Have you ever questioned the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) when writing content? And what are the main factors that can keep you in favor of search results, then?

SEO is important for articles because it can help them rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs), which can result in more traffic to your website

Furthermore, SEO can help improve an article's click-through rate (CTR) and overall engagement with the piece.

But this can only occur if we focus on how users select the most relevant search results, right?

Then, wouldn't it be great to have an SEO content writing checklist on hand?

Search no more. 

Today you'll find the top 6 SEO points every writer should know before writing a blog article.

To find out more, stay tuned!

Seo Content Writing Checklist You Must Have In 2023

Below is a summary of the 6 most important factors to consider when writing content that will perform well in search engine results.

Let’s check them out!

1. Create an outline for your article to be easy scannable✅

An outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and research before you start writing your article. 

It can help you determine what points you want to write about and in what order you want to present them in your article. 

An outline can also help you spot any gaps in your research or areas that need further research while making the writing process smoother and more efficient.

Here are a few tips for making text visually attractive and easy to read:

  1. Use a clear and legible font — Some popular fonts for readability include serif fonts like Times New Roman and Georgia and sans-serif fonts like Arial and Verdana.
  2. Choose a font size that is large enough to be easily readable — A good rule of thumb is to use a font size of at least 12 points for body text.
  3. Use appropriate line spacing — A good rule of thumb is to use 1.5 times the font size for line spacing. So, if you're using a 12-point font, use 18-point line spacing.
  4. Use bold or italic formatting to highlight important words or phrases — This can help draw the reader's attention to key points.
  5. Use color and other visual elements sparingly and with purpose — Bright or bold colors can be eye-catching, but they can also be distracting if used too much. Use color to highlight key points or to organize information, but don't overdo it.
  6. Use headings and subheadings to break up the text and make it easier to scan — This can help the reader quickly find the information they're looking for.
  7. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and to the point — This can make the text easier to read and understand.

The key to making text visually attractive and easy to read is to use clear and legible fonts, appropriate formatting, and well-organized content.

Following these tips can help ensure that your text is engaging and accessible to your readers.

2. How practical are your headings?✅

One of the most important aspects of creating effective blog content is ensuring your headings are actionable. 

Why? Because if your readers see a heading that isn't relevant or interesting to them, they're likely to move on without reading the rest of your content.

Think about it this way: every time you write a heading, you're giving your readers a mini-promise that the content beneath it will be worth their while

They will only stick around if you deliver on that promise.

When it comes to making headings practical, here are a few tips to consider:

  1. Keep your headings brief and to the point — This can make scanning and understanding your content more accessible.
  2. Use clear and descriptive language in your headings — This can help the reader quickly grasp what the heading is about and why it's relevant to them.
  3. Use headings to organize and structure your content — This can help the reader quickly find the information they're looking for and understand the overall structure of your text.
  4. Use different levels of headings — Main headings, subheadings, and sub-subheadings create a hierarchy of information. This can help the reader quickly understand the relationship between different text sections.
  5. Avoid overly long or complex headings — This can make them difficult to read and understand.

The key to making your headings practical is to use clear and concise language and to organize and structure your content to make it easy for the reader to find what they're looking for.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your headings are helpful and practical for your readers.

3. Do you have any "visual pauses" in your article?✅

Visual pauses are essential for your articles because they help to break up the text and make it easier for readers to digest

Adding visual elements can give readers a much-needed break from all the words on the page. 

This will help them to better understand and retain the information in your article.

One way to add "visual pauses" in your article is to use white space (blank areas on a page that are not occupied by text or other content). 

Here are a few ways to use white space to create "visual pauses" in your article:

  1. Use short paragraphs — Instead of writing long blocks of text, break up your content into short paragraphs that are no more than 3-4 sentences long. 
  2. Leave plenty of space between paragraphs — Instead of having sections that are closely spaced together, leave plenty of space between them. 
  3. Use subheadings to break up the text — You can use subheadings to divide your article into sections, and they can provide "visual pauses" that make it easier for the reader to scan and understand your content.
  4. Use lists and bullet points — Instead of writing long blocks of text, use lists and bullet points to break up your content.

Using white space effectively is the key to creating "visual pauses" in your article. 

By including plenty of white space and using short paragraphs, subheadings, and lists, you can make your article easier to digest.

4. Are your images helpful, and have you made sure they're SEO-friendly?✅

As we all know, pictures are worth a thousand words. So, it only makes sense that using SEO-friendly pictures can help improve your article's search engine ranking.

By using SEO-friendly pictures, you can help search engines understand what your image is about and how it is relevant to the keywords you are targeting

Additionally, they can also help improve the click-through rate of your article.

Including alt text in your article's images is a great way to improve their visibility in search results.

image-with-and-without-alt-text

Alternative text, or "alt-text," is a brief explanation of an image that is shown in its place if the original image cannot be displayed.

