When trying to sell their books or services, should writers focus on SEO? I’m not going to lie; when I talk to authors about its importance, I can “digitally feel” their eyes glazing over. I say it like this because, often, these conversations are occurring over the Internet. In any case, we’re going to look at why writers and authors need to focus on optimization just as carefully as those who are selling products or other kinds of services.
Quick reference:
What is SEO?
SEO is an abbreviation for search engine optimization. Simply put, you’re setting your content and website up so it will pop up in search engine results. Ideally, marketers make it their goal to optimize blog posts and articles to hit the top ten in the search results. Therefore, they’ll test keywords for the best results to reach the broadest audience. When utilizing SEO, you have the power to reach individuals as they actively search for information related to your books or writing services.
Why Does SEO Matter?
When I visit a writer’s blog, I love seeing what they’re up to and other current book or writing-related events. These blogs and websites have the necessary information to keep visitors coming:
- Evergreen content
- Information that will solve a problem
- Rich content that isn’t stuffed with keywords
- Relevant content that matters to their readers
These blogs and websites won’t get lost in the shuffle because their SEO is going through regular updates. However, when I visit other writer blogs and sites, they’re losing out because:
- They lack focus
- There isn’t any evergreen content
- Relevant content isn’t being published (for example, they’re posting about their day or their opinions instead)
When these writers aren’t making SEO a priority, they’re going to lose out on sales and potential clients. SEO matters because it helps searchers find your site.
Search Engine Rankings
In a future post, we’ll talk about the importance of search engine rankings and what that means for your writing website. In that post, we’ll go over how algorithms play a significant role in how your page will rank. We’ll also go over how critical it is for you to build authority on your website by focusing on key topics. Search engines will be looking at how often you’re publishing fresh content your readers want to see, in addition to how often other sites are linking back to yours.