When someone mentions search engine optimization (SEO), the first thought that usually comes to mind is keywords. When SEO first became known, keywords were the most important factor for a company website to get a good ranking on search engines. This led to the”keyword stuffing” era and poorly written content. However, that no longer holds true. Many factors now contribute to a good ranking, and blogging is one of these key components.
Blogging is useful for presenting entertaining, informative, or useful content that engages readers, identifies you as a subject matter expert, and builds trust with your audience. But blogging does more than that. If handled correctly, blogging can improve search engines’ ability to organically optimize your website’s search ranking. Here are a few key points for getting the most SEO value from your blog.
Solve problems with unique, expert content
These days, the most important thing you can do to boost your search ranking is provide original content that readers are searching for to solve their problems. If you know your target audience members well, you should be able to provide the content they want. The content should be substantial and show that the writer is not simply an author but also a knowledgeable expert in the field. The information is more important than the writing, as you can always ask a writer or editor to clean it up.
Update your content regularly
If you don’t add new blog content frequently, people will stop visiting your site. Create a calendar and create posts weekly — at least. Enlist several tech experts to post blogs according to this schedule. Don’t forget to notify your social media followers and email subscribers when you post a new blog to give them another reason to visit your site.
Use social media to boost your blog — and SEO
When social media followers share your blogs, more people will visit your blog and your search rankings will improve. The best way to get more shares is to provide unique, authoritative content that solves your readers’ problems. Disseminate your blogs on all appropriate platforms, and use share buttons to make it easy for readers to share your blogs to their own pages. When fans share your content, you’ll attract new readers. There’s also a greater likelihood of mentions and links, which will continue to boost your site’s SEO.
Another way social media can help is by connecting your blog to your social media accounts. Use keywords and search terms in your titles and meta descriptions so search engines will return those social media links when people search for your website.
Improve your bounce rate
Bounce rate is the number of users who visit your website and leave without going to any other pages. Why is this important? Each blog counts as a new webpage. The more pages readers visit, the more Google takes note, so you need to make every effort to retain visitors. You can also
- use software tools to determine which pages entice people to visit other pages, then use that data as a guide for creating other content;
- create links within your blog to other pages;
- include helpful links in your page sidebar such as your About Us page, most popular content pages, most popular products — any content that will cause your readers to delve deeper into your website; and
- use interactive content on your pages to inspire more reader engagement so they’re more likely to visit more pages.
Ultimately, your website goal is to attract potential customers. To do that, potential customers need to be able to find you. How can they find you? Most likely, it’ll be through search engines or social media. There are many ways to increase your likelihood of being found. One of the most important ways is your business blog. If you run your blog with the above tips in mind, you’ll go a long way toward boosting your SEO and, therefore, your findability.
