A few months ago, I wrote, I Threw SEO to the Wind, on FuelYourBlogging.com. Upon your initial glance at the title you might guess that the article was about totally ignoring SEO and writing the type of content you want to write. You’d be right, in part.
However, towards the end of the post, I revealed that I do in fact optimize my posts, I just do it a little differently from what an SEO expert might suggest.
Here’s a glance at how I optimize my posts:
I write first, SEO second
I generally write a post first, with my readers in mind. Sometimes I start with a working title and sometimes I don’t. I do this because I find that whenever I start trying to do the research first, I end up spending too much time looking for keywords that I might not even use and then by the time I’m done, I’ve lost the motivation to write.
So I write first, then I use Google’s Keyword Tool to see if I can find some keywords that both relate to what I’ve already written and also have a good number of searches.
Here’s a glance at the keyword search that I conducted for this post:
I reversed the Advertiser Competition so that the lowest competitive terms appear at the top. I try to choose the keywords that have the smallest bar (lowest competition) but also have a decent amount of global monthly searches.
Keep in mind that “decent” is a relative term, I try to shoot for keywords with at least 500 global monthly search volume but, sometimes that’s not possible. Notice that the keywords “seo for bloggers” has lower competition, but only 210 searches. However, “seo for blogger” has only slightly more competition, but with 1300 searches. So which do you think I’d choose? (Hint: take a look at the title of this post then take a look at the link.)
It’s really important that your keywords appear in the title, but don’t force an awkward title.
Here’s what I do:
- I create a catchy title that makes sense to humans and then I use the keywords in the permalink instead of the title. So, that means you are seeing “SEO tips for bloggers” in my title, but if you take a look at the permalink, you’ll see ” SEO for blogger” the keyword with the higher amount of searches.
This is a good alternative to creating strange titles that no one wants to click on.
- I add relevant tags and make use of my categories – this is really helpful in pointing search engines towards posts.
- I go back and find areas throughout the text where I can add or replace synonyms with the keywords. But I don’t over do it, if it doesn’t sound natural, don’t do it. It won’t make the post rank any better and it could potentially get penalized by Google. Aside from that, it will also really annoy readers.
To really get noticed in search engines, you need to write more than one post with those keywords.
Here’s another tip:
- Write a Series of posts that contains those keywords. You can do this over the span of several days or you can create an ongoing series that you will revisit every week. This will signal to search engines, that your blog regularly attends to those keywords and it will begin to send visitors to you in greater numbers.
I really recommend a weekly series that you set aside one day out of the week to dive deeper into. The benefits go beyond SEO – they create consistency and suspense for your readers and keep them coming back to see what you’ll do next week. A series will also reduce the thinking load – when it comes time to write, you already know what you’re going to talk about, making it easier to sit down and write that post.
- Consistently produce high quality content as often as you can and take cues from analytics. Even if you don’t do a good job of optimizing your content, you’ll still find that Google will often send visitors to your site via some strange long-tail keywords – you can take cues from that and actually start producing content based on those keywords, that is if they relate in a logical way to your niche and your blog’s focus. I particularly like this method, it’s given me new ideas that I hadn’t thought of and because I went ahead a produced a post, the next visitors that Google sent were able to actually find what they were looking for.
If all else fails, get help. If doing all of this creates too much stress or if you find that you get so distracted with research that it stifles your writing, you might want to consider using SEO Software, such as Scribe, that can automate the process for you.
It really won’t benefit you or your blog to totally ignore SEO, but it shouldn’t rule or restrict your writing either. That’s why it’s important to take a “write first, SEO second” approach and do what you can to optimize what you already have.
So how do you optimize your content? What tips do you have to add?
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About Kiesha Easley
Twitter: TechNetSavvy
says:
Truly speaking I’ve never focused on SEO when writing a post but now SEO constantly pops up into my mind when I think about traffic and competition, I will surely try out these tips. Making use of the Google keyword tool really makes sense.
