About five years ago, search engine optimization was all the rage. While it is still extremely important to SEO your blog, the rules from the ebooks have changed. In fact, new SEO info is hard to find because we are no closer to figuring out Google's algorithms, and they have cracked down on people who try to beat the system.
As a mom bloggers, we still want our content to rank high. Here are 10 easy tips that have helped me stay on top of website optimization trends:
1. Keep Content Original - If there is one thing you can do to boost SEO for your blog, it's to keep content original and fresh by updating often--multiple posts per week. If I could, I would update my blog daily. I've come to learn there is no topic too small. Some posts that I have brushed off as filler, have been among my most popular. You just never know what people are searching for.
2. Titles and Tags Matter - The second most important thing is work on is your post titles and tags. Post titles should be relevant to your post. If you've got a specific keyword you're target, put it in there-- as long as it makes sense. The same with your tags. Keyword stuffing is still a no-no and it really won't help you.
3. Follow the Trends - I love checking out my web statistics to see where my traffic is coming from and what they are searching for. I can use this information to plan future posts and use the keywords that are already being searched.
4. Organic Incoming Link are Important - Having incoming links to your blog has always been important for SEO. But unlike the old days, link exchanges jut aren't enough to boost your rank. By improving your content, you will have a better chance of getting linked organically from another blog or website.
5. Deep Link within your own Blog - Link to other posts you have written with relevant keywords (anchor text)--remember, the links still have to make sense. If there is a certain post you are looking to rank higher on, try to link to it from three older posts.
6. Guest Post on Other Blogs - As long as you get a link back, see if you can guest posts on other blogs with a similar niche. This is another way to get incoming links.
7. Switch to Self-Hosted WordPress - If you're on blogger, or God-forbid some other platform, get off it now and switch to self-hosted WordPress. WordPress is very SEO friendly, and there is a variety of plugins to help optimize your blog. Plus, you have full control.
8. Make sure your Feed is Working - I have noticed, when my feed is down, so is my traffic. While I can't find a direct cause for this, I think it's important to keep track of your feed with a program like Feedburner. If it's down--get it fixed ASAP!
9. Social Media is your Friend - When you are building a blog, go ahead and get a Facebook Fan Page and a Twitter Account while you at it. Use both of these tools to network and build relationships within the community of bloggers. While I would set up twitter and facebook to automatically publish new posts, I would not do this without posting on your own. To build up fans, you will need to interact in real time, at least 75% off all updates should be real.
10. Image Descriptions - When you post an image, and in my opinion, every posts should have one, be sure to name it appropriately, using keywords. Image search is at an all time high, and hits to your images count as traffic; it also helps your SEO.
While it might be tempting to use one of the search engine marketing services, you can do all your SEO on your own without spending a penny! Remember the basics: Write unique content, use descriptive keywords in your title and tags and link within your posts. Good content will get organic links and you will be well on your way to the top of the search engines!
Leave a Reply