5 Tips To Write SEO-Friendly Content That Actually Ranks

Last Updated: 

December 23, 2025

Editorial Disclaimer

This content is published for general information and editorial purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as such. Any mention of companies, platforms, or services does not imply endorsement or recommendation. We are not affiliated with, nor do we accept responsibility for, any third-party entities referenced. Financial markets and company circumstances can change rapidly. Readers should perform their own independent research and seek professional advice before making any financial or investment decisions.

Tired of spending thousands of dollars to get traffic to your website? Start by producing SEO-friendly content. If you rank on the first page of search engines, preferably a top 3 spot, you’ll generate plenty of free, targeted traffic to your website. These visitors are all potential customers for your business. This is the value SEO can have for your business.

In this article, we’ll discuss what elements define SEO-friendly content and 5 tips on creating SEO-friendly content that will actually help you rank your pages.

Key Takeaways on Writing SEO-Friendly Content

  1. Define SEO-Friendly Content: Your content is considered SEO-friendly when it excels in four key areas: it provides high-quality, relevant answers to user questions; it is properly optimised with on-page SEO elements; your website is technically sound (fast and mobile-friendly); and the content is shareable enough to attract backlinks.
  2. Structure with Headings: Use headings correctly to make your articles easy for both readers and search engines to understand. A single H1 for your title, H2s for main sections, and H3s for sub-points create a clear, logical flow.
  3. Create Genuine Value: Focus on the search intent behind your chosen keywords. When you understand and solve the reader's problem, you build trust and signal to search engines that your content is valuable.
  4. Target Smart Keywords: If your site is still building authority, aim for low-competition keywords that still have a good search volume. Long-tail keywords are often a great place to start, as they are specific and less contested.
  5. Use Internal Links Strategically: Connect related articles on your site to create topical clusters. This helps users discover more of your content and shows search engines how your pages are related, boosting their perceived value.
  6. Optimise Your Meta Tags: Your meta title and description are your sales pitch in the search results. Write a compelling title (30-60 characters) and description (70-155 characters) to encourage users to click on your page instead of a competitor's.
Online Business Startup

What defines SEO-friendly Content?

SEO-friendly content can be defined as content that helps search engines and users understand and trust your content. Most of the time, this benefits your ranking in Google. There are 4 parts that define if a certain piece of content is SEO-friendly:

  • Quality and relevance
  • On-page SEO
  • Technical SEO
  • Shareability

Quality and relevance

SEO-friendly content means that your piece of content answers the questions the visitors have. It’s relevant to their search query and gives a proper answer to their question.

It’s easy to read and well structured, this way visitors can skim the page and may have already found the answer they are looking for.

On-page SEO

The first step in creating SEO-friendly content is optimizing the on-page SEO part. This includes all the elements you have control over on your page. If you do this right, visitors as well as search engines will understand your page’s content better.

You can strengthen your page’s on-page SEO with relevant internal- and external links, as well as optimising your images.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO means the foundation that keeps your website fast, accessible in different formats and easy to crawl and index for search engines. You can write the best article ever, but if your page loads slowly or isn’t readable on a mobile device, you will not rank.

When the technical part of your website is great, search engines can focus on the content instead of having difficulties accessing your page.

Shareability

An important part of SEO is generating high-quality backlinks as they are seen as signs of trust in the eyes of Google. Additionally, it boosts your domain authority, which makes it easier to rank quality content. So, creating shareable content is an important part here. When your article is truly helpful, people will share it, and you’ll get new visitors. Plus, it’s a strong signal that your page deserves to be ranked.

5 Tips to Create SEO-Friendly Content

Creating SEO-friendly content can be challenging. Always keep in mind that you’re writing for humans first and you want to provide an answer to the reader’s questions. Here are 5 tips to create SEO-friendly content:

  1. Correct use of headings
  2. Create valuable content
  3. Choose low-competition, high-volume keywords
  4. Use internal links
  5. Optimise your meta tags

1.      Correct use of headings

Headings, when used correctly, make a long article skimmable and more accessible for your audience. They show search engines and visitors what matters the most. When you structure your article logically with H2 and H3 headers, Google will understand your content better.

These are the general rules for structuring your headings:

  • 1 H1 title
  • Add H2s for your core sections
  • Add H3s for points within these core sections

To make your header more powerful, you should include your main keyword or related phrases, but only do this if it sounds natural. Never force a keyword into your heading, so “you have added your keyword.” Google will notice this.

