5 SEO Tips for Your Next Blog Post
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You have created a quality blog post you want everyone to read and are now starting to think about how to make it SEO-friendly. You are already on the right track! The goal of SEO is to get your content to show up on the first page of search results. The better your content and more you integrate a range of SEO tips, the better chance you have of ranking higher.
Every time someone searches online, the phrase they type into the search bar is known as the keyword. Learning the keywords that people use most, and incorporating them into your article, is just one of many ways to get a high SEO ranking.
Anyone can become an SEO pro with a little know-how about how to use strong keywords, external links, internal links, images, alt text, and more. These top five SEO tips for your next blog post will help get you started!
1. Keywords Top the List of Successful SEO Tips
If you are learning about SEO, you have probably already heard of keywords. These are words and phrases that people most often search for on Google and other search engines. If you use the right amount of these in your article, you can really begin to rank!
There are primary keywords and secondary keywords, which you will want to sprinkle liberally. Secondary keywords are also known as LSIs (Latent Semantic Indexing), and they can be almost as important as the primary keyword itself as they help a search engine accurately use keywords.
You see, sometimes a word will mean a couple of things. Fall, for example, could mean to fall over, or the autumn season. Secondary keywords, such as leaves, autumn, or seasons, will help the LSI understand what to look for. So, they may not seem as important as your primary keywords, but they also serve a vital purpose.
Pro Tip: Always be sure to use the primary keyword in your title and first paragraph. The search engine algorithm will look at these when it comes to calculating your page rank. It’s also just common sense to grab the attention of the reader and let them know that they are in the right place. In other words, your content is what they were looking for.
Do Some Research to Find Out Which Keywords Are Most Effective
So, how do you know what the best keywords are? Today one topic is trending; tomorrow it’s another, which means the best keywords can change too. One of the best SEO tips is to use a keyword research tool.
Or you can search for keywords yourself. First off, consider your business niche. Do your own online searches related to this and see what keywords appear. You will see the kinds of questions people ask appearing above the results.
You can take frequently searched phrases like this and turn them into keywords on your own. As it begins to rank, your blog post will show up in the search results.
Pro Tip: A great way to add in a keyword or two is by adding an FAQ. Your readers will also find this extremely helpful. Win-win.
Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Too much of a good thing is definitely a risk when it comes to keywords, as using too many can have the opposite effect. If you stuff your articles full of keywords, it appears unnatural to a search engine algorithm, which will then rank them lower.
Aim for a balance. Use your primary keyword the most, but don’t forget to include some secondary alternatives and variations of that keyword as well.
Use Yoast and Rank Math for SEO Tips
Tools like Rank Math and Yoast give you SEO tips to help you optimize your article as you go.
For example, they will tell you how many times to use your primary or focus keyword. They’ll remind you to use the focus keyword in your image alt text, meta description, headings, and will even assist in figuring out technical details like the URL… all so that you can rank most effectively!
Yoast and Rank Math are very similar, but in my opinion, Yoast is better as it accounts for variations of the focus keyphrase. This means you can fit it in more naturally throughout the article without repeating the exact same phrase 10 times. Rank Math, on the other hand, expects you to use the exact focus keyword multiple times to boost the score. But with a bit of practice you can make your own judgment call on how much is too much, and Rank Math is still super helpful in every other area.
Make Sure Your Keyword Use Is Natural
Search engine algorithms are more and more sensitive to keywords being used naturally (or not). And you should never compromise on a well-written article with good flow. To use keywords naturally, remember to space them out a bit. And sometimes you need to be clever. Always take the time to do it right as it will make all the difference when it comes to your rank!
2. Bring Real Value to Your Reader
Some blog posts and articles exist only to rank. They are repetitive and contain basic information that tells you nothing new. You’ve probably done an online search only to find yourself reading the same thing over and over. So stand out from the crowd by bringing real value to your reader!
Avoid Fluff
Let’s be honest, fluff isn’t doing anyone a favor. What is fluff? Rather than being useful or informative, fluff refers to text that exists merely to fill up space, to reach a certain word count, and to keyword stuff – pretty useless for the reader, all in all.
The earnest, curious reader deserves more than this. Fill your blog posts with writing that has substance: research, personal experience, and useful tips.
Not only is this the honest thing to do, people will begin to trust you as a reliable source as well. This will prove invaluable when it comes to helping you rank higher in search results. Who ever said that honesty doesn’t pay? Quality SEO writing can make you very successful.
The Longer Your Blog Post, the Better
The longer the blog post, the more likely it is to rank, generally speaking. This is because the search engine algorithm will assume that your post is in-depth and informative. Aim for 1000-2000-word blog posts, or longer. A 300-word blog post is the minimum to keep your SEO effective!
Do Your Research
Competition is fierce on the internet, so why should people read your blog post? Bring in more traffic by providing a genuinely knowledgeable, new or unique perspective to your reader. They will want to learn not just the basics, but also tips or tricks that only you, the expert, has.
So, what have you learned? What are you an expert in? Use a good range of online sources for your research, then write what you know. For a blog post of the highest caliber, mix in your own personal experience or perspective.
Data Will Help You Rank
Boost your blog post’s ranking simply by providing some numbers or percentages. If you are talking about how to provide a pet guinea pig with enough vitamin C, for example, you can create a table that shows guinea pig-safe foods that are good sources of vitamin C and exactly how much they have. This simplifies the information – not only will it help you rank, but people will also find the data easier to digest.
