We hope our clients know that Evolve Impact Group wants each of them to be the best they can, and we want to help you grow your business or organization to its full potential. We talk a lot about Search Engine Optimization – or SEO – and the importance of a quality website with frequent updates. One of the easiest ways to update website content is through blog writing, but the time spent writing those blogs won’t give you much ROI unless your customers and potential clients read them. So, how are these things related?
Studies put the amount of traffic going to the first position of search results somewhere around 30%, and, at a minimum, 75% of clicks go to the first page of search results. “Blogging helps boost SEO quality by positioning your website as a relevant answer to your customers' questions.” Keep that in mind as you consider these tips:
1. Give your blog a name.
Because a blog frequently “lives” as a tab on a website, it’s easy to just default to calling it “the blog.” But when you stop to think about it, this is a little like giving a book the title “the book.” Think about the overarching theme of the blog and who the target audience is. Is it possible to incorporate SEO keywords in the blog’s title or name? Our client Murphy Legal uses the name “Refuel” for its blog – perfect for a company which works with big rig trucking companies.
2. Have a specific target audience in mind for each post.
Not every blog needs to reach your entire audience. For example, blog writing for an urgent care center might focus on specific populations with specific blog topics such as active indoor summer activities for families with children.
3. Make sure your URL structure is effective.
An effective URL naming convention benefits both marketers and website visitors. It’s a good idea to include “/blog/” in the URL structure to make it easier to report blog results. Blog URLs should be descriptive, but short and relevant. Don’t try to include every word of the title and leave out conjunctions.
4. Optimize blog content.
Make sure writing includes the keywords and phrases your target audience is searching. Focus keywords evolve as trends shift and terminology changes or your product and/or service line changes. Keywords should be naturally integrated into the blog post, appearing in key places - title, headings, URL if possible, image alt text, and throughout the content. However, remember that you’re writing for humans, not search engines, and you need to make sure the content is of good quality and readable.
Consider word count too. While the average human’s attention span is only 8 seconds, search engines actually “prefer” longer, in-depth posts. Longer posts tend to rank more easily for target keywords and phrases. Aim for at least 300 words per post, but also aim for “scannable” content by keeping paragraphs short and using bullets and subheadings.
5. Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly.
Because more people now use a search engine from their mobile phones than a laptop computer, this is crucial. If your website already uses responsive design technology this is already happening, but it’s worth mentioning.
6. Use optimized videos and images.
Including images and video content can increase visitor engagement and are another way to educate your readers. Be sure to use descriptive alt tags, using keyword phrases if appropriate. Search engines look for images with alt text; this is how they “know” what an image is about.
7. Use links – both internal and external.
Linking to applicable and reputable websites not only offers blog readers additional reading material to expand their knowledge, but it also shows Google and other search engines that you’ve “done your homework.”
Don’t forget about linking to your own content – either to other pages on the website or to other blog posts. Doing this keeps readers on your site longer and helps them become more familiar with who you are and what you do.
8. Share blog content on social media platforms.
Sharing blog posts on social media is always a good idea. Not only does it keep your social media platforms current and relevant, but it’s also an easy way to keep your audience engaged. A couple of sentences from the blog post or a brief summary are enough. Using keywords can help with rankings.
So, “If you want your blogs to rank at the top of page one (and why wouldn’t you?), your main focus should be on creating blogs that both users and search engines will love.” If you’d like help with blog writing, we offer affordable, customized content writing solutions including blog articles, social media articles, and posts, press releases and more. Contact us today for pricing or to see examples.
Resources:
Feairheller C. Blogging for SEO: How to write blogs that rank on page one. HubSpot, Inc. Updated 28 Jul 2017 [accessed 19 Jun 2019]. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blogging-for-seo
Goers J. 8 simple ways to utilize a blog to improve SEO results. Search Engine Land. 1 Dec 2017 [accessed 19 Jun 2019]. https://searchengineland.com/8-simple-ways-utilize-blog-improve-seo-results-287261
Kolowich L. Blog SEO: how to search engine optimize your blog content. Updated 30 May 2019 [accessed 19 Jun 2019]. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blog-search-engine-optimization
Murray M. Page one: what’s a Google rank worth. Search Engine People [blog]. 6 Jul 2017 [accessed 20 Jun 2019]. https://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/page-one-whats-google-rank-worth.html