Maintaining strong SEO requires an ongoing effort with a variety of strategies that should include blogging. Hosting a blog is not only an effective way to bolster your web marketing efforts, but can also provide your potential customers and existing clients with valuable information related to your products and services. So how exactly does blogging fit into the bigger picture of SEO? Keep reading to learn the answer, along with some helpful guidelines for better blogging.
A Quick Guide to SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, requires an understanding of how search engines work. Search engines like Google use algorithms that rank websites based on their relevance to specific search terms, the quality of the site itself, the existing traffic of the site, backlinks, update frequency, and the age of the domain. These factors are used to determine how results are displayed to end users searching for certain terms. When it comes to organic, or non-sponsored, search results, users will generally never move past the first page of results when choosing a link to click on. In fact, 9 out of 10 searches end on the first page of results. Therefore, investing in a solid SEO strategy can be a huge boost for your business.
Blogging and SEO Signals
Blogging fits into SEO well, because it can be associated with several of the signals that Google and other search engines use to sort websites on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). By regularly posting relevant, keyword-optimized blogs on your website, you will drive up site traffic, improve site quality, and be seen more often by users searching for the products or services your business offers. Here’s a closer look at the SEO signals that blogging can contribute to:
- Keywords – Blogs should incorporate keywords naturally and utilize keywords as anchor text for external links, as this will throw up flags for key search terms and ensure clear messaging throughout content. Overusing keywords or fitting them into irrelevant content can actually hurt your SEO, since search algorithms have improved through time to reward well-written and helpful content.
- Site Organization – The metadata associated with blogs can go a long way. With an organized sitemap and simple permalink structure, you can make it easy for users to locate your blog and send out signals of high quality as Google and other search engines scan your site.
- Social Signals – Sharing blog posts through social media is another way to make your blogs work harder to improve your SEO. Active social pages and a higher click rate from social traffic will both be positive assets when it comes to your search engine rank.
Best Blogging Practices
Search algorithms were designed to improve the quality of search results for users, so the best blogging and SEO practices will pay off much more than shortcut tactics such as keyword stuffing or posting non-original content. In addition to creating content that has relevance to users and natural keyword use, you might also explore utilizing multiple forms of media, including infographics, photos, social plugins, and videos. These add-ons will further enhance the user experience on your site and help you climb the ranks of any SERP.
At Pennington Creative, we know a thing or two about blogging. Last year, we wrote over 32,000 blog posts and produced over 600 custom infographics. To see how we can help your business with the right SEO strategy, contact us today.