And make it even easier with these FREE apps to help you
These are things every blogger and writer should do when boosting their SEO.
1. Research Your Topic
If your blog has a specific niche, research what posts are trending now. A super simple way to do this is typing in what you’re writing about into Google.
For example, if you’re writing about the latest trends for Spring 2021, see what comes up on Google:
If you love writing about shoes, then get even more specific in your search. Hit enter and see what the top posts are. For examples, these other questions were commonly typed into Google:
So, if you’re a fashion blogger, then talking about what sneakers are in for 2021 could be a great way to write a blog post about the new and hot trends to expect for Spring of 2021.]
2. Use an eye-catching Image
We are programmed to look at pretty things. That’s why having an eye-catching image will help boost how many eyeballs you get on your blog post.
You don’t have to be a photographer or hire a professional photographer to get the image you’re looking for. There are plenty of free options where you can use royalty-free images at no cost to you!
As long as you credit the photographer in the caption of the image, you are golden.
I personally use Unsplash a lot. There’s also Pexels. With these two websites, there is bound to be an image that works with what you’re writing about.
Going along with the Spring fashion niche, I found this image in less than a minute on Pexels.
The colors pop and it evokes feelings of warmth and sun with the foliage and bright mustard yellow dress.
Having an eye-catching image will boost your SEO and entice readers to click on your blog post before even reading the first sentence.
3. Write for your audience and incorporate your keywords
It’s so important to know who your ideal audience is. When you figure who you’re writing to, then it makes using your specific keywords that much more effective.
For example, if you’re writing about the healthiest cat treats for adult cats, make sure to incorporate that phrase into multiple parts of your post.
This will help Google’s algorithm figure out what exactly your post is about and bump it up to the first searches people look for when typing in ‘the healthiest treats for adult cats.’
Remember, though, you’re writing for humans and not robots. Don't put the keywords in every other sentence. Google will punish your article because it will think a bot wrote it, and not a human. And no one wants to read the same words over and over again.
So, keep the flow natural, know who you’re writing to, and incorporate your keywords throughout the post for the best SEO.
4. Incorporate links to valid and reputable sources
How many times have you wondered where a writer’s information has come from? If you’re keen on valid and legitimate sources, then this tip could really boost your SEO credibility and increase the likelihood your post will bump up its rank on Google.
If you’re in the health and wellness niche, for example, find some relevant studies with reputable sources to refer to in your post. These high-authority sites will assure your readers you know what you’re writing about, and that you took the time to research the topic. You’ll gain their trust and they’ll refer to you as a reliable source.
And hopefully, they go on to share your post/article, which will help with SEO even more! It’s a win-win.
5. Optimize your post for 3 types of readers: the skimmer, Google, and your ideal reader
Remember how I talked about writing for your ideal audience? Well, incorporating these types of readers will cater to the most important types of readers.
The skimmers are the ones that want to get to the point, so they usually only read the headlines and other headings. We all do it, so why not write for them?
Oh, and break up your paragraphs. Three sentences maximum is ideal when writing posts/articles. I feel like my brain is able to comprehend the thought better when I see some space between paragraphs.
The next reader should be for Google. This ties in with what I wrote above--using keywords throughout your post. You want your post to get on that first search page, right?
Google will reward you for good SEO, and who doesn’t like to be rewarded?!
Thirdly, write for your ideal reader. Is it for a certain age group? What questions do your readers have? This takes some research, and that’s okay. Do the research because it will help you write a better and SEO-driven blog post and article.
6. Link to other posts on your blogs that relate
If you’ve written about a similar topic, then refer to it by linking that post in your current post. This really boosts SEO and it gets your reader to stay on your website longer, get more familiar with your writing, and it could be the post/article they were looking for all along.
Avoid overdone CTAs (calls to action) like ‘click here’ and ‘read more here.’ Instead, find a way to smoothly incorporate the link into your post within a sentence. If you’re writing about relationships and therapy and want to let your readers know how finding a therapist saved your relationship, then do exactly that.
You see how I linked the entire phrase? I didn’t have to say ‘click the link’ to let the reader know there’s an article already written for this exact subject.
This is a lot more enticing and flows much more smoothly. It’s also more SEO-friendly.
7. Write longer posts
You’d think our attention spans in the 21st century wouldn’t want to read super long posts and articles, but Google prefers them. The ideal word-count is between 1200-2400.
Our eyes don't like it, though, so break it up with sub-headings, bullet points, and white space.
I could have written this entire post as if it were an essay, but no one wants to read that.
It's skimmable, packed with keywords, and aimed at my specific audience.
When I write there are some apps I love to use that make life a little easier. These can really help you write the most effective and SEO-packed blog post/article:
Free apps to use when writing
Google Docs - anyone can use Google Docs, as long as you have Gmail or a Google account. I always write my drafts and outlines into my Google Docs and then export them to my website or the Hemingway desktop application.
Hemingway App - this app is so cool! It tells you at what grade level you're writing it, your word count, how complicated your sentences are to read, and more. It's free for the online editor and only $19.99 for the desktop version. I went ahead and bought the desktop version.
Headline Studio by Coschedule - Since your headline is probably the most important part of your post, this headline analyzer tells you what the competition is, how it will rank, and how effective it is. I don't write a single post/article without plugging my headline into the analyzer. If you write often and want to incorporate SEO into all your blog posts and articles, I recommend taking the plunge and purchasing at least the minimum package.
Answer the Public - this is such a cool website to see what people are typing into Google with a specific topic. I typed in 'healthy cat treats' and this is what it saw people asking:
This helps me figure out exactly what to write because I know for sure that people are asking these questions.
Grammarly - You don't have to be an expert in grammar because Grammarly is a free plug-in that will correct your grammar as you type. It has saved me so many times when I misspelled something and it automatically corrected it. It's free and I use it every day. Of course, proofread before you hit publish. We make mistakes computers don't always catch.
Unsplash and Pexels - As mentioned before, these are two websites where you can find high-quality and royalty-free images for free. I use this in almost everyone single one of my posts/articles.
Canva - If you're looking to make a blog banner (so you have that eye-catching image that helps boost SEO) or to make a stunning social media post, this website is incredible. You can do everything on it.
Well, there you have it--may your blog post and article writing be that much easier and filled with SEO!
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