If you have been following along with some of our tutorials, you know how important a blog can be for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and for content marketing. Having a strong blog can help you to build a sustainable web presence, and help generate more leads, as long as it is done properly. In this tutorial we are going to tackle 5 simple steps that can help take your blog out of the darkness of page 22 of Google’s search results, and give you the information to help push your business into a top listing location!
Mobile Optimization
Mobile has taken over. This shouldn’t be news to you, we have spoken at great length about the necessity of having a mobile friendly site. You need to adapt your site to fit the screen that most of your audience is viewing it on. There are three main things you need to look at when designing your blog for mobile:
- Content: Look into your analytics reports and see if there is a difference between the content that is consumed by mobile users versus desktop users, use this data to determine what format is generating the most traction with mobile visitors and capitalize on it!
- Behaviors: Your landing pages and sales pages might require different strategies on mobile. Tools like Crazy Egg can help assess the behaviors of mobile and desktop users.
- Layout: Last but definitely not least, ensure that your pages, menus, and posts are all optimized for mobile.
Focus On Quality
In the past, Google has made an effort to value the overall experience of its users, which was evident when it rolled out Hummingbird, a smarter search algorithm that looks at keywords in context. Google’s goal was to move away from seeing search queries as strings of keywords and towards understanding them as meaningful concepts. As a result Google now places greater emphasis on the value of your content than on the specific keywords it contains.
But what does it all mean? It means that you should focus on creating quality content that provides useful information to your audience. If you want to rank number one for a keyword, then create content that deserves to be ranked number one. Stop looking for the shortcut in SEO and keywords.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t optimize your content for keywords. The search engine still relies on keywords to some extent to understand the relevance of your content, but it has gotten much better at detecting spammy, weak content – meaning you will no longer achieve strong ranks simply by placing the main keyword in the title of your blog and then repeating it over and over. Just focus on writing strong quality content for your audience that they would find useful and you will be fine.
Share it
This should go without saying, but when your blog is fresh, the best way to build an audience is through social media. Understand that there are more than two million blogs posted each day, and if you want to rank highly in search engines then you need get eyes on your content. By far the easiest and cheapest way to do this is through social media channels.
Make sure you share every blog post on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. Consider making a short video about it for Youtube, post to Tumblr, even share it on relevant reddit threads. Make sure to create a social media regimen that holds you accountable each week. The more places that your blog is featured, the more data Google will gather on it.
Your social media fans may not be ready to purchase your products. Unlike search engine users, they are not looking for an immediate solution to their problem. However, they are interested in rich content related to the topics that matter to them. Ultimately, as you continue to provide value, they will start to visit your web properties. This will increase the level of engagement on your social media channels, in addition to organic reach, while providing backlinks to your content!
Linking
In the past, search engines put a lot of weight in link building. Then came the technique of “link blasting.” Buying backlinks was fast, simple, and relatively cheap, and within minutes you could have hundred of links on your website. Search Engines have leveled the playing field now though, and you can actually be penalized for these practices.
Links are still important, and search engines do still take them into account. But the most important thing these days is the quality of your links not the quantity. Make sure that you link only to strong quality sites that can provide real value!
Promotion
You know the old saying “if you build it, they will come.” Unfortunately this method rarely succeeds in the digital landscape, if you want to enhance your brand’s awareness you need to heavily promote your content!
Through your inbound marketing strategy you should be able to figure out who your audience is, and what problems or needs those prospects are looking to fulfill. If you haven’t set up an inbound marketing strategy give us a shout and we can help. Your content should directly address the needs of your audience, and you should create a social media content promotion regimen that gets your content out in front of your audience on a regular basis.
Understand that improving your ranking through quality SEO is no longer a fly by night process and that you will need a long term strategy that encompasses all aspects of digital marketing. The best way to increase your search rankings is by creating useful content that addresses the core needs of your audience.
If you promote your content across all available platforms, you’ll ultimately build a reliable source of organic traffic to your website.