentences to enhance your text.
• ChatGPT : A chatbot that can be used for SEO purposes such as generating content, clustering keywords, and checking grammar and spelling.
• Detailed SEO Extension : A chrome extension that allows you to analyze on-page SEO and get suggestions for improving your website's ranking.
• Jasper AI : An AI-based writing tool that offers features such as a Sentence Rephraser, Style Editor, and suggestions for new sentences to enhance the text. It is designed to help users improve the readability and overall quality of their writing. It can also identify common errors and suggest ways to fix them, which can help improve SEO and increase credibility and user experience.
• MozBar : A browser extension that provides SEO metrics about a website, such as Domain authority and amount of referring links, directly on the search results page.

If you use a cool tool that is missing from the list, please let us know .

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into SEO writing, but it is definitely possible to create quality content that serves the reader so well that Google rewards you for it with a good ranking.

If you feel this is a piece of cake and would like to collaborate with us on writing other articles, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Maybe you are on the other side of the table and need help improving your company website and the rankings of your content. We would love to help you out.

I hope you found this article interesting and helpful.

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Welcome to The New Google SEO Guide!

This comprehensive resource will show you how to rank higher in Google search.

What Is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of continuously optimizing a website for higher rankings in the organic search results, with a focus on popular search engines like Google.

That said: SEO isn’t just about optimizing your website.

In fact, SEO can and should involve other disciplines within digital marketing, including:

Content marketing

Public relations

Conversion rate optimization

Coding and web development

Content design

User experience (UX)

In short, the sites that perform best in Google aren’t just good at SEO. They’re good at digital marketing in general.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into this Google SEO guide!

The google seo guide to keyword research.

When it comes to SEO for Google, keyword research should be your first step. That’s because you want to optimize your content around keywords that people type into Google.

And when you optimize your webpages around those exact search queries, you can rank your blog posts and landing pages for those terms.

Here are a few helpful resources to help you learn more about finding keywords

Keyword Research: The Definitive Guide

How to Find Long Tail Keywords

How to Choose Keywords for SEO

Keyword Competition: The Ultimate Guide

Write SEO-Friendly Content

Now that you have a list of keywords that your target customer searches for in Google, it’s time to write content. Fortunately, thanks to the keyword research you just did, this step should be pretty simple. All you need to do is write a piece of super high-quality content for each keyword on your list.

Here are a few handy guides to help you write content that’s designed to rank in Google

SEO Content: The Complete Guide

The 8-Step Content Strategy

Copywriting: The Definitive Guide

How to Write a Blog Post: The Definitive Guide

Optimize Content for Google SEO

Now it’s time to optimize each piece page on your site around a single keyword. If you’re first starting out, this keyword should be a long tail keyword . Long tail terms don’t get a ton of search volume. But they’re less competitive. So you have a better chance of ranking #1.

Whether you go with a long tail keyword or not, optimizing your page for Google SEO is exactly the same. And this mini SEO checklist will help ensure that your page is optimized for SEO.

Include your main keyword:

In the First 100 Words of Your Webpage

You probably already know that you want to use your keyword a handful of times on your page. However, it’s important to use your keyword at least once in the beginning of your content (ideally in the first 50-100 words).

In Your Title Tag

From a Google SEO point of view, your title tag is the most important place to include your keyword.

In Your Page URL

Although not as important as your title tag, you do want to use your keyword once in your page’s URL.

And if you want to fully optimize your page for Google SEO, also implement these on-site SEO techniques:

Use Your Keyword in an H1 and H2 Subheader

This emphasizes to Google that your page is focused on that keyword and topic.

Use Keyword-Rich Image Filenames and Alt Text

Optimizing images isn’t super important. But it can help.

Add Internal Links

Internal links can help Google find, crawl and index more pages on your site (and help them rank higher in the search results). Bonus points if you use keyword-rich anchor text in your internal links.

Use Synonyms and Related Terms

Use variations of your target keyword on your page. For example, if your main keyword is “kettlebell workout”, use variations like “kettlebell exercises” and “easy kettlebell movements”.

Write an Enticing Meta Description

Although using keywords in your meta description isn’t a ranking factor anymore, organic CTR is. And when Google searchers see a compelling meta description in the organic search results, they’re more likely to click on your site.

Make Your Site Work With Mobile Devices

In other words, your site should be mobile-optimized for Google searchers and search engine crawlers (also known as “spiders”).

Use Structured Data

Structured data (Schema) can help your site feature “ Rich Snippets ” in the search results.

If you want to learn more about optimizing content for Google SEO, check out these guides

On-Page SEO: Anatomy of a Perfectly Optimized Page

Internal Linking for SEO

Link Building and Outreach

Link building is the hardest (and most important) part of any SEO strategy. The simple fact is: if your site doesn’t have backlinks pointing to it, you’re probably not going to rank very well. It’s also important to promote your content via outreach and on social media.

If you want to learn more about building links, check out these guides

Link Building for SEO: The Definitive Guide

How to Get High Quality Backlinks

What is Link Bait? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Google SEO Tools and Software

You can technically practice SEO without a single tool. But it makes Google SEO significantly harder.

To help bolster your SEO efforts, here’s a collection of free and paid keyword research tools, backlink analysis software, and more.

25 AMAZING Free SEO Tools

Google Search Console: The Definitive Guide

How to Use Google Keyword Planner

Taking Your Google SEO To The Next Level

It’s time to wrap up this Google SEO starter guide with a few advanced strategies and tactics that SEO pros use.

These guides will help you rank in “The SERPs” (Search Engine Results Pages) for competitive keywords.

SEO Case Study: How I Increased My Organic Traffic 652%

Conversion Rate Optimization: The Definitive Guide

Measuring SEO Results

The 19-Step SEO Audit Checklist

Ecommerce SEO: The Definitive Guide

The Next Step

If you want to learn even more about Google SEO, I recommend checking out The SEO Marketing Hub .

SEO Marketing Hub

Whether you’re brand new to SEO, or want to learn advanced strategies, this is your hub for SEO knowledge.

It’s a free library of SEO resources that covers pretty much everything you need to know about search engine optimization, including technical SEO, building backlinks , key Google ranking factors, advanced SEO tips , XML sitemaps , advice for avoiding duplicate content and more.

Brian this is a fabulous article for the beginner. You’ve explained things clearly and I love how you’ve explained how to optimise your page. I”m going to include a link to your article in my Blog post which is entitled “A Beginners Guide to Keywords and SEO”.

Thanks again for a very useful article, and the links you’ve provided here take you to other great information too!

Thank you Anthony. I appreciate that!

Found this very valuable — as I find all of your resources! It’s an excellent hub for my marketing team to bookmark as we work through revising our own site/blog.

Thanks Sean. Glad to hear that you found it useful.

Hi Brian, as always excellent content. One detail, the resource links have the wrong domain, clicking opens api.backlinko.com/… I was able to access without problem by removing api from the url.

Thanks Bernardo. I’ll fix that.

Leave a Comment

How To Write SEO Articles For Beginners

Beginners Guide: How To Write SEO Articles

As a beginner, writing SEO-friendly articles in WordPress can seem like a daunting task. However, with the right guidelines, you can easily improve your writing skills and increase your website’s visibility. In this article, we’ll be covering the steps you need to take to write SEO articles in WordPress.

1. Conduct Keyword Research:

Conducting keyword research is crucial to writing SEO-friendly articles in WordPress. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find keywords that are relevant to your topic and have a high search volume. Once you have a list of keywords, choose a primary keyword to target for your article. This keyword should appear in your title, headings, subheadings, internal and external links, meta descriptions, and permalinks.

Example: If you’re writing an article about healthy eating, your primary keyword could be “healthy eating tips”. Make sure to include this keyword in various elements of your article such as the title “10 Healthy Eating Tips for a Better Lifestyle”, in headings such as “Tip 1: Include More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Diet”, and in internal links to related articles on your website.

2. Write An Engaging Blog Title:

An engaging title is the first thing that readers will see when they come across your article. It should be concise, accurate, and include your primary keyword. A good title can entice readers to click on your article and start reading.

Example: “10 Simple Tips to Improve Your Work-Life Balance” is an engaging title that clearly states what the article is about and includes the primary keyword “work-life balance”.

3. Use Headings and Subheadings:

Breaking up your content into headings and subheadings makes it easier for readers to skim through and understand the structure of your article. This will also help search engines understand the structure of your article and improve your search engine rankings.

Example: If you’re writing an article about healthy eating, you could use headings such as “Introduction”, “Why Healthy Eating is Important”, “Healthy Eating Tips”, and “Conclusion”. Within the “Healthy Eating Tips” heading, you could use subheadings such as “Tip 1: Include More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Diet” and “Tip 2: Avoid Processed Foods”.

4. Include Internal and External Links:

Including internal and external links in your article can help search engines understand the relationship between your pages and posts. Internal links can help readers navigate your website and find related content, while external links to reputable sources can support the content of your article.

Example: If you’re writing an article about healthy eating, you could include internal links to related articles on your website, such as “5 Simple Ways to Incorporate More Vegetables into Your Diet” and “10 Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet”. You could also include external links to reputable sources that support your content, such as “The American Heart Association’s Guide to a Heart-Healthy Diet”.

