In the animal kingdom, peacocks stand out. The birds with the biggest, most colorful feathers attract the most attention. In SEO, websites are no different. If you want users to notice your site on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP), you’ll need to do a little peacocking of your own and follow SEO trends.
Of course, your content can’t be all sizzle, no steak. You need to produce original, high-quality pieces that provide valuable information or solve a problem.
But according to a 2025 study by Wix, there are approximately 7.5 million blogs published every day. So even if you write the best content ever, you’ve got a lot of competition. You need a strategy to entice users to click on your page.
In this article, we’re offering a step-by-step guide to standing out on SERPs. Use these tips to add some peacock flare to your content and get more traffic. So let’s get preening:
Step 1. Choose a unique angle
Before you even start writing, consider your angle. What will make your content different from other blogs? This is where research comes in. Even as SEO trends evolve, you’ll always need to do some research and find a unique angle.
Depending on the topic, we usually do the following research for our content clients:
Google the target keyword
What comes up when you search for your target keyword? The pages currently ranking will influence our content strategy. Let’s say we’re writing a blog that we want to rank for the keyword “noise cancelling headphones.”
If the top pages for this search query are all lists – i.e. “Top 10 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones” – we often consider two options:
- Produce a list-style article (also known as a “listicle”) of our own
- Go against the trend and produce an article in a different format, such as a how-to guide
In this scenario, making a listicle is a good strategy because it’s clear that the algorithm prioritizes this content format for this keyword. However, it can also be a bigger challenge because we’ll need to make our listicle different enough to stand out.
That’s where we get creative. For example, our listicle might drill down to specific features or uses such as “Top 10 Noise Cancelling Headphones, Ranked by Battery Life” or “Top 10 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Classical Music.”
On the other hand, we might also buck the SEO trends that favor listicles and write an article with a different format, like “How To Find the Perfect Noise Cancelling Headphones for Any Budget.” This may stand out more because it’s different. However, it will also require more research and originality to prove to the algorithm (and readers) that it’s worth out-clicking the competition.
Look at competitors’ blogs
We also look at competitors who have blogs. Since our example client sells headphones, we’d look at top competitors who sell audio equipment and consumer electronics – even if they’re not ranking for the specific target keyword.
Understanding the industry or niche helps us brainstorm unique angles for content. We don’t stop at businesses, either. For the purpose of content comparison, personal hobby blogs are still “competitors” even if they don’t sell products or services that compete with the client. If they’re ranking for the same keyword, they’re a competitor.
Review data from Google Search Console
Finally, we turn to our old friend Google Search Console (GSC). GSC is a powerful tool that offers lots of data about your website’s performance on Google. When you’re brainstorming for content, you can see what terms people are currently searching to find your blog.
To find these terms, open GSC and click on the website you want to analyze. Then, navigate to the “Performance” report. Click “Search results” and you’ll see a list of keywords that are driving traffic to your pages. (We usually leave the timeline settings to 3 months, but you can also expand or limit this window.)
GSC results might be exactly what you expect – or they might surprise you! Regardless, you can use this data for content inspiration. If we discover our hypothetical headphone client is getting a lot of traffic from the keyword “3.5mm jack,” we might pivot our content strategy to emphasize headphone parts and accessories, i.e. “Top 10 Noise Cancelling Headphones with 3.5mm Jacks”.
Step 2. Outline your content
But we’re not quite ready to start writing. The next step is to create an outline. Outlining is a simple yet highly effective technique for creating SEO content that stands out on SERPs. It’s like a roadmap that tells you how to organize your ideas.
The outlining process is where you’ll write H2 and H3 headers as well as the steps in your “how to” guide, the order for your listicle items, and where to add multimedia elements. We also decide where we want to insert specific keywords or links.
Of course, you’re not stuck with your outline. We often realize that two sections could be condensed into one, or certain information makes more sense at the top of the article instead of the end. It’s common for the final article to look different from the outline.
But outlining makes it easier to write high-quality readable content, which is crucial for standing out. You’ll also write faster! Sitting down to write an entire article can be daunting. Writing one or two sections at a time? Much easier.
Step 3. Write it!
Okay, now it’s time to write your article.
There’s no magic bullet or secret lifehack for this step. However, we’ve discovered some tips that make writing flow more easily:
- Listen to focus-enhancing music: We prefer instrumental tracks, as songs with lyrics can be distracting, but it’s up to you!
