EDITS.WS

Author: Cindy Paul

  • SEO copywriting checklist: 8 things to check before publishing

    Writing high-quality content that ranks in search engines is a difficult job. And how do you know that it’s a job well done? In this post, we’ll give you a handy SEO copywriting checklist with some quick checks you should do before you publish your article.

    Do the hard work first!

    Before using this SEO copywriting checklist, you should’ve done much work. Before you start to write, you should’ve done your keyword research, decided upon the exact topic, then set up the structure of your article. It’s a lot of work, but… nobody said SEO copywriting was easy! To help you out, however, we’ve written an ultimate guide on SEO copywriting. Good luck!

    Read more: 10 copywriting tips – from experts to experts »

    Then check:

    Before you hit the publish button, you should ask yourself the following eight questions. We created this SEO copywriting checklist to ensure you thought of everything before posting new content.

    Note: a lot of the checks are covered in the content analysis of our Yoast SEO plugin. Useful, right?

    1. Is your traffic light in Yoast SEO green?

    You should have an overall green light for the Yoast SEO readability, inclusive language, and SEO analysis. Check whether or not you can (and need to) improve based on the feedback you get from the orange or red lights. Just keep in mind that you don’t worsen the quality of your article. You shouldn’t optimize just for the sake of getting a green light!

    2. Is the main topic of your article clear?

    When scanning through your text, check if the topic of your article is immediately evident to your audience. Your readers will probably read your subheading first, so make sure those fit the topic of your post. Next, most people read the first sentence of every paragraph. That’s why it’s wise to have these core sentences cover the topic of each paragraph as much as you can.

    Another tip is to look at the word complexity of your post. If you’ve used too many complex words, it will be hard for people to understand your message. However, if you use easier words, people will breeze through your content!

    Keep reading: Why text structure is important for SEO »

    3. Are there any lengthy paragraphs?

    People generally prefer to read only a short piece of text. So, check whether you need to shorten any lengthy paragraphs. Five or six sentences per paragraph are ideal.

    Before publishing your article, think about linking to similar articles. If you have a cornerstone content article on a similar topic, make sure you link to it. And if your new article is the best piece you’ve written in a long time, you should add links to this new piece.

    Read on: Internal linking for SEO: why and how »

    5. Is your call to action clear?

    What do you want people to do after they’ve read your article? Should people buy something? Or do you want them to read another article? Make sure your call to action is clear, and that it’s easy for your audience to click from your article to other places on your website.

    You’ve probably considered which keyphrase you’d like your new post to rank for. And if your article is lengthy, it also makes sense to optimize for related keyphrases. So, if your keyword is [games for children’s birthday parties] you could also optimize for [hide and seek] or [musical chairs], for example.

    Keep on reading: Yoast SEO Premium analysis: as smart as Google »

    7. Do you use transition words?

    A text is more readable with the proper use of transition words (or signal words, same thing). Transition words include ‘most important’, ‘because’, ‘thus’, or ‘besides that’. They give direction to your readers. Make sure every paragraph has some of these transition words.

    Read more: 5 tips to improve readability »

    8. Did you choose the right category and tag?

    This check is all about site structure! Because if you choose the right category and tag (or tags) for your article, you clarify your site’s structure to search engines. This helps search engines understand what your site is about. In addition, it will also help visitors to your site to find this article or related articles.

    Keep reading: Using category and tag pages for SEO »

    Bonus tip: Use inclusive language

    You might be thinking: Why should I care about inclusive language? But it’s good for your users and your SEO. Because Google’s (and other search engines’) goal is to provide people with the best result for their queries. People who feel included because of your language will probably stay on your site longer!

    Conclusion

    Writing articles that rank in search engines takes time and effort, but it will pay off! So, besides checking the Yoast SEO plugin, please look at this SEO copywriting checklist. Remember to ask yourself these eight questions before hitting the publish button. If you’ve covered these, you can confidently publish well-optimized quality content!

    Need more help? Make sure to check out our SEO copywriting training.

    Read on: 5 SEO copywriting mistakes you should avoid »

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  • Should your content be globally relatable?

