How to Write Better Content in 13 Easy Steps

We’ve all faced that dreaded blank page, unsure of how to transform ideas into compelling content that actually gets results. 😩

How to write better content isn’t just about putting words on a page, it’s about creating something that connects with your audience, builds trust, and makes your brand stand out.

Many marketing teams depend on written content, yet a third admit their writing isn’t as effective as it should be. If your articles feel like they’re getting lost in the noise, you’re not the only one struggling to break through.

Now imagine writing an article that not only engages readers but also drives traffic and positions you as an industry leader.

The good news? Writing better content is a skill you can develop. 🤩

Whether you’re crafting blog posts, web copy, or conversion-driven content, small improvements and content optimization can make a big difference. We’ll walk you through 13 actionable steps on how to write better content.

Keep reading to write with confidence and see real results. 👓

What Is Content Writing?

Content writing is the process of creating written material for digital platforms, including websites, blogs, social media, and marketing campaigns. It involves planning, writing, and editing content with the goal of informing, engaging, or persuading an audience.

Some businesses focus on blog articles and email newsletters, while others invest in video scripts, whitepapers, or ad copy. No matter the format, it’s about delivering valuable, meaningful messages that inspire action, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or sharing a post.

When done right, content doesn’t just inform, but drives real results.

Why Is Writing Good Content Important?

We want to forge real connections, address your audience’s questions, and lead them toward meaningful actions.

Think about the last time you connected with a content, maybe it was through a blog post, a social media update, or a website that truly spoke to you.

That’s exactly what we’re aiming for when we create content: That connection wasn’t just about the words on the page; it was about feeling understood, getting answers to your questions, and being guided toward a solution that made sense for you.

So, what are the benefits of great content?

Great Content Builds Trust

Imagine a friend giving you advice, why do you listen? Because you trust them. 🤝 The same goes for brands. 

People naturally gravitate towards brands they trust, and high-quality, well-researched content is the bridge that builds that trust. Many studies, like the ones listed by Forbes, have shown that businesses consistently offering valuable content are seen as more credible and reliable. It’s like a virtual handshake that says, “We’ve got your back.”

Content Influences Buying Decisions

Think about it: Nobody likes to be bombarded with ads, right? We all crave helpful and relevant information.

Research indicates that most people prefer learning about a company through articles rather than traditional ads.

A compelling blog post or an informative guide doesn’t just educate, it engages and can turn a casual reader into a loyal customer, guiding them gently on their buying journey. In this case, you’ll also need to learn and apply the best blog engagement strategies.

Valuable Content Improves Visibility

Good content isn’t just for your readers, it’s also a superstar in the world of SEO. 🌟

Search engines love high-quality, useful content and reward it with better search rankings. This means more organic traffic flowing your way, without the need to spend on ads. 

It’s like having your content work double duty, not just pleasing your audience, but also catching the eye of search engines. Make a meaningful impact, one word at a time.

13 Smart Strategies on How to Write Better Content

Below, we reveal 13 powerful strategies to write content that not only ranks but truly engages readers, keeping them hooked from the first word to the last.

1. Pick Relevant Topics to Capture Interest 

If you want people to actually read your content, not just skim and bounce, you need to start with a topic they care about. That means picking something relevant to both your brand and your audience.

When you consistently cover topics that matter, you build credibility, establish yourself as an expert, and make people more likely to trust (and buy from) you.

But how do you find the right topics? Start by using tools like Content Planner or Keyword Research Tools to find what people are searching for.

The second method is to use Google’s “People Also Ask” feature, which shows the most common questions related to your topic.

And the third method is to explore Google’s forums tab to see what people are discussing in your industry.

Try to answer questions like: What problems do people keep bringing up? What comparisons are they making before they buy? At the end of the day, great content is about what your audience wants to know.

2. Start With a Strong Hook to Keep Readers Engaged

To keep readers engaged, your introduction needs to hook them right away.

If you get 100 visitors to your blog, around 80 will glance at your headline, but only about 20 will actually read further. That means your introduction has to do the heavy lifting in convincing them to stay.

A great introduction offers just enough detail to spark curiosity without giving everything away. It’s your chance to immediately show why your content is worth their time.

