3 Important Things Every Blogger Needs to Know About Search Engine Optimization

SEO = search engine optimization.

Simply put, this is the act of optimizing your content so that your blog posts appear in the search results when someone is searching on Google. Every blogger should have at least a basic understanding of how search engine optimization works, and here’s why.

IT BRINGS ORGANIC TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE

Organic traffic is the person that comes to your website in a natural, organic way. This means that someone is searching for an answer in Google, your blog posts pops up in the search results, and that person visits your website to see what you have to say about their inquiry.

Organic traffic is the best kind of traffic, because it’s FREE!

IT HELPS YOUR TARGET MARKET FIND YOU RIGHT WHEN THEY NEED YOU

When someone uses a search engine, they are usually searching for a solution to a problem. Maybe they’re searching for a recipe, or a tutorial, or date night ideas.

How great would it be if YOUR BLOG POST came up on the front page of Google right when your ideal reader needs what you wrote for them?

That’s the dream of every blogger, but you must understand search engine optimization to make it happen.

IT HELPS YOU BRING IN PASSIVE INCOME

Let’s face it: when you write an article that solves a specific problem, and that article has helpful recommendations that lead to your affiliate products or services, people are more likely to make a purchase from your blog.

Prime example: let’s say you’re a mom blogger and your target reader is a mom of twins or triplets. You write an article about your favorite double stroller and you optimize that blog post for search engines. With some time, effort, and solid SEO, that article will land on page one of Google, and your target reader will be able to find YOU and your recommendation.

If she’s searching for a double stroller, and she trusts your recommendation, she’s likely to follow your affiliate link and make her purchase, earning you a commission on that sale.

For more info about affiliate marketing, check out this article!

This post probably contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure here. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

So, now we know that SEO is important for bloggers, and we all need to have AT THE VERY LEAST some basic knowledge about how it works.

Today, I’m going to let you in on some classified blogger tips and my biggest SEO secret weapon! Starting with three of the most important things that you need to keep in mind when it comes to search engine optimization.

Let’s get to it!

1. YOU GOTTA KNOW YOUR KEYWORDS

Keywords are those words that people type into the search engine (usually Google) when they are looking for something. It’s usually a string of words, called a keyword phrase, that people are searching for.

When you’re optimizing your content, you’re going to select the keywords that best represent the focus of your article. The words that your target reader might type into Google when they’re looking for what you wrote. You can do this with the help of a free keyword research tool, like Keyword Planner.

Here’s an example:

I wrote an article with a list of 25 websites that pay moms to write for them. The target reader would obviously be a mom that wants to make money working from home and wants to get paid for her writing.

The keyword phrase I chose was “websites that pay moms to write.” This keyword phrase best represents what the article is about. And it’s also a phrase that I believe my target reader might type into a search engine to solve this particular problem.

If you type those words into Google, my article will be one of the first few that appear in the search results!

2. YOU GOTTA WRITE QUALITY CONTENT

Search engine algorithms usually do a great job of bringing up the highest quality articles with the most relevant content, right when you need them the most.

Think about this from the perspective of a reader. If you’re searching for something on Google, the first few articles that come up usually help you answer your question or resolve your problem, right?

Seriously, when you’re done reading this article, go ask Google something and see which articles come up on page one of the search results. Those articles are usually the most reliable, relevant, quality articles on that topic.

How can you write quality content?

Make sure that you know who you’re writing for and how you’re helping them. If you have a target reader in mind, you’ll be able to write content that is relevant and helpful to them.

Make sure that you have a specific goal in mind with each blog post, and do your best to lead your reader through the content as simply as possible.

Don’t overcomplicate things. Readers love simple and to-the-point. Go back to the basics of junior high English and think: introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion.

And most importantly, make sure that you use a free SEO plugin to help you organize and optimize your content for search engines. I use the free version of Yoast SEO as my guide, and it’s a great tool. You can only use helpful plugins like Yoast if you’re on a self-hosted WordPress .org website, which I highly recommend.

You can set up your self-hosted site following this easy step-by-step guide.

Quality content with a clear focus and good keywords will land on page one of search results much faster! So, focus on quality.

3. YOU GOTTA GET OTHER PEOPLE RAVING ABOUT YOUR WORK

When you’re promoting your own stuff, it doesn’t hold the same weight as someone else raving about how awesome your stuff is.

Prime example: if I say, “I’m the best at email marketing, you should totally hire me,” that might lead to a few eye rolls. But if a client of mine tells you that I helped them with their email marketing and I’m the best in the biz, you might be more inclined to check out my work.

Along with word-of-mouth, getting back links to your website is an important part of SEO too. It’s another way of telling Google that other people are raving about your work. There are several ways to make this happen, and I’m going to share my secret weapon right now.

MY SECRET WEAPON

When I first started blogging, I didn’t really understand just how important search engine optimization and back links really were. But, like we talked about earlier, it’s the best way to get YOUR CONTENT in front of YOUR IDEAL READER at the exact moment that they need YOU.

Now, we know a few of the most important things to put into practice for optimizing our content, but there is soooo much more to SEO than just writing good blog posts.

When I decided to get serious about SEO, I started by digging into this SEO e-book. It covers

My blog posts that land on page one of Google are usually the result of implementing the strategies I learned from that training.

It’s called Easy On-Page SEO and it covers everything you need to know about creating great content and optimizing it so that you can improve your SEO and get more traffic.  

If you’re on a budget, this e-book is was one of the best investments you can make, because the strategic guidance really helps you get results.

Search engine optimization is one of the important components of monetizing your blog, and it’s better to learn all you can about it sooner than later.

Now, tell me! Have you already started implementing SEO into your marketing strategy? How’s it going for you? Share your experience or ask questions in the comments!