How to optimize blog posts for SEO
High-quality content is the pillar of SEO. One of the most important and highly efficient types of content are blog posts. Knowing how to optimize them for SEO can help you boost your ranking efforts and climb higher on the SERPs (search engine result pages).
No matter how valuable your content is, without some optimization, it may stay in the background. By using the right keywords, adjusting the structure, and improving readability, you can make your blog posts popular among your target audience and beyond.
Let’s look at the basics of SEO optimization for your blog posts.
What is SEO for blog posts?
Let’s start by identifying the main concepts of SEO for blog posts. To make your blog post optimized for SEO, it must carry value.
While it’s hard to single out all components of Google algorithms, every SEO specialist knows that search engines look for high-quality information that answers the searcher’s questions.
Besides value, top components of SEO for blog posts are:
- Keyword use
- Text Structure
- Media use
- Alt text
- Metadata
- Links
- Mobile-friendliness
By taking all of the above issues into consideration, you can create a top-notch blog post.
How to title blog posts for SEO?
Title is one of the most import parts of your blog post. Its purpose is to capture the reader’s attention and help them make a decision to read further.
Do keyword search to identify main and secondary keywords for your blog post.
Use the main keyword in your title. The closer the keyword is to the beginning of the title, the better.
Add numbers to your title when possible (4 Ways To Tie Your Shoes, 10 Best Florists In LA).
Address to the reader when possible (4 Ways You Can Tie Your Shoes)
Try to keep the titles as short as possible. According to HubSpot, the ideal blog post title is around 60 characters.
You can take advantage of different tools to see how good your titles are:
In short, the title should show the value of the post and contain the main keyword.
How to write SEO friendly blog posts
Learning how to write blog posts for SEO requires inspiration coupled with knowledge of optimization tactics. Let’s look at the basic blog-writing steps for SEO.
1.Find a blog idea
Figuring out an idea for a blog could be tricky even when you don’t try to optimize it for SEO. So if you don’t have any inspiration at the moment, you can either use such services as AnswerThe Public and Google Trends or look at what your competition is doing.
Peeking at your competitors’ achievements is an excellent way to achieve high rankings. You can see what content works for them and mirror their efforts. Meanwhile, you can see where they’ve failed and create a blog post to offer more value.
Use special tools to see which keyword competitors are ranking for and which content they use these keywords in. Some tools to take advantage of are.
Even if you already have a good blog idea, look at the keywords you have anyway. Can you integrate them into your blog post seamlessly? If not, you may want to adjust the content to accommodate the searcher’s intent.
2.Integrate keywords naturally
Google frowns upon unnatural use of keywords. Keyword stuffing won’t get you good results and appear off-putting to the readers. When writing a blog post, you should keep the keywords in mind right along with the needs of the target audience.
Here are the places where the keywords should appear in your text:
- Title (preferable closer to the beginning)
- Headings
- Subheadings
- Alt text for images
- Meta description
- Throughout the text
- First and last paragraph (if possible)
Always reread your blog posts aloud to check if the keywords fit in organically. Sometimes you can add a preposition or an article without hurting your keyword’s potential. For example, “best flowers LA” can turn into “best flowers in LA”.
Remember, keyword stuffing can be penalized. Google penalties are hard to recover from.
3.Create outbound links to influential websites
Linking is an integral part of any SEO strategy. Use your blogs to boost it. Whenever you use information from another source, site it by making a link.
Make sure to consider the quality of the websites you link to. If they are reputable, the SEO potential of your blog post increases. Linking to questionable websites could lower your rankings.
Using top-notch resources doesn’t just help your SEO efforts. It allows you to build a compelling argument to win the reader’s loyalty.
4.Write long posts
How much value can a 300-word blog post carry? Depends on the subject. In most cases, short blogs are ranked lower than their extensively written counterparts. According to Yoast, writing a longer blog post (over 1,000 words) can help you rank higher in Google.
However, you should be careful about filling your writing with fluff simply to reach the desired word count. If you manage to say all you can in a 500-word post, it’s fine. As long as you can fit the keywords in organically, short posts can work as well.
5.Use internal linking
Internal links simplify navigation and keep visitors on your website longer. They can reduce the bounce rate and increase conversions. Just like any other part of your content, these links must appear natural. Don’t ever force anything into your blog post.
However, sometimes, it could be smart to add a paragraph to feature an organic internal link for SEO purposes.
Where to share blog posts for SEO
Besides posting blogs on your website, you can share them on outside sources for link building purposes. Meanwhile, such efforts can raise brand awareness and establish you company’s credibility as an expert in its niche.
- Send an email with a link to your blog post to your subscribers.
- Send push notifications about the new post in your app.
- Share the post on all social networks.
- Interlink from old to new posts.
One of the most powerful strategies of blog post sharing for SEO is writing guest posts. You can find an influencer or another respected website in your niche and ask if they accept guest posts. Some may require payment while others allow free posting as long as you offer high-quality content.
By posting your blog on another website, you are acquiring a valuable backlink (usually posted within the article or in the author’s bio), which can help you achieve higher rankings.
SEO blog tips
When writing your next SEO blog post, take advantage of the following tips:
1.Adding media to your blog post
Images and videos can breathe life into your blog post and make it more valuable. Don’t forget to add alt text to images and optimize it for keywords. Be careful about image copyrights. Either use your own pictures or find royalty-free images.
2.Updating old blog posts for SEO
If you already have a collection on blog posts on your website, take advantage of them. Look through the text and find out how you can change the structure or add internal links to make it more appealing to the Google algorithm. You can even add keywords organically.
3.Republishing blog posts for SEO
Another way to use your old blog posts is to republish them. Add new value and SEO structure to the post and add it as new content. Since regular content updates are considered a ranking factor, you can improve your SEO efforts.
4.Adding meta descriptions
All blog posts should have meta descriptions. Check your old posts and add metadata when necessary. The purpose of the meta description is to provide data about your post to the search engine crawlers. Make sure the description carries value and doesn’t exceed 155 -160 characters.
5.Increasing readability
Your blog post should be easy to read. It must contain headings and subheadings, not just for easy skimming but also for better keyword use.
Make sure to break the blog post down to short paragraphs. Ideally, a paragraph shouldn’t contain more than three sentences.
Take advantage of bulleted lists. Use short sentences. Depending on who your target audience is, you can run the Flesch-Kincaid test to check the readability of you post.
Using these tips can help you learn how to SEO your blog posts organically. However, never forget to focus on the value of your writing.
Learning how to write blog posts for SEO
Writing blog posts for SEO can be easy as long as you keep several important factors in mind. You need to use a simple structure, insert keywords organically, create catchy headings, and provide value.
While you are writing new blog posts, don’t leave the old ones hanging. It’s always possible to revive your old writing by updating it and adding metadata.
A blog post is one of the most powerful SEO weapons available to any marketer. Make sure to make the most out of it.