There are several techniques to craft a killer introduction:

• Question: Start with a thought-provoking question to get readers thinking and engaged.
• Fact or Statistic: Grab attention with a surprising or relevant statistic that adds instant value.
• Anecdotal: Share a brief story or personal anecdote to create a relatable connection.
• Bold Statement: Make a bold, confident claim that makes readers want to read on for clarification.
• Problem-Solution: Present a problem and hint at the solution your content will provide.
• Personal Experience: Use a personal story to build credibility and trust.
• Definition: Clearly define a key concept to give your readers context for the discussion ahead.
• Quote: Open with a relevant, thought-provoking quote to set the tone.
• Hypothetical Scenario: Paint a “what if” scenario that sparks imagination and curiosity.
• Humor: Lighten the mood with humor to engage readers and make the topic more enjoyable.

Use AI content templates to make your life easier and create engaging intros with the help of AI content creation tools.

Search for it, and choose if you want to create a blog post, press release, or video script intro.

3. Format for Easy Reading and Skimmability

Your headline got the reader to click, now it’s time to keep them engaged with the rest of your content.

How you present your content makes a big difference, especially on mobile devices where readability is crucial.

Here’s the thing: According to Nielsen Norman Group, about 57% of page-viewing time happens above the fold, meaning the area readers can see without scrolling. 

After that, the attention drops dramatically: Only 17% of people continue reading as they scroll to the second screen!

Effective formatting can also improve how search engines interpret your content, making it easier to rank.

Here are some formatting tips to boost readability:

• Use Short Paragraphs: Long paragraphs are intimidating, especially on mobile. Break up your content into smaller chunks, and try to keep paragraphs to three lines or fewer. This keeps things scannable and easy on the eyes.
• Add Clear Headings: Break up your content with headings and subheadings. This not only helps your readers find what they’re looking for faster but also helps search engines understand the structure of your content.
• Use Lists: Numbered or bulleted lists are perfect for organizing key points, making it easier for readers to pick out essential information quickly.
• Emphasize Key Points: Use bold, italics, and underlining to highlight important sections. This lets your audience know what’s most important and makes the content more skimmable.

With these formatting techniques, you can make your content easier to read, more enjoyable, and ultimately more effective at keeping your audience hooked.

4. Show Expertise to Build Trust and Credibility

What truly sets content apart is the expertise behind it. Whether you’re selling a product, service, or software, your unique knowledge and experience are your secret weapons.

Readers are searching for genuine help, and when you deliver that, you build trust, loyalty, and SEO advantages. By showcasing your knowledge, you become a trusted voice in your industry.

Google’s E-E-A-T framework recognizes content from credible sources, rewarding those who showcase their expertise.

So, when you highlight what you know best, you’re not just improving your SEO but also establishing yourself as a reliable authority in your field.

But how do you know if your content is truly showing expertise and resonating with readers? 🤔

You use Scholar, a sophisticated content optimization platform designed to enhance SEO by aligning your content with Google’s ranking criteria. 

It provides a score from 0 to 100, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of your content to facilitate targeted improvements.

The evaluated metrics include:

• Content Clarity: Measures conciseness and readability, removing unnecessary words.
• Factuality: Evaluates the accuracy and relevance of facts based on user queries.
• Human Effort: Assesses human involvement in content creation beyond automated tools.
• Information Gain: Identifies unique facts to improve rankings.
• Content Freshness: Tracks updates and timestamps to show recency.
• User Intent Alignment: Ensures content matches user query expectations.
• Entities: Incorporates relevant topics from Google’s Knowledge Graph.
• Contextual Flow: Checks the logical progression of headings and topics.

Scholar aids in identifying thin content and provides clear guidance on necessary improvements. For instance, if factuality is low, it suggests verifying your information. If clarity is lacking, it recommends simplifying the text.

5. Simplify Your Writing to Make the Content Clear and Accessible

Online readers are overwhelmed with content, millions of blog posts, billions of hours of video, and countless competitors vying for attention. The best way to stand out? Write simply.

Good writing isn’t about sounding fancy; it’s about making your ideas easy to grasp. Every word should serve a purpose: If it doesn’t, cut it.

Avoid clutter like excessive adverbs, redundant comparisons, or filler phrases. Instead, focus on direct, conversational language that keeps readers engaged. There are many readability tools out there, but Scholar offers a unique perspective on the content.

Use Scholar to check the readability grade and complexity of your content. Different from the other tools, it shows a score for each section of your content, allowing you to know exactly which parts of your content are confusing and need improvement!

A clear, concise style makes your content enjoyable and easy to digest. Readers should absorb your message effortlessly, that’s the mark of a great writer.

