Writing a blog post is not an easy job, and if you’ve ever written one, you know how much time and effort it takes. From topic selection and gathering research to actually writing the content and finally hitting ‘publish’, the process often takes hours on end. And this is why it is a major let down when your blog post does not get the traffic you expected. As a Blogger, you want your blog post to rank high consistently on Google and show up relatively easily in the results for every relevant search.
Search engine optimization or SEO is an effective way to combat low traffic. All the bloggers are always aiming to write content that ranks consistently higher on Google, and SEO is the bridge that helps them get there. It is up to the individual how they incorporate it into their content?
However, with ever-changing algorithms, SEO or search engine optimization can be quite tricky. But it’s not impossible. You don’t have to incorporate any super technical or time-consuming resources as long as you do the basics for each blog post.
Here are some invaluable tips given by Brightoutset.com that will help you rank consistently higher on Google even if you are an amateur in blog SEO.
1. Targeting the right keywords
Keyword research is one of the most important aspects of SEO, and it should be the first thing that you must learn when you start a blog. It essentially lays down the foundation of your optimization, and you should try not to get it wrong. By targeting the right keywords, you are helping Google understand what your content is about, which increases the probability of popping up your articles in response to a search.
Focusing on only one keyword can help laser target your blog for that keyword. Choose an appropriate focus keyword when you’re publishing your content. Understand user intent and target keywords based on it to succeed in SEO. User intent refers to what the searchers are looking for and expecting to find when they search for those words on Google.
2. Focusing your attention on long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are 3 or 4 phrase keywords that are very specific to what your content is about. They’re usually easy to run because of their low competition. Whenever a potential blog reader uses a highly specific search phrase on Google, they tend to know exactly what they are expecting and looking for. You are sure to rank higher if you can create content that matches the search intent by using them in the right places of your content, such as in the description, title, and subheadings.
You can also look for related questions on Quora that are being ranked in the top 3 on Google. Chances are, the keyword has low competition, and it’s easy to rank for if there is a Quora thread being ranked on Google.
3. Using the keywords in appropriate places
Always use your keywords in the title, subheadings, and description. There is some correlation between keywords in the title tag and Google rankings, and it is recommended that you use your primary keywords and their different variations in your content, headings, and tags. However, don’t try to stuff your keywords in an attempt to manipulate your posts ranking because that can backfire and have a negative impact.
4. Writing compelling titles and descriptions
What most people do not know is, CTR (click-through rate) for your page in the search result is also a blog ranking factor on Google. For example, if your post is on the 3rd rank for a keyword search, but you’ve managed to receive more clicks than the first one, you will eventually rise to the second or first rank. Write headings, titles and descriptions that compel the searcher and entices them to click on them. Write your titles thoughtfully as you have only 55 characters. Do not let your title or description cut off in Google because you want the searcher to get a complete idea of what your content is about.
5. Optimising images to drive more traffic
Google image search can generate loads of traffic to your blog if you optimize your images correctly. Add appropriate alternative text to your images so that Google can recognize what the image is about and help your potential readers discover it when they do a Google image search. Also, make sure that your images load faster.
6. Optimising for featured snippets
It is a smart move to optimize your blog to show up in featured snippets if you want to get the most out of your contents. Featured snippets are seen before the first position, usually in a box with a table, an image, or a video. They especially stand out in the search results, which will help you in getting significantly more clicks. There are essentially four different types of featured snippets that you will come across- paragraph, table, list (both numbered and bulleted), and video. Optimize your contents for the featured snippet, and it will help you to be able to drive more traffic towards your blog.
7. Ensuring that your site works well on mobile phones
Google uses mobile-first indexing that looks at your mobile site to determine how to run kit in the search results, even if the search is done on a desktop. This makes it important that your site works exceptionally well on mobile devices, even if most of your traffic is on a desktop.
8. User-friendly URLs
Make sure that your URLs are short and descriptive. Change your default permalink structure so that your URL looks shorter and crisp. Try to avoid URLs that have dates or special characters because they make the URLs unnecessarily long.