Troon Scotland
Before gaining traffic from search engines you need to know how to properly optimize blog posts for SEO.
After experiencing some search engine success and listening to your questions I decided to write this guide.
Before discussing how to drive Google traffic I want to list a few common errors preventing Google traffic:
- publishing thin content spanning 400 to 800 words or less
- completely ignoring post formatting, meta descriptions and blog post titles
- publishing content not based on reader problems but winging it with ideas on your mind
- changing blog niches frequently with posts
Avoid making these errors. Move in the opposite direction to optimize your blog posts effectively.
Why Publish SEO-Optimized Content?
Google traffic yields:
- highly targeted readers
- pre-qualified customers and clients
- passive traffic
- trusted traffic from perspectives of both bloggers and readers
Follow these tips to optimize blog posts for SEO.
1: Publish In-Depth Content Dripping with Details
Publish in-depth content filled with juicy details. Detailed content seems to rank better on Google.
Aim for 1200-1400 words or more per post.
Add as many details as possible to paint a complete picture for your readers.
Practical Tips
- publish 1200 word posts (or longer)
- jam-pack practical tips into blog posts
- add details to give readers clear steps to solve their problems
- beware adding filler; bloated posts tend not to rank
Frame each blog post as a trusted resource. Give readers a helpful guide for solving problems thoroughly.
Set aside 2-3 hours at a minimum to write, proof-read and publish a long-form blog post.
2: Solve a Specific Problem Related to Your Blogging Niche
Ask your readers to share their pressing problems. Solve their specific problems with your blog post.
Influence your readers to spread the word organically for you through a wide range of channels.
Stick to your niche. Develop authority to send a loud, clear signal to Google; you run an authority blog in your niche. Gaining expertise in a single niche helps you drive search traffic because Google tends to rank authority blogs with proven track records of offering thorough content aligned with one clear niche.
How to Get Blog Post Ideas
A few ideas:
- poll your readers
- pay close attention to comments on your blog
- observe emails, social media messages and social media comments
Position yourself to rank on Google by publishing content your readers enjoy and share with their followings.
3: Create a Clear Title
Craft a clear title offering an easy to understand promise.
Let readers know the topic of your content by creating a simple, easy to grasp blog post title.
Google better understands what you offer based on simple, to the point blog post titles. Rank blog posts by mastering the art of creating clear blog post titles.
Scour page 1 for keywords related to your niche. Create similar titles to appease the Google gods.
4: Build Your Domain Authority
Increase your domain authority by solving reader problems through your content for a sustained period of time. Treat blogging like a marathon – not a sprint – to slowly and steadily increase your DA.
Google traffic does not flow to blogs overnight. Patiently helping readers alerts Google to the authority of your blog.
Imagine individuals who establish authority in the offline world. Do doctors, lawyers or CEOs gain clout in minutes, weeks or months? Experts boost their credibility over years. Follow their lead with your blogging campaign.
Google ranks blogs with greater confidence if the blog authority reflects a proven track record of publishing valued content related to a single niche.
As a ballpark time frame, publishing SEO-optimized blog content for 6-12 months builds your domain authority powerfully. Be patient. Drive organic Google traffic by boosting your blog’s domain authority from a long-term perspective.
5: Pinpoint SEO Details with a Plugin (But Do Not Obsess Over Getting a Perfect Score)
Drill down to satiate SEO details with a plug in. But avoid obsessing over nailing down a perfect score of 100 or all green checkmarks because Google never ranks blogs solely based on satiating a plugin developer’s opinion.
Using a reputable plugin alerts you to:
- creating a Google-friendly title
- writing search-friendly meta descriptions
- properly formatting posts for effective optimization
- building inbound and outbound links to valued resources
As for the last bullet point tip, embed deep links pointing to helpful resources on your blog. Google perceives each deep link pointing to a valued resource on your blog as part of a spider web offering a premium user experience. The master site in this regard is Wikipedia; deep links directing users to detailed blog posts rank this site as the #1 result for a dizzying array of keywords. Look to Wikipedia for some inspiration to build deep links intentionally.
6: Consider Publishing Posts Less Frequently
Consider pulling back on blog post frequency to allow blog posts to gain enough steam through your tribe in order to rank on page 1 of Google.
For example, publish an SEO-optimized blog post on Monday. Give readers every chance to read, enjoy and share the blog post by not publishing your next post until Friday or even the following Monday.
Google senses posts gaining steam by observing the full weight of your loyal tribe visiting your post, commenting on your post and sharing the post through social media and their blogs. How can the majority of your readers visit, comment and share if you publish a post the following day? Some loyal followers read posts quickly; others read posts a few days or even a week after you publish the post.
Do not get attached to any single blog post but let posts ride. Allow content to grow organically.
Let your skills and tribe drive Google traffic through the principles of organic growth and patience.
7: Format Posts for Easy Reading and Scanning
Use headers, bullet point lists and short sentences to format posts for easy scanning.
Formatting posts for quick scanning also makes for easy reading.
The Google algorithm places a premium on user experience.
Make posts easy on the eyes. Establish a sense of tempo about your blog posts.
Offer contrast by using headers to break up your work. Using paragraphs liberally makes content easy to scan, digest and benefit from quickly.
How you present content plays a role in Google ranking.
Make it easy for readers to consume your content to SEO-optimize your posts effectively.
Bonus Tip: Update Old Blog Posts
Update old blog posts to be:
- current
- relevant
- timely
The Google algorithm ranks relevant content. Often times, old content loses relevance due to various changing trends.
Websites come and go, strategies fade away and tactics lessen in effectiveness in the online world. Updating old posts to be current increases the possibility of ranking on page 1 of Google.
Sometimes, updating 1-2 paragraphs to be timely does the trick. In other cases, completely rewriting a blog post to reflect both the current state of the topic and your improved writing skills makes sense.
Re-publish completely rewritten posts because readers – and Google – value new, fresh content. Email such posts to your list and promote freely across a wide range of channels online.
Delete Completely Irrelevant Content
Google frames your full body of blogging work as a ranking factor for individual blog posts.
Delete any completely irrelevant posts to make your entire blog relevant.
For example, trash posts about extinct sites like Google Plus, Stumble Upon or Blab. Delete posts centered on dated techniques, tactics or strategies. Guest blogging for business growth via link farms officially died about a decade ago; delete any post stressing the effectiveness of such a strategy.
Update content that you can seamlessly salvage. Delete everything else to improve your SERPs.
Conclusion
Google traffic flows to generous, patient, persistent bloggers who solve reader problems.
Focus heavily on this core optimizing truth to avoid losing yourself in less important SEO details.
Listen closely to reader problems. Solve their issues with your in-depth, thorough, robust content. Add SEO details by using plugins.
Be useful, empathetic and generous to drive Google traffic to your blog.
Your Turn
What tips can you add to this list?
How do you optimize blog posts for SEO?
