By Michael McKown
Alright, let’s talk about how you can use an interview to give your website’s search engine ranking a solid kick upward. It’s one of those strategies that feels almost too fun to count as “work,” yet it can do wonders if you play it right. Imagine sitting down with someone interesting, having a real chat, and then turning that into a magnet for readers and search engines alike. That’s the vibe we’re going for here.
The first thing you’ve got to nail is who you’re interviewing. It’s not just about grabbing anyone with a pulse and a microphone -- it’s about finding someone your audience is going to perk up for. Maybe it’s an expert in your field who’s got a knack for dropping knowledge bombs, or perhaps it’s someone with a story that ties into what your site’s all about.
I’m Michael McKown, co-founder and president of Ghostwriters Central, Inc., a provider of professional writing services to clients worldwide since 2002. I have many outstanding writers under contract. Pro writers have endless experience with asking questions that get interesting answers. If you want to do an interview for your corporate website to potentially boost its Google rankings, let an expert ask the questions. All you have to do is click the link to get started. Your first consultation with the writer is free. Let’s move on . . .
Say you run a fitness blog -- chatting with a personal trainer who’s helped a client drop 100 pounds could hit the sweet spot. Their credibility and appeal are what draw people in, and that’s step one to keeping readers glued to your page. Search engines like Google are obsessed with relevance, so picking someone whose expertise matches your niche naturally sprinkles in those keywords you’re chasing without you even trying too hard.
Now, once you’ve got your interviewee, don’t just plop down a boring “Tell me about yourself” and call it a day. You want to craft questions that spark real conversation -- stuff your readers would ask if they were in the room. Think along the lines of, “What’s the one thing you wish people knew before starting this?” or “What’s the wildest mistake you’ve made that turned into a win?” Those kinds of questions pull out answers that feel alive, not scripted. And when the content feels alive, people don’t just skim and bounce -- they stick around. That’s huge for engagement metrics like time on page, which search engines use as a clue that your site’s worth bumping up the ranks.
Let’s talk about how you present this thing too, because a wall of text is a surefire way to lose people. Keep it conversational -- like you’re telling a friend about this awesome chat you had. Break it up with subheadings that tease what’s coming, like “The Secret She Learned the Hard Way” or “Why He Says Most Advice Is Garbage.” It’s not about numbering stuff or making a list -- it’s about guiding the reader through the story naturally.
Toss in a standout quote from your interviewee every now and then, something punchy that makes someone pause and think, “Huh, that’s good.” That kind of flow keeps it easy to read, and readability matters more than you might think for SEO.
Here’s a little trick too -- highlight the gold nuggets. If your guest drops some wisdom that’s pure fire, like a tip or a crazy anecdote, don’t bury it in the middle of a paragraph. Give it some breathing room -- maybe italicize it or let it sit on its own line. People love that stuff. They’ll share it, link to it, tweet it out. And every time that happens, it’s like a little SEO high-five from the internet. Backlinks and social buzz aren’t the whole game, but they sure don’t hurt when Google’s deciding who gets the top spot.
Oh, and don’t sleep on multimedia if you can swing it. If you’ve got the setup, record the interview and pull out a quick audio clip -- maybe 30 seconds of your guest saying something juicy. Or snap a photo of them in action to slap on the page. Video’s even better if you’re feeling ambitious -- a two-minute highlight reel embedded right there keeps people lingering. Just make sure it doesn’t slow your site to a crawl, because load speed’s a ranking factor too, and you don’t want to undo all your good work. It’s all about giving readers more reasons to hang out, which sends those dwell-time signals search engines can’t ignore.
Now, let’s get real about keywords for a sec. You don’t need to stuff them in like you’re cramming for a test -- let them flow. If your site’s about “small business growth,” ask your interviewee something like, “What’s the biggest hurdle small businesses face today?” Their answer’s going to naturally weave in the phrases people search for, and that’s what you want. Tie it back to other pages on your site too -- drop a casual link to a related post like “We dug into this more here” so readers keep exploring. It’s like leaving breadcrumbs that keep them on your domain longer, and that’s a quiet little SEO win.
Once it’s live, don’t just let it sit there collecting digital dust. Share a teaser on X or wherever your crowd hangs out -- something like “She told me the one mistake that cost her a year’s profit, and it’s not what you think.” Pull them back to the full piece. The more clicks and chatter it gets, the more search engines see it as a hot commodity. And if you’ve got an old interview lying around, refresh it with a new angle or an update. Google loves fresh content, and it’s an easy way to keep the juice flowing.
So yeah, interviews can absolutely boost your ranking if you do them right. It’s about real talk, smart presentation, and giving people something they can’t scroll past. Pick the right person, ask the right stuff, and make it pop on the page. You’ll see the engagement climb -- and the search engines will follow. Got someone in mind you want to chat with? I could recommend an outstanding writer to get the ball rolling!
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