5. Add Alt Tags to Images in WordPress:

Adding alt tags to images provides clear and concise descriptions of images for both search engines and visually impaired users who use screen readers. Make sure to include your primary keyword in the alt tag description.

Example: If you have an image of a healthy salad, the alt tag could be “Healthy salad with greens, vegetables, and a vinaigrette dressing”.

6. Write Unique and Relevant Content:

Writing unique and relevant content is crucial to writing SEO-friendly articles in WordPress. You should aim to provide your target audience with information that they’re looking for, and avoid using duplicate content as search engines penalize websites that have identical content to other websites.

Example: If you’re writing an article about healthy eating, you could write about the benefits of a healthy diet, tips for incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, and recipes for healthy meals. This content will provide value to your target audience and make your article stand out from others that may be covering the same topic.

7. Use Meta Descriptions In WordPress:

Meta descriptions are brief descriptions of your article that appear in the search engine results. They should be concise and accurately describe what your article is about, and should include your primary keyword. Writing effective meta descriptions can entice users to click on your article in the search results.

Example: For the article about healthy eating, the meta description could be “Discover 10 simple tips for a healthier lifestyle through healthy eating. Learn how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet and avoid processed foods.”

8. Use Permalinks for WordPress SEO:

Permalinks are permanent URLs for your articles that allow search engines and users to easily access your content. Using permalinks that accurately describe the content of your article and include your primary keyword can help improve your search engine rankings.

Example: For the article about healthy eating, the permalink could be “ www.yourwebsite.com/healthy-eating-tips “.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Permalinks in WordPress for SEO:

Login to your WordPress dashboard

• Navigate to the “Settings” tab on the left-hand side of the screen.
• Click on the “Permalinks” option.

Choose a Permalink Structure

• The default permalink structure in WordPress is “Plain”, but this is not SEO-friendly.
• Choose one of the following permalink structures to make your URLs more SEO-friendly:
• Day and Name
• Month and Name

Custom Structure

• If you choose the “Custom Structure” option, you can enter your own permalink structure.
• Ensure that your custom structure includes the post title, category, and/or date, as this will make your URLs more SEO-friendly.

Save Changes

• Once you have chosen your permalink structure, click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page.
• This will update your website’s permalink structure and make your URLs more SEO-friendly.

Verify Your Permalinks

• Verify that your permalinks have been updated by visiting a few of your articles.
• Ensure that the URLs of your articles accurately reflect the content of your articles.

Update Your Sitemap

• If you have an XML sitemap, update it to reflect the new permalinks.
• This will help search engines find your content more easily and improve your website’s search engine rankings.

Redirect Old URLs

• If you have changed your permalink structure, be sure to redirect any old URLs to the new URLs.
• This will ensure that your website’s visitors are not redirected to 404 pages and that your website’s search engine rankings are not affected.

By following these steps, you can set up permalinks in WordPress that are SEO-friendly and help improve your website’s search engine rankings. Regularly monitoring and updating your permalinks will ensure that your website’s URLs are optimized for search engines and provide value to your visitors.

9. Monitor Your Results With Google Analytics:

Monitoring your results using tools like Google Analytics is crucial to understanding the success of your efforts and making any necessary changes. You can track your website’s traffic, see which articles are performing well, and identify areas for improvement.

Example: If you notice that your article about healthy eating isn’t getting as much traffic as you had hoped, you could use Google Analytics to see which keywords users are searching for when they find your article. You could then make changes to your article to better target those keywords and improve your rankings.

10. Continuously Improve:

Continuously improving your website’s SEO is crucial to staying ahead of the competition and increasing your website’s visibility. Regularly conducting keyword research, writing engaging content, and making changes based on your results will help you achieve long-term success.

Example: If you notice that your article about healthy eating is doing well, you could write related articles such as “10 Simple Ways to Incorporate More Vegetables into Your Diet” or “The Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet”. This will keep your website fresh and relevant, and help attract new visitors who are interested in healthy eating.

Writing SEO-friendly articles in WordPress requires a combination of conducting keyword research, writing engaging content, and using technical elements such as headings, subheadings, internal and external links, alt tags, meta descriptions, and permalinks. By following these tips and continuously monitoring your results, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and reach a wider audience.

Here are some detailed bullet points that summarize the main points of the article:

• Conduct Keyword Research: It is essential to start your article by researching keywords that are relevant to your topic and are popular among users. Keyword research will help you understand the phrases and terms your target audience is searching for and allow you to create content that accurately targets those keywords.
• Write Engaging Content: The content of your article should be informative, engaging, and provide value to your target audience. Your article should be well-written, easy to read, and provide a unique perspective on the topic you are writing about.
• Use Headings and Subheadings: Organizing your article with headings and subheadings not only makes it easier for users to read, but it also helps search engines understand the structure of your content. Use headings to divide your article into sections and subheadings to break down each section into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Use Internal and External Links: Links are an important part of SEO. Internal links allow you to connect your articles to other relevant content on your website, while external links allow you to link to high-quality, authoritative websites. This not only provides value to your readers but also demonstrates to search engines that you are an authority in your field.
• Use Alt Tags: Alt tags are brief descriptions of images that are used by search engines and screen readers to understand the content of your images. Using descriptive alt tags for your images can help improve your search engine rankings.
• Use Meta Descriptions: Meta descriptions are brief descriptions of your article that appear in the search engine results. They should be concise and accurately describe what your article is about, and should include your primary keyword. Writing effective meta descriptions can entice users to click on your article in the search results.
• Use Permalinks: Permalinks are permanent URLs for your articles that allow search engines and users to easily access your content. Using permalinks that accurately describe the content of your article and include your primary keyword can help improve your search engine rankings.
• Monitor Your Results: Monitoring your results using tools like Google Analytics is crucial to understanding the success of your efforts and making any necessary changes. You can track your website’s traffic, see which articles are performing well, and identify areas for improvement.
• Continuously Improve: Continuously improving your website’s SEO is crucial to staying ahead of the competition and increasing your website’s visibility. Regularly conducting keyword research, writing engaging content, and making changes based on your results will help you achieve long-term success.

Action Plan for Writing SEO-Friendly Articles in WordPress:

• Set aside time to research keywords that are relevant to your topic and popular among users.
• Use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords and phrases to target in your article.
• Make a list of primary and secondary keywords that accurately reflect the content of your article.

2. Write Engaging Content:

• Choose a topic that is relevant, informative, and of interest to your target audience.
• Write a clear and concise article that provides value to your audience.
• Ensure that the content of your article is well-written, easy to read, and provides a unique perspective on the topic.
• Organize your article into sections using headings and subheadings.
• Use headings to divide your article into sections, and subheadings to break down each section into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Ensure that headings and subheadings accurately reflect the content of your article.

4. Use Internal and External Links:

• Incorporate internal links that connect your articles to other relevant content on your website.
• Use external links to link to high-quality, authoritative websites.
• Ensure that links are added in a natural way and provide value to your readers.

5. Use Alt Tags:

• Add descriptive alt tags to all images in your article.
• Ensure that alt tags accurately describe the content of the image and include your primary keyword.
• Make sure that the alt tags are brief and to the point.

6. Use Meta Descriptions:

• Write a meta description for each article that accurately describes what the article is about.
• Ensure that meta descriptions are concise and include your primary keyword.
• Make sure that meta descriptions entice users to click on your article in the search results.

7. Use Permalinks:

• Use permalinks that accurately describe the content of your article and include your primary keyword.
• Ensure that permalinks are easy to read and understand.
• Make sure that permalinks are permanent URLs for your articles that allow search engines and users to easily access your content.

8. Monitor Your Results:

• Set up Google Analytics to track your website’s traffic and see which articles are performing well.
• Use tools like Google Analytics to identify areas for improvement.
• Continuously monitor your results and make changes based on your findings.

9. Continuously Improve:

• Continuously conduct keyword research to stay up to date on popular keywords and phrases.
• Regularly write engaging content that provides value to your audience.
• Make changes based on your results and continuously improve your website’s SEO.

By following the steps outlined in this action plan, you will be able to write SEO-friendly articles in WordPress that accurately target your audience and improve your website’s search engine rankings.

In conclusion, writing SEO-friendly articles in WordPress requires careful planning and attention to detail. By conducting keyword research, writing engaging content, using headings and subheadings, internal and external links, alt tags, meta descriptions, permalinks, and continuously monitoring your results, you can greatly improve the visibility of your articles in search engines and provide value to your audience.

Regularly updating your articles and continuously improving your website’s SEO will keep you ahead of the competition and attract more visitors to your website. Remember to keep your articles well-written, easy to read, and provide a unique perspective on the topic. With persistence and effort, you will be able to achieve success in writing SEO-friendly articles for your WordPress website.

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How To Write SEO Articles: Ultimate Beginners Guide

Table of Contents

If you’re looking for an easy to follow guide on how to write SEO articles for beginners – this is the place to start!

Many members of our community are great at setting up a website, creating videos on YouTube and implementing steps to build their email list, however, when it comes to writing content, they freeze.

And we totally understand how they feel!

Nobody wants to be sat typing out article after article, with no plan or ‘structure’ to follow.

Has this happened to you?

It has to us – regularly!

