An SEO-friendly blog post is optimized for both search engines and readers. What does that mean?

It uses SEO best practices to rank toward the top of online search results. That means it’s likely to generate organic search traffic. 

At the same time, it’s also helpful, engaging, and tailored to your audience.

Using this step-by-step framework, you can create content that ranks higher in search and gets more clicks.

1. Conduct Keyword Research

Targeting the right keyword(s) directly affects how much traffic your blog post can generate in the search engine results page (SERP).

Optimized content is more likely to rank well for relevant queries.

And high-ranking content is more likely to get clicks.

That means more organic traffic to your site.

According to a Backlinko study, the top search result in Google has a 27.6% click-through rate (CTR). 

So how can you find the right keywords to write SEO-friendly blog posts?

Keyword research identifies what phrases people enter into search engines when they want to find information on a topic, go somewhere, buy something, or complete a task. It’s pivotal to creating content that aligns with users’ search intent.

Once you know the right keywords for a topic, you can use them to write an optimized blog post.

Before you begin researching, you’ll want to understand a few important terms used in keyword research.

• Primary keywords: The main topic of the blog post. They’re the principal terms you’ll optimize your content for.
• Secondary keywords: Synonyms and close variations of the primary keyword. They add depth but don’t warrant their own post.
• Related keywords: Terms and phrases that relate to the topic. They can include secondary keywords.
• Long-tail keywords: More specific search terms. They have lower search volume but reflect a higher level of intent.
• Short-tail keywords: More popular terms that tend to be general. They have a higher search volume.
• Seed keywords: Keywords used to begin the research process and discover more target phrases.They’re typically short-tail keywords or high-level topics.

Here’s how to use the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool for keyword research:

Start with a Seed Keyword

Open Semrush and select “Keyword Magic Tool” from the sidebar, in the “Keyword Research” section under the “SEO” drop-down.

In the search bar, input a seed keyword and click the “Search” button.

Tip: Not sure what word or phrase to use? Start with a general description of the topic. As an example, we’ll use “planting a garden.”

The Keyword Magic Tool will return a list of terms and keywords related to the seed keyword. In this case, it generated over 7,000 keywords.

The dashboard displays search intent, search volume, and keyword difficulty metrics for four keyword match types:

• Broad Match: (Default) Includes variations of the terms in your seed keyword in any order. These results are the most general, and some may not be relevant to your topic.
• Phrase Match: Uses your seed keyword in the order you specified, often with extra terms or phrases in the middle. These results should align closely with your topic.
• Exact Match: Adds terms and phrases to the beginning or end of your exact seed keyword. This list should be the shortest and the most relevant to your topic.
• Related: Similar to your seed keyword but don’t include the original term or phrase exactly. This list is ideal for choosing additional topics to write about.

Consider Search Volume

To evaluate the keyword options, pay attention to the keyword search volume for each term. 

Click any term to open the “Keyword Overview” panel and view more details. 

Here you’ll see “Volume.” 

This number indicates how many times that particular keyword is searched per month in your country. 

On the one hand, keywords with high volume have the potential to drive more traffic to your site. But that doesn’t mean you should always choose high-volume keywords.

Why not?

High-volume keywords might not fit your business or your target audience. They’re typically more competitive to rank for as well—more on difficulty below.

So how should search volume factor into your decision? In most cases, it’s best to find keywords that balance good search volume with a reasonable difficulty rating.

Evaluate Keyword Difficulty

The keyword difficulty (KD%) rating is a percentage that estimates how difficult it is to rank in the top 10 for the Google SERP.

The higher the KD, the harder it will be to rank using organic methods.

In the same panel as “Volume,” you’ll see “Keyword Difficulty,” along with an assessment of its rating. 

So how should you approach KD? Should you ignore keywords with a “Hard” rating and prioritize “Very Easy” keywords instead?

It depends.

To assess KD, you have to think about how important the keyword is to your business. If it’s a critical keyword, you’ll likely need to target it even if ranking is more challenging and takes more time.

If you have a new website with low authority (10 to 20), start with keywords below KD 20 (e.g., “Easy” and “Very Easy”).

If you have a site with moderate authority (20 to 40), start with keywords below KD 40 (e.g., “Easy” and “Possible”).

If you have a site with good authority (40 to 60), start with keywords below KD 60 (e.g., “Possible” and “Difficult”).

You also need to consider your site’s Authority Score and competing content that already ranks on the SERP.

To check your site’s authority, use the “Domain Overview” tool under “SEO” > “Competitive Research.”

