Content creation is not black and white. While keyword research has technical aspects, the art of creating engaging, rank-worthy content is much more nuanced. Google doesn’t take copy only at face value anymore — it digs deeper, reading not only the words themselves, but the meanings behind them. When assembling a successful piece of content, there’s one metric in need of consideration that’s harder to quantify: intent.
To Infinity, and Beyond
Search engines are looking to satisfy a user’s search intent, with the goal of answering queries as definitively as possible. This means evaluating synonyms and word choice to determine the most satisfactory end result. For example, if someone searches for the “best” of something, what does that mean? Do they want the result that’s “most popular” or “highest reviewed”? Are they looking for an “award winner” or “superior quality”? While some of these variants may overlap, there are infinite possibilities; trying to write a piece covering all bases may lead to an incohesive final product, taking readers down too many tangents.
Zero In
Even though we’d like to, we can’t be all things to all people. Keyword overstuffing is a spammy practice, and writing a piece set to conquer the thesaurus of keyword meanings is not only impossible, it’s unnecessary. Instead of casting a large net and catching uninterested fish, grab that harpoon and target a shark ready to engage.
Write Your Heart Out
What is the best way to deliver targeted content? Focus on:
- Education
- Entertainment
- Expertise
Readers have their objectives, and your intention should be to put forth content reflective of what you know and what you can offer the world. Anything you publish is a representation of your in-depth industry knowledge. Rather than floating on the surface, trying to stay high-level enough to engage any passersby, do a deep dive into what makes you and your business tick. Do you sell fitness equipment? Share your workout schedule and your ongoing progress. Know everything there is to know about restoring classic cars? Document the minutiae of tools, parts, and technique.
When you write what you know, as opposed to writing with an end game, your passion will shine through.
Hooked
It’s not just about what you’re writing, but why. Besides the universal goal of getting eyes on your website, your content is an excellent way to inform those thirsty for what you can offer. Infuse your wisdom, guidance, and unique perspective into your copy, and readers will not only see it’s initial value, but come back hungry for more.