Authors often refer to it as ‘writer’s block’.

Say, for example, you are writing a piece of content about losing weight, or how to grow vegetables.

This can be more difficult if you have no experience , or no nothing about these subjects, but you give it a go anyway, because you know your website NEEDS more conten t, and you think these are a great fit for your niche.

So, you pour a drink, and you try to get in ‘the zone’, ready for the hours ahead.

You start to type everything you know – perhaps even separating some of the content using a sub-heading here and there to ‘break up the page’ a little.

Finally, your post is done.

It may of taken you hours and hours – even days, and you know, most of the time you think the content sucks , although it sounded good initially!

After a wry smile, you decide to read it through, perhaps out loud, or simply just ‘skim’ read over the parts that seem boring.

You may even add a few images here and there to spruce it up a little as you go!

Then you realise that you should probably also add some links (also known as hyperlinks), because you read on some forum that ‘linking to relevant websites’ and ‘internal linking’ were important to ‘get your website ranked on Google’…….

We’ve all been there, I can tell you!

But, we are here to help you create and write content that you will learn to love.

We’ll explain to you some ‘processes’ that you can follow along to – no matter what content you are writing about!

So [painstakingly] we have put together an easy to follow guide on how to write seo articles for beginners effectively.

Instead of writing content like this:

…which to be honest, we gave up reading after the first paragraph!

…..to content that looks like this:

It’s well written, is engaging, and it makes you want to read more about snorkeling in Naples!

Did you notice that this post is written in easy to digest chunks too?

SEO, and content writing, isn’t rocket science.

Yes, there are a TONS more to learn about SEO, but as long as your content is written well, and your website visitors want to read, click, scroll and engage with your website, the search engines will LOVE your content.

We will, of course, cover a lot more SEO best practices with you, but first, we start with the basics.

Trust us – you will find it a lot easier to understand small segments than reading a 10,000 word blog post that sends your brain into overdrive!

Next up – Blog Post and Page Titles , but first, a great video by Nathan Gotch who explains his content creation processes.

Creating The Perfect Page or Post Title

When creating a title for your blog post , it’s important to think about how you can optimize it for search engine optimization (SEO).

In order to do this, you’ll want to include keywords that are relevant to your topic.

One way to find good keywords is to use a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner.

This tool will help you find keywords related to your topic and provide information on how many people are searching for those terms.

There are other tools available, such as SERanking and Ahrefs, or you could use the Google auto-suggest feature to generate search terms that people are typing such as:

Just type a word related to your content for ideas (but remember, before you even start thinking about what to write, you should carry out some keyword research – more on that later!)

Once you’ve chosen some keywords, it’s important to place them in the right places within your title.

The most important spot you should focus on is the first few words, so make sure your primary keyword is at the beginning of your title.

As you can see, we have our keyword, which is ‘Make Money Online’ at the beginning, plus, our title isn’t too short or too long. Using a number also increases the chance of engagement.

This is poor: Are You Looking For Ways To Make Some Extra Money Online Today?

We haven’t fully included our main keyword (make money online), plus its too long.

If you saw these titles in Google, which one would you click?

eMoneyPeeps SEO Tip #1: If you can, include your keyword in the URL as well, for example: mywebsite.com/make-money-online.

Crafting well written titles will improve, and forms a vital part of our how to write seo articles guide!

To sum up creating a good title that entices potential visitors to click through to your website, remember to:

• Aim for a title length of between 50 and 60 words
• Use your main keyword at the start
• Avoid ‘STOP’ words such as; but, so, the and with (there are a few more!)
• Add ‘ACTION’ words like ‘Boost’ ‘Get’ ‘Take’ and ‘Learn’
• Include your brand , usually at the end of your title

You should pay close attention to your title tag , and it’s good practice to make it interesting!

How To Write A Meta Description

A meta description is a short summary of a webpage’s content.

It is typically used by search engines to display results when someone searches for a specific keyword or phrase.

Meta descriptions can also be used to influence a person’s click-through rate (CTR) from the search engine results page (SERP).

A higher CTR can result in more traffic to your website , so writing a good meta description is important for two reasons:

• It can help improve your CTR and
• It can help improve your SEO efforts.

Here are some tips on how to write a good meta description:

1. Keep it under 155 characters – This is the maximum number of characters that will be displayed in the search engine results.

2. Include your target keyword – This will help your website rank higher for that keyword.

3. Make it unique – Don’t just copy and paste the meta description from another website.

4. Write for your audience – Keep in mind who you are writing for and what they are looking for.

5. Use actionable language – Use words that encourage people to click on your result, such as “learn more,” “find out how,” etc.

By following these tips, you can write a good meta description that will improve your CTR and help you rank higher in the search engines.

Here is an example of a good title and meta description:

eMoneyPeeps SEO Tip #2:  Try not to ‘stuff’ your keyword into your meta description, as Google could penalize your website for it!

Post/Page Structure

It can be easy to just write what you think, but consider that your readers may only want to read a few paragraphs, or return to your content later?

If you can break up your content using subheadings, not only are you making life easier for your visitors , but search engines will be able to understand your content.

A well-structured article uses proper headings and subheadings, includes relevant keywords, and is easy to read.

This not only makes it more likely that your article will rank well in search results, but also that people will actually want to read it!

Here are some tips on how to create a well-structured article:

• Use proper headings and subheadings.

Breaking your article up into smaller sections makes it easier to read, and also helps search engines understand what your article is about.

• Include relevant keywords

Choose keyword phrases that are likely to be searched for by potential visitors to your website. Include these keywords in your headings and throughout the body of your article. However, don’t overdo it – too many keywords will make your article sound unnatural and could result in search engine penalties.

• Create quality content

This is perhaps the most important tip of all! You should write articles that are interesting, informative, and well-written. People will be more likely to share your article if they enjoy reading it, and search engines will reward you with higher rankings if your content is high-quality.

By following these tips, you can create SEO-friendly articles that are also enjoyable to read!

Here is our example of creating a basic structure for our new fictional post called ‘Make Money Online: 17 Tips To Boost Your Income’.

Title (H1): Make Money Online: 17 Tips To Boost Your Income

Introduction paragraph:  We would add content that explains that you can make money online , and here are 17 ways to do it.

Create A Blog (H2)  Our first tip is to create a blog that you can make money from by writing about affiliate marketing , using links to promote these programs, or you could use ads to generate passive income.

Freelancing (H2)  Again, our second tip is to try your hand at freelancing. This can be tailored to skills you already know, such as logo design or website coding.

Do you get the picture?

All we are doing here is breaking up our content , using related keywords, so both our readers and search engines understand our content.

Our next topic is keywords!

Choosing a Keyword

At the centre of any article is a subject, or topic, but what keyword should you choose to stand a chance of earning ‘golden’ organic traffic?

We call it golden, because organic traffic is free – and therefore is the best traffic you can hope to get!

If you truly want learn how to write seo articles, keyword selection is key.

Now, there are many tools available to find and research keywords , and we can’t advise which one is ‘the best’.

This is because these keyword tools each uses their own ‘algorithms’ to serve up the data behind them.

For example, the keyword ‘nike trainers’ is searched (known as volume) 34,000 times per month according to one keyword tool, but another tool states it is searched just 24,000 times per month.

We prefer to actually analyse the search engines directly by typing in our keyword and looking at the top 10 results (the SERPS).

Although we do use keyword tools to gauge other metrics, such as difficulty and trends.

Anyway, after typing in our keyword, we can see the competition we could be competing with.

If you see huge websites at the top of the rankings, the chances of you dislodging them are slim. You may need a big budget behind you, professional writers and hundred of quality backlinks to have any chance!

Keyword Research

This leads us on to more in-depth keyword research, which we will try to keep as basic as possible.

We will use an example, which is probably easy to follow along to!

Following our earlier keyword, let’s say we are writing an article about Nike Trainers, but we know that this keyword is far too competitive , so what other keywords could we target to stand a chance?

Well, our keyword tool gave us some interesting ideas!

The column to the right is search volume , and as you can see, there is potential here to write a quality SEO article based around ‘Women’s Nike Cross Trainers’.

Of course, we could also include black and white cross trainers to cover ‘related keywords’ which we will discuss now.

Related Keywords

Keyword variations, or related keywords , are an excellent way to make sure you’re always ranking high in the search results.

These related keywords include synonyms and variants that your audience might use when looking for something similar, so it’s essential not only narrow down the main keyword but also any alternate phrases or keywords as well!

For example, if you were writing content on pokemon cards, you may include the following ‘keyword variants’:

• Pokemon card packs
• Rare Pokemon Cards
• Pokemon card values
• How to play Pokemon cards
• Where to buy Pokemon cards
• 1st edition Pokemon cards

eMoneyPeeps SEO Tip #3:  Try googling your keyword first. You may also see common questions that you can use in your content, such as “What are the three rarest Pokemon cards”. Adding FAQs’ to your article can really boost your rankings!

These secondary keywords will ensure your content covers everything associated with Pokemon cards, whilst making sure Google understand what you’re content is about.

With any luck, you will often rank for these keyword variants – leading to more traffic!

Writing Tips

Hopefully you have now formed a good base from which to start your article.

You should of crafted an engaging post title, create a unique meta description, set out your structure, including subheadings, and compiled a list of related keywords to use in your article.

