In order to be a successful blogger, you have to do more than just write stuff. You have to provide useful content for your readers, but you also have to optimize it so that new readers can find you! In this guide, we are going to provide you with SEO tips for new bloggers that'll help you going in the right direction.
You might think that blogging is only writing stuff. But, there's so much more to it. To be a successful blogger, you need to provide value to your readers.
Yet, that isn't the whole story. To grow your traffic and readership, you must optimize your content to appear on search engines. New bloggers should prioritize SEO optimization.
That's the best way to develop your blog and expand your audience. We're going to provide you with a basic but, essential SEO tips for new bloggers guide to take your blog to the next level. Keep reading to learn more!
SEO Tips for New Bloggers Guide: Where to Start
New bloggers often think they'll run a successful blog if they only focus on writing. Like any job, there's more to it than meets the eye. Besides posting great content, you've to think about ways to get new readers to pay attention to you.
Search engines make this happen for you. Yet, it can turn into a nightmare if you don't optimize your content. You might be asking yourself, how to optimize your blog posts for SEO.
Here are 7 blog SEO tips to improve your website's presence on search engines:
1. Don't Underestimate the Power of Headlines and Subheadings
Your headline is your tool to reel in your reader. All your headlines and subheadings should pack a punch. Many new bloggers fall into the trap of writing too broad topics.
When you write about general topics, you'll have a hard time answering them completely. If you write about specific topics instead you'll bring a more focused audience.
Also, it's easier to use powerful headlines and subheading when you write about a specific topic. This will help you improve your SEO ranking because you'll appear on the searches by that audience.
2. Conduct Keyword Research Before Writing Your Content
You might think that having the right topic is enough. But, before writing you must conduct keyword research.
You should use long tail keywords in your content. These keywords are three to four-word phrases specific to your topic. You should aim to use keywords that your audience will search.
New bloggers might fall into the trap of using high traffic keywords. But, ranking in those is very difficult. You should use tools such as Google Keyword Planner to find the best keywords for your content.
3. Use Your Content to Solve Your Readers' Problems
A reader won't pay attention to your content because you're the writer. They're looking for solutions to their everyday problems. If you focus on writing for your niche, you'll be answering their questions.
Therefore, your content will appear when people search for solutions to their problems. Today, you've many options to create great content. You could post on your blog from articles to video blogs.
But, you shouldn't lose your voice. Posting original content will help you build a connection with your readership. Many writers feel the need to try to fit or copy the content that's available.
Yet, that's a recipe for disaster. You should read more about your niche to stay current. But, you should be careful to keep your content original and authentic to your vision.
4. Prioritize Quality over Quantity
As a new blogger, you might feel pressured to post a lot of content because you want your readers to stay. Yet, you should always prioritize quality over quantity. If you want a high-quality readership, you need to provide great value.
Also, you should keep in mind that search engines rank higher relevant high-quality content. You could aim to answer basic questions using information such as definitions in your content.
When Google considers this type of content as the best answer to the search query, it features it on Google Snippets. These snippets are located at the top of the results page. This will help you improve your visibility and bring high-quality traffic to your blog.
5. Create Social Media Pages to Feature Your Blog
Today having a blog isn't enough. Social media pages are a great way to engage with your audience and expand your readership. If it's challenging for you, start with the social media platform you're more comfortable using.
You might think social media has nothing to do with your blog. Yet, search engines such as Google are paying attention to what's shared on social media.
If your content gains traffic on any social media platform, the search engine might take it as a signal of authority. A good approach is posting on social content that isn't available in your blog. Also, you should reach out to other bloggers in your niche and share their content too.
6. Your Blog Theme Needs to Be SEO Optimized
Not all themes are equal. Search engines like Google consider if your website theme is optimized for SEO. They take a look at different factors.
Some of them are the mobile optimization, SSL certificate, load speed, broken links, among others. Many website owners don't prioritize mobile responsiveness. They might be losing more than they think.
Besides losing visitors, search engines such as Google won't rank them high. Also, SSL certificates are very important with the latest search engine updates.
Google punishes websites that don't have their SSL certificates. The search engine labels them not secure.
7. Consider Getting an SEO Plugin for a Blogger
Optimizing your blog for SEO can be challenging. There are plugins that help you optimize your blog.
If you're running your blog on Wordpress, you might consider using plugins such as Yoast SEO and All in One SEO Pack. Not all of them are the same. So you should test them to find out which plugin helps you the most.
Bottom Line
If you want to write a successful blog, optimizing your content is a must. Remember that you shouldn't have a one size fits all approach. Also, you should focus on your readers.
Don't try to make it perfect. Your readers visit your blog because of your content. Having a successful blog takes time and tons of work but, it's worth it.
We're confident that if you use our tips for new bloggers, new readers will find your blog in no time. Want to learn more ways to optimize your website? Check out our article to learn more.
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