How to write content that Google understands (and why that matters)
19 February, 2025
Content Marketing
Your headline needs to do two jobs
As a copywriter, I know how powerful a great headline can be. A good one grabs attention, sparks curiosity, and encourages people to click, read, and act.
But when it comes to content marketing, there’s another audience you need to win over – Google.
And here’s the thing:
Google doesn’t get nuance. Instead, it takes you at your word – like a toddler.
As a result, your headlines (and subheadings) should be clear, descriptive, and direct.
As a result, your headlines (and subheadings) should be clear, descriptive, and direct.
That means your headlines (and subheadings) need to be clear, descriptive, and direct. Not cryptic. Not clever. Just accurate.
Curios headlines are great – but clarity comes first
Let’s say you’re writing a blog post about the future of the transportation industry.
Your headline:
“All roads lead to Rome”
Fun, right? It might intrigue your human readers. But Google? It thinks the article is about Rome. Or possibly Chaucer. Either way: wrong topic. Wrong audience. Wrong results.
Instead, consider this:
“5 Key Trends in Road Transportation by 2050”
Google knows exactly what your article is about – and so do your readers.
Result?
Your content has a better chance of ranking high in search and actually being found by your target audience.
Why Google rankings matter
Let’s be honest – no matter how good your content is, it won’t make an impact if no one sees it.
Ranking high on Google means:
- More visibility
- More traffic
- More potential leads and conversions
Ultimately, that’s the whole point of content marketing:
Your audience finds you – not the other way around.
But for that to happen, you need to:
- Use clear, relevant headlines
- Focus on topics your audience actually searches for
- Optimize your content for search engines (a.k.a. SEO)
So, does that mean all your headlines have to be boring?
Not at all.
You just need to strike a balance between creativity and clarity.
Think of it like this:
Be clever for humans. Be clear for Google.
That way, your content works on both levels – it ranks well AND reads well.
Examples of headlines that work for both Google and your readers
Let’s go back to that transportation article. Here are a few Google-friendly but still engaging headline options:
♥ Road Transportation – 5 Trends You Don’t Want to Miss in 2030
♥ Everything You Need to Know About Road Transportation in 2030
♥ Road Transportation 2030 – All Roads Lead to the Future
Notice how they all include keywords (like “road transportation” and “2030”) but still feel human and clickable.
Looking to improve your Google performance?
At Skapa, we help companies write content that’s:
- Relevant
- Search-optimized
- Tailored to your audience’s needs
Also, we develop smart strategies and handle everything from planning to publishing – so your content actually gets seen (and remembered).
Let’s create content that connects. Get in touch today!
That’s us
Now we're curious about you.
What do your business needs look like, and what can we do to help? We look forward to hearing from you!