Things are really coming together for you now, but what about creating actual content?

Writing an Introduction

Well, you should begin with an introduction based around, and including, your primary keyword.

If you are writing about pokemon cards, for example, you could start with letting your audience know what Pokemon is, and why you collect Pokemon cards.

It’s good practice to resonate with your audience in some way or another, because they will stay on your website and carry on reading!

Subheadings

By now you should of created an ‘outline’ from your chosen keywords and subheadings.

Most subheadings will use H2 and H3 title tags. You can read more about these here.

Here are some examples we could use for our subheadings:

• How To Play Pokemon?
• What are Pokemon Cards?
• Pokemon Rules
• Collecting Pokemon Cards
• Trading Pokemon Cards
• Where To Buy Pokemon Cards

As you can see, our aim is to cover everything we can about Pokemon Cards.

Unique Content

Now, some of our community can struggle to make their content unique, and we feel their pain!

However, if you tell a story, or write about an experience you’ve had, for example, we could mention that we traded a Pokemon card only to discover that it is quite rare, and could of sold many more times its value!

People can really tune into your content, and will appreciate your hands on experience and honesty.

FAQ’s

We have mentioned how to find questions and answers for creating FAQs at the end (or beginning) of your content, but if you are still having difficulty finding relevant questions to add,  you could try using a tool called ‘Answer the Public’.

Just plug your keyword in and the software will generate questions based around your keywords!

Make sure you can accurately answer the question though 🙂

If you have established a great post, using subheadings and the tips we’ve mentioned, you should now focus on finding related images, videos and infographics to add to your content.

Not only does this break up your post, but it can back up your content ‘visually’.

For example, if you were writing about building a brick wall, a video or step-by-step infographic would be a great way to explain how to do it!

You can use YouTube to find a good video , or use an online stock image vault.

eMoneyPeeps SEO Tip #4: For an extra boost to make your content even more unique, you could also create your own videos or take your own images to supplement your post!

Here are some resources and tools we use to create our own videos:

• Videly – utilizes technology to find profitable keywords, video creation and video optimization
• YT Evolution – takes YouTube videos and converts them into content using video automation software
• InVideo – a powerful suite of tools for creating and editing content videos!
• Wondershare Filmora – a very easy to use video editor that has become more popular with each version release.

If you go ahead and create or edit your own videos, we have found combining video with an autoresponder has yielded some great results for us in the past!

Consistency

You should try and write in a certain ‘style’ – and stick with it! We have found that our style of writing content has led to an uptake in subscribers who look forward to our new content!

To do this, you could always ask a friend or family to read through your content before you publish, and you can ask them if it’s interesting, engaging and for any feedback.

This has really helped us improve the quality and uniqueness of all of our marketing content!

Try not to worry yourself about adding internal links (links you create to other content already on your website) or external links (links to other websites that are useful your readers) until you have written your entire post.

In our experience, we have found that you can start writing to include certain posts and pages, but actually this is not beneficial and can make your content suck if you are not careful!

Of course you can make notes about articles you think may help your readers, but honestly, if you re-read your blog post at the end, and add your links then, you will find it easier to add links naturally, rather than in a forced way.

eMoneyPeeps SEO Tip #5:  We try to add half a dozen internal links, and around 3 to 4 external links, however there is no hard and fast rule! Just make sure it is closely related to your content and that your readers will benefit from it.

Write for your audience FIRST!

Recommended SEO Tools

Luckily, there are bunch of great SEO tools you can use, from keyword research to gauging competitors who have already created similar content on your topic.

Here are our favourites!

• Ahrefs – Great for keyword research and discovering the data behind them, from the number of searches per month to how difficult it might be to rank your content
• SERanking – Similar to Ahrefs, SERanking is very user friendly and features plenty of historical data to analyse past search trends.
• Google Keyword Planner – a free tool from Google that offers a great way to find groups of keywords!
• Duplicate Content Checker – a useful tool that checks your content and avoids any duplicated text
• Title Tag Preview – A simple tool that shows you how your title will look in the search engines
• Answer The Public – Tap into questions asked by the public to add to your content
• Wordstream – A stripped down version of Google Keyword Planner, this can help discover new keywords other tools may not of suggested
• BuzzSumo – This unique tool can help you during the content research process by showing you any existing popular content that is shared across social media.
• RankMath – A WordPress plugin that can help you write more efficiently by offering insights into keywords, titles, meta descriptions and other useful metrics!

How To Write SEO Articles: Final Thoughts

We hope there are enough tips here to increase your motivation for writing better SEO articles.

Keep it simple, and take a break now and again if you have to!

To summarize;

• Write for your audience
• Make sure you have written a great title and meta description
• Focus more on keyword research, in particular related keywords to your topic
• Add subheadings to break up your content
• Include related images, videos and infographics where you can
• Try and cover everything you can around your chosen topic
• Keep your copy engaging, and stick with a style you’re familiar with
• Write down your ‘process’ for writing content
• Send to someone you know for feedback before publishing

SEO is not complicated at all – and there are many more factors on top of what we have written.

Once you have created regular and unique posts, you can always join our FREE course below where we share more advanced SEO tips and strategies to boost your content further!

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to post them in the comments section below or just say hello.

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Richard And John Weberg

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Sales & Affiliate Marketing

Richard Weberg and Jon Weberg are a father and son marketing duo who are both expert email marketers & master affiliate marketers. They are also the founders of EmoneyPeeps.com. With over 29+ years of experience in the industry between them, they have a wealth of knowledge and skills in digital marketing, including email marketing, affiliate marketing, high ticket sales, conversion marketing, lead generation,and blogging.

They are known for their ability to create effective marketing campaigns, and sales funnels that drive results for them and their clients. Richard and Jon are both regularly invited to speak at marketing conferences, events, and webinars. Jon has also written several books on digital marketing. They are respected thought leaders in the field and are highly sought after for their expertise.

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How to Write GREAT SEO Articles in 7 Steps – For Writers Beginners

In this article, I am going to share with step by step how to write a great SEO article for yourself or your organization so you can start driving massive traffic to your website without spending money on expensive agencies.

Content is still king nowadays and 72% of marketers say the single most effective B2B SEO strategy is creating relevant content., but first, the king has to learn how to become a good king, and therefore it needs guidance.

What I mean by that is that if you want to produce good content in this case, you need to observe and learn how to write a good SEO article. SEO article is essential to effectively implement a B2B SEO strategy for your business .

I have written hundreds of articles on numerous topics such as fitness, gardening, cooking, and marketing. Therefore, I will give you my methodology on how I write an SEO article for myself and my clients

And on all those different types of topics, I use the same methodology to ensure that I produce only the best quality articles for my users and search engine .

So, let’s check out my method on how to write a great SEO article in 7 steps.

1. Keep it Real

What I mean by keeping it real is that if you have clicked on this article that means probably you are a beginner in writing SEO articles. At least that is my assumption I might be wrong, so please do not get angry with me.

And maybe you heard those marketers saying that the longer blog posts the better for SEO rather than the short one or maybe you have checked SEO statistics such as from HubSpot as according to their data the ideal blog posts for top 10 on Google is between 2,100 – 2400 words.

(Source: Neil Patel )

But to even have the top 10 rankings on Google , you need to write the super long articles called content pillar with 10,000+ words and create this spider of internal links.

And although all this might be true, you need to keep it real.

If you are starting writing SEO articles you probably will not be able to write a blog article with 10,000+ words or even 2,000 words, because it is harder than it looks.

Because you need to remember that quality always comes first. Google always rewards the quality of the content more than anything else.

And if you are starting writing your first SEO article and try to write 2,000+ words or more you will end up writing points as long as possible to just get the number and you will be writing just for sake of writing without providing any value.

And those articles will never be on the top 10 on Google.

But instead, start writing shorter articles such as 800-1000 words with a ton of value. Those articles still can do great, especially those with long-term keywords.

And most importantly those articles are easy to update, as only 38% of marketers do updates for their older articles, even though it significantly increases the article’s lifespan, increases ranking & brings more traffic.

And once you become better than you can start writing longer, in more depth content. But I recommend starting with 800-1000 words for your first 30 articles.

And anyway, with practice, you will see the word counts will naturally raise without you even knowing it.

2. Find 1 Keyword to target (Preferably a long-tail keyword)

It is hard to write an article about something if you do not have an idea what to write about. Therefore, you need to find a keyword , preferably a long-tail keyword with 3 words you want to target.

Because this keyword will be your topic for the blog posts , and you need to stick to it. As the upcoming steps will be following this keyword .

The reasons why preferably long-tail keywords are:

• Better conversion rate, the average conversion rate for long-tail keyword is 36%! ( Source )
• Long-tail keywords help you rank for single keywords
• 70% of searches are long-tail keywords
• Long-tail keywords are the best to outrank your competition

And there are more reasons I could mention, but I hope you got the point.

Also, find long-term keywords is not difficult. You can use tools such as Google Search Console, Google Keyword Planner, or Ubersuggest. Also check out Ubersuggest alternatives

For example, this article is about SEO Article and to make it long-tail by adding SEO Article for SMBs or SEO Article for personal blog and etc. There are tons of possibilities for you to create long-tail keywords to start driving traffic.

