Writers: Here are 9 SEO Steps that Will Help Your Work Soar
Getting comfier with SEO has skyrocketed my confidence as a writer
I used to get so stressed reading articles about SEO.
Actually, it used to piss me off.
It pissed me off because I felt like someone who was left off the party guest list. I knew I had to learn SEO, but I resisted.
It looked confusing, annoying, and downright boring!
Last summer I purchased an intense online copywriting course which has changed my entire life, path, outlook, and sense of ambition.
I have learned so much in this course, I feel like I’ve earned an MBA.
If you struggle to get cozy with SEO, this article will help you.
And before we dive in, I want to define SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for you, which is: using various tactics and strategies to increase the quality and quantity through organic search engine results.
SEO is not just for Google, it can be utilized for any search engine, including those on social media. Just keep in mind that the algorithms on social media platforms change constantly, while Google’s remains fairly consistent (even if it is kept a big secret!).
One last thing! Google’s primary goal is to create an incredible user experience. This is good to know as you learn more about SEO and what ranks on the first few pages of search results.
Step #1 — How Does SEO work?
In a nutshell, Google has these bots that take a stroll through the words on your site and decide what the site and each page in it are about.
The bots are looking for 2 specific things — relevance & authority.
The bots also look for patterns that suggest how engaging a website is.
Authority means that your site/blog/article/landing page has quality information that a searcher will want when they enter certain keywords or phrases into the Google (or Bing or Yahoo) search bar.
Authority is built by the website providing value and having consistent traffic that stays on the page and interacts with it. It also helps to include quality links to other websites with established authority because this alerts Google that your site is satisfying what the searcher wants.
Relevance is built by how in alignment and specific your site (or blog or article) is with what is being searched for.
This is where very specific searches like “polka dot hat with tassels” or “Atlanta-based family photographer” come in. Google will immediately suggest your site should one of these things be searched for because it is extremely relevant to what the searcher wants, even if your site hasn’t built up much authority yet.
So, as you post more often, you’ll start to develop more authority as a suggested link and also establish relevance in the subjects you are writing about.
The main point of SEO is to get Google to think, “The next time someone asks about (subject), I am going to show them this (your site).” (Thank you to my mentor for this perspective!).
Step #2 — Choose keywords wisely.
How does Google know that your site has relevance and authority to be suggested when a search is done?
Simple: keywords and long-tail keywords (which is a keyword that is 3–5 words long).
Keywords let Google know what your site talks about and then suggests your site when a searcher types in those keywords or phrases.
Keywords should be included throughout your blog or website copy in a natural way.
Keep in mind that long-tail keywords may have a lower search volume (popularity), but because they are more specific, anyone searching for those words will be more focused and more likely to click, buy, or respond to a CTA (or call to action).
Using keywords in your title and subtitle is also extremely helpful to rank on Google because it tells Google what the piece is about.
Step #3 — Use these awesome plug-ins for keyword planning.
How the heck do you choose keywords?
By knowing what people are looking for and asking about in the subject you are writing about.
There are a lot of services that help with keywords, but the four listed below are what I use the most:
- Ubersuggest by Neil Patel
- Keywords Everywhere
- Google Keyword Planner — you need a GoogleAds account for this one
- Google Suggestions — or the ‘related searches’ section at the bottom of each search page
If you have Chrome, I highly suggest adding these as plugins and then, watch the magic happen.
Depending on the subject, you may need to choose keywords with a higher volume count because that is what people are searching for the most. Choose a few with less volume as well so you can stand out and get hits on those more specific searches. This is a bit of science and art mixed together, so go with your gut and what feels best. You can always tweak keywords if you need to.
Something else to know/consider: sometimes people are searching for something very, very specific, like “medium-sized brown coats in Cleveland, OH” so the keyword planner will show less popular word searches by volume because this search is so specific. However, in terms of relevance, it’s gold.
Step #4 — Don’t “keyword stuff.”
While it’s tempting to plug in keywords all over the place thinking it will help your ranking, it will actually tank it because Google has gotten smarter about “keyword stuffing.”
Keywords should be used organically and naturally throughout your copy and support whatever subject you are writing about.
Use variations of keywords as well to change it up (called close variant keywords). If your keyword is “hot chocolate,” you may also add, “organic hot chocolate” or “hot chocolate recipe.”
Use keywords in titles (H1 or headline 1) and subtitles (H2, H3 or headline 2& 3) because this is the first clue as to what your site, article, or blog is about, helping those Google bots.
Step #5 — Remember, it can take a few months to see SEO results.
Don’t worry if you don’t see your site, blog, or article ranking on page 1 of Google results right away.
It can take a few months for your site to build up authority if it is not very specific in terms of relevancy.
For example, if you sell oils online, there is a lot of competition for ranking because this is a very popular keyword. Maybe choose something related, but not the highest in volume because there is a lot of content already ranking (this is where those amazing plug-ins come in handy!).
Step #6 — Post consistently and offer value.
It is said that the minimum you should be posting is 1–2x per month to keep your online presence and build momentum.
I would say you should post 5–6x per month when you are getting started.
If you want your website to rank higher, you have to be posting blogs or content that consistently drives traffic to your site. This is what starts to build your site’s authority with Google.
Step #7 — Have external links open in a new tab.
Having qualified links to other blogs or sites is another way to build site authority with Google (that is if these sites are offering value).
When you include an external link on your site, article, or blog, make sure it is set to open in a new tab.
Why is this important? Because it keeps your site open while people browse another link, helping you gain more authority because folks are staying on your site longer.
If clicking a link takes the searcher away from your site, they may not go back to it after going down the rabbit hole of the internet.
Sidenote: internal links do not need to open in a new tab, because the searcher is staying on your site.
Step #8 — Be aware of your meta description.
What the heck is a meta description?
It’s the 160-character snippet you see under the title of a search result on Google.
You enter this into the backend of your site so that Google doesn’t fill it in for you automatically.
Meta descriptions are another place to use keywords so Google knows exactly what the site is about and can suggest it when people type in those searches.
Step #9 — Have at least 1000 words for Google.
Webpage length is another factor in establishing authority and relevance with Google.
It’s important to have at least 1000 words on your site, blog, or article for it to “be seen” by Google, mostly because you can use more keywords in your content.
This is another reason why having a consistent blog attached to your website is helpful. Having a way to regularly post content keeps your webpage in the Google line of sight.
I hope these steps help you and your work!
Learning SEO is so powerful because it truly feels like you are at an exclusive party with very important guests who have the goods on what to do!
Practice, practice, practice, and keep an eye out for your site, blog, or article placing higher and higher.
And one more thing!
While your site may not place on Google’s first page results right away (remember, it can take a few months), make sure that your site is in fact, climbing in the results. This will give you a gauge on what SEO is working and what you can tweak.
What are your favorite SEO tips? I’d love to know in the comments!
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