Creating SEO content can feel like a puzzle. You aim for engaging, informative, and optimized material, but the pieces don’t always fit together easily. Whether it’s balancing keywords without sounding robotic or keeping up with algorithm changes, the challenges in SEO content creation can be overwhelming. This article will unravel these struggles, offering practical tips to navigate SEO content strategies effectively.
Feather's Notion to blog empowers you to master these challenges, providing everything you need to craft content that ranks and resonates.
13 Challenges in SEO Content Creation & Overcoming Them
Challenges in SEO Content Creation
1. Ineffective Content and Flawed Keyword Targeting
Producing high-quality content is essential, but ensuring that your content resonates with your target audience is equally important. Neglecting to understand your audience's preferences, pain points, and interests can lead to content that fails to engage and convert. Take the time to research your audience and tailor your content to address their needs effectively.
Keywords are also the foundation of SEO, linking your content to users' search queries. Yet, choosing inappropriate or highly competitive keywords can diminish your visibility. Skipping proper keyword research or neglecting long-tail keywords can hinder your website's ranking. Prioritize relevance and user intent in your keyword strategy.
2. Slow Page Speed
Users expect websites to load in three seconds or less, and page speed is also a ranking factor in Google, meaning Google considers it when determining how to rank pages. A tool like Google’s PageSpeed Insights will rate your page speed and suggest how to improve it.
3. Missing or Unoptimized Image Filenames and Alt Tags
Images can help your SEO, but only if they have optimized filenames and alt tags. All image filenames should be descriptive and contain keywords, and you should separate words in your filenames with hyphens.
Strategic Image Management
Your images should also have descriptive alt tags containing your keywords. Alt tags allow Google to understand your site’s images and improve your site’s accessibility. Also, compress your images using tools like Kraken and Photoshop to prevent them from slowing down your page speed.
3. Duplicate Content
Duplicate content is anything identical or similar content across multiple pages on your site or multiple websites- can lead to lower rankings since Google will view it as less helpful to users.
You can use tools such as CopyScape and Duplichecker to check for duplicate content on your site. If you discover duplicate content, you can:
Change the copy to remove duplication.
Use a 301 redirect to send users from the duplicate to the original page.
Use the rel=canonical to indicate which page the copy.
Use the noindex tag to tell Google not to index the duplicate page.
4. Non-optimized URLs
Optimizing a page’s URL can boost rankings. Ensure you use your main keyword in your URL, keep your URL relatively short, and use hyphens instead of underscores to separate words. Choose a well-known top-level domain (TLD) — the suffix at the end of your URL.
Some of the best options are .com, .org, and .edu., as well as TLDs associated with specific countries, such as .us for the United States and .ca for Canada.
5. Unoptimized Title Tags
Your title tag tells users and search engines what your page is about. A page’s title tag can provide substantial SEO help since Google uses it to determine your page’s purpose and, therefore, how to rank it.
It can also encourage users to click through to your page, telling Google that users find it useful. When many users click on your page from search results, Google will see this as a positive signal and rank your page higher over time.
To create an optimized title tag, ensure it’s unique, accurately describes the page’s content, and encourages users to click through to your page. Also, keep your title under 70 characters and include your keywords.
6. Missing or Unoptimized Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are short snippets that describe your page’s content and entice users to visit your page. They often appear on search results pages.
Click-Through Optimization
While meta descriptions are not a direct ranking signal, they can encourage users to click through to your page, providing indirect SEO help. Ensure each page on your site has a unique meta description that accurately describes the page’s content. Use your target keywords in your descriptions and keep them under 155 characters so that Google doesn’t truncate them.
7. Not Using Heading Tags
One relatively quick SEO fix is adding heading tags to your pages, such as H1, H2, H3, and H4. These headings help break up the text, making it easier for readers to digest. Headings also help Google understand your content and are a prime place to include keywords.
8. Thin Content
According to Google, thin content provides little or no value to users. Some examples of thin content include:
Content stuffed with keywords that offer little actual information
Duplicate content
Content designed to attract users to a site but not provide them anything of value
Strategies for Enhancing Value and Substance
If your site's content provides little value, it might be thin. If you discover any potential thin content, delete it or improve it by adding more substance, like:
Written content
A video
Multimedia
The negative impacts of thin content go beyond just lower rankings. Google may issue a penalty and stop showing all or part of your site in search results entirely. If this happens, you must correct the issue and request a reconsideration with Google.
