Nowadays, almost every business has an online website where they advertise their products/services. This is actually the most logical way to go around things; everyone is connected to the Internet, and everyone likes taking the easy way out.
Only in the worst-case scenario would someone go to the company itself in order to get the details. Newspapers are also old news; there’s hardly anyone checking those anymore.
However, for your company to appear on the first page of the search engine (we all know that you could probably hide a body on the second page), you need to make sure that your text is readable – and not by humans, but by Google (or any other search engine that you are using).
For a text to be successful, you need to go beyond the message. You need to adopt some techniques that will make Google say “Hey, now you can stay with the big boys on the first page!” For that purpose, you may use the following SEO techniques in 2018. Read on to find out more!
Text With Logical Flow
When SEO first came into the mix, everyone was crazy about the use of keywords – however, the thing that will really bring you the sales will be the in-depth topic coverage.
After all, the customers want information – so if they come across your website and realize that your content is 10% keywords, 90% gibberish, they probably won’t pay much attention to the service that you are offering.
Here’s another thing: Google is getting smarter. It went from “keyword research” to “keyword analysis” – and therefore, will only bring forward the text which it believes covers the most data on the topic. Focus on the information, not the words used.
Use of Long Texts
Going back to the previous mention of “keyword analysis,” the issue of the text length is also of importance. In 2016, people would still generally prefer using shorter articles because they were “easier to read.” However, sometime in 2017, we started seeing more and more lengthy articles. Why?
The reason is simple. As mentioned, people want more information – and the more you provide, the less they will have to search on other websites. Plus, thanks to keyword analysis, Google sees long texts as the ones with “most coverage on the topic” – which is why most SEO strategies in 2018 include writing texts of 1000+ words.
Internal Link Building
This refers to links that send readers from one page to another, passing equity from one page to another as they are reading through your content. Using link building in 2018 will make it easier for readers to crawl around your website – basically baiting them.
Here’s an example: you wrote a post Tuesday and then another one Thursday. On Thursday’s post, you may add a link to Tuesday’s article (if they are somewhat related, of course). Therefore, you gain views on your previous post as well, and not allow the old ones to be buried on the second page.
Formatting the Posts
Most people looking up stuff on the Internet are probably not scholars that are not intimidated by a long block of text. For those people, a paragraph that takes half a page would be something normal.
In fact, those who are looking for information on the Internet are browsing for an easy solution that doesn’t cause a lot of mental fatigue or scholarly concentration. This is why you need to keep things as short and readable as possible.
Some of the best SEO strategies in 2018 include creating paragraphs that are no longer than 2-3 sentences. These types of sentences are easily scanned – and therefore, look less intimidating to the average reader.
Also, make sure to create short sentences, add bullet points and insert sub-headers. This will make it much easier for the readers to find the information they are looking for.
Using Bucket Brigades
A “bucket brigade” is a writing technique meant to capture the interest of the reader, keeping them hooked on the text. Basically, it involves taking an idea and breaking it into different sentences.
Generally, these sentences are ended with a colon that will lead to further information. Phrasings such as “Look:” or “The secret to successful copywriting is:” should be a common occurrence in 2018’s SEO optimization.
Pictures Throughout the Text
Want to know how to rank a website to perfection? You may want to throw some pictures in the mix. We are only human, so we like it when we see the occasional splash of color.
A picture is an effective way to help people engage, showing them an idea rather than telling it. A picture is known to say a thousand words, so why not take advantage of it?
Plus, aside from the fact that people like pretty pictures, it also helps you break down the content. This way, the text will be easily scanned, and people will be less inclined to press the back button.
Make It Video Friendly
If there’s anything we love more than a picture, it is a video. Again, the prospect of seeing something in real-life will make the post more attractive to readers – mostly because we end up on YouTube most of the day anyway.
Speaking of, you may want to focus on YouTube SEO – pretty much because every keyword search will lead to YouTube videos. You can either embed them or use internal link building – the simpler you make it for the reader, the more they will appreciate it.
Bottom Line
Writing a blog spot was never just about random writing; it was always more than that. You need to use certain techniques to make your text look appealing – and therefore, prevent your readers from “walking” away from your page.
If you have a website, then you should definitely use these SEO techniques in 2018. They were popular last year, and they are so effective that people don’t want to let go of them this year either.