SEO for a Blog Site: Tips That Really Work
The first time I published something in my blog, I invested many hours into creating the text, added a really cool picture and pressed Publish. And waited for visitors.
None of them came.
A week passed. A month. The number of visitors was virtually nonexistent, and the analytics showed only a few visits, all of which were from my friends, who already knew about my blog. At first, I believed that the cause lay in my poor writing skills. Then I realized that people simply couldn’t find my articles through any search engine.
So I started learning SEO.
I made many mistakes. I used keywords that were highly competitive, ignored such basics as page loading speed, images optimization, and internal links. Eventually, having corrected all those flaws, my articles started appearing in the search results of Google.
If you want some tips on optimizing your blog in terms of SEO, this guide is what you need.
SEO for a Blog: What Is That?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your blog so it becomes easy for Google (and other search engines) to comprehend and accessible for users.
Correct SEO does not involve any tricks. Good SEO involves creating valuable content, proper website structure, and good user experience.
If implemented correctly, SEO will deliver traffic to your blog for months or even years after publication of each article.
Choose the Right Keywords from the Start
One mistake I've made when just started blogging was choosing topics which had been extensively covered by thousands of big websites.
Instead of targeting very general keywords, choose more specific search terms which real people use in Google searches.
For instance:
Instead of writing:
SEO
Write:
SEO tips for beginner bloggers
How to improve Blogger SEO
SEO checklist for new websites
Best free SEO tools for blogs
Long-tail keyword combinations are often less competitive and attract readers who seek answers to particular questions.
Some popular keyword research tools are:
Google Search suggestions
Google Keyword Planner
Ubersuggest
Ahrefs
SEMrush
Answer The Public
Google's "People Also Ask" block might also provide you with a lot of great content ideas.
Write for Human Beings, Not Search Engines
First of all, the thing I've learned is that Google favors helpful content.
Do not create articles that simply repeat a keyword again and again.
Rather, you should:
Answer a question.
Help solve a problem.
Tell your personal experience.
Explain things in detail.
And when your article is helpful, people will spend more time on it, which will be considered positively by search engines.
Create Quality Articles
It seems that many bloggers are convinced that blogging everyday is the key to success.
I used to do that.
What was the outcome?
Many regular articles that were ignored.
Then I started creating fewer but high-quality articles.
And my traffic increased dramatically.
High-quality blog post should:
Answer the question of the reader.
Be well structured.
Provide practical examples.
Be always up-to-date.
Cover the subject completely.
Be easy to understand.
One high-quality article is worth more than five regular ones.
Create an SEO-Friendly Title
The first thing that users will see in the search results is the title.
Instead of using:
"My Opinions About Blogging"
Better use:
"10 Best SEO Tips for Increasing Blog Traffic"
An effective title should be:
Descriptive
Catchy
Understandable
Relevant to the post
Do not create clickbait titles since frustrated users will quickly leave your website.
Use SEO-Friendly Headings
Structure your post with the help of headings.
A sample structure may look like this:
H1 - Post Title
H2 - Sections
H3 - Subsections
Both readers and search engines will benefit from such structure.
Text blocks tend to be intimidating for people so headings will make your article readable.
How To Write Helpful Meta Descriptions
While meta descriptions do not affect ranking directly, they help boost click-through rates.
Good meta description should be:
Descriptive about the article
Contain the keyword naturally
Encourage visitors to click
Keep it short and to the point.
Optimize Page Load Time
Speed is important.
Once I added some large images to my post.
It looked awesome but took ages to load.
A lot of people left the page before it loaded.
Now, thanks to image compression and script removal, this post loads much faster.
Here are some tips on how to make it faster:
Compress images
Use modern image formats
Delete unused widgets
Use less JavaScript
Use light blog design
This will make your website much faster.
Optimize Images
Pictures help the reader remain interested, but pictures need to be optimized as well.
Do before you upload:
Resize big pictures
Reduce the file size
Properly rename pictures
Instead of:
IMG12345.jpg
Rename them:
blog-seo-guide.jpg
Moreover, add alternative text, since it will help search engines understand your pictures.
Utilize Internal Links
Internal links are connections between articles from your own website.
