A well written blog can be interesting, informative, and invaluable to its readers, but getting your blogs noticed requires more than just proper grammar and quality information. If you want people to actually read your blog you need to make sure they can find it, and one of the best ways to do that is to\u00a0optimize it for search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By creating content that will get noticed by the likes of Google, you give your blog the opportunity to reach people who are searching for whatever it is you\u2019re writing about, even if they\u2019ve never been to your website before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few tips to help you incorporate SEO best practices into your blogging strategy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) Focus on One or Two Long-tail Keywords<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A long-tail keyword is a short phrase (usually 3-4 words) that is more focused than an individual keyword. They generally generate less total traffic than individual keywords, but, because they are more specific, can yield greater potential for conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Picking out a long-tail keyword such as \u201cSearch Engine Optimization for Blogs\u201d or \u201cSEO Blogging Tips\u201d to focus on not only makes it easier for a search engine to determine what words and phrases your blog should rank for, it also provides you a topic to stick to while writing. If you stick to your focal point, you\u2019ll end up with a finished piece with greater potential to rank and a clear, identifiable theme throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Article: Prioritize Security Without Slowing Down<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Remember Your Meta-Descriptions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Your meta description is the brief snippet of information that a search engine will display under your title in search results. You only get a little space here (descriptions longer than 160 characters can get cut off), so briefly describe what your blog is about in an engaging fashion. An effective CTA will help convince searchers to click through to your site. In this search result for an LG smartphone, the company\u2019s meta description calls out a core demographic (cinematographers) and tells the reader that if they click through they will gain more valuable information by learning about specs, deals, and more. It\u2019s short, to the point, and gives people a reason to click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Optimize Your Images<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Search engines care about the images on your site, but they can\u2019t examine their worth in the same way they can plain text. Remember to include alt text for every image you use. Alt text helps people with visual disabilities understand what\u2019s on the page, and it\u2019s also used by web crawlers to determine what\u2019s going on in your picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By providing alt text you make your images more valuable to anyone using a screen reader or similar tool, and give yourself another chance to rank in search results relevant to your image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4) Link Internally<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you mention a topic that you\u2019ve covered elsewhere on your website, link to it in your blog. This gives readers who are interested in that topic a reason to stay engaged on your site as they follow through to read more about it. It also helps to establish you as an authority on the subject, and helps Google\u00a0identify related content\u00a0on your own site. SEO crawlers follow links and use them to determine the relationship between the pages, posts, and other content on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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