15 Tips for Creating the Best SEO Friendly Blog

You’ve been blogging for a while, and you’ve got a good following of readers. But without the right keywords, you’re looking at a long, slow tumble down the Google rankings. Here are the top 15 tips for making your posts not just great content-wise, but also keyword optimized so they pop up higher in search results. These are all courtesy of our team here at Salt Rank, as we are well known for our expert SEO services.

1.) Focus on One Topic Per Post

This will make your blog post easy to read and navigate. This will also help with SEO. When you hop from topic to topic, you not only make it confusing for your readers, but Google doesn’t know what your post is about, and they rank it lower in search results. (Don’t worry – you can still post multiple times a day.)

2.) Use Keywords Naturally

This means using the right keywords, not just stuffing them in wherever possible. “Bread” and “bread recipes” are good keywords to use in the title but bad ones to use in the body of your post. This is because they’re too obvious. Instead, you want to target more specific terms that have less competition. For instance, if you’re writing a post about sandwiches, try using less generic terms like “tuna fish sandwiches” or “grilled cheese with tomato soup.”

3.) Stay Relevant

Most bloggers focus too much on traffic numbers rather than ranking higher for their chosen keywords. The problem with this strategy is that Google sees you as spammy if you’re only targeting a small number of very specific terms. You need to be relevant. When you write about topics your readers care about and avoid random off-topic posts, it will lead to better rankings overall.

4.) Use Transition Words

It’s easier to write with transitions when they’re already in your mind. Think about what you want to write about and how it fits into the topic, then use text phrases like “in other words” or “on the other hand.” This will make your post flow more naturally and read more easily, which makes your readers happier.

5.) Link to Existing Content

If you’re linking to another article, blog post, or video, be sure to use a link anchor. Here’s an example: Your blog post “How to Make a Delicious Bacon Sandwich” includes a video that shows how to make a bacon sandwich. You want the reader coming off your blog to be able to find this video on YouTube. So, to make this action easier for them, make your link an anchor instead of a destination link.

6.) Optimize the Length of Your Article

Longer posts rank higher in search engines. This is because shorter posts are assumed to be spam, and Google wants to show its searchers the best of the web. Search engines also prefer posts that are between 500 and 1,000 words (or even less). However, if you’re writing a blog post, do your research to make sure that you include enough relevant information to keep the reader interested.

7.) Optimize Your Images

Larger images are great for social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. But they can have a negative effect on your blog. Too many images in posts can slow down the reading process and lower the ranking of the whole post. Pick one or two images that enhance your content, and make sure those are the only ones you use.

8.) Use Multimedia

Instead of adding lots of images, add a video. This will make it easier for Google to understand your post and rank you higher in search results. Interesting videos also encourage readers to stay on your website longer (which also helps with SEO).

9.) Write in Bite-Sized Chunks

People are busy, and they don’t have time to read long posts. They want something that’s clear, and that leaves them wanting more. Don’t try to cram something into a blog post that you could instead write as a mini blog post. Keep your post focused and include only the most important information.

10.) Include a Keyword in Your Title

If there is one thing our expert SEO services need you to know, it’s that keywords matter. Make sure your title contains relevant terms. Put these terms where most readers will see them without being too obvious about it. You want them to read the title and immediately know what the post is about. Then they’ll click through and read the body of your post. This is known as “bait” when done well.

11.) Segment Your Target Audience

Your SEO strategy is going to be different if you’re targeting business owners, stay-at-home moms and dads, or teenagers. You need to make sure that your content is specific enough to appeal to these different groups. If you do, it will help you rank higher in search results for a variety of terms.

12.) Use Hashtags For Social Media

Hashtags are not just for Twitter and Instagram anymore – they can also help with SEO. Make sure you’re using hashtags correctly, especially if your blog is on social media. There are different types of hashtags, and careful use of these will help you to rank higher in search results.

13.) Write a Meta Description

The meta description is the last thing that search engines see before they rank your post. It’s essentially an advertisement for your post, and it contains a lot of information. Make sure it’s understandable, and try to be as informative as possible.

14.) Consider Hiring Expert SEO Services. 

You don’t need to be a certified marketing professional to make your blog more search engine friendly. But you do need someone to help you design and write the content that will attract those high-quality search results. And most importantly, you’ll find it much easier and more efficient to write a new post if your writer has done all of the hard work for you. Hiring expert SEO services is the best way to go and are very much worth the investment. But, if you’re on a tight budget, you can easily do it yourself by reading some of these tips here.

15.) Be Original

Your blog isn’t a place to show off your opinions, your authority, or your personal attacks. Instead, you want to be original. Give useful information that’s not available anywhere else on the web. To do this, you need to do research and ask yourself questions like: Why would people care about this? Or: How is this different from what they already know? These questions will help you come up with ideas of your own and post original content.

Conclusion

These tips will help you craft posts that are more appealing to people and search engines alike. But remember that editorial judgment comes first. If a post works, it works. If not, try again! You can’t write the perfect blog post overnight, but you can get closer each time you write one.