Content is uploaded on Internet every second, but unfortunately much of it goes unseen.
You might be asking: “what’s the problem?” But the solution is quite simple; everything relies on the SEO (Social Engine Optimization) and social strategy.
SEO is the visibility of content in search engines. The higher an article is ranked within a search result list, the more visits it’s likely to have.
By making your content SEO and social friendly, it will increase the accessibility to your site and boost your content to your readers.
And this goes hand in hand with SMO (Social Media Optimization), which relies on optimizing a site and its content for social. Why is SMO important you might be asking? It’s all about headlines. What works for a search engine, doesn’t works for a social media platform.
While good SEO is subjective, here we offer our tips to make SEO friendly content:
1.Everything is about audience
Target your audience and think of the content that they would read. Try to ask yourself: “what do I want to read?”
2.Keywords
Brainstorm possible keywords and make sure you include them in the headline and in the body of the article.
Keywords and phrases in your web content make it possible for people to find your article via search engines and help connect searchers to your site.
Think about how you would search for an article and use those keywords.
3.Keep the web connected with internal links
Consider adding links to your article. Linking internally is a good way to promote your other work. While, adding external links to related sites helps the search engines understand your niche, and increases the trust and quality of your site.
For some inspiration on internal and external links, take a look at this Islington Now article. In this case, the internal link is related to an article about Jeremy Corbyn. The externals links are connected to Archway market and Camden Passage websites.
4.What else works better than a catchy headline?
The headline has to act like a magnet. Haunting headlines help to get reader’s attention and improve clickability.
For example, if you are writing an article on places to go to celebrate Father’s Day, you could write: “Places to go for this Father’s Day.”
Although you are using the keyword “Father’s Day”, your readers would not be much attracted by the headline.
What about opening with a question? Remember that Internet and social media platforms are about engaging and creating communications.
And what if you add a number and solution by saying: “take a look at our 5 ideas.” By doing this, you are proving your audience that you know how to keep them happy. Also, your readers will feel more predisposed to read your piece, as they will expect an easy and organised reading.
You could end by saying “like no other”. By using ‘like’ you are not only demonstrating the credibility of your article, but also you are bringing in emotions, by saying that it’s going to be an endearing day.
Your final heading could be: “Looking for places to go for this Father’s Day? Stop worrying and take a look at our 5 ideas to have a day like any other.”
For more inspiration on headlines that work well on social media platforms take a look at Quartz.
5. /remember-to-shape-your-HTML/
The HTML title is the information that creates a website.
Although HTML codes don’t have to match with the heading of the article, is recommended to do so. Google prioritizes the words displayed in the HTML title and your article can benefit from it.
It’s not needed to create a sentence for your HTML code. Our recommendation is, again, to use keywords and list them in a clear and structured way.
For instance if you are writing an article on places to go to celebrate Father’s Day, the HTML could be something like: “5- best-places-to-go-for-fathers-day-for-a-day-like-no-other.html”
6.Visual, visual and visual
Videos and photos are a must.
Think of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat or Vimeo. They all reward pictures and videos.
Or, you have ever seen an article without an image or video?
7. Not without my hashtag
Less is more when it comes to hashtags, so keep it simple and don’t overuse them. Use between one to three hashtags on your posts to positively impact your SMO. This will help you to engage more easily with your readers.
A useful tip is to use them wisely. For instance, keywords used in the headline and body of the article could be also used as hashtags, because these words are more likely to be searched.
8. Is anyone out there?
Think of online communities that might be interested in your article and try to engage with them. By doing this, you will not only have the opportunity of gaining new readers and increasing your online community, but also improving your SMO.
For example if you are writing an article on the benefits of being vegetarian, you could look for vegetarian groups on Facebook and Twitter and send them your story.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…
What are you waiting for? Start brainstorming and follow our guide. Within days, your followers would have doubled!