The internet is still growing, but before many of us knew it, when it was in its infancy, websites were already competing on the web.
But when search engines came forward, people started competing for the top spots in their search results. Using various ways, many have used black hat techniques, a strategy that emerged when people want to get up on search results fast and easy.
At that time, marketing bullies have taken advantages of search engines weaknesses to rank higher.
But when search engines mature, this ugly practice don't do much good to them anymore.
Google notably, has punished many less-than-ethical SEO people by turning their tactics against them. Suddenly, keyword stuffing did nothing, content farming never become fruitful, and buying a lot of backlinks became ineffective.
As the battle raged on, Google kept on updating and improvising its algorithms to knock unethical players off from its search results.
When good SEO became more increasingly popular, it has become more about producing and maintaining value, as well as highlighting properly structured contents.
Out of the best white hat tactics available, the best foundation to unique contents, is to make contents easy to read by both humans and machines.
This where user-experience (UX) takes its role. It's where SEO makes contents more human.
First of all, keyword research should be the key and the secret weapon for content strategists and creators. This allows them to create more effective, relatable content.
By researching and understanding how users (or potential users) are talking about the products they're using, marketers can build a strategy by anticipating and answering their questions through contents. Here is where content strategy and UX have a relationship with SEO.
It's the keyword research that brought them together. They include:
- An understanding of psychology behind people's intentions using user-centered keyword research.
- Strong strategies to build context around brand and offerings.
- Finding the words that people need, and relevant to the marketer's brand.
- The ability to add depth and empathy to product descriptions, offerings, and websites.