    “Find your niche!” is popular advice for people who own or want to start a business. You have to find your audience; the more specific, the better! But is that true? Should you only talk to the same group of people, or is there merit to making your content globally relatable?

    What is globally relatable content?

    Creating global content means everyone can understand it. No matter where they live or who they are. The homepage of your website is a good example, since it’s meant to convey to everyone who visits your site what type of business you are. As a result, global content is usually written in English. 

    The SEO benefit of global content is obviously the larger reach. Most people use English keywords, so if you optimize for those, you’ll be able to reach more people. Then, if your content is good and people find what they’re looking for, your rankings will also improve.

    A side note about local content

    The opposite of global content is local content. This type of content is more niche. It’s catered to a specific audience, which also means it can be in any language. A good example of businesses who benefit from and almost exclusively use local content are local businesses. For example, the hairdressers on the corner and the Italian place a few blocks away. 

    These local businesses probably benefit the most from local content. It wouldn’t make sense for them to create a lot of (if any) global content, and that’s totally fine. If you google Donuts Nijmegen, you don’t need the donut place to have global content. You just need that sweet, sugary donut. 

    People expect personalized content

    … is what you might say to argue that content shouldn’t be globally relatable. And you’re right. But personalization doesn’t mean ‘only people in the Netherlands use SEO to optimize their site’. There’s no gender or race restriction on SEO optimization. The only requirement: a website, and a desire to rank high in search engines.

    What if Yoast were to only address Dutch people? We’d be alienating so many people who would benefit from our product. And that’s a shame! Since our motto is SEO for everyone, our website is in English and our plugin is available in no less than 27 languages! This is also why we use people of every gender and color in our images. And of course, we’d be missing out on a lot of revenue. 

    There are always exceptions

    Of course, there are businesses that cater specifically to a certain group of people. Still, you might be surprised who actually buys your product, uses your service, or reads your blog posts. For example, skincare products that help with acne are usually geared towards women, specifically white women, but a lot of men and non-binary people use them too.

    Imagine if you actually featured these groups in your products and content. You’ll probably sell more! Because when people feel seen and spoken to, they’re more likely to buy. So, if you think your business only caters to one specific customer, you’re probably forgetting someone.

    Globalization and social media

    With the extreme popularity of social media, you also have to wonder if it’s even possible to only address one type of customer. Sure, language plays a role. But even that’s not black and white anymore. People travel, move to other countries, learn new languages. Your content probably reaches more people than you might think. So why wouldn’t you talk to them too?

    One size doesn’t fit all

    However, you shouldn’t only create globally relatable content. First, because it doesn’t exist. No two people are alike, so while you can strive to be as globally relatable as possible, you’ll never find the ultimate, globally relatable piece of content. 

    People from different cultures and backgrounds have different associations with certain words and imagery. A well-known example is the color white, which is associated with cleanliness and purity in western culture. But in some Asian countries, it’s the color of mourning. And there are more instances like this.

    Don’t become a faceless brand

    We also can’t ignore the other reason why creating only globally relatable content is a bad idea: it makes for some pretty bland content. If you try to appeal to everyone (especially in written content), you can’t rely on cultural context. And you have to wonder if that’s even possible when you too have participated and grown up in a culture, so your cultural context will color everything you do. 

    Globally relatable content can’t be contemporary either, because referencing an event that happened in the US, for example, isn’t necessarily relevant for people in other parts of the world. 

    In other words: bland content won’t make your business stand out from the crowd. If all you create is globally relatable content, then you will be snowed under by brands with more personality.

    A happy medium

    As is true for most things in life, it’s all about balance. Creating content for your perfect customer is possible but also silly, because your content will most likely be seen and used by other people. People who might benefit from or are interested in your business. Are you just going to ignore them? Or are you ready to participate in the global society we live in? 

    The post Should your content be globally relatable? appeared first on Yoast.

  • The future of blogging in a video-obsessed world

    With the rise of TikTok, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts, it feels like people want nothing but videos. Specifically short videos. So where does that leave blogging? Is it still relevant, or has video taken over the world? 

    Will blogs still exist?

