There are 2 million blog posts created every day.

The volume of content we see now is referred to as content shock.

It is when you realize you can’t keep up with all the content.

With so much content available on the web, it begs these questions:

• How do you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs)?
• How do you make sure your content is read?
• How do you make sure your readers take action on it?

The secret to search engine optimization (SEO) is to answer questions.

It is really quite simple.

Find out what your audience wants, what they are searching for, and how you can help them. And then answer their questions using your content.

It is that really simple?

The secret to SEO is simply answering questions. Yes.

Start with really understanding SEO and where it is going

Start with SEO, or the practice of optimizing your websites for search engines. SEO is one the best areas where you can see the return on investment (ROI) with your digital marketing efforts.

SEO can be complicated, especially its technical aspects.

Search engines like Google and Bing have become increasingly sophisticated over the years.

For example, Google uses machine learning for its search algorithms. This helps Google better understand the content of web pages. It evaluates the usefulness of the web page to users. It also measures how quickly it can respond to users’ questions.

SEO is about understanding what the search engines are trying to do. The secret to SEO is answering a searcher’s questions quickly.

The power of searcher task accomplishment

It starts with understanding that Google has one goal: searcher task accomplishment.

What is search task accomplishment?

Google learns each time a user searches via Google Search. Google aims to provide each searcher with answers to their question(s) as soon as possible. They are going to reward websites that quickly help the needs of their searchers.

Google is making an effort to go above and beyond to address a searcher’s initial question. Then, they try to think ahead about what questions may come next. They are using their historical data to help searchers answer their questions quicker.

The Google Knowledge Graph

Google’s Knowledge Graph is its database, collecting data from tons of Google searches.

Google’s Knowledge Graph makes certain information readily available to searchers. The Knowledge Graph section is on the right-hand side of a search engine result page (SERP). For example, I typed in Google: Charlotte Digital Summit.

On the right-hand side, I see high-level information about that event. Google aims to provide accurate and relevant information for your search queries as quickly as possible.

This has given rise to position 0, or the featured snippet.

What is position 0 and a Featured Snippet?

A feature snippet appears in approximately 13 percent of search results. However, the number is rising. This is according to RankRanger, a free research tool.

It can help you benchmark and explore the presence and trending of what appears in the SERPs. These featured snippets appear above the normal search results. That is why they are called position 0. These snippets fall above position 1.

Position 1 is no longer the holy grail of SEO

The snippet contains a “snippet” of content from a relevant and helpful web page to answer the searcher’s query quickly. For example, I typed in “how to network at a conference,” and I got 6 steps on how to be successful from WikiHow.

How does your website content become a feature snippet or become position 0? Ensure your website content addresses a searcher’s questions and avoids using PDFs.

Move away from PDFs

PDFs are not optimal for Google and you. As a webmaster, your users can’t reach other relevant pages on your website. The pages relate to the info in the PDF. You can’t optimize the images for search in a PDF. You also can’t apply structured data to them. (Search engines use structured data to generate snippets.)

As search engines move toward snippets, your PDFs are holding you back from reaching position 0. And they don’t help you quickly answer the questions a searcher has.

If you are a searcher, would you like to get your questions answered via the Knowledge Graph? Or would you prefer to review it in detail through a PDF?

If you are a Google searcher, do you want to get your questions answered via the Knowledge Graph? You can find answers directly on a search engine page.

Or would you prefer to spend a lot of time searching for an answer? Would you like to scroll through a PDF to find your question’s answer?

A case study in answering questions

The secret to SEO is to answer questions quickly with your content. You should follow the example of Marcus Sheridan. He was an early adopter of content marketing. He is known for his revolutionary marketing strategy of answering his customers’ questions.

Image source: Jay Paul for The New York Times

Remember, Google’s goal is simple: to offer people with the best search results possible. It is always improving its algorithm. It makes over 500 changes every year.

The goal is to make sure that its search results help answer the searcher’s intent.

Each change affects the way Google indexes your website, and Google is transitioning to a mobile-first index in phases.

With Google getting more competent in processing search results, how do you improve your SEO and keep up?

The secret to SEO: answer questions

Here are five tips to help you:

1. Write headlines that answer the top questions your clients and prospects are asking

Headlines are important. Only 80% of your readers will read the headline. They lead to more web page views. But your headline needs to do more. It can’t be just clickbait titles.

Your headline needs to answer the intent behind what your audience is searching for. It needs to answer the primary question, while the content below your headline answers that question and its related questions.

If you do that, you have a great chance of ranking on page 1 of Google.

How do you know what questions your clients and prospects are asking?

Start with your sales team and your social selling efforts.

