Stop Writing into the Void: Your Directory to SEO-Optimizing Every Blog

Have you ever clicked the "Publish" button for a new blog, only to have it disappear? You might have poured your soul and a number of cups of coffee into that blog post, but if Google cannot find it, you have lost your readers too. Your writing will not produce visibility all by itself; there is something called Search Engine Optimization or SEO.

SEO is your roadmap from a search engine to your wonderful content. It sounds difficult, but improving a blog post is easier than you think. Here’s your practical guide for creating an effective blog post every time.

1. The Keyword is the Starting Point  

Before you can write any material, you have to have found a target keyword. This is the exact phrase that your ideal reader is typing into Google.  

Do some research: use a free or paid keyword research tool or even just use the suggestions that Google provides to find a relevant term with a good amount of search volume that has some competion, but not too much. 

Match the intent: the content you write, has to answer the question or solve the problem that the keyword hints at. If someone is looking for 'the best running shoes' they are looking for lists and reviews - not nor need the history of Nike. 

2. Placement is Everything  

Once you have your keyword, use it organically - this is not an invitation to stuff keywords into your content in order to achieve rankings but it is about creating clarity.  

The Big Four: The keyword can really be used in four main placements:  

Post Title (H1 Tag) - The sooner (or higher) it is in your post, the better for search engines. 

URL Slug - Keep it neat and tidy. (ex. yourblog.com/seo-blog-post) 

First Paragraph - State the topic right at the onset of your post. 

At least one Subheading (H2/H3 Tags) - These help organize your content and can refer back to your keyword. 

The Meta Duo - A catchy title (under 60 characters) and a meta description (around 150-160 characters) are essential.These will show as the blue link and snippet in search results. Which ones do you want to display? They should promote clicks and contain your keyword.

3. Structure and Readability for Humans (and Bots) 

Google is trying to provide the best user experience possible for the search engine as one of its major goals. This means that content is easy to both read and navigate. 

Use Headings: Uses H2, H3, and H4 headings/titles or tags to break long bodies of text. This not only makes your post easier for other readers to scan quickly, but it also provides search engines a road map of what points are the most important. 

Keep it Short and Snappy: Use paragraphs of 1-3 sentences at the most, bullet points, and a numbered or bulleted lists, whenever possible. "No one ever wants to read a giant wall of text," no matter how well it is written. 

Add Multimedia: Consider adding images and videos to your post that make it more engaging and more humanized. Under each image, make sure that you fill out the Alt Text with a phrase that describes the image while describing it with your keyword naturally! 

4. Links to Create Connections  

Links are what connect the internet.  

Internal Links: Make sure you link to 3-5 other relevant blog posts on your blog. This encourages your readers to stay “on your blog journey” longer (which is good for SEO), while also giving Google more pages to crawl.  

External Links: Make sure to link out to a credible high-authority source (preferably a research article or reputable publication) that is external to your blog. This adds on an additional layer of credibility as it demonstrates the research you put in.  

5. Finalizes your checks  

Before you click on publish, make sure you check off two key items:  

Proofread: Typos and grammar mistakes detract from credibility and make readability difficult.  

Add a Call-to-action (CTA): What do you want your readers to do once they have read your article? Subscribe to your newsletter? Share this post? Read the next month article? Don’t leave them hanging!  

SEO is not just a “one-time trick”; it is a process (hopefully these steps help alleviate what you were worrying about). When you are writing consider using these steps to help you stop wishing for traffic and start building an engaging, sustainable blog that has authority and at the same time positions itself as an authority in better serving their audience. Happy blogging!

Have you ever clicked the "Publish" button for a new blog, only to have it disappear? You might have poured your soul and a number of cups of coffee into that blog post, but if Google cannot find it, you have lost your readers too. Your writing will not produce visibility all by itself; there is something called Search Engine Optimization or SEO.

SEO is your roadmap from a search engine to your wonderful content. It sounds difficult, but improving a blog post is easier than you think. Here’s your practical guide for creating an effective blog post every time.

1. The Keyword is the Starting Point  

Before you can write any material, you have to have found a target keyword. This is the exact phrase that your ideal reader is typing into Google.  

Do some research: use a free or paid keyword research tool or even just use the suggestions that Google provides to find a relevant term with a good amount of search volume that has some competion, but not too much. 

Match the intent: the content you write, has to answer the question or solve the problem that the keyword hints at. If someone is looking for 'the best running shoes' they are looking for lists and reviews - not nor need the history of Nike. 

2. Placement is Everything  

Once you have your keyword, use it organically - this is not an invitation to stuff keywords into your content in order to achieve rankings but it is about creating clarity.  

The Big Four: The keyword can really be used in four main placements:  

Post Title (H1 Tag) - The sooner (or higher) it is in your post, the better for search engines. 

URL Slug - Keep it neat and tidy. (ex. yourblog.com/seo-blog-post) 

First Paragraph - State the topic right at the onset of your post. 

At least one Subheading (H2/H3 Tags) - These help organize your content and can refer back to your keyword. 

The Meta Duo - A catchy title (under 60 characters) and a meta description (around 150-160 characters) are essential.These will show as the blue link and snippet in search results. Which ones do you want to display? They should promote clicks and contain your keyword.

3. Structure and Readability for Humans (and Bots) 

Google is trying to provide the best user experience possible for the search engine as one of its major goals. This means that content is easy to both read and navigate. 

Use Headings: Uses H2, H3, and H4 headings/titles or tags to break long bodies of text. This not only makes your post easier for other readers to scan quickly, but it also provides search engines a road map of what points are the most important. 

Keep it Short and Snappy: Use paragraphs of 1-3 sentences at the most, bullet points, and a numbered or bulleted lists, whenever possible. "No one ever wants to read a giant wall of text," no matter how well it is written. 

Add Multimedia: Consider adding images and videos to your post that make it more engaging and more humanized. Under each image, make sure that you fill out the Alt Text with a phrase that describes the image while describing it with your keyword naturally! 

4. Links to Create Connections  

Links are what connect the internet.  

Internal Links: Make sure you link to 3-5 other relevant blog posts on your blog. This encourages your readers to stay “on your blog journey” longer (which is good for SEO), while also giving Google more pages to crawl.  

External Links: Make sure to link out to a credible high-authority source (preferably a research article or reputable publication) that is external to your blog. This adds on an additional layer of credibility as it demonstrates the research you put in.  

5. Finalizes your checks  

Before you click on publish, make sure you check off two key items:  

Proofread: Typos and grammar mistakes detract from credibility and make readability difficult.  

Add a Call-to-action (CTA): What do you want your readers to do once they have read your article? Subscribe to your newsletter? Share this post? Read the next month article? Don’t leave them hanging!  

SEO is not just a “one-time trick”; it is a process (hopefully these steps help alleviate what you were worrying about). When you are writing consider using these steps to help you stop wishing for traffic and start building an engaging, sustainable blog that has authority and at the same time positions itself as an authority in better serving their audience. Happy blogging!