The inverted pyramid style of writing is perhaps the most widely recognized formula for creating a winning blog post or business webpage. It involves starting with the most important information (namely, the lead) in the first paragraph or two, followed by shorter pieces of related content in subsequent paragraphs.
In truth, the inverted pyramid style is more nuanced than the common application would have you believe. While it is often hailed as “the perfect format” for SEO (search engine optimization) content, that certainly isn’t always the case.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to use the inverted pyramid style of writing to craft effective online content that will engage your readers and boost your SEO results. We’ll also cover some of the limitations of this popular format so that you can be sure you’re producing the best possible content for your audience.
The Lead
When writing an inverted pyramid piece, the first thing to consider is the lead. Ideally, you’ll want to create a hook that will keep your reader interested enough to continue reading. To ensure that you’ve got the most effective lead, take some time to research your topic prior to writing. If possible, speak to existing customers or analysts about how you can best serve their needs. And don’t be afraid to brainstorm ideas for a possible lead paragraph.
The Body
The body of the blog post is where you’ll discuss the supporting evidence for the lead. The body should mirror the inverted pyramid style of the lead. That is, it should consist of shorter paragraphs that gradually unfold the supporting evidence for the lead.
In most cases, you’ll start with a short introduction or summary of the topic, then dive into the details. You can also include a conclusion that will tie everything together. Remember that your goal is to engage your user with compelling content that will keep them coming back for more.
The Conclusion
The conclusion reflects everything that came before it. In other words, it serves as a summary of what was discussed in the blog post. Ideally, it should be short and to the point. If you can, you should include an invitation to the reader to visit your blog or business website for more information. And don’t forget to include a link to the original source material for the lead.
Keywords, H1, and H2 Tags
There are three major components to SEO: keywords, H1 tags, and H2 tags. Keywords are important because they indicate what the page is about. You’ll want to include a mix of both broad and specific keywords in your content. For instance, “SEO blogs” is a broad keyword that you might want to include in your page’s content. Alternatively, “How to optimize a blog for organic search” is a more specific keyword that you might want to include. When you use H1 and H2 tags, they help to structure your content, highlight important information, and create relevant call-to-actions (CTAs). For example, the
Grand Canyon
tag might be used to identify a section of content that is an overview of the park and its attractions. Or, a
London
tag might be used to identify the second half of a two-part article that discusses the history of the city.
Include keywords and H1 tags in the copy, and H2 tags in the corresponding block of highlighted text. Make sure to put your keywords and H1 tags in bold so that they stand out against the rest of the text. And be sure to keep your keywords and H1 tags distinct from your H2 tags. For example, the keyword “SEO” should not be applied to the
London
tag because they are not the same. This helps search engines like Google determine what the page is about. If possible, you can also include additional keywords and H1 tags in your page’s source code (HTML). Doing this helps provide more opportunities for your content to be found by search engines.
Content That Catches Google’s Eye
After you’ve written your lead and body, the next step is to determine the point of the article and how it will affect your SEO. Think about what made your lead interesting in the first place. Then, determine whether you’ll try to answer that question, or whether you’ll simply want to present more information. For example, if your lead was about the benefits of natural foods, you might write an article that suggests cooking with whole foods rather than processed foods. Either way, you want to keep the reader’s interests in mind while crafting your article.
SEO-Optimized Headlines
To start, check your headlines. Are they concise and to the point? Will they give the reader the information they need to decide whether or not to click on the story? To be frank, a lot of online content could use some work here. But not all of it. Sometimes, the most crucial step in the success of an article or webpage is simply in the headline.
For example, let’s say you’ve written an article about the health benefits of natural foods. Your headline could be “The Rise in Popularity of Natural Foods and the Benefits for Your Health”. And that would be a perfectly balanced, SEO-optimized headline because it includes both the desired keywords and the most important information.
On the other hand, a headline like “Top Trends to Follow in 2022” includes the right keywords (“Trends”), but it’s not really content that will engage your readers. So, although it might get you some quick clicks, it won’t necessarily do much for your SEO results. Better to write an article about “The Future of SEO and Content Marketing”, include important keywords, and ensure that your content is interesting, easy to understand, and engaging.
Avoiding The “SEO Fallacy”
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to SEO is assuming that all SEO strategies are created equal. As discussed, keywords, H1 tags, and H2 tags all play a critical role in getting your content out there for the world to discover. But simply throwing countless keywords at your article isn’t going to cut it either. You also need to consider how you will measure the success of your efforts.
To avoid the “SEO fallacy”, you need to create a plan. That is, you need to set a specific goal for your SEO efforts, and then create a strategy to help you reach that goal.
Content Consumption Activities
To start, you’ll want to determine the target audience for your content. This involves considering things like demographics and psychographics. Remember: you are trying to build a brand or business, not just a website. So, you’ll want to consider how existing customers and potential customers interact with your content. And once you’ve got that audience figured out, you can move on to the next step.
Link Building
Now that you’ve got content that Google can find and crawl, the next step is to build a solid foundation of inbound links. That is, you want to establish yourself as an expert in your field by getting other websites to link to you. The simplest way to do this is to create a blog. Not only will it give you the content that you need to populate your article, but it will also provide you with a steady stream of inbound links that can help to boost your SEO efforts.
Once you’ve got a blog set up, the next step is to write a series of posts that will encourage other websites to link to you. To start, simply write a few pieces about WordPress and blogging basics. Then, pick a topic that you’re particularly knowledgeable about, and start linking to authoritative sources within your field. If possible, see if you can get a citation for each of your sources. This will raise your ranking on search engines like Google.
Backlinks From High-Authority Sources
One of the best ways to create a foundation for your SEO efforts is to focus on getting high-quality backlinks. These are links that come from websites that are considered to be “high-quality” or “trustworthy” sources in your industry. The goal is to get a steady stream of these backlinks because they can help to boost both your SEO and the trustworthiness of your site. And ultimately, that means you could end up ranking higher in search engines like Google and Bing.