Want more people to find your blog posts via Google and other search engines? Here’s what to do…
1. Answer questions
The easiest way to optimise your blog for search engine is to research what questions people are already asking that relate to your business.
There are lots of ways to do this. Read our keywords blog for some ideas, or try a tool like Answer the public.
Once you’ve found a question to answer, Google it yourself and look at the current search results. Prioritise topics that aren’t currently answered in search engines, or ones you think could be improved.
2. Optimise your post for search engines
Once you’ve decided what to write about (ideally a topic where you’re an expert and can add value) then you can set about optimising your post for search engines. Search engines use bots and algorithms to determine what your page is about, and there’s a few things that they look for…
Page title
The page title is the title that appears in search engine listings. Yours should include the search term that you’re hoping people will find your blog for. Make sure it’s no longer than 60 characters, or it will get cut off.
Meta description
The meta description is the piece of text under the page title in search engines. It isn’t used to determine what your page is about, but you should use it to entice people to click on your link and read your blog. Again there’s a space limit, so it needs to be under 160 characters.
URL
Use real words that describe your page in your URL. Don’t make it too long, as shorter URLS tend to perform better.
Use sub headings
Break up your post with relevant sub-headings. These should explain what your blog post is about and be correctly marked up (with H1, h2 and so on) so that search engines understand that they’re headings. Most Content Management Systems have a selector to allow you to add headings.
Images
Your images should have a SEO friendly name (that means real words rather than something like DSC3400.jpg) and have an alt description that explains what the picture is. Make sure the files aren’t huge too.
3. Create quality content
The better your content, the more likely it is to be found. Google prioritises content that humans love. They look at factors like how many people clicked (and didn’t immediately click back) as well as how many people linked to you, to determine the quality of your content.
4. Make sure your whole site is SEO friendly
Finally make sure your whole site is optimised for SEO, not just your blog posts. It should load as fast as possible (test yours on Google’s speed checker) and you might want to think about enabling https if you haven’t already.
If you use WordPress, there’s a handy and simple tool that can help with some of these tips, it’s called Yoast SEO. If you’re not using WordPress but would like to know why we rate it so highly, then get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat about your options.
