If you’ve been trying blogging but getting no results yet, let me tell you a little secret…There’s writing a blog, and there’s SEO writing that drives traffic to your website. Ever notice why some blogs receive so much attention and traffic and why they are at the top of Google’s search engine?
In this SEO Blog tips article, you’ll learn exactly what to do to help you get those results each time you write a blog. But before you start typing away, let’s get you prepared to optimize.
Watch this video or keep reading 😊
Before You Build Your Blog
There is a structure to creating the perfect SEO blog, that’s why proper preparation is needed. Taking the time do research on your blog both content wise and SEO geared will be the difference between a blog on the first page of Google, or a blog on the second.
Although second place may not seem so far behind, being on the second page of Google is almost like being non-existent. Not many people navigate further than the first page of Google before they start searching different terms or keywords. Yes, it seems tedious but the long run you will be thankful that you put in the time to prepare.
Yes, it seems tedious…but in the long run, you will be thankful that you put in the time to prepare!
Step 1 of SEO Writing Blog Tips: Keyword Research
One of the most important steps in creating an outstanding blog is by making sure you have successfully chosen the right keyword. The right keyword has medium to low competition that is still highly searched by your targeted audience. Below are some essential tips for finding the right keyword.
- Med-Low Competition
- Keywords with high search results
- Don’t reuse the same keywords, just because they worked before doesn’t mean they work now
You can use Google Keyword Planner to research for the perfect keyword!
Choosing Your SEO Blog Keywords
In the image below, you’ll see I searched for the keyword “SEO”. I’m using the Google Keyword Planner by the way…
Long-tailed terms are more specific terms or phrases that people search for. You can check Ad group ideas (click on the other tab) It can be in the form of a question or a detailed phrase that people are using to search for answers. Here are some of the long-tailed terms we found when we searched for “SEO blog writing tips”. It’s also great to try out a different combination of words to generate different long-tailed terms. Since “SEO” was pretty high searched, we chose “seo writing” as our main keyword for this blog. And we’re so glad you’ve found it!
Step 2: Make Your Mobile Site Friendly
Many times, people on the go are using Google on their phones. This means that more users are using phones than desktops or laptops and it’s your job to make sure that the content is equally viewable. Wondering if your site is responsive to mobile users? Run a free test with this Web Page Mobile-Friendly? Tool.
Step 3: No One Has Time for Slow Pages
This tip is one we may not necessarily realize will cause high bounce rates, or people leaving your page. On average, users will wait for about 5 seconds for a page to load before they think to themselves, “Nope this isn’t worth it”.
Be honest, we’ve all done it!
People want search results and they want it fast. Your blog content may answer all of their questions, but they won’t ever stick around to find out if your page is too slow and won’t load. Your page may be slow for a number of reasons such as having large pictures, too many pictures, server issues or even uncompressed content. Check all the errors of your page speed with Google PageSpeed Free Tool.
Step 4: Drown Your Blog with Your SEO Keyword
As soon as you have chosen your keyword, it’s time to fill in the blog. If you’ve noticed, you’ll find that this blog has “SEO writing” written all throughout it! Whether that’s in the title, headlines or content, it’s in here.
Headlines are very important for SEO. I know that the blogs I read are the ones with headlines that tell me they will answer my question. Take your time with the wording of your blog to ensure you have incorporated the best-chosen keyword while still staying true to the purpose of the blog.
The key to nailing a headline is to use attention-grabbing words and phrases that draw you in so much, you’ll truly feel like you’re missing out by not reading it. Take a look at our headline, if that doesn’t scream, “READ ME! YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS!”, then you probably haven’t scrolled back up to see what it was.
Step 5: Let’s Talk About Heading Tags
The purpose of heading tags is to help organize sections in your post that still keep content cohesive. By following the heading tags outline below, you can properly and strategically input keywords into headlines that make sense and draw attention. Think of it as the food chart, where your blog’s most important serving of keywords is in the title and first heading.
Step 6 of SEO Writing Tips: “First 30” Rule
Now that your headlines all include your chosen keywords, don’t stop there. Within the first 30 words of your introduction paragraph, your keyword should be repeated at least once. Introducing your keyword in the content early on lets the reader know that somewhere in your blog they will, in fact, find the content they are seeking. Reassuring readers that they are on the right page helps them to stick around longer, especially if they grow in patient waiting for you to get to the point.
Step 7 of SEO Blog Writing: Optimize Meta Description
You know that brief information that shows up when you search a headline in Google? That’s your meta description!
Your meta description is what shows up below your headline in search results. When I searched for “best chefs of all time” this was the top result:
Google identified the exact phrase in the meta description to match the article headline and my search question. Having detailed information in your meta description helps users to legitimize your blog or article because it matches their exact search. In order to ensure your meta description fits the bill, make sure to make the purpose of the blog clear in the description, and mention the keyword of course!
Step 8: Keep it Short.
Articles with long URLS that seem to go on and on are more prone to being buried. Since search engines look for URLs that are short and to the point, make sure your head term is in the URL following the page name. For example, look at the URL for our search on the greatest chefs of all time. Google is trying to tell you that there’s no denying this blog is exactly what you are looking for.
Step 9 of SEO Writing Tips: Tag Keywords In Images
Because content is so heavily focused on for SEO, we forget that images can include keywords and also have a ranking on google. Descriptions of images can contain keywords, and even on the back-end of images that are hidden. Be sure to treat your alt text as the meta description the same as you would for a blog, including keywords and proper explanation of the image, especially if you created the image yourself! Images that have been pulled from the internet already have been ranked.
Step 10 of SEO Blog Writing: Don’t Think, Just Link
Have social media? Link it. Have your own personal blog? Link it. The best way to make sure others come across your blog is to create direct links to it!
Linking generates traffic, especially when used through social media platforms where the amount of audience reach is likely high. Even linking your blog to a highly ranked blog can help you perform better on Google.
Anchor tags are easiest, but if you choose internal linking you’ll be most effective. By keeping someone on your site, the bounce rate decreases which is exactly what you’ve been wanting!
Step 11 of SEO Writing: Create Relevant Content
If your blog or article claims to a question, then make sure you answer that question. Once you have established you are a trustworthy and knowledgeable source for information, users will seek you out to become informed and this is when you receive a loyal following. If your content doesn’t have factual concepts or even carefully thought out concepts, it probably isn’t good. The point of writing a blog is to inform readers and give them the information they care about.
SEO Post-Writing Tips
Step 12: How Far Have They Gone?
You did great by getting people to initially click your page. That means there is some type of interest in your blog! It would be nice if everyone read your entire article, but unfortunately, most people leave within the first 100 words depending on the quality of your content. That’s why our goal is to at least have people read through a majority of our article before they leave.
There are tools to allow you to see where exactly people left off on your page before they exited. If needed, consider creating more bullet point content and reducing the number of words in your blog.
Step 13 of SEO Writing: Baby Got Backlinks!
The best and most successful way for creating backlinks is to create sub-articles within your already published blogs. For articles that are long and thorough, you can break them down to create many articles that are similar in content but more detailed and focused.
In the end, the last thing to do to create best SEO Blog is to run an audit. An audit lets you get a better idea of what your audience is looking for and how you have been able to respond. Taking time to see how your last post did makes you better prepared for your next one.
If you would like to know what you need to know to fix on your website to start generating leads, you can get a free website report from us. Then, simply give the report to your web developer so he/she can make the changes needed -or we can help you too!- and start generating leads online!!!
Good luck on your next SEO Blog, and we hope to see you on top!