Sagar recently posted..Facebook Chat Messenger Client for Windows
This is my second foray into the world of trying to figure out SEO. You have helped make it accessible. Thank you. BTW, found you through goinswriter.com
jubilee recently posted..Truth and Dare Devotional by Ann-Margret Hovsepian – A Review by jubilee
Thanks for those tips….. Helps mostly for pre – bloggers
rabindra lamsal recently posted..JokeTales: Fly from Nepal to America in one second
I have done all these activities for my blog and i have found these best suggestion for blog post writing and its marketing. I have received much more visitors from search engine after applying these guidelines for my blog. Thanks for sharing nice and informative topic on Blogging.
Regards,
Alexandrabrian
I just thought I would let you know that the image you’re using for the Google Keyword Tool is a bit outdated. It may help if you update the image.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll try them out.
Diana Stevan recently posted..Partying With The Deceased At Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Thanks for these tips. It’s work for me. I think first keyword in url and title tag than in content helps to get ranking .
Thanks for the post. I’ve been a blogger for a few years and have been learning more about SEO to see how to get more visibility for my posts.
Justin recently posted..Lyme disease and Fibromyalgia. Linked? Or one and the same?
Twitter: blogger_navin
says:
i am doing the same but i am not getting enough visitor to my blog.
Navin recently posted..7 cool website to download Free Outstanding Fonts for designer
How important are sub-headers, like H2 tags and the like? I seem to be able to formulate good words to use throughout my posts, but sub-headlines feel like unnatural work to me. Thanks!
Jude Boudreaux recently posted..A Difference Between an Employee and an Entrepreneur
I love the first tip about putting your higher traffic keyword in the permalink instead of the title. Hadn’t thought of that one. Thank you for a great post with excellent content.
Adrian McCluskey recently posted..Looking For Drumheller Real Estate?
Spot on article, Kiesha.
I’ll admit, for the longest time I was obsessed with writing posts with this number of keywords and that number of words that I forgot that I’m writing for the people and not for Google.
A great post, with bad SEO keywords will still be better than a badly made post with perfect SEO.
Morgan
The most important tip is the one you hit on at the beginning of your post – write for people first, search engines second. It doesn’t matter how many people come to your site if they aren’t drawn in by the content they find when they get there. You don’t want people immediately hitting the back button, you have to engage them as soon as they get to your site. And if that means not being able to use my ideal keyword(s) in the best possible way for SEO, so be it.
Adam Kreitman
Co-founder Main Street Marketing Community
Local search experts recently posted..The Low Down on Boost
Same as you, peter, I am changing the long permalink to a short one, especially to a specific title and then put a word “review” in the last part if it is a review. Otherwise, just a keyword in the permalink.
Nice post, Keisha.
I enjoyed reading articles in different website, but I really don’t have the idea about SEO, I never try doing such things, but I am looking forward to do that stuff. Thank you for sharing the knowledge to us.
My last blog post:
Kim About Body Issues, Butt, Cellulite
“Write a Series of posts that contains those keywords. You can do this over the span of several days or you can create an ongoing series that you will revisit every week. This will signal to search engines, that your blog regularly attends to those keywords and it will begin to send visitors to you in greater numbers. ”
Thanks for this Keisha. I certainly agree with the above. Once the search engines see you posting about certain topics over and over, the figure your site is about that and send more targeted traffic.
Hi Kiesha,
Your post is really good. I am also making changes in my permalink link changing it to direct keywords, not the whole title. I usually put a word “review” in the last part of the keyword.
Thanks for sharing your tips. It really help.
Peter
Webmaster, BestCoffeeMaker.biz
Cuisinart
Cuisinart recently posted..Does the Keurig B-70 Platinum Single-Cup Outsmart the Keurig B-60
You have a good point there. It is interesting to read nice articles but you will be restricted if you think about SEO first. Need to break free from those shackles, besides a blog/site with quality contents can build followers which in turn improve your ranking as well
Regards,
Bruce Gow – Webmaster of http://www.a1pestcontrol.com.au
You have the point there Kiesha. I don’t really have much knowledge about SEO but I always enjoy reading topics about it.
My blog: Papell Evening Dresses
Adrianna Papell recently posted..Adrianna Papell Evening Dresses
Interesting perspective Kiesha. I can’t really add much on the topic, but I can make some comments on what to do when you want to optimize ‘n post for a specific keyword.
I use a commercial plugin for WordPress called SEOPressor that helps with this. According to this plugin, the Google bots look at the following key things (among others) to determine what keywords to associate with a web page:
- The Title tag
- Alt tags of images on the page
- Words that are bold, underlined and italized
- H1,H2 and H3 tags
- Phrases appearing in the first and last sentence.
Those are of course just rough guidelines, but it still gives a good idea on where to focus your optimization efforts.
Hey, Forex Trading System (nice name)
Just wanted to say: SEOPressor is pretty cool, but I’ve found Easy WP SEO to be MUCH more effective. Mainly because not only does it do all that SEOPressor does, but it even inspects meta tags, etc. And you can even add multiple keywords (primary, secondary, so on). Another two added features of it that I love are readability testing and LSI keywords. The LSI keywords it offers aren’t always too good – rarely in fact, but they can indeed generate some good ideas that you can dig further and insert in your posts for better semantic indexing.
I’ve also heard of some free alternative though. I don’t remember its name but it starts with “Blog”something.
Anish G. recently posted..Snoring Mouthpiece Reviews & The Best Stop Snoring Mouthpiece
Many thanks Kiesha. Still trying to stay on top of the constant changes in SEO and sometimes you forget to go back to the basics – which usually work the best.
Thanks again.
I love this! For too long, the robots (not humans) have dominated the SEO market.
Jeff Goins recently posted..The Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization for Humans
SEO is the important but writing a blog is more
skyscapers recently posted..Currency Exchange Calculator Why Not Use One
thank you for this tips :)
you can become an SEO Expert by just studying those tips from SEO Forums and testing the methods with yourself”.’
Free SEO Softwares are great, they are just as good as the paid versions’”,
seo experts are really modern day geniuses.`-
there are many free seo softwares out there that are very good.`~,
What is the best software the can be used to analyze the onpage SEO of a website?’~*
Awesome SEO tips..Will definitely implement them in my blog…
Thanks for the helpful tips.
Since the meta keyword tag doesn’t have any meaning in SEO, I have to focus more in title, permalink and especially the content. I almost forgot about the permalink, thanks very much. :)
Tek3D recently posted..Google Analytics Tracking Code Updated
Any good but inexpensive seo software out there ?’.,
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Melanie,
Try DIY SEO – http://weblogbetter.com/go/diyseo – they’ve got a free trial and affordable rates.
When I first started out I was all about links. I wouldn’t focus much on my content on my links.
Fastforward a few months and I now realize that it isnt about the links, they will eventually come if you write quality content. So good advice there.
Acai kaufen recently posted..Darmreinigung mit Acai?
You got a good point there. Sometimes it’s just too hard focussing on writing good content and at the same time considering all the SEO stuff.
I usually write down the keywords I want to rank for on a piece of paper and put it on my desk. So I get reminded to use them during writing the article.
.-= Andi@Matratze kaufen´s last blog ..MALIE 7 Zonen Kaltschaummatratze im Test =-.
I always think good content is the best SEO. In my opinion, SEO is aimed at making more profit. If a website can offer its users a good service, like twitter or facebook, it will never worry about profit.
.-= Penn´s last blog ..Forex trading systems – which is better for you =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Penn,
Yeah quality contest really is the best SEO – if people like your writing, they are going to share it, it’s that simple.
I don’t agree on all your tips but writing for humans is definately key. When I start writing an article I will just let things flow and think about SEO afterward.
But I do recommend using the targeted keyword in the title and the URL. The title is simply the most important factor for Google.
Series with good internal linking can give you some serious authority for a keyword!
.-= Alex @ Zahnbleaching´s last blog ..blend-a-med Whitestrips 56 Streifen im Test =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Alex,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hi Kiesha,
great article thanks. I tend do plenty of keyword research for my web sites, but very little on my blog. I should really do more, and like the sound of your easy going “content comes first” approach to SEO.
.-= Des @ Affiliate Progress´s last blog ..What is on the AP Reading List? =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Des,
You’d be surprised how well just a little SEO can help a blog, which in turn could help your website. I encourage you to give it a try.
Great post, Kiesha. Saw it on Social Media Today and you inspired me to write a post myself about Personal Social Media Optimisation, which has been picked up itself by SMT today, linked below…
.-= Paul Sutton´s last blog ..Paul Sutton: Personal Social Media Optimisation in Action =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Paul,
That’s amazing! Thanks for letting me know. It really encourages me and warms my heart to know that someone has been helped or inspired by something I’ve written. Great job!
Hem … I never aware if we can choose title base on keyword like that. I will try it and see how it is going.
.-= Dana @ Blogging Tips Blog´s last blog ..Theme Junkie Great Discount: 50% Off =-.
This are some good informations thanks for the tips.
I seriously struggle with keyword research. The true and most used keywords don’t change. But I don’t want to write every article about that. Also, I’ve been told not to use the popular keywords anyway. Most are purchased for use by companies and I wouldn’t rank.
You’re right, some of the longtail keyword searches aren’t proper English. Thanks for the idea to use the improper keywords in my URL title! I wouldn’t have thought of that!
Is it too late to revisit old articles and change the URL to something SEO keyword friendly? Or will that mess things up?
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..How Safe Are You? =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Scott,
That’s a good question! I wouldn’t change the URL at this point, but you can go back and add relevant tags and create categories.
Changing the URL will create broken links. I know because I’ve made that mistake :)
Thanks for these 5 tips. You can also do back links for your site on articles which can be published to blogs.
It is unnecessary to pay much attention to SEO. That is to say, if you lay too much emphasis on SEO,you will ingore the feeling of your readers and visitors, which is not wise if you want to attract your readers to visit your blog everyday.
.-= Duia´s last blog ..Cheap Website Design Ideas =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Duia,
You’re right, it’s best not to go overboard on SEO.
I’ve ignored Search Engine Optimization completely because this strategy make my blog unfriendly with my readers.
.-= Home Office Furniture Guide´s last blog ..Buying Printer Ink – 3 Tips to Save You Money =-.
That’s what makes your writing so compelling – you’re obviously writing from the heart, not a keyword sheet. Great stuff!
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Brandon!
Thanks! That means a lot to me coming from you. I’m at the point where I just can’t force myself to do things I don’t like doing – so I’ve adapted SEO to fit my needs. I can’t say it always works, but I prefer to make my readers happy as opposed to search engines. :)
I’ve been ignoring SEO completely, but I’m not saying this is a good way to go. I’ve done so much paid content writing work in the past that I am sick to death of keyword research and avoid it like the plague in my blogging. That said, I know there are things I can do (as you’ve shown here) that will still leave plenty of room for speaking in an authentic voice and not annoy readers. It’s definitely an area of improvement for me. I’ve got about 100 of those :)
.-= Jean Sarauer´s last blog ..How to Live With Your Inner Critic =-.
I found your website through your comments on other blogs. Very informative post – thanks!
.-= Mark´s last blog ..Publishing: A Raw Deal =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Jean,
I totally understand! I too, felt the same way, that’s why I do it this way. It takes a ton of stress off! :)
Hey Kiesha,
You are speaking my language. This is the stuff I like to teach my targeted audience on. I love all of the 5 SEO tips. It’s important to do keyword research and have a list of keywords you want to rank for. This provides your blog with search engine ranking and authority. That is how I manage to build my ranking & loyal readers. Awesome job!
Have a great Saturday…
Josh
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Josh,
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad to know I’m in good company when it comes to my methods. I used to worry about SEO a lot but at one point I just got fed up and decided to do it my way.
I get the feeling Google recognizes good quality despite a post’s keyword density.