Almost every entrepreneur has asked themselves at least once – What is SEO content writing and how can I turn it to my advantage?
SEO content writing is one of the most popular and convenient marketing strategies. Having a strong online presence is essential if you want tips to boost your blog traffic as well as your brand’s awareness.
As a marketer, content creator, business owner, or real estate agent, the benefits of SEO friendly content are many:
- You engage with your customers on a deeper level
- You network better with relevant business
- You rank higher in search results
In this article, we’ll talk about the 6 types of content marketing you should implement to boost your traffic:
- Listicles (list posts)
- Question posts (how-to, what is, why you should…)
- Single reviews (reviews of a single product)
- Roundup reviews (best x for y)
- Versus ( comparative reviews of different products)
- Alternatives (find the best alternatives for a certain product and explain their benefits)
Why is it important to know the difference between these types of content? And why should you mix them up and not limit yourself to just one thing?
Here’s the answer!
Create Content that Caters to Different Audiences
Even if you have a loyal base of customers, you still need to have a constant presence on your website. And the best way to do that is to come up with interesting and relevant topics. Depending on your business, you can come up with different content marketing to keep your clients interested in your brand.
Writing informative and engaging articles shows your audience that you know what you’re talking about. Talking about the latest trends is a good way to establish yourself as a high-authority voice in your domain.
However, you should be aware that your audience is made by various people. So, not everyone enjoys the same kind of content. Thus, you’ll need to come up with a content marketing strategy.
There are two types of SEO content that caters to different target audiences:
- The informational articles: listicles, how to’s, what is X – kind of content.
- The commercial articles: single review, roundup review, versus, alternatives.
The Differences Between Informational and Commercial Content
Firstly, these 2 types of articles provide a different value to their readers.
The informational article has a more educational vibe because it just informs the readers about a certain subject. On the other hand, the commercial article focuses on the readers who are ready to buy.
Secondly, the informational article is not as profitable as the commercial one.
However, they are easy to rank. Vice versa, the commercial article is harder to rank, but it’s more profitable.
6 Types of Content Marketing Articles for Your Business Blog
Our specialists made a list with the most popular types of blog content, explaining thoroughly:
- What they are.
- When you should use them.
- What this SEO-optimized content should look like.
Plus, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of all these content types so you can know right from the start which SEO marketing strategy is good for you.
1. Listicles (List Posts) – Short and Interactive Articles
This type of SEO content is one of the most popular choices if you want to engage with your audience in a funny and easy way. Plus, they are easy to read because they have a simple format and short sentences. And your readers will love it too – it’s easily scannable and it saves a lot of time.
Who: Listicles are perfect if you want to spread some knowledge on a certain topic but your audience doesn’t have the time to read a long article.
What: Listicles look like a short but on-point list that explains different topics clearly, without too many details – so the readers won’t feel overwhelmed.
Why: These articles are pleasantly edited so the text will be easy to read.
How: To make listicles engaging, you should use catchy titles, short and clear sentences, bulleted lists, and number your headings.
Where: This type of content performs well on social media because it’s entertaining and easy to scan. This is usually the content you’ll see on websites like 11Points.com, Buzzfeed.com, or Listverse.com.
| PROS | CONS |
| If you do it right, you can boost your traffic quickly. | The content doesn’t offer too much in-depth information. |
| It’s highly shareable. | Since the content doesn’t have to be well researched, it’s considered lazy writing |
| It’s visually appealing. |
2. Question Posts – On Point Answers for Curious Readers
This SEO content strategy catches your audience because it offers solutions to their questions. Also, this kind of content tends to be more specific than a listicle.
Who: Question articles are perfect for those who need quick and clear answers.
What: Question posts look like a list with useful answers about something that your audience is curious about.
Why: You can do some research and find out what are the most common problems your readers might experience. Otherwise, you can make polls on social media and find out exactly what your audience is interested in.
How: You can see this type of content with titles like: “How to write SEO content in 5 easy steps”, “What is SEO writing and why it’s good for your business”, “Why you should improve your marketing skills and 6 useful apps to help you with that”, and so on.
When: This kind of content can be posted both on your website or your social media because it can attract a lot of curious readers.
| PROS | CONS |
| You can include CTA naturally. | Some people might follow through with your CTAs, but most of your readers won’t. Not everyone that lands on this kind of article is ready to buy something. |
| You help your audience by giving them real answers to their problems. | Question posts are considered to be intermediate content, focusing on explaining the basics rather than going too in-depth. |
| You can engage with your audience by encouraging them to share their opinion on the subject. |
3. Single-Product Review – Boost Traffic and Backlinking All Together
This type of content focuses on explaining as thoroughly as possible the ups and downs of a specific product or service.
Who: Single-product reviews are perfect for those ready to buy a certain product or service, but they want to hear a detailed opinion about it first.
What: It’s a comprehensive article about the key features, pros, and cons of a product or service.
Why: People are coming on your page ready to buy what you recommend. If you’re convincing, they’ll follow your advice. Besides, this content strategy is a good way to connect with the brand you’re reviewing and create quality backlinks to boost your Google ranking.
How: Your review should be clear, in-depth, and objective. Talk about every feature, pricing, what you liked and disliked about that product.