9. Messy Code
Messy or unnecessary code on your website makes it harder for search engines to analyze and index your site. It also increases the likelihood of coding errors and may slow down your site’s loading time. Try to reduce your code-to-content ratio and keep your code well organized. Make sure that every tag serves a purpose. Try using indentations for every new tag or tag group to keep your code easy to read.
Ensuring Technical Integrity
You can use HTML validation tools, such as the W3C Markup Validator, to help you find errors and junk code on your pages. If you’re unsure how to fix technical SEO issues like these, contact a web developer or professional SEO agency for technical SEO help.
10. Broken Links
Links between pages on your site help users navigate your site and improve user experience. Linking from high-authority pages on your site to other pages can also help boost your rankings. Broken links, nevertheless, disrupt the user experience and can be frustrating to site visitors.
Google may also view broken links as a sign of a low-quality website. To find broken links, use a checker tool and ask staff to report broken links if they see them. Whenever you discover a broken link, fix, replace, or delete it to improve your rankings and user experience.
11. No Mobile Optimization
Another essential strategy for improving your SEO in 2025 is optimizing your website for mobile devices. Google now analyzes websites from a mobile user’s perspective first, so if your site isn’t optimized for mobile, it could hurt your rankings. You can use Google’s mobile-friendly test tool to check if your website is optimized for mobile. If you haven’t already done so, make your website responsive.
Device-Agnostic Design
Websites that use responsive design adjust to the screen on which they’re viewed to look great and work correctly on any device. Work with a web designer to convert your site to a responsive design.
12. No Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. When another site links to yours, Google views this as a sign that your site is high-quality and authoritative, leading to improved rankings. You can check how many backlinks your site has with various backlink checker tools.
To increase your backlinks, try the following strategies:
Create compelling content that other sites naturally want to link to
Look for broken links on other sites and suggest links to your pages as replacements
Pitch a story about your company to a local news organization
Write a guest post on a blog
13. Disregarding Local SEO
Ignoring local SEO is a significant miss for businesses catering to local markets or having physical locations. Optimizing for local searches through techniques like Google My Business optimization, local citations, and reviews can significantly impact your local visibility. Ignoring these tactics means losing out on potential local customers actively seeking your offerings.
Think about your content like a car engine. Without the right parts and fuel, it’s not going anywhere. SEO content planning is that fuel. Search engines love organized content. Plan around the keywords people search for and what they need. This way, your content gets noticed, bringing more organic traffic to your site.
Attract the Right Audience, Not Just Any Audience
Picture this: your site consists of random visitors who don’t care about what you offer. Frustrating, right? SEO content planning helps you reach the people who want what you have. This means potential customers, clients, or even industry peers. It's not about casting a wide net; it's about making sure you catch the right fish.
Save Time and Resources by Working Smarter, Not Harder
Creating content without a strategy is like throwing darts in the dark. You might hit something, but chances are, you won't. By focusing on what works, you save time and money—no more wasting resources on content that doesn’t drive results.
Boost Engagement and Conversions
When your content speaks directly to your audience's needs, they're likelier to stick around. Whether they sign up for your newsletter, purchase, or reach out for more info, engaged visitors are more likely to take action. Address their questions and concerns, and increase your engagement and conversion rates.
Stay Competitive in Your Industry
Your competitors are investing in SEO. If you're not, you're falling behind. A solid SEO content plan helps you stay relevant and rank alongside—or above—your competitors. Building long-term authority in your industry is crucial, and SEO content planning is the key to achieving that.
Seamless Content Integration
Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from Notion to blog in minutes!
What Kind of Content Do You Need for SEO?
Challenges in SEO Content Creation
Regarding SEO challenges, crafting blog posts that resonate is key. Blog posts are the workhorse of SEO strategies, providing fresh content that search engines love. Regular updates answer questions and solve problems, signaling that your site is active and valuable.
With industry insights and expert opinions, you can establish authority and keep readers engaged. While blog content creation can be tricky, the rewards are worth it.
Product & Service Pages: Turning Clicks into Customers
Optimizing product and service pages is a common challenge, especially for those in eCommerce and service-based industries. These pages need compelling descriptions, high-quality images, videos, and customer reviews. It’s not enough to list features; you must explain benefits and how they solve a customer’s problem.
Many businesses struggle here, but getting it right can lead to higher rankings and more conversions.
Long-Form Articles & Guides: SEO Goldmines
Creating in-depth content is another challenge, but it’s one worth tackling. Search engines favor articles, whitepapers, and guides that provide comprehensive information. These longer pieces are great for ranking on competitive keywords and attracting backlinks. Nevertheless, producing this type of content takes time and effort, and many businesses find it challenging to maintain a consistent output.
