Finding a Happy Medium Between Using SEO Methods and Producing Quality Content.
As you will know, a successfully carried out SEO campaign will get a business much needed exposure by drawing in an audience to their website through a high ranking on Google. However, if the immediate content on the site fails to grab the attention of these potential customers then the endless blood, sweat and tears spent getting the website to the heady heights of the first page of Google will have been a waste.

In the early years of SEO, key phrase density was the most important factor that decided the authority of a website on search engines. However, with the majority of web content becoming overly influenced by an obsession with key phrase density, other factors have now overshadowed its importance. In fact, over use of a key phrase will result in a snub from Google – so is best avoided.

Google’s search engine analyses ALL text within a page, taking into account precise word locations, sub headings and page titles in order to determine its relevance.

Whilst SEO methods such as implementing key phrases within headings and sub headings in web content to increase authority on search engines such as Google can only be a good thing in terms of increasing traffic to a company’s website, there is a fine line between producing quality content that incorporates effective SEO methods and publishing content for a website that is simply SEO obsessed with back links, key phrases and very little else.

To guarantee success as a content writer in the world of SEO, you need to remember exactly why you are writing a particular piece of text and how your writing can influence your readers.

Effective content writing strikes a healthy balance between high quality content that draws in readers and the use of effective SEO methods to strengthen the authority of the website on search engines such as Google.

There is an unwritten law within the field of journalism that within the first two paragraphs of any article, the author must have answered the ‘Six W’s’ – these being: who, what, where, when, how and why. Taking a leaf out of the journalist’s notepad when writing content for a client’s website can prove invaluable to the success of their business.

By giving the reader all the information they need about the products or services that your client can provide within the first few lines without the need for them to shift through line after line of text, will effectively be reducing the likeliness of potential customers cutting their visit short.

Once you have grabbed the reader’s attention, you can then go into further details about the specifics of the services or products on offer. It is important that you consider your target audience when deciding how to style your writing and in most cases you should avoid overly formal language.

Ultimately, if you write concisely and to the point without boring your reader, you will increase the likeliness of the visit leading to a sale- which is what professionals in the SEO world are employed to do after all!

So, the next time you are writing content for a client’s website as part of their SEO campaign, just remember the reasons for doing it and what you hope to achieve with your writing; ultimately a section of text that interests your readers and informs them of the available products and services. Good luck!

Written by Joe Harris, a professional content writer for a specialist SEO company that offers a wealth of internet marketing services including social media and E marketing packages.