"What are the first steps to optimize my blog for search? - Question of monedays using the Salman on Twitter.
Much has been written on the subject of search engine optimization for bloggers - but let me ask you a few simple first steps:
1. Content is King
The quality of the messages you write is the most important factor when it comes to Search Optimization on a blog. I suspect others will argue differently, but when I look at my own blogs success in search engines, I would say this is the number one factor has been.
Quality content that helps people will often a reader's attention to want to share what they have written - of course they do this by passing on the link to your post, and often they do it in a way that your search rankings helps (on their own blog for example).
2. Anticipate what people will look for
Every time you write a message you must automatically be given the words that people are putting into search engines for that kind of information. Once you know what kind of words they use you in an ideal position to position yourself for that search.
3. Titles Titles Titles
There are a few things in mind when it comes to titles. Google pays special attention to titles - so make sure you get them right:
first make sure that the way you move your blog the title of your post in the 'title tags' on the back of your blog. This is really important.
If you are just looking for an SEO perspective does not include your blog name in the title tags of some items. This dilutes your keywords. Of course if you want more on branding including your blog name in the title tags to find perhaps worthwhile.
Next - are the keywords that you point # 2 in your post title
also keep in mind that the words you used at the beginning of a title tend to carry more weight than later words you use in your title
4. Keywords in other parts of your post
Use the keywords you identified in item # 2 in your post also. If you want Google to rank you for a word or phrase you need to use that word or phrase. Use it in sub headings in your post (where you can use h tags) to be used in the content itself, the use of the words in the alt tags on images, etc. Do not go on the subject, but the words do where you can naturally in the post.
5. Link to your posts
Not about this, but this one, but links from other sites are a great way to increase your blog rankings are so left of your blog. Interlink your posts where readers can share more information about your topic to find (if relevant), but also consider linking to key posts to your blog from other places on the blog (sidebar, front page, etc).
6. Left out of Your Blog
Links from other sites to yours are key in SEO, but they can be difficult to obtain. Start to a link to your blog from other sites you have or are active. Some (such as on Twitter) will not count for anything as much as they have no follow tags, but they are all ways for people to get access to the site and what will help with SEO.
Not obsessed with getting links - instead of becoming obsessed about writing great content and links will generally come in time. But if you wrote a great post that you think will be relevant to another blog, do not be afraid that blogger or website owner to let them know about it - they just connect.
Also - take note of the nature of the messages you write that do well in getting other sites to link to you. You can learn a lot about generating linkable content by doing and perhaps develop a technique that back and forth to work.
7. Plugins
I do not tend to do much at the back of my blog things like meta tags to change - but there are a few good plugins around when you're using WordPress you can help with some of this and that can give you a little edge. Check out 9 SEO plugins that every WordPress blog should have a number of suggestions at this point.
8. Readers begat Readers
This is not an SEO technique as such, but it plays a role. The more readers you have the more chance that your blog can be found by other readers. There is a certain 'snowballing' thing that happens on a site over time - as many readers as momentum grows readers on your site to others in their network. They refer to you, you bookmark it, they tweet about you, they e-mail friends about you, they blog about you, they suggest your site's recommendation engine ....
Not all of these counts with SEO, but some do and the accumulation of all time certainly helps to grow both organically and search traffic. I think what I say to readers any way you can - not only on 'SEO' as such. It all counts.
Much has been written on the subject of search engine optimization for bloggers - but let me ask you a few simple first steps:
1. Content is King
The quality of the messages you write is the most important factor when it comes to Search Optimization on a blog. I suspect others will argue differently, but when I look at my own blogs success in search engines, I would say this is the number one factor has been.
Quality content that helps people will often a reader's attention to want to share what they have written - of course they do this by passing on the link to your post, and often they do it in a way that your search rankings helps (on their own blog for example).
2. Anticipate what people will look for
Every time you write a message you must automatically be given the words that people are putting into search engines for that kind of information. Once you know what kind of words they use you in an ideal position to position yourself for that search.
3. Titles Titles Titles
There are a few things in mind when it comes to titles. Google pays special attention to titles - so make sure you get them right:
first make sure that the way you move your blog the title of your post in the 'title tags' on the back of your blog. This is really important.
If you are just looking for an SEO perspective does not include your blog name in the title tags of some items. This dilutes your keywords. Of course if you want more on branding including your blog name in the title tags to find perhaps worthwhile.
Next - are the keywords that you point # 2 in your post title
also keep in mind that the words you used at the beginning of a title tend to carry more weight than later words you use in your title
4. Keywords in other parts of your post
Use the keywords you identified in item # 2 in your post also. If you want Google to rank you for a word or phrase you need to use that word or phrase. Use it in sub headings in your post (where you can use h tags) to be used in the content itself, the use of the words in the alt tags on images, etc. Do not go on the subject, but the words do where you can naturally in the post.
5. Link to your posts
Not about this, but this one, but links from other sites are a great way to increase your blog rankings are so left of your blog. Interlink your posts where readers can share more information about your topic to find (if relevant), but also consider linking to key posts to your blog from other places on the blog (sidebar, front page, etc).
6. Left out of Your Blog
Links from other sites to yours are key in SEO, but they can be difficult to obtain. Start to a link to your blog from other sites you have or are active. Some (such as on Twitter) will not count for anything as much as they have no follow tags, but they are all ways for people to get access to the site and what will help with SEO.
Not obsessed with getting links - instead of becoming obsessed about writing great content and links will generally come in time. But if you wrote a great post that you think will be relevant to another blog, do not be afraid that blogger or website owner to let them know about it - they just connect.
Also - take note of the nature of the messages you write that do well in getting other sites to link to you. You can learn a lot about generating linkable content by doing and perhaps develop a technique that back and forth to work.
7. Plugins
I do not tend to do much at the back of my blog things like meta tags to change - but there are a few good plugins around when you're using WordPress you can help with some of this and that can give you a little edge. Check out 9 SEO plugins that every WordPress blog should have a number of suggestions at this point.
8. Readers begat Readers
This is not an SEO technique as such, but it plays a role. The more readers you have the more chance that your blog can be found by other readers. There is a certain 'snowballing' thing that happens on a site over time - as many readers as momentum grows readers on your site to others in their network. They refer to you, you bookmark it, they tweet about you, they e-mail friends about you, they blog about you, they suggest your site's recommendation engine ....
Not all of these counts with SEO, but some do and the accumulation of all time certainly helps to grow both organically and search traffic. I think what I say to readers any way you can - not only on 'SEO' as such. It all counts.
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