Once bloggers started to get wind of the benefits which SEO could offer them, it didn’t take long for the content to change. For the most part what we saw was bloggers who began to write articles which sought to impress the search engines. Both long and short form pieces of content which were aimed at common questions which people ask the search engine, loaded with low competition and high search keywords.
There is of course nothing wrong with this particular approach, as long as there is a nice balance between what is written for the search engine and what is written for the most important reason, the audience. Many bloggers got lost in writing SEO pieces that they forgot where their traffic was coming from, and here is why it is so critical that you are writing and providing content which is actually for those who like your site.
Ahead of The Algorithm
Whilst everyone loves some juicy organic referrals from the search engine, it is important that we remember exactly what the search engine algorithm is trying to do. Its aim is, and has always been, to give users the best quality results for their search. One aspect it will look at on your site is how valuable and engaging the content is, for them. It makes little sense therefore to create something which only appeases the search engine, and not for the people who the search engine is actually delivering results for.
Making Money
If you have monetized your blog or you plan to, it is important to remember that it will be the audience who make that money for you. Again, organic traffic is nice, but the goal should always be loyal and regular visitors to your site, who love what you do. Don’t alienate the loyal following simply to try and grab some new traffic via the search engine.
Losing Audience
The fact of the matter is that if your content gets too heavily bogged down in keywords and SEO-friendly language, you are going to lose audience. This kind of content just looks like you have tried too hard, and believe it or not many can see through it. This is a risk which is simply not worth running, especially if you have regular viewers who love to come and see what you are talking about.
More Enjoyable
Ultimately as successful as you want your blog to be, it is important that this remains a project of passion. When you begin to write in order to please a robot algorithm, you are likely to start to lose the love that you once had for blogging, or at least fall out of love with the kind of content which you are creating. Write about what you love and make sure that before you start giving it the SEO treatment, you have written content which your audience is going to enjoy reading.
This is why you should always look to write first and foremost, for your audience.
