Keyword Research

When developing a concept for a blog post, basic keyword research should be one of your first steps. Identify keywords relating to the topic you wish to discuss. The best tool for this is the Google Keyword Tool, and it is available to use free of charge. Look for keywords that fit the following criteria:

• High Search Volume
• Low – Medium Competition
• Long Tail (at least 2 – 3 words)
• Grammatically correct

Put together a short list of 3 – 5 keywords that relate to the topic you’re writing about. When outlining your blog post, keep these keywords in mind. Which make the most sense to use?

Optimized Title Tags

As far as on-page SEO elements are concerned, the title tag of a blog post is the most important area to include a keyword. With your keyword research completed, you should now have an understanding of which you wish to use. Be sure to include your most important keyword in the title as Google weighs this the heaviest, and as far as usability is concerned, it lets the reader know what your post will entail. Some basic guidelines for an effective title:

• No more than 70 characters. Google only displays 70 or less characters in search display.
• Insert keywords as soon as possible in title. Google places more emphasis on the beginning of a title than the end.
• Make sure it catches the users’ attention. A well-optimized title isn’t effective if it provides the user with no incentive to read the post. Assume the majority of your readers will only read the title of your post.

If you only do one thing to improve the SEO of your blog posts, be sure to optimize your titles.

HTML Tags

An effective blog post should be split up into sections, with a header for each section. Following titles, Google places the most weight on <h1> tags, so utilize keywords in these tags. Your primary keyword should be in your title and your <h1> tags, with less important keywords being utilized throughout the post in other header tags. Below is an example of an effective hierarchy:

<title> Most Important Keyword Used Here </title>

<h1> Most Important Keyword Used Here </h1>

<p> This is the first paragraph of your post, where you should use the main keyword once. Search engines place the most emphasis on content early in your post, so be sure to use your main keyword in the first or second paragraph. Do not purposefully stuff keywords into the body of your text, because Google penalizes for unnatural optimization. Use your primary keyword once, but focus on quality content and usability for the user. You’re writing for your readers, not for Google. </p>

Also, when implementing images into your post, be sure to give them keyword driven titles, alt text and captions. Google cannot decipher an image without this information, and a basic optimization of images can greatly improve your SEO. If you are blogging with WordPress, a great tool for optimizing images and html tags is the All In One SEO Pack.

Linking

Quality content is king, especially in light of the most recent Google algorithm updates. However, a big signal in the determining the authority of your post is the amount and quality of links being pointed towards your article. Don’t be afraid to link to your blog posts from your social media channels. As unnatural and low quality link building was penalized heavily in the most recent algorithm update, the importance of social signals increased. If people are talking about and linking to your blog post on social media, this increases the authority of your post.

A major SEO best practice when working with a blog is interlinking between your posts. If done correctly, this shows Google that you are providing other relevant information to your users, which will help your SEO. Make an effort to link to a blog post from every post you write, utilizing keyword specific anchor text. If you are writing an article about web design and you mention graphic design, and already have a post written about graphic design, use a variation of the primary keyword for that post as anchor text in your new post, and point a link towards it.

SEO is an every-changing practice, and it requires that you stay on top of the new rules. Avoid over optimizing your blog posts, because you’ll swiftly find a penalty coming your way. Develop quality, keyword driven content for your users, but do not let keywords completely dictate your content. Focus on quality and the basic tips above, and you’ll be on your way to writing content that balances the fine line between user and search engine usability.

This is a guest post by Jonathan Pack, an internet marketer specializing in web marketing strategies and business building.

When you blog you teach others while teaching yourself

What may seem straightforward in your head can be confusing to others once it is put into words. Blogging forces you to be clear and concise when arranging your thoughts for an audience, an exercise that educates you as much as your audience.

A blog is an arena for ideas

Blogging lets you draft ideas and receive instant feedback from a wide array of users. Some may be business associates, others may be personal friends, but all will give you varied input on your thoughts. When something clicks, they’ll be sure to spread the word through social media sites. If not? Then refine until it does.

Blogs are crucial networking tools

Blogs impress by announcing your voice in the industry. Show off what you know while adding your personal take on the latest news and events pertaining to your business. Blogs also provide much more information than the standard business card. If a prospective client wants to learn more about you, they can do so through your blog.

Blogs can be a powerful motivator

Something as simple as a positive comment from a complete stranger can be enough to motivate you through a challenge or unresolved topic. The power of these networks is such that it takes just one strong post to be linked to by someone with some sort of following on Twitter to send hundreds of eager eyes to your site. And that is certainly worth striving for.

A blog can provide clarity

Blogging gives you a chance to direct your energies and change your perspectives on topics that, no matter how small, will give your thoughts meaning and allow you to respond out loud to the world at large. Confronting professional challenges sometimes means acknowledging your weaknesses in order to identify your strengths, and blogging is a great medium for confronting this challenge.

