Search Engine Optimization, abbreviated SEO, is the process by which people optimize their websites to make them more appealing to search engines. Search engines then rank these websites higher in their SERPS (short search results pages). Even if you are starting out as a blogger, you want to get some readers, right? Otherwise, you would just be writing for yourself, even if you were to write about buying term papers for the lowest prices on the Internet. Nobody will actually read your blog posts because nobody can find your blog. Of course, you can always advertise your blogs on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms. The problem with this approach is that you don’t have enough friends and followers to build a strong readership.
Here Is Why SEO Matters
The most important thing you need to understand is that without proper SEO, your blog can be invisible to search engines. In some cases, search engines will simply disregard your blog because they don’t understand what it is and don’t see its relevance. For example, blogs that feature lots of images need proper SEO to help search engines understand what each image is and why it is important.
Google and other search engines put a great emphasis on quality and user experience. They will display relevant websites that are full of useful content on the first page of their search results. Also, websites that are easy to navigate and that do not contain errors and much non-text content will be given priority. Search engines are here to help people find the most relevant content, content presented in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-navigate way.
If your blog is not optimized at all, it will not be at all appealing to search engines. This means you may have the best blog posts around, but your position in the SERPS may be on page 50 or 60. Let’s face it; nobody goes through 50 pages of search results to find a website. You want to be on page one if you are to build your readership.
The 5 Important Steps to Make Your Blog SEO-Friendly
There are many things you can do to make your blog search engine friendly. However, the first thing you should do is read about the most popular SEO copywriting mistakes so that you learn how to avoid them. Remember, you may be able to get readers on your blog, but you will not be able to keep them reading if you don’t know how to copyright correctly.
The second thing you want to do is optimize the blog’s code so that it complies with the requirements of the various search engines. This means your blog must use only valid HTML and also contain an XML sitemap. Never underestimate the importance of a sitemap for Google.
It is now time to make sure your content is appealing to search engines. To make your content SEO-friendly, avoid the use of images when possible and stick to plain text. Research the short tail and long tail keywords that your readers are probably looking for and use them in your blog post. Also, include the two most important keywords in the title tag, headers, and body of the blog post, the URL, and the Meta description tag. Avoid stuffing your text with keywords as Google will swiftly penalize you.
Reference other sources using links and then work hard to get your blog posts linked to on other blogs and websites. Also, build a strong social presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with people sharing and tweeting your content all the time. Google and other search engines pay a great deal of attention to social media sites, so they will notice you quite quickly.
Strive to write the best blogs posts possible. Don’t worry about length. Don’t worry about links to various sources. Google likes links, as long as they are not used in dubious ways. Focus on writing excellent content for your readers. Answer every question and make sure your blog post is helpful, informative and relevant. Always stay on topic and do your best to captivate the attention of your readers. Did you know that Google looks at the time readers spend on your blog? Yes, it really does matter!
Your Income Depends on It
If you want to make some money with your blog, you absolutely need a strong readership. In other words, you want to rank very high in the SERPS on the major search engines. It is imperative to make your blog search engine friendly. And don’t forget to engage your readers and compel them to share your content with their friends on social media or on their own blogs. Do so and the next time you write a piece on Assignmentgeek, 1000 people will read it in the first 10 minutes after you post it. Goal achieved!