There are 2 big misconceptions about SEO content. One is that the longer the content the better. And the second is that when it comes to keywords, the most the merrier. And this is why both of those things are hurting your SEO.
Myth 1: longer content is always better for SEO
The amount of content, especially website copy, I have seen over the years that is just so much longer than it needs to be is, frankly, unhinged. I’ll be so real here, it’s not your fault.
Too many SEO bros preach the message that you should always be writing long form content (and for the record, Google considers long-form to be 3,000+ words. That’s a lot of words to say not very much at all.
If you’ve been here before, you know I love long form content. But that’s because I know my shit and I have a lot to say. I don’t fluff. I don’t pad. I may ramble, but hey I’ve got ADHD. It’s a part of life.
Mix up the types and lengths of content you’re writing
When you’re creating SEO content, it’s so important to focus on a variety. Sure, you want to focus your cornerstone content on higher value, broader search terms. And topic clusters are a fucking great way to show the world (and the search engines) your expertise.
But. And it’s a big but.
Your content should only be as long as it takes to provide value. Sometimes, you genuinely have 3,000 words of value to bring. Sometimes it’s only 500. The key is to vary it up within your content strategy.
A quick note on word count in website copy
The priority of your website copy is not SEO. For those of you who have been hit by various Core updates and helpful content updates, you’ll have learned this lesson the hard way.
Your website copy is there to educate and convert. Leave the SEO focus for your regularly updated content: blogs, case studies, and other resources.
Website copy doesn’t need to be as long as you think. It’s about finding the balance between brevity and clarity.
Myth 2: when it comes to keywords, the more the merrier
Many businesses’ obsession with keyword density is what lands them in trouble. The search engines are smarter than you give them credit for, so you don’t need to pack in keywords into every fucking sentence. Every bloody paragraph. And certainly not in every single H2 in a blog post.
Chill. Everything will be fine.
5 tips to help you improve your use of keyword density
- Stop forcing keywords or semantic keywords into every heading
- If they keyword you’re targeting doesn’t make grammatical sense, don’t use it directly
- Integrate keywords naturally into your content
- If you know the topic well enough, the keywords will come naturally
- Keyword research isn’t infallible
1. Stop forcing keywords or semantic keywords into every heading
The search engines aren’t stupid. They know if what you’re writing about is relevant. Ten, fifteen years ago, keyword density was such an important part of ranking. But time has moved on. The technology has too.
Google’s algorithms are smart enough to determine if you’re staying on topic and creating relevant content for the search intent in question.
Before you publish your next piece of content, ask yourself this: can someone get the gist of what this piece of content is about simply by scanning it?
If the answer is no, go back and take out 50% of the keywords you’ve jammed into the headings and write like a human being.
2. If the keyword doesn’t make grammatical sense, don’t use it directly
This is something I still see, time and again.
If the keyword/phrase you’re targeting doesn’t make grammatical sense, don’t use it directly. Write around it. Here are some examples.
How not to target your keywords
“Wales hotel deals”
“Questions exit survey”
“Website writer SEO”
What to write instead
“Best hotel deals in Wales” and/or “Deals for hotels in Wales”
“Questions to ask in an employee exit survey” and/or “Exit survey template”
“Website copywriter and SEO specialist” and/or “Search optimised website copy”
Semantic keywords are your friends. Keyword stuffing is not. Ranking for your target terms isn’t about shoving in as many keywords as you possibly can. It’s about writing consistently about the specific subject.
When you do this, the keywords/phrases and semantic term will come up naturally.
Please try not to take the keyword research results too literally.
3. Integrate keywords naturally into your content
This is something that comes with practice. I’ve been writing content for SEO (and websites) for a decade. And no, it didn’t come to me naturally at first.
But here’s the thing, when you’re writing about a topic that you know well in a way that is genuinely helpful to people, the keywords and related phrases will come.
Sure, put a variation of your keyword/phrase in your H1 and meta title. Sprinkle related phrases intentionally into 50% of your H2s. Otherwise, chill out a bit. You can’t write about SEO content without mentioning keywords, semantic keywords, Google, and all of that good stuff.
4. If you know the topic well enough, the keywords will come
I’ve said this a few times at this point but it bears repeating. When you know the topic well, you’ll be mentioning all of the additional related stuff around it.
This blog for example. It’s all about SEO content and keyword density. So as part of explaining things, I’ve mentioned SEO, keyword density, semantic keywords, keyword research. It’s all part of the topic at hand, so of course it’s come up.
If you’re in a new job, or a freelancer working in a new field, it’s so important that you research a lot before you really begin in earnest. Chat to the sales team, get nosey on Reddit. Take the time to learn the language that your target audience is using.
5. Keyword research isn’t infallible
It’s complicated and it’s also black and white. It can be all too easy to take it literally. That’s how you end up with awkward keyword stuffing that reads as badly (or worse) than some shit spouted out by ChatGPT.
Some things to consider about keyword research:
- Search intent is important and shouldn’t be ignored
- Search intent allocation by tools isn’t always correct
- Take the time to consider what situation would lead to someone looking for those terms
- Consult question-based data as well as straight up phrases to prepare your content (I absolutely love Also Asked for this. I have the Lite paid subscription and use it for both client work and my own all the time)
- Don’t underestimate or ignore terms with low search volume
- There is a time to target broad search terms and a time to target longer tail, more obscure keywords
Basically, most people need to chill the fuck out
It’s not that complicated. Or as the kids may say, it’s not that deep.
Take keyword research as a point for topics to cover, not words and phrases to repeat over and over and over. Keep your writing natural and resist the urge to wedge in keywords and semantic keywords into every sentence. Or even every paragraph.
Your readers may not know that you’re keyword stuffing, but they will know that your content is unreadable. As with all content, your audience must come first.