Just make sure it is relevant to your business so you are driving only people who could be potential buyers.

3. Write Your Main Points (Those are the headlines)

The third step in how to write your SEO articles is to put your main points down on paper and use it as an anchor for yourself and your writing.

Too many times I have seen bloggers writing articles and did not draw out their main points and they end up drifting away from the topic and writing about something else.

Remember, value always first! But value is always seen differently if I click on the article on how to cook spaghetti but get how to organize my pots and pans, I will not see it as valuable even it could be a really good article.

Therefore, putting your main points first will ensure that you are staying at the topic and not drifting away from it, as this is very important.

Writing your SEO article is about what keywords you will hit, as search engines are crawling your articles and picked keywords within your article.

So, if you stick to the topic, you will naturally use all types of keywords close related or any way related to the topic. So, like this, your SEO article can rank for more varieties of the targeted keyword.

That is why having outlines such as headlines before you start writing any piece of content will significantly improve your focus and your results.

4. Do Your Due Diligence (Research) For Each Point

Once you have lined up your main points then you can start doing some research for your blog and the points you have included.

Do not worry, nobody expects you to know everything, and using references and citation is normal within blogs or even science publications.

Actually, using references and resources from outside your company adds the credibility and trustworthiness of your website.

Also, it drives link building too, trust me you want to include resources from somewhere else.

But how do you do that?

Let’s look at each of your points and Google it. You will find plenty of information just for that one point, take the first 5 articles and read it and try to find some valuable information such as:

And etc. Read and find anything that could add value to your article. This is great to expand your knowledge and add extra value to your articles.

Therefore, it is important this step do your due diligence properly and really spend some time and do research. This is when you can get a lot of shares and big engagement for your content.

Well done research provides your content value, that people appreciate, and they are happy to link back, which is important for your SEO for your blog or YouTube or even on Social media .

5. Organize Your Research in the Natural Logic Flow and Start Writing

Step number 5 for how to write a great SEO blog is to organize all of your points and research information in the natural and logic flow which sounds good to you and then start writing.

Many times I am collecting all the information from the internet, books, videos, etc. and put them together and trying to figure out how to write it, but it is hard.

Therefore, this step will ease your job as once you have all the information you just need to read it and put it together what makes sense for you.

This is when you filter the information as sometimes, we can get carried away by all the information out there.

So, it is normal to filter out some of the information to have a good flow of your SEO article.

Because your flow is important for readers, as it is easy to read and learn from your articles, and user experience plays a massive role in SEO.

Therefore, it is important to organize your research notes in the natural and logical flow to have a great SEO article.

Yes, it is a lot of reading again, but it really helps you to write faster and better as it will lead you and therefore speed up the process.

6. Proofread and Optimize for SEO

The sixth step is to proofread and optimize for SEO your new articles. This will help you to fix your mistakes while you are writing and then add additional ideas to your SEO article.

This step is as well very important as many writers will get tired after writing and they often skip this step which can cause to have some silly mistakes within the writing.

Therefore, it is important to proofread your articles whenever you finish. Also, the best way is to have someone to help you, because proofreading your SEO article is harder.

As you might understand the meaning of your sentences, but others won’t. So, if you have someone, always let them read your article.

The next thing is to optimize your Article for SEO. This is the next part when you turn your attention to the guidelines of search engines .

Here you will add some important aspects every SEO article needs to have such as:

• Internal links (To related articles and other content of yours)
• External links (done if you have collected resources as you should link back to them)
• Alt text – (for your pictures)
• Meta-description
• Keywords density (of course you shouldn’t be stuffing keywords, but have at least 0.6%-1.5%)
• Optimize the size of pictures

Of course, your users are first to keep in mind and none of these SEO aspects should decrease the quality of your article, but it is important to add these SEO tactics to ensure search engines understand your articles as well.

Also check out our articles on:

• 5 Biggest B2B Blogging Mistakes You Can Make
• Top 12 SEO Mistakes: The Worst Mistakes You Can Probably Make Today

7. Post It & Share It

The last step to write an SEO articles is to post your article and share it across your social media channels and add it to your Google Search Console & Bing Console.

Unfortunately, it is not always the best article that wins but the most promoted.

Content Marketing is fire and Social Media is Gasoline – Jay Baer

Therefore, share your articles across social media is an important part for you to get the initial first traffic fast and created enough engagement and signals for your new SEO article that search engine will notice it fast.

As Google and other search engines are looking at social media signals which they can help your SEO to rank higher.

So share it across your social media, email list, friends, and families if you can, so you get the initial first boost for your article which can be important especially when you starting and not have enough organic traffic .

And that is all from my methodology how to write a great SEO article for your business or yourself to start getting organic traffic.

It might sound a bit overwhelming at first but trust me helps a lot!

BTW: If you need help with your SEO , hit me up as I am providing SEO consultancy to help you rank higher and faster to start driving good quality leads for your business.

Writing articles for your audience is always the most important aspect of every blog article for your business or yourself, but we can not forget about the SEO aspect as we need to please both sides.

I used to write articles only for the audience to provide the most value than anybody else, but Google did not give me much of the chance to get it across the people.

So, I realized that writing just articles is not enough but your article needs to be SEO article and focus on both sides. But as I said, your audience always comes first.

But it is important to not forget about the SEO aspect of your articles as this will help Google and other search engines to understand your articles what it is about.

Therefore, provide as much value you can, do your deep research and optimize your article and you will benefit from organic traffic sooner.

What is SEO Article?

SEO Article is the type of article that’s written in a way that helps and provides value to users based on their query and also helps search engines to understand better your article to better position it and rank it high. Therefore, SEO article is focusing on user experience and Search engine algorithm at the same time to please both sides.

So, SEO articles are the bridge your website needs to connect with your target audience with search engines as they can provide you with the traffic you need to start generating leads.

Why do You Need SEO Article?

You need SEO Article because the SEO part of the article ensure that your article is done correctly from the technical part, so search engines can understand it and the second part of the article is aimed at your users because well-written article ensures that users will get the answer and value within your article and won’t bounce back.

That is why SEO article is important that search engine plays the vital role to get you the traffic in the first place, but then the good quality of article ensure that traffic stays and get the answer they are searching for.

If one of these sides is not satisfied, then it will damage your ranking and organic traffic . Therefore, both sides need their parts so your article can rank high.

Related Content

• B2B Blog Strategy: 9 Step Process Generate Success for Your Company
• Easy to Learn B2B Content Marketing Guide
• Most Important SEO Techniques to Drive Traffic & Leads
• SEO vs SMO: What’s the Difference?
• How to Write SEO Content: Learn How to Rank #1 in Google
• 12 Best Surfer SEO Alternatives & Competitors in 2023 (Free & Paid)

Also, check out our SEO hub page to find all our SEO resources & Content Marketing resources .

Disclaimer:

Some pictures are coming from Freepik and some of my links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase something I might get some small commission as a reward for reference. Of course, I am actively using all of these services and products and I only affiliate products or service I have full trust in their quality!

Support the B2BDigitalMarketers

Hey, Eduard here.

As a solo blogger with limited resources, I need your support to keep creating in-depth SEO content like this. Please consider joining my Patreon community to help this site grow.

Your pledge – no matter how small – will enable me to dedicate more time to sharing actionable tips and strategies. With your help, I can take this project to the next level and really make a difference for other SEOs and marketers.

I would sincerely appreciate you joining me on this journey as a founding patron. Together, we can build an amazing resource hub. Hope to see you on the inside – thanks for your trust and support!

About B2BDigitalMarketers

Welcome to B2BDigitalMarketers.com, your one-stop-shop for all things B2B digital marketing! I’m Eduard Dziak, a digital marketing consultant with a focus on B2B SEO and lead generation techniques. This website is designed to provide B2B marketers with the latest and most effective marketing knowledge to help you succeed. From A to Z, we’ve got you covered with proven strategies and techniques. Let’s work together to boost your B2B marketing efforts!

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10 Step Guide to Investing in Stocks

Step 1: set clear investment goals, step 2: determine how much you can afford to invest, step 3: determine your tolerance for risk, step 4: determine your investing style, step 5. choose an investment account, step 6: learn the costs of investing, step 7: pick your broker, step 8: how to fund your stock account, step 9: pick your stocks, step 10. keep learning about investing in stocks, best stocks for beginning investors, are stock funds good for beginner investors, do i have to live in the u.s. to open a brokerage account, the bottom line, how to invest in stocks: a beginner’s guide.

Yarilet Perez is an experienced multimedia journalist and fact-checker with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has worked in multiple cities covering breaking news, politics, education, and more. Her expertise is in personal finance and investing, and real estate.

Investing in stocks is a way to make your money grow over time. By regularly putting money aside to invest, you can see its value multiply over the long term. That's why it's important to begin as soon as you have the money to do so—the longer your time horizon, the better. This article takes you through how much you need, what stocks to choose, and the other basics of investing in stocks you need to get started, all in 10 steps. Whether you have thousands set aside or can invest a more modest $25 a week, you have enough to begin.