Blogs can expand your community

By sharing your interests and maintaining a genuine voice, like-minded people will find you. It’s that simple. The beauty of the Web is that if you provide an up-to-date platform relating to niche topics, there are invariably others in your niche who will find you and join the conversation. And vice versa!

First and foremost, it is not necessary to read every tweet or click on every link that comes your way. Used properly, Twitter should not take up more than a few minutes each day. Start slowly and take your time in how you decide who to follow. Try doing some easy searches relating to your business or personal interests. If you don’t like what people are saying, drop them and move on until you get a sense of what you like and what’s irrelevant—and there will always be a lot of irrelevant information.

That’s the trick: staying relevant. To succeed and stay relevant on Twitter, one must be interesting and informative. And yes, that’s easier said than done; but take note of what others say that catches your eye and see if you can apply those techniques to your own messages. Having a strategy is key, but know that nobody blasts to thousands of followers overnight unless they’re a celebrity with a bad haircut and a penchant for outsized behavior—ahem, Charlie Sheen. If you stick with it you’ll learn just as much about your audience as you will about yourself.

If you are serious about incorporating Twitter into your business strategy, just consider it another angle to increase awareness and get your message out—because that’s precisely what it is. Tweeting should not be used as a sales tool; if you speak with a genuine voice you’ll get a genuine response—if you simply try and shill your wares, your followers will turn off and tune out.

Still not sure? Why not send us an e-mail or give us a call to find out what’s possible for your business today. We’ll craft a strategy unique to your business and guide you along the process so that your voice is heard amid the rabble. We wouldn’t recommend it if we didn’t do it ourselves!

Interconnectivity as art – Sol Lewitt

It is important—in fact, critical—that websites in our technically informed world have updated content of the highest quality. How often do you go to a site whose blog has sat idle for months, or maybe the articles are simply hundreds of keywords jigsawed together into a semi-readable sequence? Now, think how often you veer away from these sites, never to return.

The upkeep required to keep your site current doesn’t mean taking time off from running your business. To that end, there are myriad companies that offer professional blogging, social media management, and site maintenance which will save you time and money. The best of these companies offer services that do not employ the “tricks” or “loopholes” of many underhanded techniques such as black hat tactics and the like. Content services amount to an entire industry of professional writers, graphic designers, and website managers with years of experience to provide comprehensive strategies that impart the highest levels of professionalism onto your site. The question then becomes: where do you find said companies?

Competing need not be this rigorous

Not to shamelessly plug our own services (as in, yes, to shamelessly plug our own services), but Studio K&M relies on the best content creators and experienced website managers to provide your company with a forum to show off precisely how you shape your industry while leaving you to the business of your business. We practice these techniques ourselves and have applied them to all of our projects when required. Content is key, but only quality can ensure success.

Content is essential to your website’s popularity. Varied content of a certain quality will boost a site’s SEO, increase accessibility and garner interest to keep users coming back for more.

The Why…
The Internet has bred expectations of constant change, a place where users demand refreshment. A woman might research gluten-free recipes for her family on Monday, while on Tuesday she may browse the latest power-tools for her husband. This doesn’t mean you need to be an expert on such varied topics; rather, if the average user searches for two to twenty different topics in a given week, the more variety you have in your content the better the chances that your content will contain key words the people are using for searches.

The How…
Blog! Blogs are a great way to generate content in a structured, purposeful way. They help draw ties between your business’ with other related fields – for example, we may focus on design, yet we include posts about food, dance and psychology while relating it back to our company’s sensibilities. Blogs also create a forum for users to interact. People love to voice their own opinions and get personally involved through comments. Also, businesses that provide a space for consumer feedback can boast of their consumer involvement while at the same time allowing for user-created content: i.e., free varied content!

Have any interviews on film or audio recordings?  Transcribe these audio or video files into plain text and create a page to make said content available for search. Again, increased content leads to greater angles for users to find you.

Let users know you’re local. People support local business more than ever. If you’re local, include that in your content somewhere and make sure you’re listed in any local directory listings.

Choose the right tone. When people interact with your site, they are interacting with you and your business. How you write gives them a sense of who you are, how you conduct business, and how you expect others to conduct business with you. Adding personality (where appropriate) keeps users engaged and your content unique.

If you’re still not convinced, pay a little visit to our friends at TopRank and read about the impact of blogging on search engine optimization. Otherwise, happy blogging!
(http://www.toprankblog.com/2010/01/survey-seo-blogging/)

Everyone has some sort of business these days. From big corporations and smaller boutique firms to individuals, they all have one thing in common – a desire to get ideas, services and products to those who need and want them in hopes they’ll come back for more!