3 Tips on Optimizing Your Blog for Both Search Engines + Readers

Are you struggling to write SEO optimized content that is more engaging than it is bland?

Content marketing can be a powerful tool for brands to make an impact online.

By using it effectively, you can get in front of your ideal target market, help solve their problems and create a loyal fan base.

But to do that, you first need to master the art of writing content that appeals to people as well as search engines.

After all, it doesn't matter how useful your article is to potential customers if it doesn't rank.
3 Tips on Optimizing Your Blog for Both Search Engines and Readers
Here are four simple tips you can start doing today to optimize your blog for both search engines and readers:

1. Relevant User Journey

Effective SEO is all about relevancy.

When you start producing content that is relevant to search terms being used by your prospects and with links from relevant high authority sites, your content will find itself on the first page of Google.
But one important thing most businesses overlook is a relevant user journey.
If you want to maximize your user results and boost sales, you need to make sure that each interaction with your content brings them closer to the end goal of making a purchase.

Watch this video to learn about the three natural SEO techniques you can do to boost your user journey:

2. Craft a Clickable Headline

All the legwork you have done to optimize your content for search engines will mean nothing if you have an uninspiring headline.

Why?

Because (according to QuickSprout.com) only 20 percent of visitors will click to read your article. So even if your content is ranking on the first page with your targeted keyword, that means nothing if people are not clicking through to your website.

Upworthy, a site that generates three million unique visitors per month, understands the science behind crafting the perfect headline. As part of their editorial process, each piece of content needs 25 different headlines.
The reasoning behind this: Once you start getting desperate, you'll start thinking outside of the box and create the gem that will make your content stand out from the crowd.

3. Improve The Readability of Your Content

Readability may not be taken into consideration by search engines directly - but it still affects your ranking.

How?

Search engines take into account how people behave when they land on your page.
For example, if your content is hard for people to read and doesn't offer the information it claims, this will signal to Google that your content is irrelevant and not worthy of a front page spot.

To avoid that happening, use these simple steps to improve your content's readability:

1. Use Short Paragraphs

No one likes reading walls of text. It's daunting and off-putting, rather break up your text into short paragraphs and make the article easier for readers to digest.

Did you gets the point how you are reading this article till this line?

Just because we are using the technique of short paragraphs, which are engaging and makes every reader to read accordingly.

2. Write Conversationally

When you write in a conversational tone, it makes your blog feel more genuine, allows you to create a human connection and turns a wall of text into an engaging conversation.

Write for the users having the search engine bots in mind and users in eyes so they two can comply with your content to make better data and visualize to get more eyeballs watch and read your copy.

3. Use Proper Formatting

People on the internet rarely read every single word. Instead, they scan the article until something useful catches their eye.

By using proper formatting like H1, H2, H3 tags, bullet points and text decorations.

You can also grab reader's attention, emphasize certain points, decrease your bounce rate and improve your search engine optimization.

4. Use Images

As Jeff Bullas Said: Articles with images get 94 percent more total views than articles without images.

Try using one image for every 100 words; it will help improve readability by breaking up the monotony of text and will increase social shares.

Conclusion

Writing for search engines and readers is not as hard as it sounds.

By applying this quick tips to your content strategy, you'll start to see an increase not only in engagement but rankings as well.

What are some of your top tips for SEO content writing?

Guest contribution by: James Reynolds: Founder and Managing Director at SEO Sherpa. Visit his blog at SEOsherpa.com and talk to him on Twitter at @FollowJames. Reynolds, a contributor to several leading publications (like us) and mentors startup companies in his free time.