Key Takeaways

• You can earn more money by working longer hours, getting a raise or finding another job, or turning your money into a growth tool by investing in stocks and letting it work for you.
• Investing carries the chance of losses. But there are ways to lower your risk, though you can't get rid of it altogether.
• New investors have never had so many resources for expert advice.
• You can seek out articles, books, and courses to educate yourself; use robo-advisors, automated apps and platforms, or financial specialists to manage your portfolio; or personally manage your own stock investments.

Begin by reflecting on what you want to achieve financially. You might have short-term goals like saving for a home or a vacation or have long-term objectives like securing a comfortable retirement or funding a child’s education. Your objectives will depend on your life stage and ambitions. Younger investors tend to focus more on growth and long-term wealth accumulation, while those closer to retirement typically prefer income generation and capital preservation.

The more precise you can be about your goals, the easier it will be to sort out the best means to get you there. Here are some tips:

• Be precise about your objectives : Instead of general goals like “save for retirement” or “I don’t want to have to worry about money one day,” set specific objectives like “accumulate $500,000 in my retirement fund by age 60.”
• Set your investment horizon : Determine how long you have to achieve each goal you set. You will have longer and shorter timelines for different purposes. In general, the longer you can give yourself, the less risk you’ll need to take on, and the more viable your objectives will be.
• Evaluate your finances : Be realistic about how much you can allocate toward your investment goals. This includes looking at your savings, regular income, and any other financial resources you can put to work as you begin. We’ll come back to this.
• Rank your goals : Most of us have several goals at once, like saving a down payment for a house, paying for a wedding next year, or preparing for retirement. Prioritize these and balance them according to their importance and urgency.
• Review and adapt to changes in your life : The phrase financial planning is best taken as a verb, not a noun since goals aren’t set in stone, and planning your finances is an ongoing project. You might fall in love or out of it, have many children or none of them, or realize your life’s work is best done in a different place in the country. Life changes, and so will your financial objectives. Regularly review and adjust your goals accordingly.

The first step in any venture is the biggest, but it’s also when you set your aspirations and imagine yourself in a future that your investments in stocks, a touch of luck, and a prudent investment strategy you’ll begin to learn here make possible.

Determining how much you can afford to put in stocks involves carefully and honestly assessing your financial situation. Don't worry if your funds are less than you would wish. Just like you shouldn't berate yourself for not being ready for a race on your first day of training, so too, you're just at the beginning of your investment journey. This is a marathon, not a sprint and you've got a long way to go. Here are some tips for giving yourself an honest appraisal of how much you can use:

• Look at your sources of income : Start with your income. In particular, you'll want to see if your employer offers ways for you to invest while gaining tax benefits or with matching funds that will amplify your own contributions.
• Have an emergency fund : You should have a solid financial foundation before investing, though solid does not mean perfect. Settle on how much you need for emergencies, typically covering major expenses (a few months of mortgage or rental payments, plus your other bills).
• Snuff out any high-interest debts : Financial advisors also generally suggest making sure you've paid down your debts, especially credit cards and anything else with high interest rates. Any returns you expect from trading stocks are unlikely to make back the cost of the high interest rates accruing each month on your credit card statements. If you still owe on your student loans, look at how much interest you pay. Balance that against the returns you expect by investing in stocks, and choose whether it's better to pay your loans down or invest.
• Set a budget : Based on your financial assessment thus far, decide how much money you can comfortably put into stocks. This shouldn't dip into any funds you need for expenses now or down the road. Your budget should determine if you are starting with a large lump sum or investing smaller amounts at set times each month or year.

Investing in stocks carries risk, and it's important to only invest money you can afford to lose. Never put yourself in a financially vulnerable position for the sake of investing. This is what separates investing from some of the worst forms of gambling.

Understanding your risk tolerance is a cornerstone of investing. Gauge your level of comfort with the inherent uncertainties of the stock market. Your risk tolerance will differ depending on your life stage, financial goals, and your financial cushion for potential losses.

Determining your risk tolerance is crucial for crafting an investment strategy that matches your financial goals while keeping your peace of mind. It helps you decide which stocks are suitable for your portfolio and what to do when the market goes up or down. Don't be goaded into being more adventurous than you need to be, or more cautious than called for. Do you prefer stability, or are you willing to accept higher risks and price swings if that means there's the potential for more returns? This self-assessment is key to setting a foundation for your investment journey.

Stocks can be organized by the risk they involve. For instance, large-capitalization (large-cap) stocks are generally more stable since they are well-established, major companies well-known in the market. Small-cap stocks usually offer more growth potential but come with increased risk. Similarly, growth stocks are sought for rapid gains, with higher risks, while value stocks focus on long-term, steady growth, usually with lower risks.

Everyone has a different relationship with money. We've seen how this affects your risk tolerance . But investors also have investing styles that best suits them. Some prefer an active role, meticulously pouring over the last cell on the spreadsheets for their portfolios, while others opt for a hands-off, set-it-and-forget-it approach, trusting their investments will grow over time if they just leave them alone. Some just might not have the time to be active traders following the ticker crawls and latest reports on investing platforms. It's important to recognize that your style might evolve, but you'll need to start somewhere, even if your choice isn't set in stone.

Here are general directions for understanding your investing style:

• DYI investing : If you have a good grasp of how stocks work and are confident to head out with minimal guidance into the market, managing your stock trades is one option. You can set up an account with well-known and trusted online brokers to access a wide range of investment options, including stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), index funds, and mutual funds. This approach gives you full control over your investments, even if certain choices might be stock funds and the like managed by professionals with a fiduciary responsibility to look after your funds.
• Working with a financial advisor or broker : For those who prefer the more personal approach and want more, an experienced broker or financial advisor can be invaluable. They offer advice tailored to your life experiences and goals, help you decide among the more promising stock choices for you, monitor your portfolio, and collaborate with you when adjustments need to be made.

You've figured out your goals, the risk you can tolerate, and how active an investor you want to be. Now, it's time to choose the type of account you'll use. Each has its own features, benefits, and drawbacks.

Here are the most common:

Retirement Accounts

• Your employee retirement plan : If your employer offers a retirement plan, this is a convenient way to invest in stocks, including potentially those of the company itself. The plans are known by the sections where they're described in the U.S. tax code. The most popular are 401(k)'s (tax-deferred, private employer-sponsored retirement savings), but you could also have a 403(b) (used mostly by nonprofit organizations, public schools, and some churches), a 457 (mostly for state and local public employees), or a similar plan. You contribute to your account automatically each pay period, and many employers offer matching contributions, boosting your investment. Your contributions are tax-deductible, and the account balance grows tax-deferred.
• Individual retirement account (IRA) : You can start investing in stocks by opening an IRA in addition to your workplace retirement plan (if you have one). IRAs provide some tax benefits, and you can choose between a traditional IRA (tax-deductible contributions) or a Roth IRA (tax-free withdrawals in retirement).

Taxable Brokerage Accounts

If you prefer more flexibility or have maxed out your IRA contributions , a regular taxable brokerage account gives you access to various investment options, including individual stocks, stock mutual funds, ETFs, and stock options. While they don't have the tax advantages of retirement accounts, they are more flexible and don't have contribution limits. You can also pick different taxable brokerage accounts as you seek a match for your investment style.

• Individual brokerage accounts : These are standard accounts opened by one person. The account holder has full control over the investments and is solely responsible for any tax implications. The most basic type is a cash account , through which you buy securities using only the money available in your account. You can also have a margin account at a brokerage for more experienced investors who borrow money from the brokerage against their account's value to buy additional stock.
• Joint brokerage accounts : These are shared by two or more individuals , typically spouses or partners, and can be cash or margin accounts. These accounts can be structured as joint tenants with rights of survivorship: if someone on the account dies, ownership passes to the survivor(s).
• Managed accounts : These are professionally managed, and a portfolio manager makes the decisions on your behalf, personalized to your needs, goals, and investment style.

Accounts For Specialized Goals

There might be tax advantages to using different kinds of accounts if you're investing in stocks for specific goals, e.g., for your own or your child's education or health expenses. If so, it's to your advantage to consider these alternatives, which have special tax incentives:

• Dividend reinvestment plan accounts : Some brokers offer accounts that automatically take your stock dividends and use them to purchase new shares, usually without charging commissions for the additional shares.
• Education Savings Accounts : These offer tax advantages when the funds are used for qualified educational expenses.
• Health savings account : Contributions are tax-deductible, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free.
• Trust and custody accounts : A trustee manages trust accounts for the benefit of a third party according to the terms of a trust agreement. In the case of custody accounts, minors can own stocks and other assets, but a custodian manages the account until the minor is an adult.

Commissions and Fees

Besides reputation and fit with your investment strategy and goals, broker fees are the most important consideration when you're choosing a brokerage firm, which comes in the next step. Let's prepare. Traditionally, brokerages have charged fees through trade commissions, account maintenance fees, and fees for additional services like research or financial advice. However, the landscape of brokerage fees has evolved significantly in recent years.  Here's what you'll want to look for as you do your research:

Trading commissions : A broker might charge a commission every time you trade a stock, whether you buy or sell. Trading fees range from $2 per trade to $10. Some brokers charge no trade commissions at all, but they make up for it with other fees. Depending on how often you plan to trade, these fees can add up, affect your portfolio's return, and deplete the money you have available to invest.

