Most of the time when someone mentions SEO, it's because they have no idea what it means or how to go about implementing it into their online content. Especially, with the ever changing algorithms from Google, sometimes, even when you know what it means and how to implement it, it can still be like a stroll through a maze; trying to figure out how to get out of the bubble of confusion.
Although SEO can be a headache and you can get lost in all the changes, one of the most powerful thing – you will always get right is blogging. Google loves it and your target audience will love it even more. Blogging is more than just yapping away and sharing a good day, it's about building a relationship with your audience and positioning yourself as an expert in your field.
For instance, you may be the only person who can break down the benefits of using coconut oil via your blog; which your audience will find invaluable. Even greater is if you sell coconut oil – ding, ding, ding!
I am going to share with you how powerful blogging is and how it can increase your SEO and push you further up the results pages on Google by following the tips below.
Using the right keywords
I know this may seem a little odd, but the best thing is to chuck that list of keywords you may have built up on your head out the window. Especially if it covers all the popular aspects of your industry. It's no longer beneficial to whack in a whole load of keywords and trying to fit them into as many sentences as possible. This is because Google picks that up very easily now and may penalise your website for it, plus it just wouldn't read very well.
When you get ready to think about keywords, try to be as unique as possible and focus on the person who will be typing a particular question into Google with the hopes of getting an answer. If you can do this, you will be able to tap into the audience that most who cram the most popular keywords just won't get. Focus on being that one person who can provide the answer to someones question, you can never go wrong there.
Create backlinks
This can be a little tricky and if done the naughty way can result in your website being penalised by Google. Of course it increases traffic to your website, but it's important to make sure you do it right. Opt out of any dodgy websites offering amazing backlinking results, Google robots will pick these up very quickly and any hard work you did to rank higher in the search engines will be gone in a split second.
To create genuine backlinking, you can speak with companies that compliment your business and website content (guest blogging) with the request of being linked back to your website. It adds value with great focus on reaching the right audience.
Guest blogging
Whether you decide to accept guest blogs or you write and pitch your own blogs as guest content for other websites, it's important to create content that will represent your business in the best light.
Choosing guest content is still a big deal and can increase the amount of traffic that goes to your website if done right. If you choose to accept guest content, you will need to carryout research into the person who have offered this content, check their credibility and reputation. How popular are they online? Choosing the right person can mean a great deal for your online ranking and website views; especially if the person is a well known expert online. It will be opened up to their audience, which will drive traffic to your website as well as gaining valuable customers in the long or short term.
New and unique content
It's no surprise here, but Google loves new, fresh, unique content. The more you blog, the more your website gets refreshed in Google's search engine. How many times will you change all your other website pages? The popular answer is, not very often. This is where blogging can increase how high you rank in the search engine, simply by having new content on a daily or weekly basis.
Leaving your website with the same old content for months or years, will mean someone else will come along with fresher content to take over your position in the search engine. Fresh and of course unique content is important and it will be received well and indexed by Google waiting for someone to carryout a search online.
Increased online popularity
Once you've shared your amazing blog posts, the number one objective is to share everywhere you can, from Facebook to Newsletters. Of course the more your audience clicks and reads your blog content, the higher up your will rank online. Then there is that little thing about getting people to share your content as much as possible. To do that you need to create unique content, that answers a question they may have.
Share your blog posts wherever you can, as long as your target audience resides there, that's where you need to share it.
Images and Videos
A blog post without images or a video is just begging to be neglected after the first paragraph. It's not just about being visually pleasing, you can also tag your videos before sharing as well as naming your images, so they rank in the search engine.
How many times do you go searching for an image, only to then click over to see what website it comes from. There are so many ways to increase SEO without breaking the bank and this is yet another great way.
The power of Social Media
The great thing about social media is that it also ranks in the Google search engine. Which means anyone searching for anything that relates to your business may pull up your social media channels in a search. Always connect your blog to your social media platforms and use keywords that reflect your business, keeping in mind that these keywords need to focus on your niche. The more specific you are with what your niche is the better.
Blogging on your website means that every blog you post will be looked at as a new page on your website, which gives Google even more things to grab onto when they need to provide results that relate to your business. Websites without a blog are missing out on web traffic increase of up to 55%, this is because Google will index each blog post. To make sure you stand a great chance of being indexed, you need to post blogs with 300 words or more, new content and amazing photos or videos.
I can just imagine how anxious you may feel to get started on your blog, but don't get too overwhelmed in the process. It can seem daunting to post a blog a day, but it doesn't need to be. Create a content schedule based on what you feel your target audience would like to know the answers to. If you can only post twice a week, choose two specific days out of the week and stick to them. Obviously, the more you post the faster you will see results, but don't do posting 7 posts a week if they are rushed and not appealing to your target audience. Although quantity is important, quality still holds more value.
