SEO in 2013 is all about content. In order to get a good search engine ranking, you have to prove to Google that your website offers valuable content that’s useful to your visitors. Below are some tips for creating content pages that will be sure to earn you some Google love.
#1: Don’t Post as Admin
This is a big no-no, especially now that Google Authorship is up and running. Google wants to see real authors with real names and real headshots, not anonymous posts published under “admin.” Ideally, you should have multiple (real) authors publishing your content pages.
#2: Include Post Dates & Update Periodically
Google wants to see fresh content on your website, so be sure that all your content pages include a publish date. And if you really want to make the search engines happy, update your publish date whenever you add or change content.
#3: Make Sure Your Static Pages are Unique
The content on your static pages is just as important as that on your dynamic content pages. To keep the search engines happy, make sure the content on static pages like your Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Contact page, and About page is 100% unique.
#4: Put Your Best Content Above the Fold
The top “fold” of a website is the part of the site that you can see without having to scroll down. This is some of the most valuable real estate on your website!
With Google’s “top heavy” update, the search engine now takes into account how much of your top fold is taken up by ads and how much by good content. I probably don’t have to tell you they want to see more content than ads.
If your first fold is packed with ads, consider moving them down on the page and adding some relevant content above the fold instead.
#5: Interlink Your Articles
Once you have lots of good content pages up and live on your site, do some internal cross-linking throughout your site (add links to your articles in your footer, as related articles on other content pages, etc.). Not only will this make it easier for visitors to find and consume your content, but it will also tell Google that you’re not a content farm.
#6: Don’t Write for Bots
Finally, instead of creating “SEO content” designed specifically for search engines, write for people instead. Stop worrying about things like cramming in your best keywords as often as possible and just write in a natural, conversational way.
This will make your content more engaging for your visitors, which will encourage them to explore more of your website and engage with your content in a more meaningful way. And if you write naturally about a relevant topic, your best keywords will end up getting peppered in naturally, which is exactly what Google wants to see.
