Today, it’s easier than ever to start a blog. Anyone can find a topic and start writing about it, which is great news for the blogosphere as a whole. As more people share their stories online, the internet becomes increasingly rich with diverse content.
But what if you’re ready to take your writing to the next level? What if you want to grow your audience and reach more people with your words? Well, that’s where things might get tricky.
When it comes to growing an audience for your blog, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rules supreme. In today’s post, we’ll share 17 SEO tips you can use to increase traffic on your new site and finally start making money from your writing!
Takeaways |
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1. Prioritize keyword research for targeted content. |
2. Optimize blog post titles with relevant keywords. |
3. Create high-quality and engaging content. |
4. Implement on-page SEO techniques effectively. |
5. Build internal links to improve site structure. |
6. Focus on user experience and site speed. |
7. Leverage social media for content promotion. |
8. Engage with your audience through comments. |
9. Optimize images with descriptive alt text. |
10. Monitor and analyze your SEO performance. |
11. Keep up with SEO trends and algorithm updates. |
1. Create A New Blog Post Every Week
It’s important to create new content on your blog, but it’s also important to create a blog post that is relevant to your audience. If you don’t have an audience yet, then it can be difficult to know what kind of posts will resonate with them.
For example, if you’re starting as a blogger and want more people searching for information about baking cakes (like me), then maybe focusing on recipes would be good.
However, if your target market is more interested in learning how their kids can learn how to bake cakes themselves then maybe making some tutorials might be better suited for them instead.
If you’re not sure where or how to start creating new content for your blog then read this guide from Buffer: How To Write The Best Blog Posts For SEO.
It goes over everything from keywords and meta descriptions down to writing titles and headers which are super important when creating great SEO-friendly blog posts!
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2. Use Long-Tail Keywords
The first step is to use long-tail keywords in your blog posts. These are more specific than broad keywords and are likely to result in conversions because they’re more targeted.
This is also important because long-tail keywords tend to be searched for frequently, so you can be confident that people searching on these terms are looking for the kind of content you create.
And finally, long-tails are less competitive than broad terms (meaning there’s less competition), so they’re easier to rank highly for!
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3. Optimize Your Headings With Keywords
Optimized headings are important for SEO, as well as for users. Headings are what let readers know what’s going on when they scroll through your page.
They help them organize the content and understand what they’re reading at a glance, so it’s important that each heading describes the content underneath it effectively.
In terms of SEO, optimized headings will help you rank higher in search results by increasing keyword density within your content: using more targeted keywords within headings makes them more relevant to specific searches (as opposed to using broad terms).
For example A blog post with a “title tag” like “10 Tips For New Bloggers” would get lost among other posts on Google because there would be no way for someone searching Google for “10 Tips For New Bloggers” to tell this post apart from other posts about blogging tips;
But if this same blog post had a title tag like “10 Expert Tips To Grow Your Blog Traffic By 100% In 2 Months!”
Then that title tag would stand out against similar searches because it uses keywords related directly to growing traffic on blogs like expert tips and traffic growth instead of using general words like blogs or tips which could apply across all types of posts related to blogging.
4. Include At Least One Relevant Image In Each Post
One of the most important ways images can help you is with search engine rankings. Images are the most visible content on a page, so it’s no surprise that Google uses them as part of its algorithm for ranking pages.
Images are also essential to improving user experience, which is becoming an increasingly important factor in search engine rankings.
A study conducted by Yahoo! found that visual websites had higher engagement rates than textual ones (1). A separate study from HubSpot showed similar results: visually-driven content drove more shares and links than text-only posts (2).
And because users spend less time on pages with text-heavy layouts (3), adding a few relevant images will improve your blog’s SEO while making it easier for readers to consume your content at a glance.
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5. Include Internal Links To Improve Navigation Throughout Your Site
Internal linking helps you organize your site and improve navigation for visitors. It also helps search engines understand what your page is about, which in turn helps them find it when users search for related keywords.
The best way to do this is by using keyword phrases that people would be searching on a search engine like Google.
For example, if you’re writing about how to make sushi rolls at home, you could use internal links on the page that say things like “how to make sushi rolls,” “homemade sushi roll recipe,” etc.
This will help readers who are looking for information about making homemade sushi rolls easily find this content on your site (and hopefully click through to read more!).
6. Add A Descriptive Title Tag And Meta Description To Each Page On Your Website
You can do this by adding a description to the page title and meta description. Remember that the title tag should be descriptive, but not keyword-stuffed.
The meta description should be short and descriptive, with a call to action. It’s also important to use keywords in both of these areas because they will show up on search engine results pages (SERPs).
