The biggest myth in SEO writing is that you have to choose: rank well or sound human. You don't. The good writers do both, and the trick is mostly about the order of operations.

Write the human version first

Always. Write the post you'd send a friend who asked for advice on the topic. No keyword density, no sub-heading optimization, just the real thing. This gets the voice right.

Then, on the second pass, layer in the SEO. Adjust the H1 to include the head term. Add 2–3 H2s with related questions people actually search. Make sure your introduction answers the query in the first 75 words so featured snippets pick it up.

The 75-word rule

Google's featured snippets favor concise answers in the first paragraph. So my intro is always two short sentences: a definition or direct answer, and a hook that promises why the rest of the article is worth reading. Everything else lives further down.

Voice is the moat

The reason "AI-written" content gets dismissed isn't because it's wrong — it's because it sounds like everyone else. Your voice is the moat nobody can copy. The way you order ideas, the asides you make, the phrases that feel like you — that's what people remember and link to.

When I rewrite a post for SEO, I am ruthless about preserving the voice. I'd rather drop a keyword than sand down the writing.

The checklist I actually use

Before I publish, I check:

  • Does the H1 contain the head term and read like a sentence a human would say?
  • Is the first paragraph a clear, direct answer?
  • Are there at least two sub-headings shaped as questions people search?
  • Is there one image with proper alt text?
  • Is there one internal link to a cornerstone post and one out to a credible source?
  • If you read it aloud, does it sound like a person?

That last one is the most important and the most ignored.