When: You can start writing single-product reviews anytime you see a new product on the market. Similarly, pay attention to the trending products on the market. However, don’t forget that these reviews should be relevant to your niche.
| PROS | CONS |
| People are reading your article because they are already interested in buying that product. | If your readers see you’re affiliated with the product you’re reviewing, they might think your review is not honest. |
| They are more likely to click on your CTAs buttons. | You spend a lot of time researching, testing, and trying to come up with an objective opinion. |
| You can use this article to create quality backlinks for your website |
4. Roundup Review (Best X for Y) – Sweet and Detailed Updates
Roundup reviews are one of the most efficient ways to affiliate with other businesses and gain popularity in your niche. Once you’re exposed to a wider audience, your website traffic will skyrocket and you can attract more warm leads.
Who: This SEO content strategy can attract 2 different types of audiences. The potential buyers, and the business interested to hear about your feedback.
What: It’s like a newsletter with the most important updates, news, and the latest products on the market.
Why: The brand you’re reviewing can use your article to backlink to you.
How: Do a thorough, objective, and honest compilation of the best things your readers want to hear about.
When: While this content is made to be written on your website, you can share your new post on social media too.
| PROS | CONS |
| It drives a lot of website traffic. | Other specialists in your niche might consider this type of content “too mainstream”. |
| You boost your networking opportunities. | You have to invest a lot of time promoting this article and doing cold outreach. |
| People will see you as a high-authority voice in your niche. |
5. Versus Articles – Compare & Contrast Different Products
Another way to make your content SEO friendly is to write comparative reviews. Usually, the purpose of this type of content is to cut down on your audience’s research time.
Who: These articles are very important for those who want to buy a product but don’t know which one is best for their needs.
What: You compare 2 or more products or services relevant to your niche.
Why: If it’s done right, this kind of content can drive a lot of traffic to your website. Plus, you can use it in your cold outreach campaigns to create quality backlinks and network better.
How: There is no limit on how many products you can compare in one article. However, be careful to write about every product or service equally. If you’re overhyping a product while you don’t say much about the others, your article might come off as biased.
When: Once the article is published on your website, you’ll have to invest some time to promote it. You can do it on your social accounts, relevant groups on social media, or reach out to the businesses you mentioned in your article.
| PROS | CONS |
| You compare different products or services, so you have twice as many people interested in your content. | You may lose some customers. If your content criticizes a brand your readers like, they’ll search for answers on other websites. |
| You can boost your domain authority with quality backlinks. | Your article might backfire. If you compare your product with other competitors, you might seem desperate for attention. |
| Your article plays a crucial role in helping readers make a purchase decision. |
6. Alternatives – Come with Better Solutions
Even if you’re reviewing 2 or more products, that doesn’t mean your audience will buy one thing or another. People are constantly searching for better, newer, cheaper alternatives, and you should offer exactly that.
Who: Your audience are people that weren’t convinced by a certain product and they’re searching for better alternatives.
What: This strategy promotes other solutions for a certain product.
Why: People don’t like when you come with the “it’s either this or that” approach. They want to be offered alternatives so they know there are plenty of options to choose from.
How: Let’s say your article is about “5 Better Alternatives to Ahrefs”. You should research 5 Ahrefs’ competitors, and highlight only the key features that are better than Ahrefs.
When: After you publish the post on your website, you can promote it anywhere on your social media profiles and groups.
| PROS | CONS |
| You target a wider audience than just those interested in only one product. | Talking about too many alternatives might confuse your readers and make them feel overwhelmed. |
| You’ll network better with other businesses. | Reaching out to people to promote your article might be time-consuming. |
| You build trust with your audience because you show them you understand everyone’s needs. |
4 Things to Pay Attention to When You’re Creating Content
Choosing the SEO content type is just the first step of your content marketing strategy.
If you want your posts to perform well on the Internet, there are a few more SEO articles writing aspects you should know about!
1. The Length of the Article
Keep in mind that the length of your article matters when it comes to SEO. Posts under 300 words are considered “thin”, so they don’t rank high. According to SearchEngineJournal, your articles should be around 1900 words.
2. The Value You Bring to the Reader
Instead of aggressively promoting a certain product hoping that your audience will buy it, focus on their needs. Always think more about the value you offer and less about the product you’re selling.
3. Infographics Are Powerful
They are eye-catching, extremely shareable, and leave room for engagement! Infographics are a cool way to boost your SEO and make your point in a creative way.
4. The Article’s Format Should Be Easy to Read
SEO content writing is completely different from book writing. Your audience doesn’t want to see a chunky text that goes on endlessly when they scroll. Make sure you have short paragraphs, clear headings, use subheadings, bold the important ideas, and use bulleted lists.
The Importance of SEO Content Writing
Now you should able to identify the types of SEO content and the importance of using different types of content writing for different target audiences.
Using the right SEO optimized content will greatly influence the way the audience sees your brand.
To make sure you’re doing the right thing, you need to understand a few things:
- Your customers’ needs
- Your brand’s goals
- How far your business can go
- What are the relevant niches for your business
And this is why we’ve decided to make the ultimate guide to a better SEO content strategy!
After all, every professional marketer needs to stay up to date with the latest trends.
Do you need help developing the perfect SEO content strategy for your brand? Our specialist are here to help you with everything you need!
Contact One Search Pro and let our digital marketing expert take your business to the next level!