7. Speed Up Your Website Load Time
To speed up your website, you need to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN). A CDN is a series of servers that are strategically placed throughout the world.
These servers will then serve content to your visitors in the location closest to them, thus reducing latency caused by long distances between the server and visitor.
This can be done with any popular hosting service like WordPress or Squarespace.
You can also optimize your images using an image optimization plugin like EWWW Image Optimizer as well as use caching plugins like WP Rocket or Fastest Cache which will cache static HTML files so they don’t have to be generated every time someone visits your site – this way they load faster!
Becoming a successful blogger doesn’t always require self-proclaimed expertise. Learn how to achieve millionaire blogger status authentically in our article on achieving success without being a self-proclaimed expert.
8. Don’t Overdo It With Anchor Text
Overusing keywords in your links is one of the biggest no-nos for SEO. When you’re choosing anchor text to link to a page, don’t use exact match keywords or more than two or three words as a phrase.
For example, if you write a blog post about “how to improve your SEO” and use links to point back at that article from other pages on your website (like maybe an “about us” page or contact information), avoid using something like:
- Improve Your SEO: Here’s How To Do It!
- The Definitive Guide To Improving Your Search Engine Optimization!
These are too long and take up too much space on the page. And they aren’t a natural language they look unnatural when read out loud by people who don’t know what they mean. Instead, try something like this:
- How To Improve Your Search Engine Optimization – The Definitive Guide
9. Get Other Sites To Link To You (Or Link To Them)
The more links your site has pointing to it, the higher it will rank in search results. Your goal should be to get links from other sites that are related to your niche and authoritative.
If you run a cooking blog and have a recipe for chocolate cake that tastes amazing, why not post it on a food blog? Or if you write about home improvement projects, why not link back to your site when mentioning some of the tools or materials needed for the project?
10. Create Keyword-Rich URLs Whenever Possible
Every page on your site should have a keyword-rich URL. For example, if you’re creating a blog post about tips for small businesses, you might want to call yours “How To Start A Small Business With Little Money (And No Experience).”
Now, let’s say you did all of that and decided to create an infographic. Name it something like “How To Start A Small Business With Little Money (And No Experience).”
Then use that same title in the image file’s filename for example howtostartabusinesswithlittlemoneyandnoexp.jpg as well as in the anchor text and title tag (this is where things get tricky).
Here are some other ways to include keywords throughout your content without sounding too monotonous or spammy:
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11. Submit Your Site To The Google Search Console And Bing Webmaster Tools
This is a vital step and one that can be easily missed. If you don’t do this, your site won’t get indexed by Google and Bing for search results! You can submit your site to the Google search console here, and the Bing webmaster tools here.
Conclusion
These tips may seem overwhelming, but if you break them down into manageable chunks and take them one step at a time, you’ll find that they’re quite simple.
You also don’t need to do everything all at once or in any particular order; as long as you’re doing something consistently, even if it is just updating your blog once a week, then that can make a big impact on your SEO!
Remember to stay positive and be patient with yourself when things aren’t going perfectly it happens to the best of us. But remember the more effort you put in now, the more likely it will be that you grow later!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you delve deeper into the world of SEO for bloggers:
SEO Tips for Beginners in Blogging: Explore this guide for essential SEO tips tailored to beginners in the blogging world.
The Top 12 Advanced SEO Tips Every Blogger Should Know: Delve into advanced SEO techniques that every blogger should be aware of to enhance their online presence.
Blog SEO Tips: How to Optimize Your Blog Posts for SEO: WPBeginner offers a beginner’s guide to optimizing your blog posts for improved SEO performance.
FAQs
How can I improve my blog’s visibility through SEO?
Enhancing your blog’s visibility through SEO involves optimizing your content, using relevant keywords, creating quality backlinks, and ensuring your website’s technical aspects are in line with search engine guidelines.
What are some advanced SEO techniques that bloggers can utilize?
Advanced SEO techniques for bloggers include optimizing for featured snippets, schema markup implementation, voice search optimization, and mobile-first indexing considerations.
Are there any specific SEO strategies for optimizing blog posts?
Absolutely! When optimizing blog posts for SEO, focus on crafting high-quality content, using descriptive and relevant headings, optimizing images with alt tags, and ensuring proper internal and external linking.
How do I perform keyword research for my blog’s SEO?
Keyword research involves identifying relevant search terms related to your blog’s niche. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find valuable keywords with a balance of search volume and competition.
What role do backlinks play in blog SEO?
Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are crucial for blog SEO as they signal to search engines that your content is authoritative and trustworthy. Building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites can improve your blog’s search engine ranking.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.