Videos: Keeping Visitors Engaged
Video content is a fantastic way to engage visitors and improve SEO, but it can be challenging to create. Tutorials, product demos, and customer testimonials are all great options, but they require planning and resources. Nevertheless, the effort is worth it, as videos often appear in featured snippets and Google’s video search results.
Infographics: Shareable SEO Assets
Infographics are a popular way to present data in a digestible format, but they’re not always easy to create. They require a good design and a clear message to be effective. Nonetheless, infographics can attract backlinks and strengthen your SEO when done right.
FAQs & Glossaries: Building Authority
FAQs and glossaries are a great way to build authority and improve rankings for long-tail keywords. Nevertheless, creating a well-structured page can be challenging. You need to anticipate what your audience will search for and provide clear, concise answers. But if you can get it right, these pages can position your site as a go-to resource in your industry.
What Are Some Best Practices for Writing SEO Content?
Challenges in SEO Content Creation
Headings aren't just for looks. They're crucial for your site's SEO performance. Use H1, H2, and H3 tags to structure your content. This helps search engines understand what each section is about. Make sure your headings contain high-intent keywords. This minor adjustment can significantly boost your search engine ranking.
Write for People, Not Robots
It’s tempting to write solely for search engines but remember, people read your content. They'll stick around if it’s clear, organized, and answers their questions, which increases your chances of ranking higher. Always keep your audience in mind. What brought them to your site? What do they need?
The Power of Meta Descriptions
Your meta description is like a mini-ad for your content. It shows up in search results just under your title. Make it short, unique, and keyword-rich. This not only grabs attention but also boosts your ranking. Google’s crawlers love well-crafted meta descriptions.
Don’t Ignore Alt Text
Images need love, too. Alt text describes what’s in an image for search engines and visually impaired users. It’s a simple yet effective way to improve your SEO. Always add alt text to your pictures. It’s a win-win for SEO and accessibility.
Avoiding Keyword Overload
Keyword stuffing is so last decade. Instead of cramming keywords into your content, focus on relevance and quality. For example, if your keywords are “data science” and “python for data science,” don’t overdo it. Keep your content focused and provide real value to your readers. Google will notice and reward you.
Speed Up with Image Compression
Slow-loading pages are a no-go. Google considers page speed when ranking sites. Visitors will bounce if your page is slow, and your rankings will suffer. Compress your images to improve load times. Many tools are out there to help you do this without sacrificing quality.
Boost Engagement with Internal Links
Internal links are a fantastic way to keep readers on your site. They help search engines index your site and encourage visitors to explore more of your content. Just make sure your links are natural and relevant. No one likes spammy links.
Go From Notion to Blog With Ease Today with Feather
Challenges in SEO Content Creation
Feather transforms the way you handle SEO content creation. Imagine writing your blog content in Notion and seeing it published with a single click. That's Feather. This tool lets you publish blog content and newsletters without the headache of coding or design—no more back-and-forth between platforms.
You can create, collaborate, and publish all from one place. This seamless transition saves time and reduces errors, helping you focus on creating quality content.
Boost Your SEO with Subfolder Blogs
You might not think about it often, but the structure of your blog URL can impact your SEO performance. Feather allows you to set up a subfolder blog—like domain.com/blog instead of blog.domain.com. This structure is better for SEO, as it strengthens your main domain's authority. With Feather, you can optimize your blog's SEO without additional effort.
Integrate Your CRM with Feather
Feather isn't just for blogging. It also integrates with your CRM, allowing you to manage your blog and customer relationships from one place. This integration simplifies your workflow and helps you track the performance of your content. You can see how your blog posts perform and adjust as needed.
Customize Your Blog Design with Feather
Feather offers options to change your blog's design with custom CSS. You can create a unique look that reflects your brand's identity. This customization helps your blog stand out and engage readers. Feather makes it easy to create a visually appealing blog without any design skills.
Send Newsletters from Notion with Feather
In addition to publishing blog content, Feather allows you to send newsletters directly from Notion. This feature streamlines your email marketing efforts and helps you stay connected with your audience. You can create and send newsletters in minutes, keeping your subscribers informed and engaged.
Collaborate with Your Team During the Publishing Process
Feather makes it easy to collaborate with your team during the publishing process. You can work together in Notion, sharing ideas and getting feedback. This collaboration ensures that your content is polished and ready to publish. Feather simplifies the publishing process, allowing you to focus on creating quality content.