# Content SEO

## Search Intent
Match content type to query intent — mismatch = no ranking:
- **Informational**: "how to", "what is" → guides, tutorials, explanations
- **Navigational**: brand + product → homepage, product page
- **Transactional**: "buy", "price", "discount" → product/service pages with CTAs
- **Commercial investigation**: "best", "vs", "review" → comparison, reviews

Check intent by searching: what's ranking on page 1? Match that format.

## E-E-A-T
For YMYL (Your Money Your Life) topics — health, finance, legal, safety:
- **Experience**: First-hand experience with topic (reviews, case studies)
- **Expertise**: Author credentials, byline with bio
- **Authoritativeness**: Site reputation, citations from authoritative sources
- **Trustworthiness**: Contact info, privacy policy, secure site, accurate content

E-E-A-T signals:
- Author bio with credentials and photo
- About page with company history
- External links to authoritative sources
- Updated date on content
- Cite sources for claims

## Content Quality
- Thin content penalty: <300 words with no unique value → noindex or expand
- Duplicate content: Google picks one version, others filtered — use canonical
- Content depth: cover topic comprehensively, answer related questions
- Unique value: what does YOUR content offer that competitors don't?
- User engagement: low time-on-page and high bounce signals poor content

## Freshness
- Query Deserves Freshness (QDF): time-sensitive topics need recent content
- "Best X 2025" queries: dated content ranks, but must be actually updated
- Update dates: changing date without updating content = spam
- Evergreen content: no dates in URL, update content periodically
- News: requires fast indexing, use Google News sitemap for news sites

## Content Structure
- Answer the query in first 100 words — featured snippet potential
- Table of contents for long content — improves UX and may show as sitelinks
- FAQ section at bottom — captures "People Also Ask" queries
- Bullet points and numbered lists — preferred for featured snippets
- Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences) — easier to read, especially mobile