Enter your domain and click the “Search” button. Your “Authority Score” will appear in the upper left corner of the “Overview” page.

Choose a Primary Keyword

Use the search volume and KD metrics to evaluate the keyword list provided by the Keyword Magic Tool. Then choose a target keyword for your SEO-friendly blog post.

2. Understand Search Intent

When you know what users desire to accomplish via their search, you can write content that meets their needs. 

Search intent describes what kind of content the searcher wants and expects to appear in the search results. Content that matches search intent is also likely to rank higher.

There are four main types of search intent:

• Navigational: Users are looking for a specific page or resource. For example, “Semrush login” is a keyword with navigational intent.
• Informational: Users are seeking educational content or answers to a question. For example, “planting a garden” is a keyword with informational intent.
• Commercial: Users are actively researching options or considering a purchase. For example, “best place to buy flower seeds” is a keyword with commercial intent.
• Transactional: Users are ready to complete a conversion, which may be a purchase. For example, “buy vegetable seeds” is a keyword with transactional intent.

In some cases, it might be easy to assume the search intent for a keyword. For example, you might assume that a search for “how to create an SEO strategy” is informational in intent.

But you don’t have to guess.

Keyword Overview and Keyword Magic Tool both show search intent.

For any keyword, look for the “Intent” section.

Keyword Magic Tool displays intent in the column just to the right of the keyword. You’ll see the first letter of the search intent category (e.g., “I” for “Informational”).

Click any keyword to open the “Keyword Overview.”

Here, you can also see the intent type. 

In some cases, a keyword might have two types of search intent. For example, “planting a vegetable garden” has both informational and commercial intent.

That means the results include a mix of content that fits into both categories.

3. Create an Easy-to-Scan Content Outline

Scannable content is easy for readers to understand and process quickly. That makes for a better user experience (UX). Good UX can improve engagement metrics and boost SEO outcomes.

Regardless of the search intent for your keyword, always aim to make your blog post easy to scan.

Where should you start?

Headings are the foundation of any outline and one of the most important aspects of scannable content. They break up blocks of text, making it easier to read. They also help readers navigate pages quickly, drawing their attention to the topics they care most about.

Page headings are also important for SEO. Search engines rely on headings to understand the topics and context of a page. By adding headings, you can give both readers and search engines a helpful way to better understand any blog post you write.

Headings follow a simple hierarchy, similar to an outline. As you map out your blog post structure, use these types of headers:

• H1 is the main heading. Every blog post should have one H1 tag. It’s often identical to the title of the post.
• H2 is the subheading that’s highest in the hierarchy. A blog post can have several H2s. These subheadings should reflect the main topics or concepts in the blog post.
• H3 subheadings reflect subtopics. They should only be present if the blog post has H2s. Some blog posts also include H4s and H5s, but many stop at H3s.

Because search engines (and humans) use headings to understand content, they’re the ideal place to add keywords. Aim to include the primary keyword and any related keywords in headings, as long as they sound natural and relevant.

Content Shake AI in the Semrush App Center can help you outline a structure for a blog post quickly. 

Click the “My own idea” tag and enter the primary keyword. Then press the “Start writing” button.

This AI-powered SEO tool automatically analyzes the top 10 ranking results for the keyword. It then generates a detailed outline that adds relevant keywords to the subheadings.

In the right sidebar, expand the “Structure” panel to see the recommended H2s and H3s for the blog post. To rework any part of the outline, click the “Rephrase heading” button next to the subheading.

4. Incorporate Semantic Keywords

A single keyword isn’t always enough for search engines to understand the subject matter of your blog post. By adding related terms, you can help both readers and search engines grasp the topic better.

In other words, incorporate semantic keywords. These are terms and phrases that add extra context to the content and help search engines understand what it’s about.

Note: The concept of latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords is contentious among search engine optimization experts. Instead of focusing on them, we look at semantically related keywords at Semrush.

To create a list of semantically related words, use the “SEO Content Template” tool in the “On Page & Tech SEO” section under the “SEO” drop-down.

Enter your primary keyword.

Then press the “Create content template” button.

Scroll down to the “Semantically related words” section. You’ll see several phrases that can enhance your content.

Remember to review these phrases manually to make sure they relate to the topic. If they fit, write them into the blog post naturally.

5. Write Content Aligned with Your Keyword

Focus on making the content helpful for the reader.

Helpful content covers a topic accurately and comprehensively. It matches the user’s search intent and provides complete answers to their questions.

Remember, high-quality content that provides value to the reader is more likely to get engagement, shares, and backlinks. As a result, it’s more likely to perform well in search.

To write comprehensive content, consider the questions users are asking about the topic. Keyword Overview can help you find some of them.

Open “Keyword Overview” for your primary keyword by clicking on it from the “Keyword Magic Tool.” 

Look for the “Questions” panel.

Here, you’ll see questions that people ask about your topic.

Then scroll down to the “SERP Analysis” section. 

Click the “View SERP” button to review related questions and answers.

Here’s how the SERP looks for this keyword:

So what is helpful content?

It isn’t necessarily the longest blog post on the topic. Instead of explaining every concept in depth, helpful blog posts often link out to other credible resources that cover these topics extensively.

In addition, helpful content doesn’t prioritize high keyword density, which often sounds strange. Great writing avoids keyword stuffing and focuses on natural, high-value content instead.

It’s time to write the body of your blog post, using the outline as your structure.

First, copy the outline from Content Shake AI. 

Then, back in the “Content Marketing” drop-down in the sidebar, select “SEO Writing Assistant.”

Hit the “+ Analyze new text” button. 

Paste in your outline and add the phrases you want your content to rank for in the “Keywords” section.

Start fleshing out your content.

Once your first draft is ready, click the “Get recommendations” button.

SEO Writing Assistant will help ensure your content is helpful, easy to read, and SEO-friendly. As you write or import content, the dashboard automatically rates it in four key areas:

• SEO: Rates your keyword usage. It typically increases the more target keywords and related keywords you use.
• Readability: Tells you how easy your content is to read. It matches the difficulty level with a grade level.
• Originality: Shows how similar your content is to other published posts. It primarily does this by checking for copied content.
• Tone of voice: Grades the content on a scale from casual to formal. It also checks for consistency.

6. Illustrate the Topic with Visuals

To make blog posts easier to scan and read, incorporate visuals.

Not only do they break up blocks of text, but they also convey information more efficiently. In other words, they improve the structure. 

For example, the screenshots in the blog post you’re reading now show you how to use Semrush tools. They supplement the in-text explanations to make the workflows easier to understand.

But that’s not all.

Images and videos also create added opportunities to rank content. For many keywords, SERPs show image or video carousels.

For example, a video holds both the featured snippet and the top-ranking search result for the keyword “planting a garden with seeds.”

This SERP also shows both a video carousel and an image carousel. The visuals in these carousels don’t always come from web pages that rank in the top 10.

When you place images and videos in your blog content, always add alternative text. Often abbreviated asalt text, it’s a concise description of the image or video.

Alt text is most important for accessibility. It doesn’t usually appear on the screen, but screen readers can process it.

Because it gives search engines extra clues about your content, alt text is also important for SEO. Add primary and related keywords to alt text descriptions, but only when they’re relevant.

7. Add Links Strategically

Search engines use links to check for relevance and to assess the depth of your content. That’s why tools like the SEO Writing Assistant prompt you to add links to content.

In most cases, you’ll want to add two types of links to any SEO blog post: external and internal links.

Internal Links

Internal links are incredibly valuable for SEO.

First, they show search engines how your site is structured and how pages and topics interrelate.

These links also pass authority (also known as Google PageRank) to other pages on your site. 

If you have a particularly high-ranking page on your site, adding internal links to it can give what’s known as “link juice” to other pages.

By adding internal links to blog posts, you can also direct readers to your own resources. This tactic can improve engagement and keep visitors on your site longer.

To design an internal linking structure, create content around topic clusters. Then link out to content in the cluster from the pillar page.

To find the best internal links to add to blog content, use the “Site Audit” tool at “SEO” > “On Page & Tech SEO.” 

Find your website in the “Project” list or use the “+create project” button to add it. 

In the “Overview” section, locate the “Internal Linking” report on the “Thematic Reports” panel. 

Click the “View details” button.

Then scroll down to the “Pages passing most Internal LinkRank” panel.

Look for the pages with the highest rating. When relevant, link out to new content from these authoritative pages first.

External Links

Add depth and expertise to any post with external links.

Outbound links are especially useful when your own site doesn’t cover the topic, yet you want to provide extra resources for readers.

When linking to external sites, look for high-authority resources. Linking to authoritative sites adds credibility to your content and provides more value to readers.

To check the authority of other sites, find “Domain Overview” in the sidebar under “SEO” > “Competitive Research.”

Enter the URL for the domain you want to check and press the “Search” button.

Then look for the “Authority Score” panel, which ranks site authority using a score out of 100. The higher the score, the more authoritative the site.

Anchor Text

Both types of links need anchor text, which is the clickable hyperlinked text in a link.

However, the best type of anchor text to use depends on the nature of the link.

For external links and citing other sources, branded anchor text may work best.

For internal links, exact match or partial match keywords are usually better choices. When you use these types of anchor text, you can help internal posts rank for their target keywords.

To encourage users to click through to your site from organic search results, your blog post needs a compelling title tag and meta description. Both should be clear, concise, and compelling.

Title Tags

To improve the chances of your blog post ranking for a keyword, include it in the title tag. Make sure to use it naturally, or you’ll risk sounding spammy.

Keep the title tag as short as possible. Aim for between 50 and 60 characters (under 600 pixels) to ensure it displays in full on mobile SERPs.

Use hooks, numbers, and power words to make the title tag stand out in the SERP and sound as enticing as possible. But avoid misleading users with sensational titles.

For example, the title below uses “how to” to show that it will teach the reader to do something. It also uses numbers and power words like “rank” to capture attention.

Meta Descriptions

While title tags are great for standing out and grabbing attention, meta descriptions add context that can get readers to click. Think of the meta description as a short summary of the blog post.

Like titles, meta descriptions should also contain the main keyword. Meta descriptions may get trimmed at ~960 pixels on desktop and at ~680 pixels on mobile. Keep them below ~158 characters.

For example, the meta description for the blog post below explains the term concisely, which is ideal for a keyword with informational intent.

9. Improve the On-Page Experience

To rank at the top of search results, a great post also has to deliver thoughtful UX. Here are two ways to improve the on-page experience for readers.

Increase Page Speed

A confirmed ranking factor, page speed is crucial for SEO. Slow loading worsens the user experience, which can make the page less likely to appear in the top 10.

To check page speed, open Google Search Console.

If you haven’t set up your account yet, check out our comprehensive guide to Google Search Console.

From the sidebar menu, open the “Page Experience” panel.

Here, you can see if your site’s core web vitals are rated “good,” “needs improvement,” or “poor.”

If you see more red than green, scroll down to the “Why URLs aren’t considered good” panel for more details.

To review single URLs, use Google PageSpeed Insights.

Enter a URL and press the “Analyze” button.

Then review the performance metrics.

If the performance rating isn’t between 90 and 100, the URL may benefit from page speed improvements.

The faster your page loads, the less likely visitors are to click away. Even a short delay can cause users to abandon your page, according to the Google Core Web Vitals report.

Enhance Mobile-Friendliness

Google takes a mobile-first indexing approach. In other words, the search engine prioritizes the mobile version of a page when indexing and ranking.

What does that mean for your site?

It’s critical to ensure that your site is as mobile-friendly as possible.

To find any issues, open the “Mobile Usability” chart in Google Search Console.

If your site has mobile usability issues, you’ll see them listed below the chart.

10. Build Backlinks

Most of the workflow related to writing an article for SEO happens before the post goes live. But once you publish, you can start building backlinks.

Backlinks indicate that your content is valuable, relevant, and trustworthy. Ideally, they come from high-authority sites.

In some cases, your content might attract backlinks naturally. But in other cases, you’ll need to invest time in link-building efforts.

Some of the most effective ways to get backlinks include:

• Creating relationships with bloggers in related niches
• Running PR or email outreach campaigns
• Writing guest posts that include links

You can identify backlink opportunities before you even begin writing blog posts.

Go back to the “SEO Content Template” tool (“SEO” > “On Page & Tech SEO”), enter your primary keyword, and press the “Create content template” button.

Scroll down to the “Key recommendations” panel.

Review the “Backlinks” section to see which domains would provide the most valuable backlinks for your blog post.

To find even more opportunities, use the “Link Building Tool” in the “Link Building” section of the “SEO” drop-down. 

Enter your domain. 

Add the primary keyword and any related keywords in the “Link Building Settings” pop-up. 

Click the “Competitors” button to continue.

Add the top competitors for your target keywords. Click the “Start Link Building” button.

The Link Building Tool will generate a list of prospects, showing the rating and Authority Score for each. 

Review the list for optimal opportunities and click the “To In Progress” button to add the best options to your outreach list.

Next Step: Build Upon Your SEO-Friendly Blog Posts

Using the workflow in this guide, you can write SEO-friendly blog posts that drive organic traffic. 

But remember, creating random pieces of content or one-off blog posts isn’t the most effective or efficient use of your time.

To get more out of your content strategy, learn how to build topic clusters next.

Check out our guide on how to use the Keyword Manager clustering tool to create keyword lists, and organize them into topic-based groups so you can manage and improve your content marketing research.