Five SEO tips for content marketers

In 2026 a content marketer needs five SEO habits: read the search intent, give a direct answer in the first lines, build a clear structure with markup, connect articles with internal links and update content based on Search Console data.

1. How do you identify search intent?

Type the query into Google and look at the first page of results. If it shows articles, the searcher wants to understand something. If it shows service pages and stores, they are ready to buy. Write the kind of content Google already ranks.

Find query ideas in Google Keyword Planner, Google autocomplete, the “People also ask” box, your own Search Console and the questions customers ask your sales team. Tool figures are a guide; real impressions after publishing are the test.

2. How do you write answers for AI search?

Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity lift short, self-contained passages from articles. So:

• the first paragraph answers the main question in 25–40 words;
• each section opens with the answer, followed by detail;
• the text includes facts: tool names, timelines, conditions, sources;
• the author or company and the update date are shown.

Google’s guidance on helpful content explicitly recommends writing for people and showing the author’s real experience. Read more about AI search on our AI search optimisation page.

3. How do you build structure and markup?

A title under 60 characters with the main query at the start. A 140–160 character description that gives the reader a reason to click. One H1, then H2s phrased as the questions people actually ask. Open long pieces with a four- or five-point summary.

Add schema.org markup: Article or BlogPosting for the article, FAQPage for the question block. Check BlogPosting with the Rich Results Test and FAQPage with the Schema Markup Validator. Since 7 May 2026 Google has removed FAQ rich results for all sites. FAQPage markup still helps AI search parse the answers.

4. How should you use internal links?

Every article should take the reader further: to a related article and to the service that solves their problem. Place the link in the sentence where it fits, with anchor text that describes the target page. A list of twenty links at the bottom adds nothing.

Check that links point to the right language version and do not run into a redirect.

5. How do you keep articles up to date?

Once a quarter open the Performance report in Search Console and filter by articles. Look for three signals:

• many impressions and few clicks: rewrite the title and description;
• positions 8–20: add answers to related queries;
• outdated facts: for example, AdWords was renamed Google Ads long ago and Universal Analytics has been replaced by GA4.

Keep the URL when you update. Changing it makes Google re-evaluate the page, and without a 301 redirect the signals it has built up are lost.

What SEO mistakes are most common on blogs?

• two articles target the same query and compete: merge them and add a 301 redirect;
• three paragraphs of introduction before the point: readers leave before finding the answer;
• the title repeats the H1 word for word and gets truncated in results;
• images without alt text weighing several megabytes each;
• the article links to no service, so traffic never turns into leads;
• dates and facts left untouched for years.

How do you connect content to leads?

Set up a lead event in GA4 and review the landing page report. Articles after which readers visit a service page and submit a form deserve attention first. If you need help with copy built around real queries, see our SEO copywriting service.

FAQ

How long should an SEO article be?

As long as a complete answer requires. For most topics that is 700–1,500 words; padding a text for length makes no sense.

How often should blog articles be updated?

Review them quarterly in Search Console. Update articles on prices, regulations and tools whenever the facts change.

Is FAQPage markup still worth adding in 2026?

Yes, for AI search: the markup helps it parse questions and answers. Google removed FAQ rich results for all sites on 7 May 2026. Use one FAQPage per page.

Which tools does a content marketer need?

Google Search Console, GA4, Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends and search suggestions. Microsoft Clarity for behaviour analysis.

When can I expect results from SEO content?

The first noticeable results usually appear about 3 months after publishing and indexing.

Related reading

• SEO copywriting
• Search engine promotion (SEO)
• Website promotion in AI search results

Show us your blog, and we will tell you which articles to update first and how to turn them into leads.

Sources

• Google: creating helpful, reliable content
• Rich Results Test
• Schema Markup Validator
• Google Search Central: documentation updates (FAQ, May 2026)
• Search Console: Performance report