When creating SEO content, stuffing your content with keywords won’t work (keyword stuffing is also an unethical SEO tactic). Not only does your content have to sound unique and exceptional, keywords need to be placed strategically within your content.

When you write articles, keep your keyword list handy and insert keywords as you write. Your goal is to create quality content that adds value to your readers.  If your article sounds like nonsense with strings of keywords crammed into paragraphs, you’re not utilizing correct SEO practices. It’s fairly simple to add a few primary and secondary words within articles without jeopardizing your entire content quality.

How to Optimize Your Blog
There are three main reasons WHY you want to create QUALITY content on your blogs:

•    MORE pages indexed – Search engine spiders crawl content (quality content equals more page indexing!)

•    Provide visitors with GREAT information – When visitors find you on Google, the rapport with your readers begin right there! When you provide valuable, quality content you engage your readers. Great content gives you a competitive edge over every other business floating around on cyberspace.

•    Links – When visitors read an informative, helpful article, they write about it on their blogs/sites and link to it. They also share with their friends and they tell their friends, etc.

Calls to Action
Visitors read your blog posts because they want to learn more information or are interested in what you have to say/share.

At the end of each blog post, you need to add a call to action. A call to action is a specific task that you ask your visitor to do. You can’t just “assume” that after reading your great post that your visitor will know what to do. You need to push them in the right direction.

•    Subscribe - Visitors can subscribe to your blog by RSS feeds and email. WordPress provides a useful plug-in, Subscribe2

•    Tell a Friend – You’ll receive a better response if you remind people to spread the word about your blog. Tell a Friend is an effective WordPress plugin that makes it easy to remind/email people about your blog post

•    ShareThis – Allows visitors to share content with friends through social bookmarking platforms such as Facebook, Digg, Twitter, etc.
•    TweetMeMe – Invites readers to “re-tweet” your posts (i.e. share your article on Twitter)

How to Write Great Content – Best Practices

•    Brand your own writing style – Stand out amongst other bloggers by creating your own unique voice and style. Don’t try to copy other writer’s styles.

•    Write in a conversational style – Keep language simple and easy to understand. You don’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist to create winning content.

•    Write UNIQUE content – Do not copy content from other sites and create content that solves a person’s problem or makes life/business easier.

•    Plan posts strategically and add “teasers” about upcoming posts/content – keep readers engaged so they’ll come back and read more!

•    Always encourage comments from readers and answer comments quickly. Include related posts at the end of each post.

•    Include guest bloggers on your site – You’ll add free content to your site and create new relationships within your industry/niche.

Content Examples
•    “How To” articles –  How To Lose Weight on The Flat Belly Diet

•    Lists – Top Ten Family Vacation Spots

•    Demonstrations – A video demonstrating yoga poses

•    Case Studies – How I Built a Worm Farm from Scratch

•    News – Write about late-breaking news that affects your business/industry

•    Humor – Add a personal touch and humor to your content. People love it when you share practical advice.

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email:

Even if you think your content is GOOD – good isn’t GOOD enough these days.
There are thousands of free articles online, yet not all the content floating around in cyberspace is even close to GREAT.

However, you can outshine mediocre content and provide content that makes people stand up and take notice! GREAT content sets you apart from your competitors and brands you. Content licensing allows redistribution/re-use of your content to be displayed on different sites (besides your own!)

The following tips show you HOW to use content licensing to your marketing advantage. These steps combine GREAT content with effective social networking tips.  It’s THAT easy to generate thousands of links and potential clients/customers to your site!

Write Outstanding Content
•    Don’t duplicate what others are saying/talking about in your field. . Your content has to be better than GREAT! You are competing with millions of content writers across the world so you need to stand out amongst your competition.

•    Give yourself a “real” voice. Create your own writing style – don’t copy another expert/writer in your field.

•    Think about how your content will motivate people to change their lives in new and better ways – don’t JUST educate your readers. Solve a problem that hasn’t been solved before. Offer useful tips that people can apply in the REAL world!

•    Brand yourself as an expert in the field. Research topics, news and trends in your industry and provide quality, VALUABLE content.

•    Add video and images to your text articles. Utilize innovative “outside-the-box” content to capture your reader’s attention.

•    Avoid jargon and technical language. Write to your audience’s level and use active words in headlines.  Break down body text with sub-headers, bullet points, etc. and make it short. People don’t have time to read wordy, never-ending articles!

Spread The Word
It won’t do you any good if your articles collect dust on your hard drive, you need to spread the word and promote your content. Social networking is one of the best and most effective tools to share content.

•    Post your articles to Facebook and LinkedIn (post to groups)

•    Add content to social bookmarking sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon

•    Post to free article directories such as EzineArticles and ArticlesBase

•    Interact with online forums/communities and post articles – share tips and tricks, answer questions and post articles (a great way to increase links!)

•    Post content to blogs and other appropriate niche sites (aim for a guest blogging spot and ask host blogger to add guest articles to their site)

•    Create targeted email marketing campaigns and send informative articles to email lists

The Power of the Masses
At the end of each article, make sure to include your bio with your links. Ask people to share your article/content with others or include on their site. Remember to add a disclaimer that they can use the content as long as they mention YOUR name/company name as the original source of the content (an easy branding trick!)

Ask business contacts, clients, customers, etc. to post your articles on their web sites. This is an effective way to cross-market your company’s site (and a great way to publicize events and promotions).

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email: