Everyone wants their content to rank at the top of Google searches. But so few people can do it. Marketers all say that it’s all about keyword research and picking keywords with high search traffic and low competition. But you’ve probably don’t know how to write content that ranks. Your content is stuffed with keywords, your topic is exactly the same as other articles that rank and it’s not interesting or fun to read.

3 Tips on How to Write Content That Ranks

It’s actually simple to write content that ranks. Stop overthinking it. Get back to basics. Here is how to write content that ranks. It’s just like writing a winning essay when you were in school.

#1 Pick a unique topic – DON’T write about the exact same thing everyone else is

You can write on a subject that’s popular but you need a unique twist in order to get your content to rank. For example, I am a medical writer so when I need a unique topic I browse the National Library of Medicine and Science Daily to find recent studies in my chosen subject area that have new, different or unexpected findings. Because they are recently published, I know there won’t yet be any or many articles written about them. If you’re in a less factual and more creative space, then use your imagination and come up with something crazy-fun. Be like my favorite stand-up comedian Kevin Hart and invent an engaging story about a deerbra (a deer in front and zebra in the back!). Either way, having something that isn’t in 100 other articles will help you get Google rank.

#2 Use statistics, studies, data, quotes, or some kind of facts

Everyone else is just writing off the top of their head. In my medical-related articles, I mention and even cite medical journals’ actual studies. When I say “An August 2016 American Journal of Psychiatry study shows that correcting a depressed person’s metabolic deficiencies may improve depression symptoms,” the reader doesn’t doubt for a second that what I am saying is true. Facts, when presented in an interesting story, help the reader believe the author.

#3 Show the author’s degrees, experience, or something that gives credibility

This one is easy for me and my company – we all have a Ph.D., MD, ND, DC or RN degree. Putting the author byline with degrees is a plus in the Google algorithm that calculates page rank. A medical article authored by a doctor will get a higher Google rank than the same article with no author listed or an author with no medical degree. Don’t despair if you don’t have a degree. In your author byline, outline your experience with the topic. If you’re trying to write computer repair content that ranks, then in your byline write that you have 20 years of experience repairing computers. Whatever you’ve done, written or experienced that makes you credible on your topic needs to be in your author byline.

I know this is work. It’s not like copying other people’s articles and changing the words around a little. But it’s worth it. It gets the first page and sometimes even the number one Google rank for the articles I write for myself, my company, and my clients. Try it. And if you need help with anything at all, email me at karen@themedwriters.com or check out some of the content writing services that we offer.