    It’s impossible to predict the future, but it’s safe to say that blogging isn’t going anywhere. You’ve probably heard that blogs are dead for years now. When YouTube first became a thing, blogging was supposedly done. But it’s not. It’s still here and probably will be for a while.

    But blogs have changed. Ten years ago, blogs were like journals. Obviously, they’re not anymore. If you read a business blog, you won’t find what the CEO ate for dinner last night. Nowadays, blogs are more like digital newsletters. They are polished, focused, and viewed as pieces of content in a marketing strategy. And that’s exactly what will happen this time around. Blogs will change. Again.

    How will blogging change?

    The short answer: in multiple ways. Generative AI will become more popular, which means storytelling will become more important. Blogs will become a tool for someone’s personal brand, so it’ll be harder to make a name for yourself. And finally, blogs will probably transform into digital publishing businesses. 

    Let’s go over these in more detail.

    Generative AI: Why write it yourself?

    Everyone’s talking about it. Or everyone’s asked ChatGPT to talk about it. It’s becoming increasingly harder to tell whether AI or a human wrote content. Of course, there are still tells, but that’s because the technology is still in its early stages. Who knows how quickly it will evolve?

    Sure, Google wants to crack down on AI content. But the algorithm they want to build is also still in its infancy, meaning it’ll take awhile before Google can prioritize human-made content. But who’s to say that a post written by AI and modified by people isn’t human-made? It’s a gray area. But one thing’s for sure: it’ll make it easier for people to start blogs.

    AI can’t fake human experience

    As a response to more generated content, storytelling will become more important. But wait, you might think. People don’t want to read stories. They want to watch videos. Yes, but part of why people prefer video content is because it feels more genuine and authentic. And that’s exactly what you should focus on in your blogs.

    By sharing personal stories, experiences, and insights, you can create that sense of authenticity readers crave. It’ll also allow you to build trust and eventually a relationship with your readers. The result? A loyal audience and a successful blog. 

    Bonus: You’ll appeal to Google

    Sharing personal experiences isn’t just great for your readers. Google likes it too. That’s why they added an extra E to their previously E-A-T system. They stand for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. 

    These raters determine whether you provide helpful and relevant content. If the answer is yes, then congrats. Your rankings might increase, so people can more easily find you in the search results. And since we established that people want to watch videos, why not add a few to your posts? If they make your site more relevant and helpful, that’s a win-win. 

    It will be harder to make a name for yourself

    Creating a blog is easy, but it’s becoming increasingly harder to grow popular. Just look at the numbers. According to Web Tribunal, “there are more than 600 million blogs out of 1.9 billion websites in the world. Their authors account for over 6 million blog posts daily, or over 2.5 billion annually.” This means that around one-third of all current websites are blogs, which is huge!

    Years ago, you could write a series of 10 to 15 decent blog posts and rank for their target keywords in many niches. Now, you need to find your specific niche, then publish more and better content. And you can’t forget the visuals (photos, images, infographics, videos). That’s why becoming a successful blogger is increasingly harder when it’s just you. 

    Blogs as digital businesses

    Most successful blogs (that generate decent income) are actually run by a small team of people. Even if it’s just one person writing the content, they probably work directly and indirectly with web hosts, email marketing platforms, photographers, ad management companies, social media managers, graphic designers, etc. Because doing all the work by yourself and generating a lot of great quality content is nearly impossible. 

    Furthermore, you must go where the people are to market your blog. And the people are mostly watching videos. That’s why most blogs also have YouTube channels, post reels on Instagram, launch podcasts, or even produce online courses. Even if your passion is writing, you can’t escape video content.

    Is the rise of video such a bad thing?

    Not necessarily. It even makes sense, if you ask me. If you’re a reader, consider how to choose your next read. Chances are, you look at the cover (visual), you read the blurb (short and enticing content intended to lure you in), and you might ask the bookseller if it’s any good (authentic content). Or perhaps you look for the little cards that say, “Alex recommends this book!” Again, authenticity. Is that really so different from watching a short reel from a blogger before reading their blog? You tell me. 

    The post The future of blogging in a video-obsessed world appeared first on Yoast.

  • Are social media becoming the new search engines?

