Considering the increasing competition among websites to rank, it is essential to employ effective optimization strategies. With approximately 99,000 search queries processed by Google every second, totaling about 8.5 billion searches daily, this becomes even more important.

At StartupTalky, we've reached out to Marketing and SEO experts for answers. So, what strategies do these experts swear by when it comes to optimizing content for both user satisfaction and search engines?

Let's get on this journey together and explore their strategies for effective content optimization!

Ritu Parakh, Digital Marketing Manager, GREP
Chaitanya Kulkarni, Head, SEO and Analytics, Tring
Kiran James, Global Head of Marketing & Product Development, Muthoottu Mini Financiers Limited
Sumit Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, DashLoc
Pranjal Agarwal, VP-Brand Marketing, Mudrex, a Global Crypto Investment Platform
Nishant Shah, Head-Digital Marketing, Blue Buzz
Omm Dev Sharma, Founder, Mavericks Global
Kishore Acharya, SVP & Head of Marketing, Masai School
Soumitra Sengupta, Fractional CMO and Growth Advisor

Ritu Parakh, Digital Marketing Manager, GREP

For effective optimisation of content for both users and search engines, we have opted dual-focused approach that emphasis both users and technical SEO.

The first effective tactic has been, we generate high-quality and comprehensive content pieces that address user needs and queries. To do so, we use certain tools to look for keywords that our audience is searching for and craft content around those that provide added value with proper insights and data.

Second, we structure our content in such a way that all our headings and subheadings (H1, H2, and H3 tag) makes more sense and are logical with the right keyword in it. This improves the readability and makes it easy for search engines to understand what the particular blog is about.

To make our content richer and user-friendly, we use elements like Images, infographics, and video which makes it more engaging.

By implementing all the above strategies we make our sure content for optimised for both users and search engines for better engagement.

Chaitanya Kulkarni, Head, SEO and Analytics, Tring

Two factors that have always had an effect on ranking are Content & Backlinks. Some effective tactics for optimizing that I find most effective are:

• Emulate Top-Performing Pages: Find the pages that are already ranking for your target keywords and try to emulate the topics and content covered by these competitors.
• People Also Ask: Those drop-down questions you see when you search on Google? Yes, you convert those into topical content. This increases the topical authority of the website.
• Rich Content: This includes media-rich content but not limited to images. Using a mix of different media in content helps explain the topic to the end user and search engine.

Kiran James, Global Head of Marketing & Product Development, Muthoottu Mini Financiers Ltd

Effective content optimization for both users and search engines involves several key tactics and strategies. First, thorough keyword research to understand user intent and incorporate relevant keywords naturally into the content is essential. Next, creating high-quality, engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of the target audience ensures user satisfaction and encourages interaction. Additionally, optimizing meta tags, headers, and image alt attributes helps search engines better understand the content's context and relevance.

Moreover, prioritizing readability and user experience by using clear formatting, concise language, and multimedia elements enhances engagement and encourages users to spend more time on the page. Regularly updating and refreshing content to keep it current and relevant signals to search engines that the content is valuable and authoritative.

Finally, earning quality backlinks from reputable sources reinforces the content's credibility and authority in the eyes of both users and search engines. By employing these tactics, content can effectively serve the dual purpose of satisfying users and ranking well in search engine results.

Sumit Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, DashLoc

Optimizing content involves thorough keyword research to ensure relevance to user queries and crafting high-quality relevant content that addresses audience needs effectively. It’s essential to utilize optimized headlines, schema and rich text, meta tags, and readable formatting to enhance both search engine visibility and user experience.

Additionally, ensuring mobile optimization for accessibility across devices is crucial. Integrating internal and external links strategically aids navigation and builds credibility. Importantly, regularly updating content keeps it fresh and relevant. Monitoring performance metrics allows for ongoing refinement of strategies to ensure continued success.

Pranjal Agarwal, VP-Brand Marketing, Mudrex, a Global Crypto Investment Platform

Implementing effective SEO strategies involves several vital components. A few key strategies are:

• Nothing comes close to creating engaging, informative, and valuable content. Having clear takeaways, research-backed content, proper tonality, and engaging writing creates the sweet spot for users. Optimize for user engagement metrics like avg. time on page, bounce rate, pageviews per user, etc. This directly aligns with the latest E-E-A-T principles that Google Quality Raters use.
• You should also check your search console regularly for basic and advanced on-page optimisations.
• Do not run after keyword volumes and instead focus on topical authority. Create detailed topical maps and post authoritative content in your niche.

Nishant Shah, Head-Digital Marketing, Blue Buzz

Quality content is at the core of our optimization tactics. We prioritize creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that meets the needs of our target audience. This includes conducting keyword research to identify relevant topics and incorporating them naturally into our content.

Additionally, we pay close attention to on-page optimization, ensuring that our content is well-structured and easily accessible to both users and search engines. We also focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites to improve our site's authority and trustworthiness. By adopting these tactics, we've been able to achieve higher search rankings, increased organic traffic, and improved user engagement metrics.

Omm Dev Sharma, Founder, Mavericks Global

In optimizing content, we recognize that the key lies in aligning user intent with search engine requirements. Here are some effective strategies we employ:

• Crafting content that is not only informative and engaging but also structured in a way that provides clear value to users.
• Balancing keyword optimization with user intent, ensuring that keywords are seamlessly integrated into the content without compromising readability.
• Incorporating multimedia elements such as images, videos, and infographics to enhance user engagement and comprehension.

Kishore Acharya, SVP & Head of Marketing, Masai School

Understanding user intent and search behaviour deeply is the cornerstone of any effective SEO strategy. To enable this, we conduct thorough keyword research to understand user intent, create comprehensive and informative content, optimise meta tags and headings, and ensure proper internal linking. We aim to provide a seamless experience for both human users and search engine crawlers.

Soumitra Sengupta, Fractional CMO and Growth Advisor

Usage of co-relational SEO tools like Surfer SEO has been a game changer for me to optimize the content.