- Use the Pomodoro method: Set a timer and write for 25 minutes straight, then take a 5 minute break to stretch or check email, then write another 25 minutes – lather, rinse, repeat until finished.
- Coffee and snacks: Or tea and snacks, or water and snacks. As long as there are snacks, basically.
Even with all the content tips and guides and best practices, writing is still a subjective and personal process. But we believe the best writing happens when you’re feeling comfortable and relaxed.
If you get frustrated with SEO trends and feel like you’re struggling to create unique content, just take a break and work on something else for a while.
Step 4. Find statistics
Statistics build authority. They demonstrate that you’ve researched your topic and gathered evidence to support your assertions. Adding statistics also helps readers see you as a trusted source of information. Plus, they’re a great way to add external links to high-authority websites.
Some of the best sites for finding statistics for your SEO content include:
- Statista
- Gallup
- ScienceDaily
- University websites
- Government websites
Just remember to incorporate statistics naturally. They shouldn’t feel random. If you find a great statistic but you’re not sure where to insert it, we usually suggest the introduction because you can use the statistic to add background context to your topic.
Step 5. Add multimedia
Nobody wants to read a long wall of text. Even the best content can turn readers away if it’s nothing but paragraph after paragraph. That’s why some of the most successful SEO trends include multimedia.
Adding photos, infographics, tables, or videos makes your content easier to digest and more engaging. It also helps with SEO. Multimedia tends to increase the amount of time users spend on your page, which signals to search engines that your content is more valuable.
Just make sure that your multimedia elements load quickly. They should also be mobile-friendly and use descriptive alt-text for accessibility tools like screen readers. We often use a free PageSpeed Insights tool to test our load speed; if it’s too slow, we reassess our multimedia assets and make adjustments.
Step 6. Craft a strong, engaging title
Crafting a strong, engaging title is critical for standing out on SERPs.
If your page is a peacock, the title is the eye-catching tail – it’s the part of your blog that makes the biggest, first impression. And if your title doesn’t grab attention, people won’t click.
A great SEO title is direct and compelling. It tells users exactly what your content is about, yet piques their curiosity. Titles should also:
- Include a keyword
- Be between 50-60 characters, or under 580 pixels
- Avoid click-bait (don’t sensationalize or make claims that aren’t backed up in your content)
Questions often make strong SEO titles, as well as How To phrases and numbered titles like Top 10 lists, 5 Reasons Why, or 7 Mistakes to Avoid about your topic. Other successful title formulas include Myth vs. Fact and Do’s and Don’t’s.
Just make sure your title fits your content. For example, this blog is a step-by-step guide. We could’ve called it “How to Write SEO Content That Pops” or “7 Tips for SEO Content That Pops”; those titles both fit.
But “SEO Content Myths vs. Facts” wouldn’t make sense without some heavy rewrites. A title like that would confuse readers, even if it grabs their attention.
Step 7. Write a click-worthy meta description
Meta descriptions are the short blurbs that appear until your title on a SERP. It’s like an elevator pitch for your page. A good meta description expands on the information in your title, while enticing users to click your link instead of your competitor’s.
Some best practices for meta descriptions include:
- Use active voice, not passive voice
- Describe what users will gain from your page
- Limit your meta description to maximum 160 characters or 990 pixels
- Include a keyword
- Include a call to action (CTA)
Phrases and words like “learn more,” “discover,” and “explore” are solid choices for meta description CTAs. However, make sure you avoid sounding spammy. Always stay authentic to your brand’s voice. If SEO trends are moving toward a casual tone but you write a legal business blog, don’t fill your meta description (or any of your content) with Gen Z slang.
Also, it’s important to keep your meta description short. If you go over 990 pixels, Google may discard your carefully crafted meta and just select a random line from your content.
Not sure how to keep your meta descriptions short? Higher Visibility has an excellent free tool for checking pixel count. (You can also use this tool to check your title length.)
Stand out like a peacock
Peacocks are flashy, but they’re also skilled foragers with complex mating rituals. Standing out is just one piece of the puzzle. For content strategy, you need to do the same: don’t just stuff keywords into your articles and write a click bait-y title.
Through research and outlining, high-quality writing, multimedia, and compelling meta data, you can increase your odds of getting seen on SERPs. Strong SEO content gets clicks, subscribers (or other conversions), and keeps readers coming back for more.
What do you think about SEO trends for content writing? Did we miss a step? Let’s chat about it! Join the conversation on our Instagram or LinkedIn.