So, write first, then refine. Keep it simple, make it clear, and your audience will keep coming back.

6. Write With the Reader In Mind to Connect With Your Audience

When you write, you’re not just putting words on a page, you’re speaking to someone. Your job is to make sure that person feels like your content was written just for them.

To do that, write with one reader in mind. Picture them as a real person, not just a vague audience. Marketers often use customer avatars for this: A detailed profile that includes their age, job, interests, and biggest struggles. The more specific you are, the more your writing will resonate.

Think about what they care about. What problems do they have? What keeps them up at night? Your content should feel like a conversation that answers their questions and makes their life easier.

For example, imagine you’re writing about Excel. That might sound dry, but if your reader is a marketing manager who needs Excel to justify next year’s budget, suddenly, it’s a big deal. Explain how mastering Excel could help them prove ROI, secure more resources, and advance their career. Now you’re speaking their language.

Always ask: “Why should my reader care?” If you can answer that clearly, your content will connect, engage, and keep them coming back for more.

7. Use Statistics and Data to Strengthen Your Argument

If you want people to trust what you write, back it up with data. Facts, figures, and expert sources make your content more credible and persuasive. They don’t just support your claims but also prove them.

Let’s say you’re writing about the importance of fast-loading websites. You could simply say, “Users prefer faster sites,” but that’s just an opinion. Instead, you could cite Google’s study that found a one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%.

Now, you’re not just stating an idea, you’re showing real-world impact. 🌎

The Scholar also has a metric to check the numerical score of your content, checking the accuracy and clarity of your content’s numerical data! 

Additionally, link to authoritative sources whenever possible. Use research from universities, industry reports, government data, or reputable publications to strengthen your argument and build trust with your audience.

8. Use Great and Helpful Visuals to Enhance Understanding

Think about the last time you scrolled through an article on your phone. What caught your eye? 👀

Chances are, it was an eye-catching image, a compelling video, or an informative infographic that broke up the wall of text and made the content feel more approachable.

These visual elements add some much-needed visual interest and help drive home your key points and make complex ideas feel more accessible.

To make the most of the visuals in your content:

• Use images strategically: Choose visuals that complement and enhance your message, not just filler stock photos.
• Break up large text blocks: Readers are more likely to engage with content that feels approachable and well-structured.
• Leverage charts and infographics: When sharing data or complex information, visuals can make your points clearer and more persuasive.
• Add interactive elements: Videos, GIFs, and animations can improve engagement and retention.

And guess what? Scholar takes a deep dive into your content, not just the images, but also lists, tables, videos, and even those fancy schema markups. You will have the data-driven guidance you need to elevate your content’s multimedia experience.

Picture walking your readers through a step-by-step process, an infographic can make it crystal clear, saving them (and you) the headache of a lengthy text explanation.

9. Create Helpful Content to Provide Real Value

Let’s face it, we don’t read stuff just for the sake of reading it.

We’re all on the hunt for answers, insights, or solutions to problems that have been bugging us. And if what we’re reading doesn’t deliver, we’re quick to move on. ➡️

Google’s Helpful Content Update was designed to reward genuinely useful content while filtering out low-value articles designed purely to rank. The message from Google is clear: if your content doesn’t serve a real purpose for readers, it won’t perform well in search.

So, how do you make your content actually helpful?

• Prioritize the reader’s needs, not just rankings. Instead of stuffing your article with keywords, focus on answering real questions, solving problems, and providing unique insights.
• Avoid generic, AI-generated fluff. Google has cracked down on shallow content that adds no real value. If your article feels like it could have been written by a bot stringing together surface-level facts, it won’t rank.
• Educate first, sell second. Yes, you want to convert readers into customers, but the best way to do that is by building trust. Offer in-depth knowledge, explain why something matters, and then introduce your product or service naturally, without forcing a sales pitch.

Scholar also has an information gain score, which highlights the importance of unique, valuable insights that distinguish your content from the competition!

“Triples” is the term that represents the pieces of information in your content, including the concepts, their attributes, and value. As you can see, Scholar shows your unique information and compares it to the information found in the SERPs.

In this example, the content has 215 pieces of helpful information and 19 of them are unique!

10. Write in Your Unique Voice to Make Your Content Stand Out

Your brand voice is the personality behind your content. It’s what makes your writing feel human, authentic, and distinct from the rest. And in a world filled with regurgitated, AI-generated content, a strong, unique voice is more important than ever.