Let's see this in action: Suppose you buy one share of stock in five companies with $1,000. Assuming a transaction fee of $10, you will incur $50 in trading costs which is equivalent to 5% of your $1,000. Should you sell these stocks, the round trip (buying and then selling) would cost you a total of $100, or 10% of your initial deposit amount of $1,000.

Maintenance fees : Some brokerages charge monthly or annual fees to keep your account active. These might be waived, though, if your account balance is above a certain threshold.

Service fees : You might pay additional fees if you haven't used your account in a while. Brokers also may charge for services like broker-assisted trades, access to their premium research, and trading on margin (by borrowing). Most of these fees and the services linked to them are optional.

Subscription-based models : As Generation Zers and Millennials take up a larger share of the investment space, financial advisors, planners, and brokers are taking on clients used to month-to-month or yearly fees for apps and app-based services. Instead of paying per transaction or for specific services, you pay a flat monthly or annual fee. Your subscription may include commission-free trades, access to research tools, and other premium support.

Some platforms offer tiered subscription levels, supplying more features or lower margin rates at higher subscription rates. As you would with Hulu or your favorite online magazine, you'll want to keep an eye on how much you're taking advantage of what you're paying for. If not, you might draw down to a lower tier or seek another broker altogether.

Account Minimums

A major change in recent years has resulted from the immense competition among brokerages. Many online brokers have eliminated account minimums, making it easier for a wider range of investors to get started.

This means that if you have just a few dollars to invest, you can still open a brokerage account and begin trading stocks. While some brokerages still require you to deposit substantial amounts before you can become a client, this shift away from very low or no minimum requirements has made investing far more accessible to nontraditional investors and beginners. However, you'll want to assess any minimum a brokerage requires, which is still your money, with transaction fees and maintenance costs that may lead you to decide that keeping a minimum in your account is less costly in the long run.

Brokers  are either full-service or discount. Full-service brokers provide an array of financial services, including financial advice for retirement, healthcare, education, and more. They can also offer a host of investment products and educational resources. They have traditionally catered to high-net-worth individuals and usually require significant investments. Discount brokers have much lower thresholds for access, but tend to offer a more streamlined set of service, allow you to place individual trades, and offer educational tools.

Full-service brokers

These offer a full range of traditional brokerage services, including financial advice for college planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and for other life events. This customized advising justifies the higher fees that they typically charge, normally a percentage of the value of your transactions, a percentage of your assets under management, and sometimes, a yearly membership fee. Minimum account sizes can start at $25,000. 

Discount Brokers

These offer you tools to select your investments and place your orders. Some also offer a set-it-and-forget-it robo-advisory service. Most have educational materials on their sites and mobile apps. Some brokers have no (or very low) minimum deposit restrictions. However, they may have other requirements and fees. Be sure to check on both as you look for a brokerage that's best for your financial situation, and review our Best Online Brokers for Beginners of 2024 .

Robo-Advisors

For an automated solution, robo-advisors or automated investment platforms are cost-effective and pretty effortless when investing. If you select this option, you won't be alone in doing so. According to Charles Schwab, 58% of Americans say they will use some sort of robo-advisor by 2025.

An app or platform takes the information you provide about your financial goals, risk tolerance, income and savings, and so on, and its robo-advisor creates and helps manage your investment portfolio using its specialized algorithms. Aimed at retail investors, robo-advisors are low-cost, usually have little or no minimum balance requirements, and are programmed for strategies suited for new and intermediate investors. That said, they tend to offer fewer trading options and lack the personal approach to financial planning best suited for long-term investing. If this interests you, see our Best Robo-Advisors of 2024 .

Now that you've chosen the type of account to open, you'll have to fund it. Here's what to do:

• Choose a brokerage : First, select a brokerage firm, perhaps one of the major online firms, that aligns with your investment goals and preferences or is simply most convenient for you. Consider factors like fees, available investment options, and the platform's user-friendliness.
• Pick your account type : Decide whether you're opening a cash account, which requires you to pay for investments in full, or a margin account, which allows for borrowing to purchase securities.
• Open your account : Once you've chosen a brokerage and account type, you'll need to open your account. This involves providing your personal information: Social Security number, address, employment details, and the particulars of your financial situation. This shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes.
• Link your bank accounts : The most common way to fund your stock account is by linking it to your bank account. This is usually done online through the brokerage's platform, where you'll enter your bank account number and routing number. Many brokerages allow you to link your account via small test transactions for verification.
• Transfer or deposit your first funds : Once your bank account is linked, you can transfer funds to your brokerage account, typically through an electronic funds transfer, which can take a few days to process. Other options may include wire transfers for faster funding if you're raring to go, though these usually cost more. Some brokerages still accept physical checks. If you prefer this method, you can mail a check to the brokerage or bring it to a physical location.
• Set up periodic transfers : If you plan to make stock buys a habit, consider setting up automatic transfers from your bank to your brokerage account.
• Start investing : Once you've verified the funds are in your account (don't worry: the brokerage won't let you trade otherwise), it's time to start choosing among the stocks that best fit your investment goals.

If you plan to trade frequently, check out our list of brokers for cost-conscious traders.

Choosing the right stocks can be daunting even for experienced investors. Beginners should look for stocks that have stability, a strong track record, and the potential for steady growth. Don't start out of the gate with a risky stock, thinking you'll hit it big right away. Investing for the long term is mostly slow and steady, not fast and rash. Here are some stocks that are solid bets to begin:

• Blue chips : These are shares of large, well-established, and financially sound companies with a history of reliable performance. Examples include companies listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the S&P 500. They are typically industry leaders and offer stability during market fluctuations.
• Dividend stocks : Companies that regularly pay dividends can be a good choice for beginners. Dividends give you a regular income, which can be reinvested to buy even more stock. See How to Buy Dividend Stocks to get started.
• Growth stocks : The greater the chances for outsized growth in a stock, the riskier investing in it will be. Beginners interested in growth stocks should look for industries with long-term potential, such as technology or healthcare.
• Defensive stocks : These are in industries that tend to perform well even during economic downturns, such as utilities, healthcare, and consumer goods. They will give you a buffer against market volatility as you start.
• ETFs : Traded like stocks, these track many indexes or sectors and are a low-cost way to gain exposure to a broad range of assets. You can trade shares in them throughout the day at market prices. These funds often track a specific market index, like the S&P 500, and offer instant diversification, reducing the risk associated with individual stocks. As you gain experience, you can look at funds for sectors that pique your interest, themes that meet your investment goals, or indexes that track environmental, social, and governance stocks to match your quest for returns with your values.

It's prudent to begin with a conservative approach, focusing on stocks or funds that offer stability and a good track record. This will give you confidence and returns to work with as you advance in your investing knowledge.

Investing in stocks is an ongoing learning experience—even the most successful investors are learning new tips and strategies each passing day. As the stock market continually evolves, staying up to date and going back to Step 1 and reviewing your goals, available funds for trading, investment style, and so on, will be key. Here are some final tips for now:

• Read widely and regularly : Consistently visit reputable financial news sites. Keep informed about the global economy, industry trends, and the companies you are invested in. Avoid sites and books promising easy returns or tricks, not tips, likely to redound to their benefit when you buy their courses or apps. Books on investment strategies, stock market fundamentals, and diversification techniques can be essential.
• Use stock simulators : These platforms enable you to practice trading stocks risk-free using virtual money. They are excellent tools for applying investment theories and testing strategies without risk. Investopedia's simulator is entirely free to use.
• Learn about diversification : Having taken your beginning steps here, you'll next want to spread your investments across diverse asset classes to reduce risk and improve the potential for returns. When you're ready, we'll help you learn how to diversify your portfolio beyond stocks .

Just as financial planning is a verb, learning about stock investing is continuous. The more informed you are, the better you'll be able to make wise investment decisions and adapt to market changes.

Choosing the right stocks can be overwhelming for those just starting to navigate the world of stocks and investing—you're starting with a blank slate, and the choices are endless. Here are some that aren't just the best for beginners but are many times the picks of many experts managing their portfolios:

Index funds : One approach that has gained significant popularity in the last few decades is investing in index funds. These are passively managed funds that aim to track the performance of a particular market index. This might have the excitement of picking a stock and seeing if it does well, but index funds take what would be impractical or too expensive for a beginner to do and let you invest in a representative sample of securities. S&P 500 index funds, the most popular in the U.S., mimic the moves of the stocks in the S&P 500, which covers about 80% of all U.S. equities by market cap.

The appeal of index funds lies in their simplicity and lower fees. By mirroring the composition of a chosen index, these funds provide broad exposure to the market without the need for extensive research or stock-picking expertise. According to the S&P Indices Versus Active scorecards, a widely respected benchmark, about 90% of actively managed funds didn't match the returns of the S&P 500 over 10 and 15-year periods. This is stark but winning information for a beginner: the most effortless route might be the most profitable.

Blue-chip stocks : Perhaps the most classic investing advice is to buy shares of well-established, stable companies with a history of consistent growth and dividend payments. The blue chips —named for the traditional color of the highest-value poker chips—often have strong brand recognition, a solid market position, and a track record of weathering economic downturns. Investing in blue-chip stocks can provide beginner investors with a sense of stability and the potential for steady returns over the long term. Examples of blue-chip stocks include Apple ( AAPL ), known for its ubiquitous technology products and loyal customer base; JP Morgan & Chase Co ( JPM ), the banking giant; Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ), a healthcare giant that also owns manufacturers of many consumer goods; and Coca-Cola ( KO ), the soft drink maker that has announced dividends each year since 1893.

