How to write your blog posts for SEO success
So, you’ve got a blog up and running, but now you want to know how to make it not just good, but great in the eyes of search engines, because blogs are a goldmine for SEO when done properly and they have the power to bring in a ton of new visitors to your website, which is what we all want, right?
(If you want to know why blogs are so important for your website, see: Why your small business website needs a blog)
“Websites with active blogs have 434% more indexed pages and 97% more inbound links than those without.”
Let’s take a look at how you should be writing and structuring your blog posts for SEO success. As always, I’ll break it down for you in a simple, easy to understand way so that you know exactly what needs doing. Let’s dive in!
1. Start with a catchy title
Your blog title is the first thing both your readers and search engines will see, so make it count! Aim for something catchy yet informative. Think of it like a headline that grabs attention but also clearly tells what the blog is about. Include your main keyword early in the title. For example, instead of “Tips for Better Marketing,” go for “10 Essential Marketing Tips for Small Businesses.”
2. Craft an engaging introduction
Your introduction should hook your readers right away. You want them to feel like they *need* to read the rest of your post. Start with a question, a surprising fact, or a relatable anecdote. And don’t forget to sprinkle in your main keywords naturally (keyword stuffing will have a negative impact, so only ever use your keywords in a natural, authentic way). This helps search engines understand what your post is about right from the start.
3. Break the content down into sections with subheadings
Breaking up your content with subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) makes it easier to read and helps search engines crawl your content. Think of subheadings as the signposts guiding your readers through your blog. They should be clear, descriptive, and, you guessed it, include those relevant keywords.
4. Write in short, digestible paragraphs
The average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to 8.25 seconds in the last two decades (GoldenSteps ABA), and it’s only getting shorter. So when it comes to writing content for your website, short and sweet always works best.
Keep your paragraphs to just 2-4 sentences each. This not only improves readability and encourages users to actually read the content, but it also helps with SEO, as long paragraphs can overwhelm readers, leading them to click away from your page, which can hurt your SEO rankings.
(If you want some help with writing copy (words) for your website, see: 3 tips for writing great copy for your small business website).
5. Use bullet points and lists
Whenever possible, use bullet points or numbered lists to make information scannable. Lists are a great way to present key points without overwhelming your readers. Plus, search engines love them because they break up the content and make it easier to understand.
“Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don’t blog.”
6. Include internal and external links
Linking to other relevant pages on your website and blog (internal links) and to reputable sources outside your website (external links) is a great SEO practice. Internal links help keep readers on your website for longer, while external links show search engines that you’re providing valuable, well-researched content.
7. Optimise your images
Images will make your blog posts more interesting and more engaging, but they need to be optimised. Use high-quality images with descriptive file names and alt text that includes your keywords. This helps search engines understand what the images are about and can improve your chances of showing up in image search results. You should also try to keep your images under 500kb. TinyPNG is a free online image optimisation tool that heavily reduces the file size of your images.
8. Wrap it up with a strong conclusion and a call-to-action.
Your conclusion should summarise your main points and include a clear call to action (CTA). Whether you want your readers to find out more about a product or service you sell, follow you on social media or subscribe to your newsletter, make sure to tell them. And yes, a keyword or two here wouldn’t hurt either.
9. Don’t forget your SEO foundations
For each blog post your write, make sure it has a strong page title and meta description. The page title is the headline that appears in search results, usually in blue. Your meta description is the brief snippet of text that appears underneath the headline. Both should be compelling and include your main keywords in a natural way.
(For more information about basic SEO foundations, see: 6 easy things you can do today to get your small business website appearing in google search results)
10. Keep an eye on keyword density
Make sure your main keyword appears naturally throughout your post, especially in the title, first paragraph, subheadings, and conclusion. But be careful not to overdo it. Keyword stuffing can make your content sound unnatural and can actually hurt your SEO. Aim for a keyword density of about 1-2%.
“Companies that blog get 55% more website visitors than businesses that don’t.”
There you have it - a simple guide to structuring your blog posts for SEO success. Remember, the key is to make your content as user-friendly and informative as possible, while keeping those SEO best practices in mind. Happy blogging, and may your posts climb to the top of the search results!
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