Creating content nowadays is not simply typing out words on a keyboard, but more about the  things you can do to get your content visible in Google’s eyes. Reason being, Google looks at your content and decides how it will rank among other websites that feature similar content.

The one thing that matters the most to Google when it comes to ranking to your content is whether or not your content has relevance to the searcher; if it’s useful and serves a purpose to their search intent, then Google will likely rank it. 

So when you are creating content that you want to rank high in Google, you will want to look into which phrases users are searching for, and then integrating those phrases (keywords) into your content in a way that makes sense. 

And, while there are countless factors out there you could take into consideration, these are the top five factors you need to consider if you want your content to rank, or stay ranking high on Google. 

1. Relevant, Beneficial, and Purposeful Content 

Now, more than ever, it is important that you are creating content that is relevant, beneficial, and purposeful. 

Not only do you want to be creating quality content, but you want content that drives a substantial amount of qualified traffic to your site. Whenever you are crafting content, you will want to think of the purpose of that content-- with the goal of building your purpose on the needs of your customers. You will want to create content that addresses specific questions through search queries. 

To create beneficial content for your site visitors, you will want to give them plenty of detail on a topic, so using a step-by-step instructions with examples will greatly help a reader in using your content. You will also want to help the reader in navigating your content, which you can do through making things crystal clear along with clearing any confusion up. Through creating content that is clear and beneficial to reader can immensely help them when it comes to giving them control in complex situations they may face. 

Infusing your content with purpose is invaluable to your reader, and to Google when it comes to your content ranking. Google also loves content that has a beneficial purpose for the user. But if your content does not help your targeted reader, does not answer the questions they were asking in the search bar, then you will need to work on crafting your content to better serve your audience. In the end, it comes down to creating content that is relevant and provides a beneficial purpose to the reader. 

2. Speak to Your Reader and Address Their Roadblocks

First, you will want to conduct research on your audience, which will help you understand the roadblocks they face. Through this research, you will be able to pinpoint your reader’s roadblocks, and also learn more about your audience in the process. 

It is important for you to do social listening by reaching out to customers and seeing what people are saying about your brand on social media channels, such as Facebook and Instagram. From your social listening, you will want to infuse your content with language they are using to describe your brand. Social listening can also help you connect with your customers by responding to their mentions or reviews, tracking your growth, finding new opportunities, and increasing your customer acquisition. Using social listening can immensely help you in speaking to your reader. 

Not only do you need to speak to your reader, but to address their roadblocks you need to understand the persona(s) that make up your audience. The persona(s) of your audience should be solely based on audience research. 

Through finding out the persona(s) of your audience, you will be able to see what roadblocks they face, speak their language, ask the right questions at the right time, and be where they are in relation to your content. Your audience’s persona(s) not only help you understand their roadblocks, but also what drives them too. 

You will want your content to be engaging and flow to help you guide your reader seamlessly through the challenges they may be facing. You will also want your content to be rewarding for the reader in that they get some insight, or a solution to their problem, through your content. Speaking to your reader is no easy feat, but through social listening, understanding your audience persona(s), and writing engaging content you can help your reader overcome any roadblocks they may face. 

3. Build Keywords and Your Reader’s Vocabulary into Your Content 

The sole purpose of your content is solving the roadblocks your reader may face. And this roadblock could be as simple as you making your reader laugh, or maybe even attempting to teach them how to code. Keeping in mind that you will want your keywords to connect with that roadblock, as well as integrating your content with your reader’s vocabulary. 

For instance, you should be able to breakdown your reader’s problem into a simple single keyword phrase, such as a post on learning how to write. You will also want your audience questions to form the keywords use infuse throughout your content, such as your readers may be asking on Google how to write professionally. You will also want to scroll to the bottom of the SERP for your main keyword so you can find related terms users are actually searching for. Do not forget to vet all your keywords you find to ensure they are good fits for your brand to target. 

Once you got there, you will want to check out the keywords your competitors are targeting in order to fine tune your content strategy.

4. Do Away with Your’s Industry Jargon and Insider-Speak 

You will want to do away with your industry’s jargon and insider-speak when you are creating content that you want to rank well. Insider-speak and jargon can leave your reader feeling like they are being left out of an inside joke that only you and your friend know about, which can be quite awkward. And the last thing you want to do is make your reader feel like they are being left out. So, as a content creator, you will want to focus on being relevant, relatable, and easy to understand for your audience. 

The next thing you will want to do is consider the reader’s roadblocks from their point of view and provide them with answers that they can connect with. When you do away with your industry’s jargon and insider-speak, then your content will be better off. 

5. Craft User-Focused Content 

At the end of the day, content is not about you, your image, or your business-- it’s about the user. 

And if you are not convinced yet that you should be creating user based content, just keep in mind that Google ranks content higher if it serves a beneficial purpose for the user. To make your content more user-focused, you will have to target your ideal audience and reader in a quantifiable way. 

Not only will you want to make your content more user-focused, but you also want to make it more accessible to your search visitors. Another thing you will want to do to make your content more user-focused is clean out the clutter, such as headers, advertisements, pop-ups, and social media buttons. 

Still lost after all of this or need help starting out crafting your user-focused content? Well, here are some steps you can take:

• Set themes around company targets
• Choose a target audience 
• Address pain points in connection with funnel stage
• Create thoughtful call-to-actions (CTAs) to move the user to the next stage 

The Finish Line to Your Content Ranking Higher on Google 

Getting your content to rank high on Google is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. 

When you are starting out, or just looking to rank higher on Google, these top five factors are definitely a jumpstart to rank your content higher. 

In the meantime, you will want to work on crafting a content strategy that helps you get to where you want to go. Keeping in mind that crafting content will take hard work and time to get where you want to go.