Whenever you seek advice about SEO and how to get your website ranking higher on Google, you will find that certain recommendations are always forthcoming. The reason they are is simply that, through experience and the testing and analysis they conduct, SEO agencies and consultants see patterns emerge of what does and what does not help search engine rankings.
One of those aforementioned recommendations will relate to content and specifically about the blog which is part of a business’s website. We should point out at this juncture that if your website does not have a blog, then you most certainly should add one.
As for those who already have a blog but are perhaps not yet satisfied with how it is performing or the ranking your website is achieving, we are going to try to resolve those issues for you. Outlined below are seven proven ways of optimising blogs so that they boost the rankings of the websites they belong to. These are steps that SEO agencies use to boost their own blogs and rankings, so you can be sure that they are effective.
Ensure You Know What Audience You Are Targeting
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make with blogs is that they create generic content that they hope will appeal to everyone. Not only is that impossible but also ineffective when it comes to visitor engagement and rankings. Instead, think about who your ideal target audience is and create content specifically geared towards their likes, wants, and needs.
Conduct Keyword Research So That You Optimise For The Correct Keywords
Do not lose track of the fact that Google rankings are all based on keywords and search terms. This means it is essential that your content and everything associated with it such as titles, tags, and metadata targets the keywords, aka search terms, that you wish Google to rank your website for.
Use Visual Content
Whilst having awesome, high-quality written content is a must, it does not mean that is the only type of content you should publish. Give your visitors a variety of content, especially the visual type. This includes images, diagrams, infographics, and videos, all of which can still be optimised for keywords whilst giving visitors alternative ways to consume your great content.
Take Time To Create The Best Titles Possible
If you cannot get visitors past the title of your blog post, your posts might as well not exist. The best blog creators often spend more time creating their titles, than they do writing the content because they know how impotent the title is. So, whatever time you currently spend on creating titles, quadruple it to make them so awesome that visitors will always be keen to consume the content that follows.
Always Include A Call To Action In Each Post
Each blog post you create should have a purpose beyond helping your Google rankings. To achieve this you must include a call to action (CTA) in each one such as clicking a link to another page on your website, for example. CTAs enhance user engagement and experience plus they keep them on your website for longer, which is a key ranking factor.
Keep Google (And Visitors) Happy By Providing Positive User Experience
User experience (UX) is something that Google places a huge dividend on when it is ranking websites. It desires that those who use Google to search should click through to websites that provide great UX. Ensure you match Google’s expectations by ensuring every blog post, and indeed, every part of your website will be regarded positively by having great content and simple menus for navigation, for example.
Continuously Analyse, Test, And Optimise
Finally, you must understand that getting a top ranking is not a one-off event. To retain them you must stay ahead of your competition who covet your top rankings, and the way you achieve that is through continuous analysis of your blog’s/website‘s performance, testing to see what works best, and optimising where you can see improvements are needed.