Comments on: Are you asking the wrong question first?

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:19:25 +0000

That sounds like a very natural (and sane!) SEO copy approach. How are they ranking?

By: NEWTRAFFIC

NEWTRAFFIC — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:16:53 +0000

Hi Heather, I am trying to write posts about current topics. I do an extra check what’s the search volume of the important keywords around that topic but besides the title, the h1 and some keyword density I write the article just as I think it fits for the audience.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:00:03 +0000

I think you’re exactly right. It’s amazing, though, how many SEOs are “hands off” of the content creation process. They’re really good at adding keyphrases, but not so good at the whole “customer conversion” aspect. Your point of it being a “joint effort” between the SEO and the writer is spot on.

Thanks!

By: Josh Braaten

Josh Braaten — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:27:04 +0000

Every creative brief from an SEO should include primary keywords to focus on but then should go further to explain what intent is behind the keywords being used.

I don’t know what SEOs you work with but to me, SEO is about much more than just keyword prominence on the page. It begins with a full study of the information needs of the target audience.

It shouldn’t be squarely on the shoulders of the writer to make sure the audience is served. It should be a joint effort fueled by the research of the SEO and the messaging prowess of the writer.

Any SEO that doesn’t value the user and is worried simply about traffic needs to find another profession.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:58:21 +0000

Thanks so much!

You mention that you write your blog posts more for your visitors. How do you add the SEO elements into them?

By: NEWTRAFFIC

NEWTRAFFIC — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:43:18 +0000

Hi Heather,
Fully agree with the message you are giving us here. Your target audience comes first and then the Search Engines. Especially my blog posts are specifically written for my visitors as I am trying to build up an audience of PEOPLE . However my ‘normal’ pages are SEO influenced.