Is it better to do Content plus SEO, or write the Content first, then some time later perform search engine optimization? Think of Rice & Beans.
The rice, whatever kind you use, is your basic content. It can be quick-cooking, to long grain white, to brown, to basmati, to the more exotic aromatics. The different varieties may be compared to blogs, recipes, how-to articles, bio pages or features.
In the same way, there are many different sorts of beans you can add to your rice. Which kind you use, and how it’s prepared, will depend on your tastes and how much time you have to stand over the stove. You may take the easy way out and open a can.
‘Come on, Williams, this is dumb! We don’t even like beans & rice.’ Stay with me, here. This will all come together and then you can say, ‘Aha!’
What some cooks miss, though, is the importance of choosing your beans before you even start preparing the rice. Depending on the flavor you want — Cajun, Tex-Mex, or Appalachian — you’ll want different beans. This can be comparable to doing your keyword research (more about that later).
The Not So Secret Recipe
Now that you’ve decided on the beans, prepare the rice. This provides the ‘content’, if you can grasp the analogy. Without content, there is no need for SEO. Indeed, there is nothing to optimize. Further, rice by itself is bland, although gravy and spices add interest (think images or links in the content). There are certain guidelines to follow, such as proper spelling, grammar, usage, and verb tense agreement, to produce a tasty dish of long grain content.
Next, prepare your beans. Be adventurous (or a pinto purist) by starting with a bag of dried beans and boil them for hours. Or open a can of Bush’s Best. Dump them into a saucepan, season with some chili powder and some ham, bacon or fatback, and simmer for a while until the flavors please you. Perform SEO on your content in the same spirit.
Finally, fold the beans into the rice and blend together. Correct the seasoning and finish cooking. The flavors and textures will combine to make a satisfying and delicious meal, more than either beans or rice could offer separately. In the same way, SEO enhances your content and improves your odds of getting discovered by your chosen clientele.
Content plus SEO. See? Aha!
Get in touch for answers to your questions about SEO or rice & beans!