Search Engine Optimization: How to Write Helpful Content

Search engine optimization (SEO) has been the bread and butter for thousands of digital marketers over the years. However, some are finding it more difficult to keep their content in the top search results.  This article will share insights on how to avoid these pitfalls and how to start writing helpful content.

Google has a very difficult job. It receives over 16 billion search queries every day, and it must provide the best, adequate response to each user.  However, the real challenge is the number of websites that it chooses from.

Way back in 2012, it was believed that there were over 30 trillion URLs on Google. That number has grown each year, and while there is no exact data available, it is a huge number. However, the job is not easy for Google.

So, in 2022, the search giant introduced a new policy known as the HCU, with the focus on people-first content. It was at first a series of updates, but in March 2024, it became a permanent part of the ranking alogoythm

So without delay, here are the key steps to prepare content that Google approves.

1: How to Identify Your Audience and Write for Them

Most people start creating content long before they know who they are writing for. They publish it and hope that someone will find it and adore it. Although this happens once in a while, there is a better way.

This section will guide you in finding your audience and writing for them. You will also discover that this is an important step in SEO. Here are the three key elements that you must find in your journey.

• Your authority: Search engine optimization changed in March 2024 when helpful content updates became a standard part of the ranking algorithm.  Getting to Google top ten means writing about what you know a lot about. If you don’t know about a topic, you won’t be able to help anyone.

The best way is to create content about a topic you know well. For example, no one expects a Doctor to lead a team of web developers. They consider him an authority in a hospital or a clinic.

Recommended: Create content that falls under your area of expertise. You will be able to help people in that niche find solutions or helpful information.

• Find people just like you – your audience: The next step is to identify with people whose lifestyle aligns with your topic. Ask yourself what their needs and problems are, or what information may prove helpful to them. Create content in a way that will appeal to them and solve their common needs.

These people who share your niche or fall within your area of expertise are called your audience. They are the ones who you easily understand and can identify with their pains and triumphs.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to their Doctors for advice, tips, updates, and solutions. A relationship existed between patients and doctors. The doctors are the experts, and the patients are the audience.

Recommended: Discover your audience before you start creating content.

• The second audience: Every content writer must know that they also write for search engines. However, these bots do not understand content the way humans do; they follow established structures.

These structures are laid down and followed by content creators and the search engines.  Good content structures make it easier for the reader and improve interest.

For example, one common rule requires short paragraphs with 3 -4 sentences.  Most people lose interest and are turned off by huge chunks of content. Small paragraphs make it easier.

So it is a win for everyone. human readers stay longer on your content, and they find more answers. On the other side, bots can read your content.

Recommended: Before diving into content creation, read Google’s helpful content guide.

Discover more on this in the next section, which reviews the established content structure that you can use.

2: How to Use Content Structure That Appeals to Your Audience

One of the easiest steps in SEO happens on the content page, commonly known as On-page SEO. Another way to look at it is designing your content or page layout in such a way that it becomes appealing to readers. To make it easier to follow, this section is divided into the human audience and the search bots audience.

How to Structure Content for a Human Audience

Writing content for human readers means adapting universal standards and elements that make it easier to read. Creators break down chunks of information into formats that allow human interaction. These are the most commonly used formats.

1. General Layout: All content usually has four main sections- a title or topic, an introduction, the body, and a conclusion or summary
2. Body divisions: Content must be further broken down into short paragraphs and sentences. It is recommended to limit paragraphs to 3-4 sentences and keep sentences below twenty words.
3. Content highlights: Another set of elements that are often used to break up articles are headings and subheadings. These are mostly used to divide ideas into sections. Main ideas normally use higher heading values, such as H2, and subheadings may use smaller value such as H3
4. Bullets or Listing Formats: To further enhance readability, content creators may add a summary or listicle format to their pieces. Using numbered lists or bullet points, they can summarize paragraphs into single sentences or phrases.
5. Audiovisual Elements: People are more attracted to content that contains audiovisuals. Elements like images, diagrams, and videos can be easily embedded into articles to further edify the content.

