6 Steps to SEO I bet you didn’t know

From Keywords to a Profitable Investment Portfolio

Do you want to know how to quickly get rich and famous?

Just kidding. But, do you want to know how to get your articles found online that can lead your passionate side hustle to a rather profitable writing endevour?

If so, let me share a little story with you that will help you do exactly that.

The mistakes 89.99% of writers make

You’ve worked hard and created a fantastic website. With your enticing design and great content, you’re expecting crowds to flood to your new page. But days and even weeks go by, and after mindlessly checking your daily analytics, you soon realize that this isn’t going to work.

If you’re a writer like me, you likely share your content online — whether on a self-hosted website, on a social media platform, or on other well-known blogging sites.

Perhaps you reach out to new audiences from all kinds of corners of the internet.

The World Wide Web is an open source where everything is connected — and believe it or not, SEO is the unseen bond that brings it all together.

But SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is not just a magic word. It is also a dilemma for most, if not all bloggers out there.

In the vast and competitive world of writing, having a fantastic website, an eye-catching social media platform, and great content — isn’t enough.

To truly make your mark and reach a wider audience, you need to understand and implement, you guessed it — SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

SEO is the word that most bloggers want to hide away from. It’s the thing that some writers obsess over, and others completely ignore.

If you belong to the second category of authors, try and stop thinking about SEO as something that either ‘makes or breaks’ your website. Instead, start viewing SEO as an investment for your blog’s future.

Where do you see your blog in 1–3 years? And where do you see your blog in 5–10 years?

There’s no doubt that SEO is the key to ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) and getting noticed by the people who matter most — your readers.

But SEO takes time to kick in and bring results. While there are many blogging strategies you can apply now to enhance your blog’s visibility and see more ‘immediate’ results, as an experienced blogger, I can tell you that these ‘immediate’ results in many cases don’t last long. On top of that, they need a lot of attention and often require financial investment.

On the other hand, SEO is free. Yes, it takes a bit of time and effort, but with the right training, anyone can get good at it.

And when you do get it right, SEO works as a retirement fund for your blog. You put all the hard work in today so that in 2–5 years time, you can sit back, and watch as it still pays dividends.

In other words, SEO is like a writer’s investment portfolio.

In this guide to SEO, I’ll take you through the secrets of Search Engine Optimisation and provide you with actionable steps you can implement to help you boost your blog’s visibility going forward.

1. Understanding the Basics of SEO

Keywords are King: Keywords are the foundation of SEO. These are the words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for information. Conduct thorough keyword research to find the terms relevant to your blog’s content. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can help you identify high-performing keywords.

Quality Content is Key: Search engines aim to deliver the most relevant and valuable content to users. Write high-quality, informative, and engaging blog posts. Ensure your content addresses the needs and questions of your target audience.

On-Page SEO: Optimize your blog posts for on-page SEO. This includes using your target keywords in the title, meta description, headings, and throughout the content. Use descriptive alt text for images, and interlink your content to improve navigation.

2. Technical SEO for Bloggers

Mobile Friendliness: Ensure your blog is mobile-friendly. Search engines prioritize mobile-responsive websites as more people browse on smartphones and tablets.

Site Speed Matters: A fast-loading website improves user experience and SEO ranking. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix speed issues.

XML Sitemap: Create an XML sitemap for your blog and submit it to search engines. This helps search engine crawlers understand your site’s structure.

3. Off-page SEO Strategies

Backlinks are Powerful: Backlinks, or links from other websites to yours, are a significant ranking factor. Build high-quality backlinks through guest posting, influencer outreach, and creating shareable content.

Social Signals: While not a direct ranking factor, social signals (engagement on social media platforms) can indirectly impact SEO. Promote your content on social media to increase visibility and encourage sharing

4. Local SEO for Bloggers

Optimisation: If your blog has a local focus, optimize for local SEO. Include your location in keywords, create a Google My Business profile, and encourage local reviews and citations.

5. Monitoring and Analytics

Regularly Monitor Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your blog’s performance. Pay attention to metrics like organic traffic, click-through rates, and keyword rankings.

6. Staying Informed and Adapting

Stay Updated: SEO is continually evolving. Stay informed about algorithm changes and industry trends by following reputable SEO blogs and sign up to formal training if needed.

Implementing effective SEO strategies is essential if you want your blog to get noticed. It can seem overwhelming and intimidating, but as you get used to posting daily or weekly, depending on your goal and schedule — it’s all about getting into a habit.

Start by optimizing every new blog post right from the start. Look out for keywords and repeat these keywords over and over again, both in your post and throughout your website.

The important thing to do is to get SEO-friendly right from the get-go.

If you want your blog to rank higher in search results and attract a larger audience — getting your blog posts optimized for SEO is non-negotiable.

By applying the fundamentals of SEO, optimizing your content and website, and continuously monitoring and adapting your approach, you’ll increase your chances of getting noticed and establishing a strong online presence.

So, start optimizing your blog today and watch your visibility and readership grow.

Happy blogging!

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