Content curation/planning is one of the most interesting parts of #SEO and for good reasons.
A short thread outlining some personal considerations and common mistakes I learned over time π§΅
Relying too much on tools. The maximum example is represented by the common misuse of tools such as Yoast SEO.
Green lights mean nothing for the user, they're third-party metrics with no relation to Google.
Be sure to understand what is great content.
Following a checklist. This is very different from content briefs/templates!
I am referring to static processes that involve the repetition of some steps just because they worked in the past. >>>
>>> There are different types of content and it's naΓ―ve to think there are absolute rules.
Testing is necessary to ensure you are satisfying the search intent.
And this applies across different languages too since the SERPs may change.
Not taking risks. I admit it's one of my problems as well, I should try to play more with content and test new ideas, not only for SEO.
Discover is another way of gaining traffic now and most of the content is way closer to the style you would see on social media.
Text generation. I have nothing against machine-generated content as long as it's good!
The problem is that not all the AI content you see online is of high quality. There are some niches where a lot of rubbish pages are ranking and it's not good for the users.
Readability. Please, don't think of it as a metric or a number.
I mean actual readability. Would you read through a wall of text? Probably not!
The role of blank spaces can be considered as a stylistic element per se.
Word count. It's not a ranking factor, yet I always hear about it.
Some search intents are met by providing the essential info, you don't need a full dissertation.
Be sure to focus on syntax and entities rather than length alone.
Of course, having more words in a text means you are more likely to mention related entities and concepts.
You can be more explicative, but there is a limit to it. Sometimes it's better to create different pieces of content instead of one.
There are cases where you should cover a subtopic in-depth and others where you shouldn't.
Search demand is not the only factor involved in such scenarios.
Looking at SERPs is the best way to do that and you should be extremely willing to improve this process.
Thinking in terms of individual pages.
It's very hard to optimize just one page, you should consider sections or clusters of pages.
In this way, you can consolidate your expertise around a certain topic and simulate the customer journey.
Context is super important for content. You can analyze an entity from different perspectives.
This is why understanding your audience is crucial. You can describe a topic in different ways and develop limitless ideas.
#NLP is a loyal companion for studying your competitors. My suggestion is to scrape Wikipedia or your competitors' pages to find entities.
Guess what, you can do this in #Python! This is not the only use case but one of many.
I think that you should just publish and risk at first. Adjust over time and see what works.
The first thing to do is to gather some tasty GSC data to understand where you should put your energy.
Tools are not as reliable as GSC, no way.
Experimenting with content is not a mainstream topic and it should deserve more attention.
Always strive for value and quality, build an excellence mindset.
It's OK to be wrong, just get more data and fix it.
Good content strategies take time to give their fruits. Don't be frustrated, if you did a great job just sit and wait.
The most important thing is to make sure those pages are crawlable and the technical side is decent enough.
This goes without saying, backlinks are not to be excluded. Some formats attract links and you can use them to improve your backlink profile.
Calculators, tools, and viral articles are such examples
Some may say that a content strategy produces results after 6 months or so. That is really situational and not a guarantee.
Sure, it won't take you one month either. I think that it should be pointed out that content is a long-term game.
Content is like software, it needs to be maintained and updated. The highest competitive advantage you can achieve is topical authority followed by a solid backlink profile.
It's a very expensive and slow process in most cases, that's why you have to invest asap.
If you don't start today you will face serious problems in the next future.
Creating content is an investment that requires a budget and a wise plan. Just writing something doesn't make it.
You will see that it's more of a mindset and not a "simple" process.
The concept of quality is strictly related to value and taste. Crafting articles that resonate with your audience is more psychology and hands-on experience than pure business.
Study your niche and learn from the big names.
Content can be in different forms, not just text. The core concept doesn't change, you should satisfy an audience.
You could indirectly build a community of affectionate readers that will convert easier.
Personal branding is another example where you can use content to showcase what you can offer.
This thread is an example. Like it and retweet if you've enjoyed the discussion!
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Some tips for business owners or whoever is going to invest in #SEO services.
This thread will cover the most frequent cases where you should stay alert and how to spot scammers π§΅
Many service providers sell you data dumps, i.e. exports from SEO tools. This practice is unfair because they are just clicking one button and making you pay for an export.
The fun thing is that a dump is not actionable and doesn't tell you what to do.
If you are a non-technical person you will have a hard time finding what is dumped and what's not.
In general, if you get a super simple Excel "report" and some random advice that doesn't fit your business, then it's the case.
Some daily considerations about Semantic #SEO, #Python, and strategy for your next project.
This time I am going to include new stuff and write not-so-obvious considerations.
Your updated thread for improving your knowledge about data π§΅
Semantic SEO is different from the simple topic cluster approach. Here you are interested in connections about entities and ontologies.
In other words, you want to have a clear idea of how to create links between your pages and proper navigation based on evidence. >>>
>>> The traditional cluster approach has no mention of all these elements. Creating content is not going to make the difference if you cannot build a network.
This is true in highly competitive environments where you need some "authority" to be deemed worthy.
Some interesting considerations on data for #SEO and how it's very easy to lie with them.
And ok, some curiosities and strange facts as well, keep reading. A thread to open your eyes π§΅
Let's start with the very basics. For big brands, you should always filter out branded keywords in Google Search Console, no option here.
You want to attract those people who aren't directly searching for you.
Filter by query and select Custom (regex), then just select "doesn't match" and insert all the branded terms. To select more use the pipe operator |, it means OR.