There is a common belief that SEO friendly content pages should explain what something is. This stems from SEO rumors like needing to use “people also ask”, repetitions of “topically relevant keywords”, and hitting “minimum word counts”. When doing SEO recoveries and growth campaigns, deleting the headers and explanations of “what XYZ is” this is one of the things we do first on pages.
An example is if you create a recipe for blackberry pies, you don’t need to define what a blackberry or what a pie is. The person already knows. This applies to blog posts, product and category pages, as well as non-introductory level content. It is also where an internal link comes in.
By removing this type of content you help the user get their answer faster creating a better user experience. When the person sees your site on future queries, and your content continues to make it easier to find solutions, you may get a loyal customer, subscriber, or fan who shares your pages with others. If you annoy them with a basic explanation each time they visit, they may pass you over for the next site when searching again.
Here’s some examples of content that does not need “what an XYZ is” as a header or in the opening of the page.
Example 1: Comparison Posts
If the topic is comparing things you don’t need to define what those things are. I’ll use fuji and granny smith apples (literal apples to apples comparison hahaha).
People searching for which one is better for baking or eating, or to display in still life artwork already know what an apple is. You also don’t need a description of both in most cases. Chances are the consumer already knows fuji is red and yellow and granny smith is green.
Use internal links off of “fuji apples” and off of “granny smith apples” to the dedicated pages where you share the colors, history, taste profiles, where they originated, which states/cities/populations eat them the most, and use cases specific to that apple. This post is to help the person make a decision between the two types of apples so you only need to focus on helping the user with that.
What does go on this page is:
- Sections for how the two tastes compare to each other and not individually.
- The nutritional differences between the two apples.
- How and when to use which apple, and when both are able to be used. Including how to use both in an original way can be a big value add for the reader. It is part of E-E-A-T and may include:
- Baking.
- Eating directly as a snack and when to choose them (one is sweet and one is tart so maybe one for morning and one for afternoon).
- As snacks for animals as one may be better or worse than the other calorie, sugar, or toxin wise.
- Decor or as a subject for art (this section can contain what contrasts and compares with the type of apple because they are different colors and probably sizes).
- How easy they are to store and shelf life if they’re equally good for a specific purpose.
- The average cost by region and season so people know which one to buy if they need a lot or want to save money.
Example 2: How-To and Explanatory Content
If someone is looking to fix a water heater or tie dye a t-shirt, you don’t need to define “what a hot water heater is” or explain its purpose. And the same goes with defining where tie dye came from and what a t-shirt is. The person knows what a hot water heater does as they’ve been using it, they just want to know how to fix it.
You could instead share which models of heaters are alternatives and may last longer, or be more eco-friendly, or hold more water while fitting in a specific space. This way if the person needs to replace it you have given them the primary solution which is how to replace it, and alternatives that are equal or better based on price, usage, life, etc… You’re working to win their trust. The same goes for tie dying.
Share which materials and t-shirt brands tend to absorb the best, last the longest before the fibers break apart, and if you have space possibly retain shape and fit. These will help the person know you are an expert with this type of art.
When you mention the brands and models of hot water heaters, link to your review of them. This lets the reader decide if they want to learn more and see what it is, as well as know they can find it through your site. You can now earn affiliate commissions or get a lead if you do installations. And the internal links for the t-shirt brands may help you to sell packs to the people looking to do a tie dye arts and crafts day.
Example 3: Fan Pages and Brand Familiar Visitors
When you’re writing about a sports team, video game, or tv show you don’t need to define what the sport is, who invented the game, which system it is on, or the premise of the show. Instead give the person what they want.
- Share how to get to Dodgers stadium and which players are in what positions, not what baseball is or that they’re the team from LA.
- If someone is looking to beat a level on switch game, they already know it is Nintendo and the device as they’re using it. Instead teach them how to achieve their goal which could be a side quest, beating a boss, or finding a cheat.
- If you’re creating a fan page for an episode of Dragon Ball Z, the readers don’t need to know Goku is the hero, a dragon ball is a mythical object that summons a dragon, and Frezia is a villain and a hero. The person also likely knows it is one of the most famous anime shows.
Let them know what happens in the episode and share some hidden secrets the animators threw in. Other things you can include are the specific seasons and episodes with the time stamp and an explanation of why that specific moment reinforces your point about this episode, and gives them something to look forward to without spoilers.
i.e. Get ready because XYZ makes a surprise appearance in 5 more episodes, but they’re hidden. Come back and comment once you’ve figured it out.
Example 4: Educational Materials
As a final example lets jump into science and educational or informative content. The beauty of science is that once something is proven wrong and verified through peer review, it becomes the new trustworthy information. But the basics don’t need to be explained.
Human blood and a plants chlorophyll have one main difference. Human blood has hemoglobin built on iron and chlorophyll is connected to magnesium, and this is what helps them to differentiate their colors even though both have a similar purpose to the organism. Telling the reader they’re molecules does not benefit the reader, they know this. Don’t waste their time as this type of content can get backlinks.
The person searching is likely looking for a diagram of the two molecules that is labeled and how they compare and contrast within an animal and a plant. Additional information could be if the chlorophyll can help with animals, and if hemoglobin can help with plants. If you have research to back this up, cite it within your content and become a trusted resource. That is the purpose of educational content in the first place.
By giving the visitor what they want, and then some bonuses after you’ve provided a solution, you’re creating something worth linking to, coming back to, and sharing. This is what can lead to backlinks when you fan it out to the right audience, and what can show the algorithms your site is the expert authority on the subject matter.
