How to Optimize Your Blog for the Search Engines
Blogs are magnets, especially when they’re written with the consideration of keyword content. A blog is naturally attractive to search engines since they are content-rich web pages that have many links and are regularly updated. Techniques for optimizing blogs are similar to optimizing content websites, but they can actually rank much higher than a static website.
Let me share a few simple rules:
1. Naming for success. How to choose your blog domain name.
If you can choose a separate URL for your blog. The domain name should include the primary keyword you want to optimize your blog to. If you can’t get your keyword in a domain name, you can include it in a sub domain.
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Example:
Keyword = babynames
Main Domain – www.babynames.com
Sub Domain – www.parenting.com/babynames
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2. Navigating for success.
Make your blog easy to navigate. Set your blog up so that it is easy for search engine spiders to navigate. Your navigation bar should be displayed on all pages, and your archives and previous posts should be accessible from each page so that the spiders can read them easily.
3. Tagging for success.
Optimize your post titles and blog header tags. Using your primary key phrase in your blog header tags and post titles will increase your search engine ranking for that keyword. Your blogging software will take the keyword in your posts titles and use them in the permalink posts it creates. As an example, I am speaking about optimizing your blog for the search engines in this post so I have incorporated those words into my title and this is my permalink: http://metromom.com/MetromomBlog/2010/08/20/how-to-optimize-your-blog-for-the-search-engines/
4. Keywords for success.
The key to getting your business found is to know exactly what your customers search for, and that means doing keyword research. Keywords are simply the words or phrases a customer types into Google or another search engine to find the service or product they need. Knowing what these words and phrases are and using them appropriately in your online content is the trick to getting your site in front of more potential customers.
Include keywords in anchor text of links. What this means in layman’s terms is to hyperlink your keywords or keyword phrases to other related content making for a richer content experience for the reader. Keywords in links have more impact on your search engine ranking than keywords in simple text. For example if I say “it’s helpful to be of service” that’s not as impactful as if I hyperlink “it’s helpful to be of service” to another article. Try to include both primary and secondary keywords in your links to other blog posts or pages of your main site.
5. SEO for success.
Include secondary keywords in the content of your posts. You don’t want to overdo the secondary keywords in your blog posts as they will sound forced to your readers. However, using secondary keywords where appropriate throughout your posts, including titles, will increase your search engine ranking.
6. Update for success.
Adding new content on a regular basis will ensure frequent visits form search engine spiders and increase your search engine ranking. I recommend committing to posting at least 3 times per week. This not only improves your search engine ranking but allows you to develop a presence for your community.
7. Consistency for success.
Keep the same domain. Once you have set up a blog you should keep the same domain and host where possible. You might lose your search engine ranking, traffic and customers if you move around too often.
8. Submit and link for success.
Get links from other websites. Encouraging other sites to link to your blog will do wonders for your search engine ranking. The best way to do this is to submit your blog to search engines and directories.
Much of what I learned was from my amazing search engine specialist, Ty Downing. If you know of other suggestions, please share them here so we can all benefit from your knowledge.
If you’re ready to use your blog as profitable marketing tool check out Blogging ABCs (Attract, Build, Connect). In this product I breakdown all the steps to creating a blog so you can create a loyal following of a targeted market who love you and are ready to BUY!
Tags: Blogs, drive traffic to blog, keywords in the content, optimize your blog, optimize your blog for search engines, SEO