Draw on Personal Experience
Nothing compels a reader quite like personal experience. This shows them that not only do you talk the talk, you walk the walk!
Write about what you have learned in detail. Be friendly, but also professional. Share any drawbacks you experienced or new insights to a topic you discovered by doing.
It depends on your target audience of course, but readers generally prefer a personable style of writing. Use your best judgment here. Pet-lovers reading a blog post about pets, for example, will want to see that you genuinely care. They do love their pets, after all.
3. Use Social Media to Promote Yourself
With social media there are so many more ways to promote yourself to a larger audience than ever before. Link your various social media accounts to one another. People are always happy for another quality format to follow. This will help build your credibility and create a variable web of promotion that can help you reach far and wide.
- Facebook – Still very popular, Facebook offers a lot of promotion potential. Create a business page, but don’t make it all about your product or work. Also, share posts that are related, funny, interesting, or just plain random (as long as they remain professional). This will encourage people to follow.
- Instagram – On Instagram you can make posts or create a daily story. There are also highlights that you can place at the top of your profile. These are all prime areas for promotion, as long as you can mix some fun in as well.
- Houzz – What sort of product do you have? What kind of business do you run? You may want to check out Houzz, as this is a site where you can advertise products, rooms, and more.
- LinkedIn – You can also use a LinkedIn profile to promote yourself. As always, keywords are king. Integrate them through your About section, and anywhere else you can while still remembering to keep it natural. This will help people find you and your company. In fact, LinkedIn can be an excellent advertisement platform as it’s made for the business professional.
- Twitter – Use the classic hashtag to promote on Twitter. Each platform will expand your audience, so you can’t have too many, really. That being said, make sure people can actually find you on Twitter. This is where keywords will come in handy again.
- Pinterest – Since it began, this social media platform has only become more popular. Create fun, interesting or informative Pinterest boards, and make pins of your own products to share as well.
Backlink or External Link
A backlink or external link is where you link to a website other than your own. Just make sure that the page you’re linking to relates well to your piece, and that the website is official and trustworthy. This will help show that the information you’re sharing is useful and accurate. Just one simple link can significantly increase the credibility of your blog!
4. Make Your Blog Posts Readable
When talking to your audience, your motivation should be, of course, promotion, but also sharing information in a digestible manner. So simplify what you write to make it understandable to all. Instead of using complicated or unusual words, use the everyday words that everyone is familiar with.
Keep Your Sentences Short and Sweet
The recommended length is no more than 20 words a sentence. Along with this, try not to say the same thing twice. For example, “it was incomprehensible and hard to understand.” Just “it was incomprehensible” or “it was hard to understand” alone will do the trick.
Avoid the Intimidating Text Wall
Potential readers you’ve worked so hard to help find your page will be daunted if they’re suddenly faced with a big block or wall of text. Separate your text into paragraphs with headers, subheaders, and so on. Paragraphs with no more than five sentences are ideal.
Know Your Audience
Who are you writing for? Is your audience primarily made up of mothers? Young adults?
When it comes to promotion, you need to know who your audience is and what they are looking for. This is also very important when it comes to deciding your angle, tone, and so on.
If you own a business, write your blog posts on topics within the industry that you work. However, don’t be afraid to get creative. As long as it is within the umbrella of your industry, your blog post will serve its purpose well.
Entertainment Factor
It won’t matter if your blog post is the most informative in the world if it is not interesting enough to hold the attention of your reader! You must encourage them to stick around and read to the end. When it comes to a well-rounded piece of text, give due thought to the entertainment factor and dynamics. How can you present your information in a way that is fun, unique or new?
If folks were looking to read dry research, they would reach for a textbook. When writing a blog post, you have some freedom to show some personality as you share what you know.
There’s a fine line between being perfectly grammatically correct, and sounding too formal. Your blog post can quickly become boring and put readers off. Instead, welcome your audience and be conversational.
Spelling and Grammar Check
You have just finished your blog post and you are ready to turn your computer off – don’t forget one last spelling and grammar check! Spelling and grammar mistakes are unprofessional, which can cause you to lose credibility. Search engines will also notice them and rate your text as being of a lower quality.
This all means your blog post will not rank as effectively. When it comes to SEO tips, spending just a couple of minutes extra can make all of the difference. So be sure to give it a thorough spelling and grammar check before you call it done.
5. Add Internal Links to Keep Readers Hooked
Adding internal links to other content on your own website is a fine thing to do, as it will show that you know a lot about the topic you’re talking about. It will also give readers a chance to learn more about you, your company, and your product or service.
As for boosting SEO, linking to your other articles or web pages keeps people on your site awhile, which will help decrease your bounce rate. Bounce rate refers to how quickly someone leaves your website. If the article is boring or doesn’t provide value, readers are likely to leave without finishing reading. But if you grab their attention right off the bat and lead them to other useful articles on your site, you can keep people engaged and greatly decrease your bounce rate.
SEO Checklist
When it comes to getting your next blog post discovered and read more, these top five SEO tips are a great starting point:
- Create a well-researched article
- Keep your keyword usage well-balanced and natural
- Share new and unique information
- Keep it conversational
- Welcome new visitors and encourage them to stay
Now you have a little know-how, it’s time to put these SEO tips for your next blog post into practice and start increasing your readership!
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