Search engine optimization is, in essence, a complex way search engines try to cater to web surfers in their search for desired content on the internet. As such, SEO and user behavior call for similar blog management measures – providing well-organized, informative content on a readable platform that invites interaction and networking. There are several steps to achieve that.
Using Keywords and Blog Typography
Arrangement of text and keywording constitute a fundamental SEO strategy allowing search engine crawlers scan and index new content on your blog regularly as well as organize users’ experience and ensure high visitor loyalty rates. In order to cater to both search engine bots and human users, keywords should be placed in the following places on your blog:
- Domain name - avoid using dashes between keywords in your domain;
- Blog title and description (H1, H2 tags) - they should inform both visitors and search engines about the content of your site, so avoid obscure or fancy titles;
- Menu and category names - both function as additional indexing channels and thus keywords;
- Blog posts, subheadings, first sentences of each paragraph, meta keywords and post tags;
- Images - keywording alt attributes and captions is the only way for search engines to index images and possibly render them in subsequent image searches.
It is also recommended to ensure readability and clear blog layout:
- Use light background and dark fonts;
- Clear, standard fonts and ample spacing are a must;
- Use bolded subheadings;
- Information should be organized systematically, in a step-by-step manner using numbered or bulleted lists.
SEO-Friendly Blog Architecture and Settings
Other than regular articles, your blog will feature lots of other content - advertising, widgets, social media buttons, obligatory html codes, etc. Organizing all of your blog content in a reader-friendly fashion is crucial:
- Easy and flexible navigation – top menu, sidebar menu, tags, and archives should all be available to offer various ways of browsing around your blog;
- Featured content vs. regular content - it's recommended to feature blog posts with the biggest amount of comments or page views and give the recent blog posts a secondary position;
- Sitemaps - sitemaps are essential for search engines crawlers; they also allow of using certain third-party functionalities like Google Webmaster Tools;
- Internal linking – allows readers explore more related content and, consequently, increases page views on your blog; it also makes search engine bots crawl your content more effectively and speed up indexing of new blog posts;
- Downsizing - limit the number of pop-up windows, interstitial pages, flash animation and autoplaying widgets to avoid annoying your visitors and driving them away;
- Use meta-data – unlike Google, Bing and Yahoo still use meta-data to evaluate blog content; moreover, meta-description is sometimes retrieved as 'description' by third-party services - e.g. some social bookmarking sites;
- Avoid frames and flash - it will speed up your whole site and make it cross-browser compatible;
- Avoid duplicate content - do not display your posts in full except under their permalink, show only summaries in feeds, and use 301 redirection;
- Use Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics to track your statistics and act on the results.
Blog Elements Important From SEO Perspective
Connecting and establishing regular readership among your first-time blog visitors is as important as driving them to your page through search engines. Web readers intuitively scan your blog for information about networking and updates they can keep track of off-site. Accordingly, bloggers should situate social bookmarking buttons below posts and on sidebars to invite visitors to follow, share and help promote the blog content. The following functionalities should be assigned prominent, easy-to-find positions:
- Social media icons;
- Social bookmarking and networking icons;
- Comments and post subscription buttons;
- An ‘about us’ or ‘about this blog’ page;
- Contact form and/or contact information;
- Newsletter box;
- Search box.
At any time of your blog’s life, you can use free SEO tools for websites and blogs that measure your site’s parameters, architecture, and potential performance in search engines against a bulk of compulsory SEO data.
Daria Przybyla - Daria Przybyla is a multilingual SEO consultant fluent in 4 languages as well as an avid SEO, pet care and travel blogger with educational ...
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