Content Creation for Business Content Marketing by Camille Concepcion

Writing for Bots and Humans – How to Master SEO and User Experience

writing for bots and humans

“Optimize your content for search engines.” This is what we usually hear from experts to gain visibility and traffic. 

But in the race to top search results, we sometimes forget the most important – providing solutions to real people. Our audience craves authentic, educational content. Not just a jumble of keywords and unnecessary sentences. 

So how can we practice writing for bots and humans and create something appealing to both? Find the answer in this article. 

Contents hide
Understanding Your Readers
Writing for Bots and Humans – Best Practices
Conclusion

Understanding Your Readers 

Bots play a massive role in your brand’s and website’s visibility as they help drive 53% of your site’s traffic (BrightEdge, 2019). 

Yet, humans are the ones engaging, sharing, and converting. Without them, this traffic will remain just numbers. The engagement and conversion will be low if there’s no genuine connection.

Therefore, striking the right balance is crucial for effective SEO. Here’s what you need to know about these two. 

Search Engine Bots

writing for bots and humans - a person looking at SEO

Search engine bots, also called “spiders” or “crawlers,” are a sort of digital explorers. They check the net, look through the pages, interpret content, and index them. 

All the well-known search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Baidu, have their own crawlers. But there are hundreds out there. 

The best way to describe them is as librarians. They categorize the pages, like books in the library, to easily retrieve them.

But how do they do that effectively? Unlike human readers, they don’t “read” your content. Crawlers rate and scan it using patterns and signals that show relevancy (Simplilearn, 2023).  

Human Readers

While it’s true that spiders get us noticed, humans give purpose to our content. They are the ones who have the power to share and buy from brands and online businesses.

And they are the primary reason why search engines exist. Google and other software constantly update their algorithms to cater to humans and deliver the most applicable page to their searches. 

The recent update of Google emphasized that. It now gives priority to people-first content. In addition, they added user experience as one of their ranking factors (Google Search Central, 2023). 

Writing for Bots and Humans – Best Practices

Now that we know the importance of the two and how they differ from each other, let’s learn how we can cater to them.

When Finding and Using Keywords

magnifying glass pointed to keywords

Remember these three things when doing keyword research and optimization – user intent, voice search, and keyword placement. 

The reason behind the user’s search is as vital as checking a term’s popularity and difficulty. It’s crucial to check the pages on the top results and see what intent most of them cater to. 

Here’s a summary of the four types:

  • Informational: Learning something new. (“What is SEO?”)
  • Navigational: Going to a specific website or page. (“SurferSEO pricing page.”)
  • Transactional: Buying something. (“Buy iPhone 15 Pro.”)
  • Commercial Investigation: Comparing products or services. (“iPhone vs. Samsung.”)

Next is voice search. Technological advancements have changed our way of interacting with search engines. Half the US population alone uses it daily (UpCity, 2022). And the majority of users prefer doing a voice search to typing their questions (Oberlo, 2023).  

So what do you need to do? Focus on using long-tail keywords and conversational language that align with people’s speech.

Lastly, ensure that your keywords look and feel natural inside your content. Avoid adding terms that don’t feel right just because of SEO. After all, “connection” is the key. And the best SEO strategy speaks to humans and bots seamlessly.

When Creating Content

Content is more than words on a page – it bridges your brand and the reader. That’s why readability is essential. 

Though no direct evidence links readability to Google rankings, an easy-to-understand piece enhances user experience. Why? No one wants to read long and overly-jargoned sentences. 

Moreover, the E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) underscore the value of credible, reliable content for humans and bots. 

Additionally, formatting has a dual purpose: For your readers, bullet lists, clear headings, and crisp sentences enhance clarity. While bots indicate structured, organized information. 

When Including Visual Elements

a woman clicking an image

I remember scrolling through a lengthy article once, thinking, “I wish they’ve put some photos to break the texts up.” 

Like readability, visual elements are crucial to user experience. Using relevant images, infographics, videos, or whiteboard animations can captivate your readers. 

But there’s an SEO angle too. Using alt-texts for images gives bots the context they need. So your content becomes discoverable. 

When adding visuals, remember to make them high-quality and unique. It’s better to create yours, but you can also get it from platforms like Canva, Unsplash, or Pexels for stock photos. Including screenshots for proof or giving instructions is also a great idea. 

When Adding Meta Descriptions

Think of meta descriptions as a movie teaser for your web page. They provide context for bots and help them understand what your content is about. 

Look at these two examples and let me know which one you’ll click: 

  • Option 1 – “Discover simple SEO strategies that work. Boost your online presence today with our comprehensive guide.”
  • Option 2 – “SEO, SEO strategies, online guide, online presence.”

I’m guessing you chose option one. It’s more enticing, while the other feels like a keyword vomit. 

Remember that a well-crafted meta description with relevant keywords can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR). In fact, it can increase your CTR by up to 5.8% (Backlinko, 2023).

When Linking Other Articles and Resources 

Links guide both crawlers and readers to your website. Internal and external links help the crawlers index and rank your page better. Meanwhile, they allow your audience to deepen their knowledge and measure your expertise. 

Additionally, a 2022 study highlighted the impact of hyperlinks on reader engagement. It shapes your audience’s view of content importance. For instance, the research found that links positioned on top of the page are more important (Jayes et al., 2022). 

This revelation shows the SEO benefit of links and their effect on your human readers. 

But, like keywords, it’s essential to place them naturally. Your links shouldn’t disrupt the flow of your content but rather enhance it. 

Conclusion

So how can you maintain the balance in writing for bots and humans?

Start by taking a closer look at your current content strategy. Then focus on the key areas we’ve explored: keywords, readability, visual elements, meta descriptions, and strategic linking. 

Remember, writing for search engines is a science and art. It’s not just about pleasing bots – it’s also about what works for your audience.

Happy optimizing!

Sources

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *