The last post on this site, From Harvard Business Review: How Brand Building and Performance Marketing Can Work Together, touches on the disservice performance marketing has done to the internet. And blogs have become a standard performance marketing tool, missing the critical component of building your brand.
Before you use the blog-building tools below to improve your metrics in search results (SEO), remember that your content is nothing if your audience doesn’t use it.
How do you get your audience to use your content? That is a longer answer that I will try to explain at the end.
Click on image to increase size.
GETTING STARTED
Blogging for SEO is not just about writing willy nillly. Content writing for SEO must intentionally align with how people perform searches on the internet. A lot of blog/content pages become useful in providing answers to the frequently asked questions of online users.
In a search if you type: How to write a blog for SEO (and hopefully you scrolled past the sponsored content), you come upon a page result (see image above) with an excerpt highlighted by Google.
Based on a number of factors, Google’s internal tools decided this page has the correct answer. Part of that evaluation is a result of many people using this content, measured by repeat visits, length of time spent on the page, credible links within the page, legibility of text, and other factors.
Every time you write content, the content ought to answer a question that someone is seeking the answer to.
HOW TO WRITE A BLOG FOR SEO STEPS
1. Frame your topic as an answer to a question
For example, use
How To’s
Step-by-step explainer content
Resources such as articles, reports, etc
“Every time you write content, the content ought to answer a question that someone is seeking the answer to.”
2. H1 tag includes keywords
The title of your blog is what we call an h1 or Header 1. H1 information is as important to Google as the title of a book is to a librarian. It communicates the main topic found within the forthcoming body of text.
3. Incorporate keywords and location in body copy
Keywords relating to your topic in the h1 tag will tell Google that the header of your piece is in fact related to your body copy and vice versa. The copy within the blog tells as much to Google as it does to your audience. Sprinkle in your location, like Portland, Maine, as well.
4. Write with legibility in mind (and skimming)
The paragraph as you learned it in high school doesn’t exist online. Add paragraph breaks after only a couple of sentences in your blog. Paragraph breaks improve legibility on a screen by breaking up blocks of text that could otherwise be perceived as daunting. The more legible your text, the more likely people will stay on your page and consume the content. The longer people stay on your page, the more Google ranks the value of your page.
5. Use images to captivate your audience
Use images relevant and visually engaging images. Bold, high-contrast images are great in a digital world. Pro tip: Give the image file a name filled with relevant keywords (name what’s within the image, add the name of your business, plus keywords/phrases relevant to your own work, plus your business location).
6. Use bulleted and/or numbered lists
This is another tactic to break up large blocks of text and improve legibility (skimming). Sometimes bulleted lists (or numbers) force shorthand which can improve legibility and result in a longer visit to your page (points with Google).
7. Include links to credible third-party sources
And use descriptive language within the link to describe where the link will take the reader: What is a blog?
8. Include a CTA
Somewhere in the body, preferably more than one, but with tact, include an action your audience can take. Like making a purchase, contacting you, or visiting another page within your site. Remember, ideally your offer is what your audience is seeking.
“All of the above help with metrics, but they don’t have a direct correlation to your brand’s credibility.”
If you want to hire someone to help with your SEO, contact me.
First hour is free.
We’ll assess your needs and take it from there.
9. Build your brand
If you read the From Harvard Business Review: How Brand Building and Performance Marketing Can Work Together post, you understand that all of the above tactics can leave out a critical piece to successfully marketing your business. All of the above help with metrics, but they don’t have a direct correlation to your brand’s credibility. The above will help your audience answer a question, but are they engaged with your business in a way that will make them come back?
Building your brand via blogging for SEO takes a few different approaches;
Your voice Is it authentic? Is it approachable? Is it reliable?
Keywords vs Expertise Does the language within the copy of your content sound like it’s laden with keywords, or does the copy speak with expertise and authority that the reader can trust? If the content is really just a home for housing keywords, and your reader doesn’t get the answer they are seeking, what does that do to your long-term credibility? Your expertise will likely use keywords, but there is a fine line. Be cautious.
Plagiarizing. Don’t do it. The internet likely already contains the answer that you’re providing. But it’s your own unique way of approaching the answer that makes your content a success. Plus, Google detracts points from your SEO ranking score if they discover plagiarized text.
BLOG EXAMPLE
How To Write a Blog for SEO (<—- Your title is called an H1 tag and communicates the topic to Google. The h1 tag should be filled with keywords that answer the question.)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, blogging for SEO ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in how to paint rain (4) voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. How to write a blog for SEO cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (<——this is your body copy and you need to lace this copy with keywords relevant to the question your content answers)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Portland, Maine consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. (<—— add location if you’re a brick and mortar business, or if location is relevant to selling something your business offers)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Portland, Maine consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. (6)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Portland, Maine consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat
Duis aute irure dolor in rwhat is an h1 tags eprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est what is a blog. laborum (<—- add relevant links to reputable third parties. Pro tip: make the link open in a new tab).
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est I can help you formulate your blogs for best SEO practices. You can contact me here. We’ll review your objectives and find the best approach for you and your business. (Include what is called a CTA (call to action) that specifies your services relate to the question your content has just answered. Doing so helps communicate your expertise and availability)
Blogging for SEO is time-consuming, formulaic, and requires a voice. If you’re not interested in doing this yourself, contact me. We can assess your needs, create a strategy and take it from there. Hourly rates are available to work within your budget.