This is Why SEO Matters

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of optimizing Medium articles for SEO to increase visibility and views from Google.

Abstract

The article "This is Why SEO Matters" on Medium by Yana explains why writers should optimize their articles for search engines, particularly Google, which drives more than half of Medium's traffic. The author initially assumed that Medium's inherent SEO was sufficient but realized the necessity of individual article optimization after discovering that a significant portion of Medium's readership comes from Google searches. The article outlines common issues with default SEO settings on Medium, such as overly long titles and descriptions that lack appeal or keywords. It provides before-and-after examples of SEO settings and advises on optimizing titles, descriptions, and content to align with Google's preferences and attract more readers. The author also encourages readers to maintain a single topic focus, prioritize quality, and incorporate video links. Additionally, Yana promotes becoming a "Friend of Medium" and offers resources for creators looking to monetize their online presence with AI.

Opinions

The author believes that relying solely on Medium's SEO is a misconception; individual optimization is crucial for better Google rankings.
There is a strong emphasis on the importance of concise and appealing titles and descriptions, as well as the strategic use of keywords.
The article suggests that Google favors articles that stay on a single topic, focus on quality, and include multimedia elements like videos.
Yana advocates for the "Friends of Medium" program and provides additional resources, indicating a commitment to supporting and empowering Medium creators.
The author's opinion is that by improving SEO settings, Medium writers can significantly increase their article's visibility and readership from Google searches.

Why to Change SEO Settings?

Simple: You’re losing views!

Look, this is the default setting of this article:

Default SEO Settings (screenshot by author)

The Problems:

Too long — the number of characters is highlighted in red

The title has the subtitle attached

The description is not so “sexy”

And here’s the improved version:

Improved SEO Settings (screenshot by author)

Here’s what you need to optimize in your article to get more views from Google.

The major SEO requirements:

Title: max. 60 characters. Add the main keyword. Use title case.

Description, i.e. the subtitle: max. 160 characters. Explain what benefit would the reader get by reading your article. Add addittional keywords. Use sentence case.

Make sure you keep the length, everything else is cut. Consider those things Google loves to see in articles:

Keep it all on one single topic.

Focus on quality.

Add video links if you can.

This is Why SEO Matters

And why you should optimize your Medium articles for Google

Why SEO is Important?

Who Are Your Medium Readers

What is their behavior, and what are the most read publications and more insights

Why to Change SEO Settings?

Here’s what you need to optimize in your article to get more views from Google.

Thanks for reading!