As a content marketer, you should really focus on the user’s online experience. Here's why…
When SEO first started, it was all about creating content that would get you noticed by search engines, which led to a lot of shortcuts that didn’t really add value for users (spammy links, etc.). It wasn’t long before Google caught up and started to make sure that your site was also giving users what they needed.
If it did, rankings went up… if it didn't rankings go down.
Through the years, Google has gotten really good at spotting which sites give users real value, which makes your site’s user experience more important than ever.
Here’s how you can raise your rankings based on Google’s parameters for good user experience as a key factor–
Click it!
Raise your click-through rates (the number of people who click from the search engine to your page) as this raises your “quality score” in Google's eyes. Here are some ideas on how you can do this:
- Page titles must directly reference what your article is about and content must get straight to the point of what you want to say.
- Fill out the meta descriptions (use WordPress SEO by Yoast for this).
- Build trust by adding a rating function to your page.
- Make sure your separate pages are listed in Google.
Up and Down
This one’s tricky–you probably want to focus on having all your important information above the fold. But if your users aren't scrolling below the fold, Google could take this as a sign that they made a bad recommendation.
Try adding teasers in your writing that'll encourage your visitors to scroll down and check out what you've got (see the summary below).
Hook Them In
“Time On Page” is another important metric that measures how much time people invest in websites that they think are worthy of their attention.
Do what you can to make your content interesting, diverse, dynamic and easy to digest.
Here are some tips:
- Don’t simply post walls of text, use images and graphics to mix it up and make it easy for users to read.
- Use lists, which are not only easier to read, it’s also easier to share.
- Make use of images, videos, infographs, which also help prompt scrolls through a page.
Keep It Down
Keep your “bounce rate” (the number of people who immediately leave your page) down. Check the following:
- Is your landing page loading fast enough? A slow site might lead to users abandoning your website.
- Does your content directly and quickly answer your visitors needs?
- Are you using optimized image file sizes? (Smaller images load faster!)
- Is your site mobile ready for when users are using their phones?
These are some technical aspects of the user experience that will help improve the ease with which users can interact with your page. Remember, the more interaction, the better the recommendation looks to Google.
Quality Control
Double check your content and check for grammar errors and spelling mistakes. Make sure that you use links that are relevant to what you are talking about. If it helps, use captions to describe images you used.
In summary…
Google is not only putting more focus on user experience, they’ve also gotten a lot better at spotting content marketers who don't care about the content and are only trying to get clicks.
If you want higher SEO rankings, start using the tips above to make sure you're giving your visitors the best user experience you can!
What questions do you have? Leave a comment below and share! As always, if you know someone that wants to learn how SEO and improving user experience work hand in hand, please take a moment to share this article.
– Mercer
