What Happens When You Write to a User
Results
In the dynamic world of SEO, where algorithm updates constantly change the playing field, creating useful and reliable content is key.
This user-first approach is at the heart of any successful SEO strategy. Google’s mysterious algorithm updates have a clear purpose: to provide users with authentic and relevant information.
Useful content is not just an addition to the SEO strategy; it is the foundation on which sustainable SEO success is built.
The importance of useful content
The concept of useful content emphasizes the importance of content that really adds value to the reader. This results in an improved user experience.
Google’s recent ‘useful content update’ underlines the importance of publishing user-focused content rather than just search engine optimization.
Sites that invest in informative, well-researched, and accessible content that answers users’ questions see their rankings improve. This is where EEAT plays a crucial role.
SEO experts are generally familiar with EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), a principle that Google uses to assess the quality of websites.
At the end of 2022, an extra ‘E’ was added for ‘Experience’, which emphasizes the importance of personal experience in content. Previous cases show the positive effect of EEAT on the organic visibility of websites.
Google strives to prioritize content that is not only useful and trustworthy but also based on user well-being, rather than focusing on search engine rankings. An in-depth evaluation of your content, supported by expert insights, can help determine whether your content meets these standards.
The ultimate goal is to create original content that is primarily useful to visitors. A clear explanation of who created the content, and how and why it happened supports this goal and complies with Google’s guidelines. This contributes to an effective SEO strategy.
The documentation on useful content states that the content doesn’t have to show every aspect of the EEAT, but it should appear trustworthy.
Attribution
For a website that aims to provide information for (potential) parents, I took on the challenge of strengthening the SEO strategy. I did this by making the content more “useful” and increasing the quality and reliability of the content.
In this useful content case study, the trajectory of the site differs from the previous EEAT case.
I didn’t experience any significant drop in my rankings due to search algorithm updates. Nor was any significant increase in traffic or rankings observed after such an update.
However, it is pertinent to note that in 2020 there was a decline in both rankings and traffic, directly related to a URL migration. This adjustment led to the expiration and merging of some pages, which temporarily affected online visibility.
Approach
The path to achieving my SEO goals was not based on generalized changes but on a careful process of content refinement and enrichment.
I focused specifically on improving the readability and accessibility of the texts. I did this by using synonyms and structuring the content so that it was clear and intuitive.
I made sure that each page was checked for readability, intending to make it understandable at the B1 level. In this way, I wanted to reach the widest possible audience without compromising on substantive depth.
I enriched the content with bullet points for a clear structure, clear headings for easy navigation, and direct answers in the text to serve readers quickly.
By combining this approach with carefully chosen videos and images, I created a rich and dynamic user experience.
Targeted integration of links and data
Using Screaming Frog, I carried out in-depth link analysis, which allowed me to strengthen internal links and increase the value of the content. I extended this network of links with references to reliable data, substantiating each claim with a solid source.
I made sure that all the data I added was completely correct and well-founded, thus avoiding unfounded claims.
I looked for data and examples that would strengthen the article and ensure proper citations. People appreciate statistics and well-founded information, which also makes your content more linkable. This approach not only increased the authority of the text but also emphasized the reliability and competence of the sources used.
The quest for completeness
By conducting a thorough competitive analysis, I discovered what information was missing. This allowed me to ensure that the articles became the most complete source of information. They not only answered current questions but also provided answers to possible follow-up questions. In this way, the articles became a complete source of knowledge on all the subjects they covered.
This detailed and personal approach ensured that each page not only met EEAT’s standards. They also stood out as the most successful useful content articles.
Concrete examples and results
A clear example of how an article became more useful is an article on contractions.
The original article mainly provided general information about labor and the associated symptoms. Guided by the importance of useful content, I took the initiative to add a clear definition of contractions.
In addition, important information, such as symptoms, was placed in a bulleted list. This approach immediately improved the readability and accessibility of the text.
I went further by conducting an in-depth analysis using Ahrefs and Google Search to discover the most frequently asked questions about labor. I then deliberately incorporated these FAQs into the article, including detailed answers. This not only made the article more informative but also ensured that the article better met the information needs of our target group.
I also used Screaming Frog for a ‘personalized search’ to track down all references to the word “contractions” on the site. This resulted in the identification of relevant pages that did not yet have an internal link to the relevant article on labor.
By providing internal links to these pages, I significantly improved the site’s internal linking structure, contributing to stronger SEO performance and a better user experience.
Results
The optimization activities began in the last quarter of 2022. To carefully assess the impact of this work, I compared website traffic and search rankings from the first quarter of 2023 with the same period in 2024. This analysis focused on web pages that were optimized in the fourth quarter of 2022 and throughout 2023. In this comparison, I ignored newly added pages.
For this evaluation, I used Ahrefs and Search Console. It is important to note that Ahrefs does not identify all the possible queries for which a page can rank. Every day there are approximately 500 million searches, 15% of the total, which Google’s search engine sees for the first time.
In this screenshot from Search Console, I would like to emphasize that the view is by week and not by month.
Although this calendar makes it more difficult to clearly show long-term trends, we can still see some positive developments. It’s important to mention that I’ve only optimized 150 of the site’s total 2,500 pages.
This means that there is still significant potential for further improvement and growth. The optimized pages show a positive effect. This shows that the approach works and that further optimization is likely to bring even more benefits.
Significant progress through content optimization
Since the end of 2022, I have focused on content optimization, addressing approximately 150 pages. The impact of these efforts has quickly become apparent. Pages aligned with the principles of useful content saw a significant increase in traffic:
The pages had on average 80% more organic clicks compared to the same period last year.
7 pages that had no visitors in the first quarter of 2023, an average increase of 400 clicks.
An improvement was also visible in keyword positions:
Positions increased on average to 330 keywords.
This is an increase of 284%.
This contrasts with the performance of pages that were not optimized. These pages had an average increase of 86 keywords.
Sustainable SEO strategy
This case study shows that it’s important to put the user first. And to provide reliable, informative, and easy-to-understand content.
This is not only a good choice from an ethical point of view, but it also produces real results.
This shows that a strong SEO strategy, based on useful content, is crucial to achieving lasting online success.
By focusing on sustainability and quality rather than quantity, an SEO strategy can deliver lasting results and strengthen a brand’s online presence in the long term.