Sometimes, people talk about Google like it’s some mysterious algorithmic wizard, but when it comes to blogging for SEO or sprinkling a video into the mix, Google isn’t hiding. It’s shouting what it wants, loud and clear. It’s just that most people aren’t really listening.
You’ve got to cut through the noise, stop arbitrary box-ticking, and actually improve your SEO with content that does something useful. Give people a reason to read your blog or watch your video because if no one’s looking at it, then neither is Google.
Google Isn’t a Fan of Waffle
It’s the biggest search engine by far, with billions of pages to index, crawl, and rank. It doesn’t have time for filler or fluff or that weird intro paragraph you forced out just to hit a word count. What it does like is content that actually answers the question someone typed into the search bar. That’s your starting point.
If you’re blogging for SEO, think about intent, not just what people search, but why they search it. Basically, ditch the hard sell and focus on being clear, human, and useful.
What’s the Deal with Blogging?
First off, don’t underestimate blogs. Blogging for SEO has been a major part of digital marketing for a long time. If you work with a team that knows how to optimise blogs, you can weaponise the medium as a way to build a really powerful SEO base for your site. This is because Google loves fresh content, so a regular blog that provides useful, engaging content shows the algorithm and the user that you’re on the ball. You can find out more about the power of content creation by reading this.
They work best as part of a bigger picture.
You can supercharge the potential of your blogs by integrating them into a broader multichannel digital marketing strategy. Share them on social media to generate discussion and integrate videos and external links to make a real buzz. As with all aspects of digital marketing, coordination reaps big rewards.
Use Videos in Your Content Strategy
If you’re trying to improve your SEO, embedding a video on your site or using it in a blog is one of the smartest moves you can make. It increases the time spent on a page (people are less likely to click off a video) and signals richer, more valuable content. On top of this, it boosts the user experience and opens up the chance for YouTube rankings (one of Google’s sister companies).
You can’t just chuck a video in and hope for the best, though. It has to match the blog’s purpose. If your post is explaining a process, then show it. If it’s a case study, film it. If you’re doing an interview, give your reader a clip of it. Google reads the context, so give it something meaningful to work with.
Repurposing is smart, but copy-pasting is not.
Your blog and video should be linked without saying the exact same thing. The point of a blog post is to explore an article in depth, and the video needs to complement it. Summarise the key points or show the practical application of what you’re talking about.
And remember: both the video and the blog need to be optimised. Video titles, thumbnails, transcripts, tags – they’ve all got a role to play.
How To Optimise Content that Google Actually Rates
If you’re serious about content creation or blogging for SEO, there are a few golden rules that can help give your presence a leg-up.
Do:
Be original: No copying, no spinning, no recycled content. Get those creative juices flowing, or work with a team who will.
Remember the purpose: Know what you’re trying to achieve – like awareness, education, or conversion – and create for that.
Take care of the format: Use headings, imagery, and video to give the post breathing room.
Balance the keywords: Include your search terms naturally and unobtrusively – your readers are the priority here.
Think about devices: Most people access the internet on a smartphone these days, so optimise with that in mind.
Don’t:
Overuse keywords: Using different versions of the same phrase constantly is called ‘keyword stuffing’ and it’s a major red flag for Google and for readers.
Forget about humans: Write for people, not just the algorithm. You’re not fooling Google. If your blog sounds robotic, it’ll bounce.
Depend on AI: Sure, AI is a great way of boosting efficiency, but overusing it and depending on it can see your site penalised and your readers turned off.
Only talk about yourself: It can be tempting to use your content as a platform to shout about your company, but you get the best results when you focus on the needs and wants of your customers.
Forget calls to action: You’ve written a great post or crafted a funny video, someone’s read or watched it to the end and… nothing? Big miss.
SEO Content is a Marathon, not a Sprint
Blogging for SEO and content marketing isn’t a one-and-done job. It’s a long game but a very winnable one if you’ve got the right approach. A good option is to work with a marketing agency that operates in a collaborative and constructive way. This means that you get the best of both worlds – you know your industry, and we know the marketing. A little engagement and patience can go a long way in creating a web presence that boosts your exposure and drives results.
Looking for Content That Works Harder (and Smarter)?
If you’re looking for a team to make content that pulls its weight, then we can help. At One2create, our creatives and tech heads know their way around SEO. We build clever content strategies that do more than just look good. From scroll-stopping videos to search-friendly blogs, we work with you to craft content that gets found and delivers ROI.
If you want strategies that work across your entire marketing and SEO mix, then you can find out more about our services here. Or – if you’ve got any questions – get in touch with us today for a chat.
FAQs
How long should a blog post be?
There’s no concrete rule, but Google tends to favour in-depth posts. 900 words and above is a good rule of thumb here.
Does Google index video content directly?
Not exactly. Google can’t watch your video, but it uses metadata, captions, and context from the page it’s embedded in to understand relevance.
What’s the best platform to host videos for SEO?
Vimeo and YouTube are both good options as they keep your site faster than hosting the videos yourself.
Can I use AI to write blogs for SEO?
Not really. Without a lot of human editing, AI-written content is likely to fail to meet Google’s quality standards. Beyond this, readers are starting to spot (and dislike) AI-written content.