In case you write an article about SEO and you have previously written an article about keyword research, make sure to insert a natural link to it.
Why:
Better navigation
Increased session duration
Better crawling of the website by search engines
I saw how visitors started reading several articles after including proper internal links.
Use External Links Wisely
There is nothing wrong with linking other websites when it makes sense.
For instance, you may use links to credible sources like documents or researches.
It is just necessary to avoid linking any low-quality or spam websites.
Make Your Blog Mobile-Friendly
Modern readers use their smartphones for browsing the Internet.
View your website on different gadgets.
Ask yourself questions such as:
Is it easy to read?
Is it possible to tap on all buttons?
Do pages load properly?
This will help you to get better UX and SEO.
Create New Posts Frequently
It is not necessary to post something every day.
Consistency matters here.
You may consider publishing, for example:
One high-quality post per week
Two posts per week
Four posts per month
Update Old Content
One of the most popular posts on my site was not new.
It was a post I had updated.
I included:
New data
New screenshots
New examples
New formatting
Traffic grew within weeks after that update.
Updating old content is usually easier than creating content.
Prioritize UX
Google likes if visitors find your site easy to use.
Some of the changes to make it easier include:
Easy navigation
Good fonts
Good layout
Not too many pop-ups
Good menus
If it is difficult for visitors to use your website, they won't stay long.
Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is the best free SEO tool out there.
It can help you with:
Sitemap submission
Indexing issues detection
Search queries
Clicks
Page errors
Using it allowed me to find posts that were not indexed.
Monitor Track Performance via Google Analytics
Google Analytics will help you see what users are doing on your site.
Here you can find out:
What works well
The source of visitors
How long they spend time
Pages that require improvements
Data will be a lot more helpful than assumptions.
Gain Organic Backlinks
Backlinks are links to your blog coming from another site.
Do not buy backlinks.
Try:
To create valuable content
Share your articles through social networks
Guest posting
Participating in related communities
Making connections with other bloggers
Good backlinks come over time.
Write Search Engine Friendly URL
Use concise URL.
Example of good URL:
yourblog.com/blog-seo-guide
Example of poor URL:
yourblog.com/post?id=1256&cat=4
Add an XML Sitemap
The XML sitemap helps search engines discover your pages effectively.
If you have Blogger or WordPress site, adding a sitemap will not be difficult.
Submit your sitemap via Google Search Console.
Secure Your Website
Always go for HTTPS.
It protects both you and your visitor and adds to credibility.
Most web hosts provide free SSL certificate now.
Common SEO Mistakes I Learned the Hard Way
These are SEO mistakes that prevented my site from growing rapidly:
Adding no value thin content
Not doing keyword research
Uploading large images
Missing out on internal linking
Creating vague titles
Stealing someone's content
Updating old posts
Having lots of widgets
Waiting for immediate results
SEO takes time.
Some of your articles can get ranked in weeks while some may take months.
A Simple SEO Checklist Before Publishing Your Post
Here is a simple list of things I normally do before hitting the Publish button:
Is the title clear?
Have I answered the reader's question?
Do I use the keyword in a natural way?
Have I included headings?
Have I optimized images?
Have I added internal links?
Have I created a meta description?
Is the content readable?
This little list has saved me from making lots of mistakes.
Real Example
Suppose that you run a food blog.
Then instead of saying:
"Chicken Recipe"
I might write:
Easy Chicken Biryani Recipe for Beginners
How to Make Chicken Karahi in an Authentic Way at Home
Homemade Chicken Soup for Winter
Each post addresses a certain kind of search intent and allows readers to find exactly what they need.
This approach can be used in gaming blogs, tech sites, travel blogs, and personal blogs as well.
Conclusion
This article is not aimed at finding loopholes and getting through all the SEO obstacles in order to succeed. On the contrary, SEO implies the creation of fresh content that would provide the answers for the people’s queries, making your site user-friendly and creating a great first impression. I have some articles which became popular months after they were written and others which achieved their popularity faster. What I have learned from this experience is that slow but consistent steps to success will lead to the betterment of your titles, page speed, content readability and updates. If you put people first and consider SEO as a means of promotion of your high-quality content, success will be close by.
0 Comments