    When you think about searching online, do you picture the Google search bar, or the TikTok search bar? If it’s the former, you might be behind on the trends. Because while you’re optimizing your content for Google, younger generations are turning to social media to search for information. Almost 40% in fact. But should this information impact your content strategy? And is this just a trend, or are social media really becoming the new search engines?

    What is the appeal of social media as a search engine?

    With the internet being as chaotic as it is, young people (and particularly Gen Z) use social media as a way to easily find what they’re looking for. So what are they looking for? Genuine content. Videos made by real people who share their experiences about a certain topic, product, or service.

    Example of Instagram (left) and TikTok (right) influencers

    But young people also love short content. Both TikTok and Instagram have a limit on how long videos can be, which means you get more relevant content in a short time. Just think about it. Would you rather comb through a wall of text that is the Google search results, or watch a video of under a minute? The latter is definitely more efficient. 

    How important is social media anyway?

    To answer this question, we need to look at some facts. Let’s start with the most obvious one: how many people use social media anyway? The answer: around 56% of the world’s total population. Which is more than half, but not by much. The average person spends 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media every day. So there’s no denying that there are benefits to being present on social media as a company. However, compared to the whopping 6 hours and 37 minutes that people spend on the internet, you might think that social media is not as valuable as having a website and optimizing for search engines.

    During YoastCon 2023, SEO expert Jes Scholz also spoke about the importance of social media in today’s search landscape. During this talk, she explained why, in today’s day of age, you need to optimize beyond search. Check out a short snippet of her talk right here:

    Trust goes an even longer way

    But it’s not just about sales. Research has shown that brand image has become increasingly more important to consumers. In 2022, consumers stated that they would pay more to purchase from a brand they trust, and what better way to build that trust than by using TikTok or Instagram, an app that requires businesses to show the faces behind their company? So while social media might not be your main venue, it can certainly be a good one to leave a positive impression on your audience.  

    When you really think about it, is it so strange that social media is becoming more popular as a search engine when Google has become more like a social network? A few years ago, Google started to fundamentally change the way they work. And one of these changes was going from text to visual. Have you noticed that when you search in Google, you’re shown more visual results? Videos, images, reviews with photos attached. Instead of a wall of text that no one wants, Google now shows you authenticity.

    And it makes you wonder: if Google thinks social media are a big enough threat that they changed the fundamental way Google worked, should you?

    Everything is changing

    Social media becoming search engines, conversational search gaining popularity, and AI tools taking over the internet… All that change can feel scary. The good news? You’re not alone in that feeling. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or tired because of the changing online world (even though many businesses use the slogan “the only constant is change” on their site, so really, what did you expect?), then so are many other people. And those people might prefer that you’re still doing things the old way. 

    Is changing your strategy even a choice?

    But let’s be realistic: many companies will follow in Google’s footsteps. They’ll utilize social media and Google’s new functionalities to stay in the game. And those people that also felt overwhelmed or tired? They’ve gotten used to the new functionalities. So while it might not sound fun to learn a new way of doing business, it’s the only way you’ll be able to move forward. Or move at all. Luckily, you can always hire a young person to help you navigate the highly addictive landscape of social media.

    Read more: 10 copywriting tips for social media »

    The post Are social media becoming the new search engines? appeared first on Yoast.

  • Are we digging our own hole with generative AI?

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage right now. Some say it’s started a technological revolution, and that AI will change our lives for the better. But generative AI tools are only as good as the data they’re fed. And have we truly considered the implications of a world where people generate content instead of creating it themselves?

    What is generative AI?

    To put it simply, generative AI creates content. Whether that’s text, images, or audio. But how does it do that? By using deep learning techniques and technologies in a machine-learning framework. This framework is a system that makes predictions based on data that it’s trained on. For example, if you give ChaptGPT a prompt, it’s able to produce content based on your input.

    Some well-known examples of generative AI tools are the ChatGPT chatbot, the Midjourney image generator, and the Bard tool from Google.

    What this means for how content creators work

    Using generative AI tools for work can greatly improve your productivity because they can quickly generate content. They’re also fast and inexpensive. If you own a small business, AI tools can save you tons of money because you may not need to hire a content creator. Plus, since AI tools continue to learn, they’ll also be able to give you better results over time. 