Alt-text is important because it provides information about the image to people who cannot see it, such as users of screen readers.

To add alt-text to an image in your article, you will need to use the appropriate HTML code. Here is an example of how to add alt-text to an image:

<img src="image.jpg" alt="A description of the image">

In this code, the "alt" attribute specifies the alt-text for the image. So, for example, you can replace "A description of the image" with your own description.

It's vital to ensure that your alt-text accurately and concisely describes the image's content. 

Also, avoid using generic or vague descriptions like "image" or "photo," and instead provide a specific and informative image description. 

By including it in your article, you can ensure that your content is accessible to all of your readers.

5. Does your content use EAT metrics to satisfy Google's criteria for "high-quality"?✅

The "EAT" stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a set of metrics used by Google to determine the quality of a website. 

And to meet these criteria for high-quality content, a website must show strong levels of all 3 points, and this metric serves as a guide for the writers in making that happen.

eat-checklist

Here are a few tips for using EAT metrics to satisfy Google's criteria for a "high-quality":

  1. Demonstrate expertise in your field — Your website should provide accurate, well-researched, and in-depth information on your topic. You can do this by hiring knowledgeable writers and editors and by including references and sources for your information.
  2. Establish authoritativeness — Establishing yourself as an authority in your field on the internet by garnering links from other reputable websites.
  3. Build trustworthiness — Make sure your website has a professional design, clear and transparent policies, and easy-to-use privacy and security features. You can also build trust by providing excellent customer service and responding to customer inquiries and complaints promptly and professionally.

Using EAT metrics can help you satisfy Google's criteria for "high-quality" and improve your website's ranking in search results. 

By demonstrating expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, you can ensure that your website is a valuable and reliable resource for Google and your audience.

6. Is your content within the recommended word count range?✅

The appropriate word count for your articles will depend on several factors, including the type of content you're creating, your audience, and your goals.

In general, it's essential to strike a balance between providing enough information to be thorough and engaging while keeping your content concise and easy to read

According to Backlinko, here is a statistic of average share results per word count.

The best way to determine the appropriate word count for your articles is to consider your audience and your goals and choose a word count that is appropriate for your content.

For example, a blog post might have a different recommended word count than an academic paper or a news article. 

A concise article might be more appropriate for a social media post, while a longer and more in-depth article might be better for a research report or a white paper. 

To stay on the safe side, aim for a length of 1,400–1,900 words for your article.

By considering these factors and choosing a word count appropriate for your content, you can help ensure that your articles are practical and engaging for your audience.

Bonus: How To Write SEO-friendly Content Without SEO Content Writing Checklist?

As we've seen, writing for search engines is as essential as breathing.

Thanks to today's AI-powered tools, it is possible to write such content without consciously incorporating SEO best practices.

They can produce any content you require and craft articles around specific keywords to improve their rank for related queries.

In this way, you can easily conform to SEO standards with little to no effort on your part.

One such tool is the TextCortex add-on extension.

What is TextCortex?

TextCortex is a use-case module-based AI writing assistant that can help you edit, write and rewrite your content.

It utilizes machine learning and an extensive best-practice knowledge base to predict and produce the most reliable, unique, and high-quality output.

How can TextCortex help you generate SEO-friendly content?

TextCortex will work diligently to establish the most logical pattern and AI-generate requested text based on the provided words. 

And to create SEO-oriented content without content writing SEO checklist, choose any of the 60+ predefined AI templates divided into the following subcategories:

General templates —Includes rewriting, tone changing, summarizing, question answering, etc.

Email templates — Produce various types of emails.

Ads and marketing tools — Write Ad copies for Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc.

Social media templates — Generate compelling social media posts for any platform.

Website copy templates — Craft copies for your blog, website, and landing pages.

eCommerce templates — Create attention-grabbing product descriptions, titles, and more.

Here are some of the TextCortex add-on highlights to remember when writing your next article:

🎯 Long-form post — write full articles from 5-word ideas.

🎯 Bullet to email — generate ready-to-sent emails based on the bulleted concept of key takeaways.

🎯 Rewrite — paraphrase your content for better context.

🎯 Summarizing — get a brief summary of a large piece of text.

🎯 Expand — extend the length of your text.

🎯 Autocomplete — let TextCortex create full sentences and paragraphs from random thoughts.

🎯 Tone — switch between different voices within your original text.

🎯 Translate — translate your original content in 10+ different languages including Romanian, German, French, Portuguese, and more.

Furthermore, our Chrome extension is available on 30+ online platforms, including Gmail, Google Docs, Hemingway, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more.

Get the TextCortex add-on for free to see how quickly you can cut your writing time by 70% while still producing high-quality, SEO-friendly content within any textbox you need.