There are different ways you can approach creating written content for your website. At one extreme, you could just write a blog post when the inspiration grabs you on a topic you are deeply interested in or knowledgeable about.
Or, you could take a more strategic approach, keeping SEO top of mind, and use a keyword research tool such as ahrefs.com to find out what keywords people are actually searching for in your general area of business.
By doing this, you could generate a list of, say, 25 regularly searched topics related to personal training, counselling, or whatever you do.
Then, you could hone in on the most appealing topic on that list, knowing that it gets x number of searches per month, write your article, and go after those searchers!
To answer which of those approaches is best, here are a few things to consider.
Too much focus on keyword research can kill authenticity and original thought
Obviously you don’t want to write an amazing article only to use unsearched keywords and get zero readers. But, if you are an expert in your line of work and passionate about it, then writing something with that passion will likely be worthwhile, to say the least.
It will allow you to write something that is unique and of benefit to readers. Who knows, you might just become a thought leader in your industry and create your own keywords that will show up in those keyword research tools in the future. Possibly with large search volumes beside them! That would be great for business and your reputation.
In contrast, if you adhere strictly to high-volume keyword phrases found in the tools, you’ll likely find that there are already dozens, if not hundreds, of articles already written on those same exact topics, all competing to be ranked at the top. With AI now being used for blogging, everyone says the same thing. Boring!
It’s not only about rankings and traffic
Sure, it’s nice to get people to your website, and in many ways, that is the goal. But remember, it’s not the only goal. You still want to eventually convert those visitors into customers.
So smart keyword research might help you write an article that gets some eyeballs on it, but if the post is bland and just like everyone else’s, it will fail to showcase your expertise or build a connection. Readers will be less likely to become customers.
Keyword research is not to be ignored
So far, I’ve pointed out that Keyword research isn’t the be-all and end-all of content writing. But ignore it at your peril.
It is absolutely possible to write an engaging piece on a topic you call one thing, and 9-tenths of the population call another thing. The result is invisibility when a quick check of those phrases could have allowed you to tweak things slightly, reach and help all those people. Semantics!
It also helps to know where the keywords need to go, but that’s another topic on-page SEO.
A blended approach is good
Not everyone’s situation is the same. A sole trader running their own website will have a different approach to content creation when compared to big organisations working with agencies, for example.
Sometimes, the articles are written in house by those with subject matter expertise, other times by hired writers.
Either way can work wonders, as long as you keep in mind the idea of blending original thought, inspiration, and expertise with some insight into what searchers are looking for and what they are calling things.
If you are an expert in your field and you’re fired up to share your wisdom, by all means, blast those words out when inspiration strikes!
Then, once your article is ready, you can identify the key themes and perhaps use a tool or a friendly Digital Marketing Agency to do a bit of keyword research, edit it slightly and ensure it’s ready to go live in a way that will get your insights in front of those who need them.
If you’re an agency like us, it really helps to get the subject matter experts involved as much as possible. They are often busy running their businesses, so it can be hard, but the more it is a team effort, the better the results.
So, what came first in writing this article? Keyword research, or inspiration?
Well, in these days of AI being used for creating content, the importance of maintaining original human thought and insight has been bouncing around in my head lately. But with a little bit of keyword research I saw some relevant volume and adapted the topic slightly. Let me know if you found this useful, or share how you approach writing articles.
At Whippet Digital we make things happen with our finely-tuned content marketing strategies and your unique brand story. Learn more about our approach to content here.