Always outline your article before you start writing. This ensures your article has a solid foundation and reduces non-important or repetitive parts.

2.      Create valuable content

When creating content, one of your first concerns should be whether your piece of content provides value for your audience. Search engines reward content that actually answers the user’s questions.

This all starts with understanding search intent behind the keywords you target. Once you understand the “why” behind a search query, you can solve the problem. Solving the reader’s problem, builds trust.

3.      Choose low-competition, high-volume keywords

When your website doesn’t have a high domain authority, it may be difficult to rank for keywords with medium-large competition. That’s why you should target low-competition keywords, that still have a decent search volume.

These are keywords that are searched quite often, but only a few websites target.

To find these keywords, use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner and Answer The Public. They will give you an idea of the competition and the search volume.

A little tip is to look for long-tail keywords as they are often less targeted by websites, but still have a decent search volume. For example, a keyword with a volume between 100-500 monthly searches with low-competition is gold.

4.      Use internal links

Internal links are links from one page on your website to another page on your website. When you link between articles, you can explain subtopics more in-depth. This will keep users on your website, which is a strong signal to Google that your website is valuable.

To implement a solid internal linking structure, you should start by creating a topical cluster. The concept of a topical cluster is creating one pillar page (your main page) with various subtopic pages that will support the pillar page.

You will then link from the pillar page to the subtopic pages and back. Also, use links between subtopic pages if relevant. When you link, use descriptive anchor text instead of generic “read here” anchor text. This tells search engines and users what they can expect.

5.      Optimise your meta tags

Your meta title and description help search engines and users understand what they can expect from your page. Additionally, they often decide whether the user clicks on your page in the search results. Without a strong, interesting meta title and meta description, you can lose lots of clicks and traffic.

Keep your meta title between 30-60 characters. Below 30 characters, your title is too short and you miss opportunities to make people click, over 60 characters, your title will be cut off. Add your main keyword at the beginning of your meta title.

For your meta description, you should aim for 70-155 characters. That seems to be the sweet spot. In your meta description, include what the user can expect on your page and a little call-to-action to make them click your page.

Conclusion: Start writing SEO-friendly content today

Creating SEO-friendly content is the first step to start ranking in search results. But simply creating SEO-friendly content will not do the job. You need to gain high-quality backlinks to get your content to the first page.

It’s recommended to follow this free SEO checklist for every important page you want to rank.

After publishing your content, keep track of the keywords you rank for and your position. There are plenty of rank tracker tools to help you with this.

FAQs for 5 Tips To Write SEO-Friendly Content That Actually Ranks

What exactly makes content SEO-friendly?

SEO-friendly content is content created in a way that helps search engines understand and rank it. It's defined by four main parts: the quality and relevance of the information, solid on-page SEO practices, a good technical foundation for your website, and its potential to be shared and linked to by others.

How do I choose the right keywords for a new website?

For a newer website without much authority, you should focus on low-competition keywords that still get a decent number of monthly searches (e.g., 100-500). Look for long-tail keywords, which are longer and more specific phrases, as they are often less competitive and attract highly interested visitors.

Why is the structure of my article so important for SEO?

A logical structure using headings (H1, H2, H3) makes your content much easier for people to read and skim. For search engines, this structure clarifies the main topics and subtopics of your page, helping them better understand and index your content correctly.

What is a topical cluster and why should I use one?

A topical cluster is a way of organising your content where you have one main 'pillar' page on a broad topic, which links out to several 'subtopic' pages that cover specific aspects of that topic in more detail. This internal linking structure keeps users on your site longer and shows Google you have deep expertise in that subject.

Are meta titles and descriptions still important for ranking?

Yes, they are very important. While they might not be a direct, heavy ranking factor, they are crucial for your click-through rate (CTR). A well-written meta title and description act like an advert in the search results, persuading users to click your link over others. A higher CTR can positively influence your rankings.

Tired of spending thousands of dollars to get traffic to your website? Start by producing SEO-friendly content. If you rank on the first page of search engines, preferably a top 3 spot, you’ll generate plenty of free, targeted traffic to your website. These visitors are all potential customers for your business. This is the value SEO can have for your business.

In this article, we’ll discuss what elements define SEO-friendly content and 5 tips on creating SEO-friendly content that will actually help you rank your pages.

People Also Like to Read...