Content That Ranks: Writing for Search and Humans

Content marketing for service businesses is often done badly. Businesses either ignore it entirely, leaving competitors to dominate informational searches, or they churn out low-quality blog posts that no one reads and nothing ranks.

Good content serves two masters: search engines and humans. It needs to rank well enough to be found, and then it needs to be useful enough that visitors trust you and take action. This article covers how to do both.

Starting With Keyword Research

Before writing anything, understand what people actually search for. Your assumptions about what customers want to know are often wrong. Keyword research reveals the actual language and questions your potential customers use.

Tools for keyword research

Google Keyword Planner is free with a Google Ads account. It shows estimated monthly search volumes and suggests related keywords. The volume numbers are ranges rather than precise figures, but they indicate relative popularity.

Google Search Console shows what searches already bring people to your site. You may discover you rank on page two for terms you never targeted, low-hanging fruit for optimisation.

Ubersuggest offers a free tier with keyword suggestions and search volumes. The data is not as comprehensive as paid tools but works for basic research.

Answer The Public visualises questions people ask around a topic. Enter "garage doors" and it shows questions like "how much do garage doors cost" and "what garage door is best for security". These are content goldmines.

SEMrush and Ahrefs are the professional-grade tools. They cost money but provide comprehensive keyword data, competitor analysis, and content gap identification. Worth it if you are serious about content marketing.

Finding the right keywords

Start with your core services. What do you offer? List them out. Then expand: what variations do people search? What questions do they ask? What problems do they have that lead them to your service?

A garage door company might start with "garage door installation" and expand to: garage door cost, garage door sizes, electric garage door, garage door repair, garage door not opening, which garage door is best, how long do garage doors last.

Look for keywords with decent search volume that you can realistically rank for. A new website probably will not rank for "garage doors" against national competitors. But "garage door installation Newcastle" or "how much does a garage door cost UK" might be achievable.

Consider commercial intent. Someone searching "garage door repair" likely needs help now. Someone searching "how garage doors work" is probably just curious. Both can be valuable, but the first is closer to a buying decision.

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases. "Garage doors" is short-tail. "Insulated sectional garage door prices" is long-tail.

Long-tail keywords have lower search volume individually but are often easier to rank for and have clearer intent. Someone searching "best garage door for cold climates UK" knows exactly what they want.

A content strategy should include both: broader terms on main pages, long-tail terms targeted with specific articles or FAQ sections.

Understanding Search Intent

Not every search is the same. Someone searching "buy garage door" wants to purchase. Someone searching "garage door stuck" wants a solution to a problem. Someone searching "types of garage doors" wants information. These require different content.

Four types of search intent

Informational searches seek knowledge. "How do garage doors work", "what size garage door do I need", "garage door maintenance tips". These people are learning, not buying yet.

Navigational searches seek a specific website. "Checkatrade login", "B&Q garage doors". They know where they want to go.

Commercial investigation searches compare options before buying. "Best garage doors 2024", "sectional vs roller garage doors", "garage door reviews". They are considering a purchase but researching first.

Transactional searches are ready to act. "Buy garage door online", "garage door installation near me", "garage door quote". They want to purchase or enquire.

Matching content to intent

If you target "what is the best garage door" with a page that just says "contact us for a quote", you will not rank. Google knows the searcher wants comparison information, not a sales pitch.

Informational queries need informational content: guides, explanations, how-tos. Commercial investigation queries need comparison content: reviews, pros and cons, recommendations. Transactional queries need service pages with clear calls to action.

Look at what currently ranks for your target keyword. If the top results are all detailed guides, write a detailed guide. If they are all product pages, write a product page. Google has already determined what intent that keyword has.

Structuring Content for SEO and Readability

How you structure content affects both rankings and user experience.

Headers create hierarchy

Use headers (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content logically. Your main title is H1 (you should have only one). Major sections are H2. Subsections within those are H3.

This hierarchy helps search engines understand what your content covers. It also helps readers scan and find what they need.

Include keywords in headers where natural, but do not force them. "How Much Does a New Garage Door Cost?" is a natural H2. "Best Garage Door Cost UK Cheap Prices" is keyword stuffing.

Write for scanners

Most people scan rather than read every word. Use short paragraphs (three to four sentences maximum). Use headers to break up sections. Use bold text to highlight key points.

Front-load important information. Put the key point at the beginning of sections, not buried at the end. If someone only reads the first sentence of each section, they should still get value.

Optimise the opening

Google often uses the first paragraph to generate featured snippets or to understand what the page is about. Make your opening count.

State clearly what the page covers and why it matters. A page about garage door costs might open with: "A new garage door typically costs between £800 and £3,000 installed, depending on size, material, and whether it's manual or electric. This guide breaks down what affects the price and what you should budget."

That opening tells both Google and readers exactly what they will learn.

Content length

There is no magic word count. The right length is whatever fully answers the query. A simple question might need 500 words. A comprehensive guide might need 2,500.

That said, thin content struggles to rank. If competitors have 2,000-word guides and you have 300 words, you are unlikely to outrank them. Analyse what ranks and aim for similar depth while being more useful.

Do not pad content to hit a word count. Every paragraph should add value. Longer is not better if the extra words are waffle.

E-E-A-T: Why Expertise Matters

Google talks about E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. For service businesses, demonstrating expertise in your content matters.

Show experience

Content written by someone who actually does the work beats generic information scraped from elsewhere. Share real examples from your experience. Mention specific projects (with permission). Describe what you have seen in practice.