    Why this could cause problems

    As is the case with most automated devices out there, generated AI content is not entirely fool-proof. And it also begs the question if it’s ethical to use AI, when these tools are trained on data provided by other people. Sometimes, without their permission. So let’s dive deeper into why AI tools might cause problems.

    A cost-effective alternative isn’t necessarily better

    One of the big benefits of using AI tools is their efficiency. They’re cheap and quick, meaning you don’t need to hire an entire marketing team. Which is precisely why AI tools might be a problem. They threaten to make certain jobs obsolete. And you have to wonder if it’s reasonable that AI will take over the arts, which one might consider the most human of all jobs. 

    Bad data

    Another problem is the data that generative AI tools are trained with. They need large volumes to learn, and some systems, such as ChatGPT, use a lot of the data on the internet to train itself. And that’s undoubtedly what might cause problems. Not all data is ‘good’ data. Most of it is biased because humans are biased. Sexist, racist, or homophobic ideas are littered throughout the content we create, so if an AI tool uses that data, it’ll become a biased tool. The result? Offensive content that can’t be used. Or worse, offensive content that people will accept as truth and therefore post online, strengthening a message that shouldn’t be spread across the globe.

    Misuse of AI tools

    Furthermore, the data AI tools are using to train themselves could belong to people who didn’t know their content would be used to teach an AI. It has raised numerous questions: When you put something online, is it still yours? And when you’ve generated content that uses other people’s illustrations, is it actually your art piece? Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers to these questions. 

    You might think that it’s not relevant whether a piece has been drawn by an artist or generated by someone else. But what if the art piece won a big prize? Is that fair compared to the other contestants who actually put in the time and effort? And let’s look at the world of academia. If an academic paper was generated by AI, it might be based on human thought, but it doesn’t actually contain any human input. Is that okay? Do we want the place where people learn to develop their minds become a place where people learn how to craft great prompts, instead of learning how to think for themselves?

    It’s not all bad

    Luckily, there’s still hope. AI tools might be impressively smart, but they’re still ‘just’ tools. To generate content, they need content that was produced by people. And if we find a way to ethically give AI tools good data, we’re one step closer to creating a powerful tool that can help small businesses grow, so they can actually afford to hire a marketing team.

    How to use AI to enhance your writing

    Since AI tools are not completely ethical yet, should you refrain from using them all together? No, there’s no denying that AI tools can be a huge help. However, we suggest that you use them as guidelines, inspiration, and a way to boost your productivity on a day you might not feel like writing. 

    Use it as an inspiration to start writing

    Do you regularly write content for your website or blog? Then you probably know the feeling of staring at a blank document because you don’t know where to start. AI tools can resolve this issue. You simply prompt an AI tool to write an outline, specifying which topics you want to discuss. Or maybe you need the AI tool to write the first paragraph, just so there’s something on the page. While reading your generated paragraph, chances are ideas will start flowing. You’ll be writing in no-time!

    Be critical!

    Still, when you use AI tools to generate actual posts or texts, it’s good to be critical. Like we mentioned, AI tools can be biased. And they might be incorrect in their information. You should always read your generated piece, and fact-check any claims the text makes. In addition, you want to ensure the content meets your brand values by paying attention to what language is used, since it might not be inclusive. Luckily, if you use the Yoast SEO plugin, you’ll be able to use the inclusive language feature to double-check your content. 

    Give it a proper rewrite to make it yours

    As mentioned before, AI tools can only imitate actual human thoughts and ideas. They generate based on existing ones. And while you might argue that that’s also how humans generate ideas and originality doesn’t exist anyway, you shouldn’t underestimate your personal opinion. It gives a unique flavor to your content. That’s why you should always rewrite (parts of) a generated piece of content.

    Conclusion

    Generative AI tools can be very useful for small businesses. But, like any technology, it has its drawbacks. It can be biased, or wildly incorrect. That’s why you should use AI as an inspiration to kickstart your creative process, and always read and rewrite your generated content. In our opinion, AI should augment, and not replace humans. 

    The post Are we digging our own hole with generative AI? appeared first on Yoast.