So, how do you develop your brand voice? Let’s break it down:

• Know your audience: Speak their language, understand their pain points, and mirror the way they talk. Are they professionals looking for in-depth analysis? Are casual readers looking for a conversational tone? Match your voice to their expectations.
• Be consistent: If your content is written by multiple people, define a clear brand voice and document it. This should include your brand’s core values and mission and how you want to be perceived (friendly, authoritative, witty, etc.).
• Inject personality: Whether it’s humor, storytelling, or a no-nonsense approach, let your brand’s character shine. People don’t just want information, they want a connection.

11. Edit to Cut the Fluff and Sharpen Your Message

When writing content, your goal isn’t just to fill a page with words. You want to engage and convert readers into prospects and customers. To do this effectively, use content analysis tools to ensure every word and sentence should serve a purpose; otherwise, you’re just adding noise.

Here’s how to cut the fluff and get to the point:

• Be concise. Avoid over-explaining or using unnecessary words. Busy readers don’t have the time to sift through paragraphs of filler. Trim sentences to make your point quickly and clearly.

• Remove redundancy: If you’ve already made a point, don’t repeat it in different ways. Get to the next part of your message and keep the momentum going.
• Stay relevant: Make sure that every piece of content directly contributes to the key message. Don’t veer off into unrelated tangents that only serve to distract your audience.

Focus on clarity, purpose, and relevance to guide your audience to what they need, without the unnecessary extras.

Scholar automatically finds and points out the number of unnecessary words in your content, helping you to improve it quickly.

12. Include Relevant Calls to Action to Drive User Conversions

As a content writer, your goal isn’t just to inform but also to drive action. A well-placed call to action (CTA) prompts readers, viewers, or listeners to take the next step, whether that’s subscribing, learning more, or purchasing.

To make CTAs effective:

• Ensure relevance: Match the CTA to the content. For example, in HubSpot’s video, they link to related social media courses, providing a natural next step for viewers.
• Align with the buyer’s journey: Tailor CTAs to where the audience is in their process. Early-stage readers might need “Learn More,” while those closer to buying might prefer “Sign Up” or “Download Now.”
• Be clear: Use direct action words like “Subscribe,” “Join,” or “Get Started” to make the CTA easy to understand.

13. Create a Compelling Heading to Boost Click-Through Rates

Your headline is the first thing readers will see, and it has a huge impact on whether they continue reading or move on.

It’s tempting to write the headline first, but it’s best to leave it until the end of the writing process. Why? Because the headline needs to capture the essence of your content, and that’s easier to do once you’ve fully developed your ideas. You’ll also have a better sense of your main message and key points, which will help you create a headline that’s more specific and enticing.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when writing your headline:

• Keep it concise: A BuzzSumo analysis found that headlines with about 65 characters (around 11 words) tend to perform best. Short and sweet wins.
• Use action-driven phrases: Phrases like “What you need to know” or “Why you should” perform well because they suggest the reader will learn something valuable.
• Be specific, but leave some mystery: Your headline should give just enough information to spark curiosity, but don’t give everything away. Think of it like a movie trailer, it should leave readers wanting more.

How to Write Better Content: It’s Easier Than You Think with the Right Tools

Alright, so now you know how to create better content that’s actually helpful and valuable for your audience. But I get it… There’s a lot that goes into that, and it’s easy to let some key points slip through the cracks.

That’s where Search Atlas comes in to save the day. 🦸

With our Scholar tool, you will make sure the content is rich, engaging, and perfectly optimized so it checks all the boxes of quality content.

But that’s just the beginning. Search Atlas offers a whole suite of tools designed to simplify your SEO efforts from top to bottom. Need help with link building or AI-powered content writing? We’ve got your back. Want an on-page SEO analysis or a technical audit? Consider it done.

Take a look at this case study, where our tools helped a news site specializing in anti-aging science achieve a staggering 1,149% increase in organic traffic and a 157% boost in top 3 rankings, all in under a year.

High-quality content played a critical role in driving these results since it needed to be fresh, factual, informative, engaging, and SEO-friendly. Want to see how they did it? Check our Anti Aging Science Website case study.

And the cherry on top? Our unique OTTO AI SEO agent can automate a ton of those tedious tasks, like technical fixes and link building. That means you can focus on creating amazing content while we handle all the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Why wait? Start creating amazing content and boosting your rankings today. Start your free trial now! No commitment, cancel whenever you feel like it.