"We've installed over 500 garage doors across Tyne and Wear, and the most common mistake homeowners make is..." carries more weight than generic advice.

Demonstrate expertise

Explain the "why" not just the "what". Anyone can list garage door types. Explaining which type suits which situation, and why, demonstrates expertise.

Do not be afraid to go into detail. Your audience may not understand technical nuances, but they recognise when someone knows their subject deeply. Simple explanations of complex topics build trust.

Build authoritativeness

Author bylines help. Saying who wrote the content and linking to their profile or credentials adds authority. "Written by John Smith, 20 years experience in garage door installation" means more than anonymous content.

References to recognised sources, industry standards, and official guidance add authority. If you cite manufacturer specifications or building regulations, you signal expertise.

Establish trustworthiness

Include trust signals in your content and on your site. Reviews, case studies, accreditations, insurance details, and years of experience all build trust.

Contact information should be prominent. Hiding how to reach you suggests you do not want to be contacted, which erodes trust.

Writing for Humans First

SEO is important, but readers come first. Content optimised purely for search engines often reads badly and converts poorly.

Write naturally

Keyword stuffing is counterproductive. "Our garage door installation service provides garage door installation for customers needing garage doors installed" is unreadable and Google recognises it as spam.

Use keywords naturally. Write as you would speak to a customer. If a sentence sounds awkward because you forced a keyword in, rewrite it.

Provide genuine value

Every piece of content should answer a question, solve a problem, or provide useful information. If it does not do any of these, why publish it?

Ask yourself: would I read this? Would I find it helpful? If the answer is no, improve it or do not publish.

Include calls to action

Content should guide readers to the next step. After reading your guide on garage door costs, what should they do? Get a quote? Read a related article? Contact you with questions?

Include appropriate calls to action without being pushy. An informational article might end with "If you're considering a new garage door, we'd be happy to provide a no-obligation quote." That is helpful, not salesy.

Updating Old Content

Content is not write-once-and-forget. Updating existing content is often more valuable than creating new content.

Why updates matter

Search engines favour fresh, current information. A page updated recently signals that the information is likely accurate. A page last touched three years ago may contain outdated information.

Your competitors are publishing new content. If they create better resources on topics you cover, they will outrank you. Updating keeps you competitive.

What to update

Review your existing content annually at minimum. More frequently for topics that change fast.

Check for outdated information: prices, statistics, regulations, product names, tool recommendations. Update anything no longer accurate.

Improve thin sections. If a section could say more, expand it. If competitors cover something you do not, add it.

Refresh the opening and meta description. Make sure they are still compelling and accurate.

Update the published date when you make substantial changes. This signals freshness to search engines and readers.

Consolidating weak content

If you have multiple articles on similar topics, none ranking well, consider consolidating them into one comprehensive piece. Three mediocre posts competing with each other is worse than one strong post.

Redirect the old URLs to the consolidated page so any existing links still work.

Content Calendars and Consistency

Sporadic content rarely works. Consistency builds momentum.

Planning what to write

Keyword research should inform your content calendar. Identify the topics you want to rank for, prioritise them, and plan when you will write each.

Consider seasonality. An article about keeping garages warm in winter is better published in September than March. Content about spring garden preparation should go up in January or February.

Balance different content types: informational guides, how-to articles, case studies, local content, comparisons. Variety keeps your site interesting and covers different search intents.

Realistic frequency

One excellent article per month beats four poor ones. Quality matters more than quantity.

What frequency can you realistically sustain? Weekly is ambitious for most service businesses. Fortnightly or monthly is achievable. Pick a pace you can maintain and stick to it.

Consistency matters because it builds a body of content over time. Twelve solid articles over a year is 60 articles over five years. That adds up.

Measuring Content Performance

Publishing content without measuring results is guessing.

What to track

Organic traffic to each article shows whether people are finding it through search. Check Google Analytics.

Rankings for target keywords show whether the content is achieving its SEO goal. Track over time; rankings fluctuate.

Engagement metrics like time on page and bounce rate indicate whether content is useful. Low time on page suggests people are not finding what they need.

Conversions are the ultimate measure. Are readers becoming leads? Track form submissions and calls attributed to content pages.

Acting on data

If content is not ranking after six months, investigate why. Is it thin? Is the competition too strong? Does it match search intent?

If content ranks but does not convert, the content may be attracting the wrong audience or failing to guide readers to action.

If content ranks and converts well, consider expanding it, updating it regularly, and creating related content.

Content That Works for Service Businesses

Not all content types suit service businesses equally well.

Service guides explaining what you do, how it works, and what customers should know perform well. They rank for commercial investigation queries and build trust.

Cost guides attract high-volume searches. "How much does X cost" is a common query format. Be genuinely helpful with ranges and factors affecting price.

Problem-solution content targets people with immediate needs. "Garage door not opening" or "boiler making noise" searches come from people who may become customers quickly.

Local content supports local SEO. Topics relevant to your service area build geographic signals.

Case studies demonstrate experience and results. They may not rank highly but convert visitors who are evaluating you.

FAQ content targets long-tail queries and can appear in featured snippets. Real questions from customers make the best FAQ content.

Writing content that ranks is not mysterious. Research what people search for, understand what they need, create genuinely useful content that serves those needs, and optimise it sensibly for search engines. Do this consistently over time, and your organic visibility will grow.