Most writing projects come with a word count. Blog posts, articles, brochures, and websites typically leave room for an expected text length. If someone likes to write, they have no problem filling the space. If someone struggles to write long-form content, they may be padding the space with less-than-stellar writing. Whenever a client asks for an SEO tip, I challenge them to write 10% more than they need.
The reason?
Most writing doesn’t have a lot of meat to it. Encouraging someone to write a longer piece (then cutting it down) results in stronger content overall.
Most people’s experience with writing started with school assignments — often focusing on the length of the content and not the quality of content. This tends to train people to say things in less precise ways.
Many of the documents that land on my desk express ideas indirectly. I cut out the fluff. I skewer the strange sentences. When I hand the document back, it’s usually significantly shorter than what the client originally wrote (typically 10% shorter).
That’s why I encourage people to write 10% more than the required text length. Then, go back and cut out the weakest parts.
Things to Cut From Your Writing
- Extra Adjectives and Adverbs: Cut all the adverbs and adjectives and replace them with stronger verbs or nouns.
- Passive Voice: Replace passive voice with active voice. Search for “be” verbs and flip the sentence around.
- Incomplete Comparisons: Writers often use comparison (-er) adjectives without adding the object of comparison. Either add something or remove the statement.
- “Facts” without reliable sources or references: I make people remove “facts” or “statistics” if they can’t source it.
- Out-of-place thoughts and tangents: Sometimes, what makes sense to you confuses a reader.
This forces people to think through their points. They usually have to find more sources and research the topic more deeply. They may have to reverse outline. Often, they rework their thoughts to fill the space with something worthy of the word count.
Stronger Writing Sells
If you’ve considered blogging to boost SEO for your eStore, you’re on the right track. It helps for several reasons.
Increasing Website Traffic
Blog posts provide valuable content that attracts visitors to your website. By addressing topics that interest your target audience, you can draw in potential customers who are searching for information related to your products. This increased website traffic can improve your search engine rankings, as search engines like Google prioritize websites that receive consistent and relevant traffic.
Enhancing Keyword Strategy
Blogs are an excellent platform for implementing your keyword strategy. By naturally incorporating relevant keywords into your blog content, you help search engines understand what your website is about. This boosts your chances of ranking higher for those specific search terms, making it easier for potential customers to find your e-store.
Building Authority and Trust
Regularly publishing informative and insightful blog posts positions your e-store as an authority in your industry. When you provide valuable content that answers questions or solves problems, you build trust with your audience. Search engines consider authority and trustworthiness when ranking websites, so an authoritative blog can enhance your e-store’s SEO.
Encouraging Backlinks
Quality blog content encourages other websites to link back to your e-store. These backlinks are crucial for SEO, as they signal to search engines that your site is credible and valuable. The more high-quality backlinks your e-store receives, the higher it is likely to rank on search engine results pages.
Improving User Engagement
Engaging blog content keeps visitors on your website longer, reducing your bounce rate. A lower bounce rate indicates to search engines that your website offers valuable and relevant content, which can improve your rankings. Blogs that encourage comments and interactions further enhance user engagement, contributing to SEO success.
Keeping Content Fresh and Updated
Search engines favor websites that regularly update their content. By consistently publishing new blog posts, you signal to search engines that your e-store is active and relevant, increasing the likelihood of achieving higher rankings. Additionally, updating older blog posts with current information can also contribute to improved SEO.
Supporting Social Media Strategy
Blog posts provide shareable content for your social media platforms. By sharing your blogs on social media, you can increase your reach and drive more traffic to your e-store. The additional traffic from social media can positively influence your search engine rankings, as it diversifies your website’s traffic sources.
More SEO Tips
Incorporating blog posts into your e-store’s SEO strategy offers numerous benefits that can enhance your online presence. From increasing website traffic to building authority and encouraging backlinks, blogs are a powerful tool for improving your search engine rankings. By investing time and effort into creating valuable blog content, you can help your e-store thrive in the competitive world of e-commerce. It’s one SEO tip that’s easy to add to your writing habit.
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