When the subject of SEO comes up in the day and age, many people automatically turn their thoughts toward advanced apps, tools, technologies and “under-the-hood” techniques for making their websites more search-friendly. But while you’re investing in those cutting-edge enhancements, don’t neglect one of the oldest yet still most effective strategies of them all: organic SEO through strong, relevant written content. Let’s look at some important steps you can take toward optimizing your web pages through text.

Write for Your Perfect Audience

If you try to be all things to all people, you may feel like you’re casting a wider net, but you may end up catching all kinds of “fish” that you might as well simply throw back. Focus instead on content that makes a huge impression on one audience — that ideal sliver of people who desperately need what your organization provides. Offer specific solutions to specific problems, and you’ll naturally optimize your site toward those frenzied Google searches for help. You may find that this approach naturally causes you to use the high-impact keywords that affect your viewers most powerfully.

Write to Build Your Authority

Google has constantly shifted its priorities and reshuffled its algorithms over the years, with businesses scrambling to compensate through this or that adjustment to their online presences. These days, Google rewards relevance and authority, which plays right into your hands if you’re writing compelling, meaningful text aimed at your ideal buyers and prospects. It also means that the more of this text you launch into cyberspace, the more weight you’ll carry with Google as an authority in your industry or field. As your reputation grows, your rankings should climb — not in a fleeting manner (as you might expect if you’re simply chasing the hot keywords of the week), but in a steady, solid rise.

Make the Keywords Fit the Text (Not Vice Versa)

Google currently frowns on those who load their web page content with ridiculously overused or awkwardly placed keywords. If you can’t make that high-ranking but grammatically impossible keyword fit elegantly into your writing, don’t use it! Instead, look at alternative keywords that might serve just as well. For example, for you can’t make ” chiropractor Chicago” work in a sentence without doing crazy linguistic gymnastics, simply flip the words and use “Chicago chiropractor” instead. Keep in mind that plenty of people will be searching with the complete phrase “chiropractor in Chicago” as well — and when they find your site, they won’t turn up their noses at your writing.

Relevant, authoritative content with sensibly used keywords can unlock the full power of organic SEO for your website. So remember, if you want a truly optimized site, start with truly optimal written content!