How did you end up on our blog page? Why did you end up here? Spoiler alert, it wasn’t by chance. Yes, we wrote this blog to share useful info with you. But we also wrote it as part of our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy.
Blogging for SEO is an informative way to build a personal connection with consumers and communicate your site as reliable and relevant… Which ultimately leads to improved SEO for your business!
If you’re a business owner and you’re not blogging for SEO, you will be in no time. This post highlights the how and why of optimizing your blogs for Google search.
“How Does a Google Work?” | “I’ll Google It.”
Search Engine Optimization starts with understanding search engines. Google’s mission is: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. So if you have a question, you go to Google to find the answer. But how does Google find that answer? In Google’s own words, How Search Works is by (1) Organizing Information and (2) Ranking Results.
Google organizes information with the help of ‘crawlers.’ These virtual bots visit and take inventory of hundreds of billions of websites. They pay attention to the page’s content and freshness – what’s on the page and how recently or regularly it is updated. This info is then stored in the ‘Search index.’
With this information organized, search results are then ranked based on how relevant and accessible a site’s information is. The more relevant a site’s content is to the meaning of someone’s search, the higher the site will rank; the higher the quality of and accessibility to a site, the better it will rank.
So, the keys to higher rankings on Google: freshness, relevancy, and quality.
Where does Blogging for SEO Come In?
How do you keep your website fresh? Not by changing your homepage twice a week.
How do you keep your content relevant? You likely won’t modify your product page every day.
How do you keep a high-quality site? Probably not by altering the layout each week.
Blogging for SEO, though, accomplishes the trifecta for Google search success. Big announcement from the company? New industry trend to be aware of? Write a blog about it, post it, and enjoy the SEO benefits.
Site Freshness
Google wants to show the most up-to-date info. Period. The digital age has fueled our desire to get the most current information as soon as possible. Think about any “research” you do online. For everything from academic information to breaking celebrity gossip, you want the most recent details, not those from two and a half years ago.
So when Google’s crawlers take to the pages, they take note of websites that frequently or recently have updated their site. Blogging for SEO brings regular and informative updates to your page. Even better, put yourself on a blogging schedule. Posting 1-2 times per week really catches Google’s eye that your site is staying up-to-date.
Site Relevance
Google also takes note of whether or not a page pertained to what someone searched for. Let’s say you search, “When should I start a 401(k)?” The first page you go to only explains how to open a 401(k). You quickly realize it doesn’t answer your question, so 15 seconds later you click over to the second suggested result. This result has the answer you’re looking for. Not only that, it also gives you additional info on how stocks benefit your 401(k) and offers a guide on saving for retirement.
You have now spent a significantly longer amount of time on the second page than the first. Google realizes that something on that second page must have been relevant to your search. Noted. That page’s ranking will now be bolstered, thanks to its relevant content.
Site Quality
Lastly, Google wants to provide searchers with good-quality information. One way Google identifies your site as reputable is when other, external sites link to your pages. Let’s say you are a mortgage company that posts a blog about the importance of a pre-approval when purchasing a home. A prominent real estate listings site then writes a blog and links your pre-approval blog in its copy as a source of information. Google honors that shoutout and sees your website as a provider of quality info.
Long story short, the details matter to Google. So how can you begin blogging for SEO to achieve your marketing goals and appear fondly in Google’s detail-oriented eyes?
The Building Blocks of Blogging for SEO
Blogging is not just about throwing words or phrases on a page that you think Google will like. It’s about curating unique content that will reach the right audience, drive traffic the way you want to, and bolster your site as a whole.
Staying on Key(words)
When you search for something, Google matches your query with a page that satisfies your request. To do this, Google identifies and matches keywords between the search and a site. Content developers strategically use keywords with high search volumes to get your content in front of not only the right people but more people.
By choosing keywords that are sufficiently searched- but not searched in the broadest sense of the terms- you can give your content solid visibility. You can find out how many people are searching for a term or phrase with help from Google’s keyword planner. Here’s an example of choosing the right keywords with the help of Google’s keyword planner:
An athletic wear company is writing a blog about a new line of leggings for women. “Women’s leggings” would be a really broad keyword (just think of how many results would come up for that on Google). Changing your keyword to something like “colorful women’s leggings with pockets” narrows your content to what a specific consumer is looking for. In addition, the keyword planner can help you understand the intricacies of keyword selection. For example, you may find that more people are looking for “women’s colorful leggings” than “colorful women’s leggings.” Kind of the same thing, but will make a difference in who you reach.
Most importantly, once you have selected a keyword, you must seamlessly incorporate it into your blog. Google is smart, it knows when you are keyword stuffing, or illogically throwing numerous keywords around for show. Blogging for SEO requires crafting a quality, informative piece with relevant and naturally intermixed keywords.
Internet Traffic Control
SEO is kind of like the air traffic control of the internet. When blogging for SEO, you can navigate consumers to the specific information you want most to relay on your site.
For example, one of our FYD clients wanted to redirect traffic on their site away from one product line and push it toward another. To achieve this, we crafted a keyword strategy around the targeted product and then wrote blogs about industry information related to it. We included internal links in the blog copy which allow users to go directly from the blog to the targeted product page, creating smooth navigation from point A to point B.
Entering New Phases
In all, a well-written blog with the right keyword helps your site rank higher or, when you need it most, introduce your business into Google rankings. One of our FYD clients branched out into a new geographic market and they needed to adjust the marketing strategy to get them in front of their new audience. We carefully selected keywords with high search volumes, implemented local SEO best practices, and published a series of blogs. Just two weeks later, they appeared on the first page of Google in their new market. The moral of the story is that blogs have power.
Bullet Points for the Best Blogging for SEO
From cracking the Google code to breaking down blogging for SEO, here is a checklist of main reminders as you write your next blog:
- Choose a topic that is informative and relevant to your industry and audience
- Find a keyword that is a happy medium between broad and specific; then seamlessly incorporate it into your copy
- Get on a blogging routine to stay top-of-mind with both Google and your audience
While writing your blog, be sure to pay attention to:
- Keyword density. You want to include your keyword a sufficient amount without becoming overwhelming.
- Keyword distribution. Your keyword should be present throughout a blog, including in your title and subheadings.
- Sentence length and word choice. Reading a blog should be fun. Short sentences and straightforward word choices contribute to easy readability.
- Utilizing a plug-in like Yoast can help analyze these details and make suggestions for your writing.
Although there are countless more ways to improve SEO, reading a blog should be fun, so we’ll stop here. However, if you want to learn more and perfect your blogging for SEO strategy from start to finish, FYD can help. For everything from keyword planning to crafting and posting blogs on a perfectly-built website, we’ll have your SEO standing out in no time. Contact us today to talk details.
