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3-2-1 Friday: A basic SEO content checklist, topic sentences, and using bridge words
Welcome to today’s issue of Efikó, a weekly newsletter by me, Dozie Anyaegbunam, with a focus on content marketing, writing, social strategy, and living your best life. THANK YOU for being here! I appreciate you.
Hullo, 👋
It’s been a tough week. I finally put up my Mom’s image on my work desk.
But that has meant my emotions have been all over the place.
What have you all been up to all week?
Still collating feedback on the “Content Marketing Weekly Roundup.”
1. Do you find it helpful?
2. Are you able to read all the links shared?
3. Would you prefer if you got it monthly, bi-weekly, or you rather keep getting it every Sunday?
3 Things I learned This Week
i.
I came across this short and sweet SEO content checklist. And I thought you all could swipe it like me. Here goes:Keywords
Did you use your keywords naturally?
Did you use keywords in the subheaders?
Is the focus keyword in the title?
Is the primary keyword showing up every 300 words?
Image SEO
Do you have images in the article?
Any embedded video?
Do you have pull quotes?
Readability
Does your article have a table of contents?
Are you using simple language?
Does your word count match or surpass the ranking articles?
Are there opportunities to use bullet points or numbered lists?
ii.
Topic sentences are a great way to reduce the chance of writing fluff. A topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. It contains the idea that you develop throughout the rest of the section.
A topic sentence forces you to focus on what matters. Three questions to ask when developing your topic sentence are:
What question do I want to answer?
What point do I want the reader to go home with?
What do I want to say here?
iii.
Stitching ideas/sentences together trip up most beginner content writers. Enter bridge words.
Bridge words show the reader how the writer got from one thought to another - a bridge for the reader to cross seamlessly from one idea to another. A bridge word is a word you use in a paragraph or sentence and then repeat it in the following sentence.
For example, if I write: “Let’s go play soccer this evening. My cousin lives in Edmonton.” You’ll be confused. Those are two unrelated sentences.
Now, let’s bridge them.
“Let’s go play soccer this evening. My cousin and I used to play soccer every evening. He lives in Edmonton.”
Soccer is the bridge word here.
2 Things I am Thinking About
i.
ii.
You are not your thoughts. You are not your emotions. Don’t let them control you.
1 Book Recommendation
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Branding by Rory Sutherland. Rory is a legend in advertising, and in this book, he explores the art and science of creating irresistible products and ideas.
Content Writing Jobs
All the best, folks. Could you please share with any of your friends/colleagues who might find this helpful?
Not Enough Writers
Not Enough Writers knowledge sessions are back.We are kicking it off with the brilliant Joanna Rutter.And she’ll be walking members of the community through the basics of an excellent article structure. Plus, an AMA on running a freelance writing business.Do you have someone who would want to join the session?
Share the registration link with them!
If you would love me to review your writing and give you feedback, you can book a time here. Or just hit the reply button.
Thanks for reading this far. I am grateful!
Be good out there. If you can't be good, be careful.
I’ll be back on 4/21.
Dozie
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