• What questions are they getting asked?
• Do you have a database of those questions?
• Are you creating content to answer those questions?

You can also use websites like Quora to research the questions being asked.

You can type potential questions into Google. Then, go to the bottom of the search results. Look at the “searches related” section at the bottom of the SERP. For example, consider the related searches for “cloud vs. colocation.”

You can see the other questions related to “cloud vs. colocation.” You will be ranked higher if your content can also answer the related questions.

If you answer all these questions in one piece of content, you will need to create a series of content. This series should answer these questions. You need to cover topics from different angles and provide the best answers.

2. Write longer blog articles

The more value your content provides, the higher the chance it will rank in search engines.

How do you provide more value?

You write longer pieces of content. Why? You are more likely to answer the questions of your clients and prospects.

Also, you will get more social media shares. You are also get more backlinks. 

Additionally, these shares and backlinks can be converted into your call to action. For example, they might subscribe to your email newsletter.

Your content should be more than 3,000 words. ‎

Marketing consultant and speaker Neil Patel writes blog articles that are more than 4,000 words long. He averages 100,000 visitors a month to his website: neilpatel.com.

Top search results have more than 2,000 words.

Research from serpIQ shows that the top 10 search engine results in Google each had content exceeding 2,000 words. Each entry had extensive content.

Additionally, Buzzsumo and OkDork researched the social share counts of more than 100 million articles. They found that the longer the blog articles, the more social media shares they get.

Specifically, the sweet spot was 3,000 to 10,000 words. This content got the most average shares.

Longer blog articles also increase conversion rates. CrazyEgg increased their conversion rate by 363 percent by

CrazyEgg increased conversion rates by 363% by switching to a long-form page. Longer content also increases the number of backlinks, as Moz’s research shows.

Without changing the order of the data, there is a correlation between longer content and links.

In summary, the longer your content, the better your chances of getting more social media shares. It helps in converting more visitors into action. You also gain more backlinks.

3. Improve readability

Creating content that is easy to digest, scan, and comprehend is essential.

Without easy-to-read content, Google will not rate your website high in its search results. It aims to help its users quickly find what they are looking for.

You can use tools like the Hemingway App to determine how well your content reads. Additionally, Google evaluates your website’s readability to align with its users’ search intent.

If a website’s content does not match the search engine user’s reading level, it will not be easy to read. Visitors will lose interest and leave the website.

So, what is the ideal reading level?

Your content should be at an 8th-grade reading level.

This grade level can bring complex ideas to audiences who read at a lower reading level.

The best writers write the simplest. However, it needs to be more than just simple; it needs to be interesting and compelling.

It is a fine line that will take some time to master.

4. Add read time to your blog articles

Writers should create headlines that answer questions and write longer content. Make sure the content is readable for an eighth grader. Readers should understand the length of blog articles before they start reading.

Why should you add read time?

Adding read time increases engagement. Please don’t take my word for it.

Look at Fast Company, Medium, and HubSpot. They all include read time.

But they didn’t start this trend. The New Yorker did.

Why? It is as simple as this:

“The more we know about something — including precisely how much time it will consume — the greater the chance we will commit to it.”

The New Yorker

Now, you need to add the estimated reading time to your blog.

How do you calculate estimated reading time? Using WordPress, you can calculate it automatically using plugins or code snippets. You can manually add those options to your blog articles if they don’t work.

Research varies, but generally, a person reads between 200 and 250 words per minute. So, writing a 2,000-word blog post will take 8 to 10 minutes to read.

Pick a word count (200 or 250 words) to calculate your read time.

5. Make sure your blog articles load fast

With Google moving toward a mobile-first index, your content must be fast and mobile-optimized.

How do you make sure your blog articles meet Google’s standards?

And use Google Page Speed Insights. It is a free tool from Google. This tool will make your websites fast on all types of devices.

Having a website optimized for mobile is crucial. A fast website also contributes significantly. These are key factors in Google’s algorithm and in where your website ranks.

Site speed and mobility are just two of 200 Google ranking factors in Google’s algorithm.

Bringing it together

Google learns every time a user searches via Google Search.

They want to give each searcher answers to their question(s) as soon as possible. Is your website content helping Google help its search engine users?

If so, Google will reward you. Google strives to go above and beyond in addressing a searcher’s first question.

Are you answering first and related questions with your content?

As Google becomes more sophisticated in processing search results, you must be more thoughtful about your content. You also need to refine your SEO strategies.

You will be successful if you answer your clients’ and prospects’ questions with your content and follow the recommendations above. The secret to SEO is answering your audience’s questions.

It is that simple. What’s your secret to SEO?

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