Dividend aristocrats : Coca-Cola is not just a blue-chip stock but also belongs to this select group , which was given this informal name for giving and increasing their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years. By investing in dividend aristocrats, beginners can benefit from the potential for rising income and the chance to reinvest the dividends for compound growth . Examples include ExxonMobil ( XOM ), one of the world's largest oil and gas companies with a history of solid cash generation; Procter & Gamble Co. ( PG ), the consumer products multinational; and Walmart ( WMT ), the retail behemoth.

Low-volatility stocks : These companies' shares have historically had fewer swings in price, providing more stability to portfolios and, not for nothing, investor heart rates. These stocks often belong to "defensive sectors" (recession-proof parts of the economy) such as utilities, consumer staples, and healthcare. Examples of low-volatility stocks include utility companies we've mentioned already (Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, etc.), as well as Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK.B ), Brystol-Myers Squibb Company ( BMY ), Duke Energy ( DUK ), and the Hershey Company ( HSY ), which shows that the love of chocolate doesn't go away when the economy hits some bumps.

Quality factor ETFs : These invest in companies with strong balance sheets, consistent earnings growth, and other indicators of financial health. They use a rules-based approach to select stocks with low debt levels, stable earnings, and high returns. These funds include the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF, which holds large- and mid-cap U.S. stocks with solid quality characteristics, and the Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF, which focuses on high-quality stocks within the S&P 500 index .

The potential drawback for each of these investing strategies is that you might not see the outsized growth riskier stocks could provide. Plus, past performance does not determine future results. If you have limited funds, this could be unappealing: more modest returns won't seem to add much when you don't have much to begin with. But over time, reinvested dividends and compound growth add up. Investing is not gambling, and the reason to invest over heading to a Casino is that prudent, patient, and disciplined investing is how, on the whole, most investors get ahead. This means starting with stable stocks in your portfolio. Once you build up your investment account and gain experience, you can consider riskier stocks. Investing prudently now will help you gain the experience to do just that.

How Much Money Do I Need To Start Investing in Stocks?

The amount needed depends on the brokerage firm and the investments you're interested in. Some online brokerages have no minimum deposit requirements, allowing you to start investing with a small amount of money. However, the price of individual stocks and the minimum investment for certain mutual funds or ETFs might require you to start with more of an initial investment. That said, there are many brokerages and investment options now for those starting with less to invest than there were a decade or two ago.

Stock funds, including mutual funds and ETFs that invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks, are a good option for beginner investors. They offer diversification, which helps spread risk across different stocks, and are managed by professional fund managers. In addition, stock funds allow beginners to invest in a broad range of stocks with a single investment, making it easier to get started without having to pick individual stocks. While you watch your mutual fund or ETF investment over time, you will also gain experience about the ebb and flow of the stocks these funds hold, good knowledge that will help you when investing later.

What Are the Risks of Investing?

Investing is a commitment of resources now toward a future financial goal. There are many levels of risk, with certain asset classes and investment products inherently much riskier than others. It is always possible that the value of your investment will not increase over time. For this reason, a key consideration for investors is how to manage their risk to achieve their financial goals, whether short- or long-term.

To open a brokerage account, you don't have to live in the U.S. Many U.S. brokerage firms accept international clients. However, the application process and requirements will differ, including the need for additional documentation, such as proof of identity and residence. There are also some investments and services regulations curtail for those who aren't U.S. citizens, but the experience is very similar. Most major online brokerages in the U.S. accept international clients.

How Do Commissions and Fees Work?

Most brokers charge customers a commission for every trade. Due to commission costs, investors generally find it prudent to limit the total number of trades they make to avoid spending extra money on fees. Certain other types of investments, such as exchange-traded funds, may carry additional fees to cover fund management costs.

Beginners can start investing in stocks with a relatively small amount of money. You'll have to do your homework to determine your investment goals, risk tolerance, and the costs of investing in stocks and mutual funds. You'll also need to research brokers and their fees to find the one that best fits your investment style and goals. Once you do, you’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of the potential stocks have to reward you financially in the coming years.

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• Investing: An Introduction 1 of 38
• What Is the Stock Market, What Does It Do, and How Does It Work? 2 of 38
• A Look at Primary and Secondary Markets 3 of 38
• How to Buy and Sell Stocks for Your Account 4 of 38
• Trading Hours for the World’s Major Stock Exchanges 5 of 38
• Types of Stock Exchanges 6 of 38
• How to Invest in Stocks: A Beginner’s Guide 7 of 38
• What Owning a Stock Actually Means 8 of 38
• The Basics of Trading a Stock: Know Your Orders 9 of 38
• How to Reduce Risk With Optimal Position Size 10 of 38
• How Do I Place an Order to Buy or Sell Shares? 11 of 38
• 6 Reasons to Sell a Stock 12 of 38
• Income, Value, and Growth Stocks 13 of 38
• How Do I Keep Commissions and Fees From Eating Trading Profits? 14 of 38
• What Type of Brokerage Account Is Right for You? 15 of 38
• Investing vs. Trading: What's the Difference? 16 of 38
• Stock vs. ETF: Which Should You Buy? 17 of 38
• Why Would Someone Choose a Mutual Fund Over a Stock? 18 of 38
• ETF vs. Mutual Fund: What's the Difference? 19 of 38
• Bond: Financial Meaning With Examples and How They Are Priced 20 of 38
• Bond Yield: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It's Calculated 21 of 38
• 4 Basic Things to Know About Bonds 22 of 38
• How to Buy Bonds: Corporate, Treasury, Municipal, or Foreign 23 of 38
• How to Invest in Corporate Bonds 24 of 38
• Introduction to Treasury Securities 25 of 38
• The Basics of Municipal Bonds 26 of 38
• What Are the Risks of Investing in a Bond? 27 of 38
• Options vs. Futures: What’s the Difference? 28 of 38
• Options Trading: How to Trade Stock Options 29 of 38
• The Importance of Diversification 30 of 38
• How to Calculate Your Portfolio's Investment Returns 31 of 38
• What Are Corporate Actions? 32 of 38
• Why Dividends Matter to Investors 33 of 38
• What Are Stock Fundamentals? 34 of 38
• 5 Essentials You Need to Know About Every Stock You Buy 35 of 38
• Sector Breakdown: What It Is and How It's Used 36 of 38
• How to Analyze a Company's Financial Position 37 of 38
• Technical Analysis: What It Is and How to Use It in Investing 38 of 38

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Google Sets The Record Straight: AI Content In Search Results

Google sets the record straight on AI-generated content in search results. Learn how to ensure high-quality and rank well with people-first content.

• Google prioritizes high-quality content, regardless of whether humans or machines generate it.
• Google advises publishers to produce helpful, people-first content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
• Using automation or AI strictly to manipulate rankings in search results is considered a violation of Google's spam policies.

Google has released a statement regarding its approach to AI-generated content in search results.

The company has a long-standing policy of rewarding high-quality content, regardless of whether humans or machines produce it.

Above all, Google’s ranking systems aim to identify content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

Google advises creators looking to succeed in search results to produce original, high-quality, people-first content that demonstrates E-E-A-T.

The company has updated its “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content” help page with guidance on evaluating content in terms of “Who, How, and Why.”

Here’s how AI-generated content fits into Google’s approach to ranking high-quality content in search results.

Quality Over Production Method

Focusing on the quality of content rather than the production method has been a cornerstone of Google’s approach to ranking search results for many years.

A decade ago, there were concerns about the rise in mass-produced human-generated content.

Rather than banning all human-generated content, Google improved its systems to reward quality content.

Google’s focus on rewarding quality content, regardless of production method, continues to this day through its ranking systems and helpful content system introduced last year.

Automation & AI-Generated Content

Using automation, including AI, to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results violates Google’s spam policies.

Google’s spam-fighting efforts, including its SpamBrain system, will continue to combat such practices.

However, Google realizes not all use of automation and AI-generated content is spam.

For example, publishers automate helpful content such as sports scores, weather forecasts, and transcripts.

Google says it will continue to take a responsible approach toward AI-generated content while maintaining a high bar for information quality and helpfulness in search results.

Google’s Advice For Publishers

For creators considering AI-generated content, here’s what Google advises.

Google’s concept of E-E-A-T is outlined in the “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content” help page , which has been updated with additional guidance.

The updated help page asks publishers to think about “Who, How, and Why” concerning how content is produced.

“Who” refers to the person who created the content, and it’s important to make this clear by providing a byline or background information about the author.

“How” relates to the method used to create the content, and it’s helpful to readers to know if automation or AI was involved. If AI was involved in the content production process, Google wants you to be transparent and explain why it was used.

“Why” refers to the purpose of creating content, which should be to help people rather than to manipulate search rankings.

Evaluating your content in this way, regardless of whether AI-generated or not, will help you stay in line with what Google’s systems reward.

Featured Image: Alejandro Corral Mena/Shutterstock

Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, ...

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