How to Balance SEO and Readability

When it comes to SEO rules, we are pretty much at the mercy of Google because 92.47 percent of all searches are performed on its search engine. When the search engine was launched in 1997, the internet for widespread use was in its infancy. Over the years, the rules or algorithms that Google uses to favor websites have changed dramatically and that means that the tactics used for search engine optimization, or SEO, have as well. SEO is no longer about trying to get keywords into your content the right number of times because Google recognizes that this often leads to keyword stuffing, which makes for unreadable content. Web pages that use keyword stuffing are no longer rewarded, and may actually be penalized for the practice. Google’s primary goal is to provide useful and interesting content to their searchers so businesses need to work on balancing optimization efforts with readability to give your potential customers what they want.

How to Balance SEO and Readability

Determine your keywords

The first thing you need to do is identify the relevant keywords to use in your content. Even if you are going to focus more on the quality of the writing than the number of times the keywords appear, you still need to know where to focus your writing and include the words that searchers are using in their queries. The keyword should be included in the title, in a heading and at least once in the body of the text, preferably in the first paragraph. To do keyword research, start with a list of important, relevant topics to your business. Next, underneath each topic, write down a list of relevant questions or sub-topics. Consider the searchers “intent” when identifying your list.

If this feels overwhelming, you may wish to hire an SEO expert to run a report for you that will help you identify your keywords.

Write the content

Writing the content should be a fluid process. Don't think about the keywords you need to use. Simply start writing about the topic at hand and make sure you stay on that topic. Give the readers the information they are looking for. The keywords should flow naturally as you write. You shouldn't have to purposely try to plug in the keywords.

Evaluate your use of keywords

After you are done with the writing process, it is time to edit your work. During the editing process, it is important to check the use of your keywords. Instead of focusing on using the exact phrase every time, it can be helpful to vary the phrase, giving you more power without worry over whether you have used a keyword too many times. The most important thing is for your content to flow well and to provide your audience with valuable information.

Your SEO is important to help you rank better in the search engines to draw more traffic. However, it is no longer necessary to concentrate solely on fitting your keywords in the proper number of times. Instead, it is important to make sure you can give your customers quality, informative content they want to read. The keywords are secondary to this.

Seek the Help of an SEO Expert

Most small business owners do not know how to improve their search engine results rankings to drive traffic to their websites, let alone perform an SEO audit or handle Mobile SEO. The best thing to do is find an SEO expert who can help your business achieve its goals to increase sales, brand loyalty and online traffic; starting with an SEO audit.