How to  Structure Content for an AI Audience

Writing for AI does not need any additional expertise, and is easy to follow by anyone with an eighth-grade education. The principal technique involves using a hierarchy of your headings and subheadings written in question formats.

Here are four ways to lay out your content to enable easy crawling by robots.

1. Logical Hierarchy (H1-H4): Begin your document with a single H1 tag to serve as the primary title, clearly indicating the overarching subject of your work. For each major section within your content, utilize H2 headings to establish a well-structured hierarchy. Introduce H3 or H4 headings for subsections and sub-points as needed. 
2. Quick Answers: Place your answers to your title question as close to the top as possible. Don’t make it too long; about 40-60 words will do, and (within the first 30%).
3. Question-Like Headings: Let your headings capture the user intent by leading with search questions. 
4. Table of Contents: If your content is very long (long-form) it is recommended that you include a table of contents.  This will make it easier for bots to follow your mapping.

3: How to Write Helpful Content for Your Audience

SEO has changed amid the rise of AI content creation and the abuse of its generative power. People created content that did not provide solutions and only vied for search rankings. Users had to review many pages to find what they needed.

Today, Google focuses on a special type of content known as helpful content. To write it, you must understand what it is all about. This small guide will help you create better information that users will find more useful.

There are four easy steps to follow, and each will make it easier to optimize your website for search engines. Likewise, if you follow Google protocols, you won’t have to worry about core updates.

Step 1: What is Helpful Content?

Google defines it as people-first content designed to inform or assist users, rather than primarily for search engine ranking. 

In the past, people created content structured around keywords or keyword phrases. Their main goal was search engine rankings. People would follow a great search listing, but were disappointed with the page content. It had the keyword they searched for, but it did not provide information that resolved their query.

So Google changed this. This form of content that does not help users is no longer welcome as part of its search index.

Step 2: How to Focus on Users’ Needs

People use search engines to find answers. Whether they need to solve problems, resolve issues, or find information, they just ask away.  You can create useful content by focusing on the specific needs of your audience.

Ask yourself these questions when creating your article:

1. Is this one of the common issues that affects my audience?
2. Can I provide enough information that can help them?
3. Am I an authority on the subject?
4. Can I write it simply enough that an eighth grader can understand it?
5. Who are the top authorities on this issue?

For example, a mathematics blog may provide tutorials targeting students who need help understanding algebra.  A simple guide that is easy to read and fluent in structure may be ideal for students searching for tips to solve algebra problems.

The same blog may decide to include a video guide on resolving algebra problems. This would also target students searching for answers only in audiovisual formats.

The best way to help users is by providing content that solves their queries.

Step 3:  Do You Have an Original or Unique Presentation on the Topic?

To find out if your article will be unique enough, do a quick search and read a few pieces. It is easy to discover what each piece is about. If they are very similar to yours, better not to write it. 

Look at it this way, if everyone is saying that a dog bit a man, would you want to read each of them? No, but if one of them said, a man bit a dog,  you would surely read it. Although every article may talk about dogs, they should all have unique points of view.

The good news is, your writing is unique. No two writers create in the same way, and even on similar themes, their opinions may differ.

Step 4: Write Comprehensive Information on the Topic

Not all article topics require long-form formats. Some may require deep dives, while others are best served by short listicles. However you choose to write, ensure that it covers the topic so that users find answers.

One example that stands out is a summer fashion blog. If you are answering a search for the best summer hats, you are expected to provide options, pros and cons, and where to find them.

However, shoppers are not looking for long-form articles. That is why this type of content uses a mixture of visual and descriptive text.

On the other hand, a blog focusing on designing summer hats is expected to provide insights on how to design and make them. They may cover the best material that may be used, the advantages and disadvantages, and who they are best suited for.

It should be clear that there areno established word count for different articles. What is important is that there is enough information to satisfy the readers’ needs.

Conclusion

Search engine optimization is not just about preparing your website for search engine indexing. It must begin with writing useful content that will assist users in their query. Creating people-first content is a must for businesses that desire top search engine placements.

When you create helpful content, you are providing solutions and supporting your audience.