8 Proven SEO tips for your blog

InternetLiveStats reports that there are currently more than 1.5 billion websites on the World Wide Web. This shows that there is a high probability of your site getting lost in the blogosphere. A smart website owner needs to employ these proven SEO tips to increase traffic and make more sales.

Before we dive in, it’s important to note that Google’s Search algorithm varies from time to time. To get the best results, you have to test various strategies in order to find those that actually work.

The good thing is, you can easily apply the required search engine optimisation (SEO) tactics and watch your blog rank higher on search engines.

We are going discuss the following SEO tips for your blog in this post:

• Create relevant and unique content
• Include focus keywords in your images
• Improve readability of your posts
• Link to authority websites
• Acquire backlinks from authority websites
• Update older posts
• Place your keywords in the right places
• Use web analytics tools

Now let’s start.

1. Create relevant and unique content

You already know that there are more than a billion websites on the internet. There are probably hundreds of sites producing content similar to yours. You’d want to stand out. Strive to be the rose among thorns in your industry.

One way to do this is to ensure that you don’t veer of the topic. If your blog is about pet foods, focus on that area alone. Your blog will attract pet owners and they’ll be typing queries such as “best food for puppies”. Avoid moving away from the main topic.

Secondly, conduct a thorough research before creating any content. Have all the facts in your fingertips. Your sources need to be credible. 

Avoid duplicating any content you find on the internet. If you find a pieces you can use in your post, either cite the source or put it in your own words. This shows that your work is original. Do this consistently. Your readers will love your for it.

2. Include focus keywords in your images

Do you know that internet users can conduct an image search? Images are an important part of SEO these days.

You should first start by changing the name of the image in your computer to include your focus keywords. If your content is about pillows, change it from 383907.jpg to something like pillows for babies.

Secondly, you have the option of placing an alt tag on your image once you upload it to the post you want to publish. It should be something that describes the image or reflects what the post is about (include focus keywords in the alt tag).

Alt tags usually appear when your image fails to load due to issues such as poor internet connection.

3. Improve readability of your posts

Truth be told, it’s difficult to read content that is cluttered. Internet readers get tired of reading unending paragraphs.

The first thing you need to do is shorten your sentences, especially in the first and second paragraphs. An average of 8 words each. Most of your paragraphs shouldn’t be more than three lines.

Use white space (the space between lines) as it enables the user to read faster. Don’t forget to break down the content into subheadings.

4. Link to authority websites

Linking to authority websites is just as important as writing high quality content. It’s one way of telling your readers that you can be trusted. If you can link to these authority websites, they’ll believe your content is also credible.

This doesn’t mean that you should stuff your content with links to other websites. Only link go another site where appropriate. Your focus needs to be on creating content that is useful to your target audience.

Internal linking is also vital. When you’re writing a post, link to other related posts in your blog. It’s a great way to make readers spend more time on your blog.

5. Acquire backlinks from authority sites

Acquiring backlinks from authority websites is one of best ways to increase your rankings on search engines. Once you’ve published quality content, you can be sure a few high authority sites will link back to you.

You shouldn’t wait for these sites to link back to you though. If you’re are just starting out, contact reputable sites in your niche and ask them to link back to your site.

Offer to exchange links so that both of you benefit. You can also submit guest post to an industry publication and have it link back to your blog.

6. Update older posts

When you own an old apartment that leaks, it can be pretty difficult to find tenants. Once you renovate it and ensure that it’s habitable, you’ll attract many tenants. It’s the same case with your blog content.

Looking through your older posts, you’ll discover that some need a little refining. Add more details and make it readable. Search engines are always looking for new, fresh content.

When you regularly update your older posts, your rankings on search engines will greatly improve.

7. Place your keywords in the right places

If you want to rank for certain keywords, you have to know where to place them. Take care not to overuse them (keyword stuffing) as this will get your site penalized by Google.

First, ensure that the keyword is in the title of your post. That’s what the users see when a page in your site loads.

Try to place the same keyword phrase in the first paragraph of the article. If it comes off as unnatural, remove it.

The keywords you want to rank for should be used sparingly in your post. Focus on long tail keywords because they perform better. Including the focus keyword in the last paragraph of a post is also crucial.

The meta description should also include your focus keywords. This is the snippet that usually appears just below the search engine result pages. You can copy and paste a section of the first paragraph to your meta description. Yoast SEO plugin allows you to do this effortlessly.

8. Use web analytics tools

You’ll obviously want to find you of your optimization efforts are bearing any fruits. Some web analytics tools you can use to monitor your performance include Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics.

GSC, for instance, shows you the keywords you’re ranking for, some of which you may not even know. Such stats help you improve your SEO strategies.

Conclusion

 

If you follow these proven SEO tips for your blog, you’ll definitely notice an increase in number of visitors. Your posts will get more likes, shares, retweets and comments on social networks. There are probably many other SEO tactics. Feel free to mention any tactic that I might have left out. If you found this article useful, please share it to other bloggers.