Search Engine Optimization (for Blogs)

 

English: White hat seo symbolizes good ethic techniques in search engine marketing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I haven’t tackled the 10th tip in Mr. Brewer’s 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic article, because it has proved to be a sticky point for me. Let’s review it together:

 

Think SEO. I know Google is building up the importance of social media in its searches, which may incite other search engines to follow suit, but that doesn’t mean that SEO (or search engine optimization) suddenly has no relevance for bloggers. What I expect to happen is that content with solid SEO and solid social media metrics will rise to the top of the search results. (Click here for some SEO tips.)

 

(sigh)

 

Now, we have to click on the link to figure out what we should be doing to increase our blog traffic!

 

Rather than make you do it, I’ll provide them below in abbreviated form with some brief comments of my own (don’t want to completely plagiarize his content), and here’s a link back to his SEO post again.

 

1. Use appropriate keywords. This is a no brainer, but we all forget sometimes. And, in my quest to be witty, different, or funny, I often try to come up with a title that alludes to the topic of my post, but often just leaves folks dazed and confused. Don’t be like me! Use keywords that highlight the topic of your post in your title, content, and tags.
2. Use keywords naturally. Notice I did not write SEO SEO SEO SEO a thousand times, nor am I repeating search engine optimization randomly in search engine optimization my post. Whatever the topic of your post, use the keywords to identify the topic in the content of your post as you would in a normal conversation. Most of you do this naturally, but again, in my quest to bring a fresh perspective on, say, genre cons (or conventions), I might completely forget to actually type ‘convention’.
3. Deliver quality content. I don’t think this needs an explanation, but here it goes: if the title of your blog post is widgets, you had better write about widgets in your post.
4. Update content regularly. Funny how this works. Like magic even. I have several blogs. The ones I ignore, get ignored. Even the one with cute doggie pictures that I KNOW everyone loves. So, create a schedule, stick to it, and they will come.
5. Link back to your own content. Ah, there’s those links again. If nothing else, linking back to your content will make it look like you know what you’re doing, and can actually remember what you posted a week ago. 😉
6. Link to others you consider helpful. Ah, what more can I add here? You all are my inspiration! Of course, linking to other posts that inspire your own is not only a good SEO habit, but the right thing to do. Give credit where it is due.
7. Get specific with your headlines.  Enough said.
8. Use images. Apparently, using images (like the one I snagged from the Media Gallery recommended by Zemanta (or WordPress – not sure which one actually does the recommending)) let’s all those SEO-bots know that you are human and not a fellow bot. Plus, readers like pictures.
9. Optimize images through strategic labeling. Yes, it takes time, but if you limit yourself to one picture per post, then it is not that much extra time and will help with your ranking.
10. Use your social media platform to spread the word. And add to the proliferation of spammy content? It may seem like that, but if you do it nicely, it is just being smart. Promote blog posts on your social networks that fit your social network audience, and you’ll come out spam-free.

 

Related articles

 

• Search Engine Optimization… Business Owners Does It Have You Frustrated- Asks Tara Williams with Vayumedia (whoistarawilliams.wordpress.com)
• Importance of SEO (mediasynthesis.com)
• SEO Optimization Tips That Can Increase Your Site Visibility (ppc.org)
• Ways Social Media can help your SEO Campaign (buzzom.com)