Search Engine Optimization: Content Development for Houston Businesses

Proper search engine optimization is becoming more complicated due to new advancements in search engine ranking algorithms. Robots, such as Google Panda, are getting better at determining the relevancy and clarity of web content. For this reason, proper content development has become absolutely necessary to achieve the coveted first page of Google and Bing search results. Below are a few tips in content development from Directory One crew.

1. Write for Humans: And that also means write for the right humans. A good search engine optimizer gets to know the product or service he/she is marketing from the inside out before attempting to optimize the content. Once you know the proper terminology, research those keyword phrases and determine which words phrases are most commonly used. While it is sometimes more appealing to aim for the words with the most searches, those phrases are generally more competitive. Search engine optimization may yield more results if one develops content with less popular, yet relevant, keywords. Finally, remember to include keywords but also make sure that it reads in way so that those keywords were used in an organic fashion.

Matt Cutts – a Google Webmaster – explains optimal keyword usage.

2. Write for the Internet: Think about the way you read content on other websites: do you read through it carefully and analytically or skim for what you were looking for? Generally, people tend to read content they find on the web very quickly. To facilitate this process, it helps to break down content into short paragraphs and make clear, relevant headings and subheadings. Using your keywords in headings is also a fantastic way to optimize your content.
3. Write Something New: What is the point of reading your article if it has already been said over and over again? In fact, search engines will actually penalize you for directly copying content without crediting the original article. But what if what you are writing has to do with your specific industry? When you cannot avoid writing roughly the same thing, find a new way to present it. High-quality pictures and graphics are a wonderful way to develop your content. Video is also a fantastic method to express information and is also heavily favored by search engines.
4. Write for your City: Writing about locations, culture, issues relevant to your company’s location is a good search engine optimization technique because it makes it seem that you are writing for reasons other than improving rankings. Aside from giving your content a more natural feel, it also lures in more relevant viewers because your website has a clear geographical target. While using colloquialisms may not enhance you rankings, using phrases such as “the inner Houston Loop” or the “Houston Rodeo” hints to search engines where you are, which allows you to improve rankings in your zip code.

Now that you have these tipes on content development, you can implement them in your own search engine optimization strategy. For more information concerning SEO and content development, call Directory One at 713.465.0051 or visit www.directoryone.com.