Writing SEO Content
Writing SEO content is not placing keywords into markup. Google composes the title link and the snippet itself, from several sources on the page; there is no prescribed keyword density; and "LSI words" are not mentioned in Google's documentation at all. This lesson separates the parts of the familiar checklist that the documentation supports from the parts the industry invented.
It rests on the SEO starter guide and on the title links documentation.
What stuffing actually leads to, word for word
Stuffing has a precise definition: filling a page with keywords or numbers in an attempt to manipulate rankings. The consequence is stated too, and more mildly than the usual scare story: sites that violate the policies may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all. Violations are detected through automated systems and, as needed, human review that can result in a manual action.
No density norm exists, and neither does a target length: among the warning signs of search-engine-first content the documentation names the question "are you writing to a particular word count because you've heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don't.)" You can measure the actual density of your own copy with keyword density — as a guard against unnatural phrasing, not as a target.
The title: you propose, Google decides
The documentation states that Google uses a number of different sources to automatically determine the title link, and that if it detects an issue on the page, it may try to generate an improved title link from anchors, on-page text or other sources.
Hence its own practical advice: Google looks at the main visual title, heading elements and other large and prominent text, so make your main title distinctive from the rest and the most prominent on the page — for example larger, and in the first visible h1 element. A single H1 is needed not "for the keyword" but so that there is no ambiguity about which text is the main one.
The snippet is composed by Google as well — per the snippets documentation it is assembled from the page's content with the query in mind. A draft title and description are convenient to assemble in the snippet planner, remembering that it is a proposal rather than a guarantee.
What the checklist genuinely supports
| Element | What the documentation says |
|---|---|
| Headings | The main heading should be visibly the main one; Google reads heading elements as a source for the title link |
| Image alt | Short descriptive text explaining the relationship between the image and your content; Google also extracts the image's subject matter from the page content, including captions |
| Link text | Anchor text tells users and Google something about the page you are linking to |
| Internal links | Links provide more context on a topic, both for users and search engines |
| Your readers' words | Think about the words a user might search for; experts and newcomers search differently |
What is not in the documentation
- "LSI words". The term does not appear in Google's documentation. What is useful is not the label but what it tried to describe: covering the topic and using the reader's language.
- "More weight at the start of the text". No such rule is documented. The opening matters for another reason: a person decides from it whether to stay, and the main heading and title should give a descriptive, helpful summary of the content.
- A density norm and a target length. As above: neither exists.
- How many times the keyword goes in the H1. The H1's job is to be unambiguously the main heading, not a container for a phrase.
How to write the page
- The task first. What the person wants to do and which format the results expect — see the lesson on search intent.
- The answer up front. A short direct answer before the detail — especially when a featured snippet holds the query.
- Structure by subtask. Subheadings describe what is inside, rather than "containing the keyword".
- Your contribution. Data, a calculation, screenshots, limits — whatever the top does not have. The self-assessment is the set of questions about original information and analysis.
- Connections. Contextual links with meaningful anchors to the cluster's neighbouring pages — see the lesson on clusters.
- Cleanup. Spelling and readability: the spell checker, readability, and the overall assessment in text quality and page analysis.
Mistakes
- Repeating a phrase for density: that is described in the spam policies directly.
- Writing to a word count Google does not have.
- Two or three equally prominent headings on a page: then Google picks the main one.
- Alt text as a slot for a keyword instead of a description of the image.
- Anchors like "here" and "read more" — they tell neither the reader nor search anything.
- Assuming the exact phrasing is mandatory: see the lesson on what a keyword is.
The course in one line
The whole path: the business goal → the user's task → the format the results expect → one page per task → expected value in money → copy that answers the task → comparison with the outcome. Every link rests on documentation or on your own data, and none of them on belief.