HOW TO OPTIMIZE BLOG CONTENT

By Herman Drost

Are you interested in driving more traffic to your blog?

Most bloggers simply add content to their blog without optimizing it for the search engines. This is a big mistake as you'll miss out on free search engine traffic. If your content achieves top rankings for a specific keyword and maintains those rankings it will attract visitors for years to come.
7 steps to optimize your blog content
1. Include your keywords
The keywords used in your blog title should be woven throughout your blog content. Be sure the first paragraph contains your keyword phrase. This is because search engines typically index content at the top of your web page first. Don't repeat your keyword so many times that it sounds strange when you read the content out loud.
For subsequent paragraphs weave your keywords into the content naturally.
2. Split content into paragraphs
It's better to split long paragraphs into smaller ones so they are easier to read. Include sub headlines and make use of bullets throughout your blog content.
3. Give your visitors what they expect
The purpose of your content is to expand on the title. Don't get off the subject as it will drive your visitors away. Sometimes writers just ramble on without providing any actionable content. Make sure you provide at least one good tip your readers can act on.
4. Tag your content
Your Word Press Blog allows you to enter tags after adding content. This helps search engines to find your content. Enter the main keywords used in your title/content separated by commas.
5. Create title and description meta tags
Word Press automatically adds the title meta tag however it doesn't add description or keyword meta tags. The description meta tag is what visitors see under your title in the search engines. An attractive description that supports the title could make the difference whether a visitor will click on your web site url or not.
Keyword meta tags are not used by the major search engines anymore but still include them for the smaller search engines.
To make it easier to add title, description and keyword meta tags, install the headspace plugin. It allows you to customize the meta tags for each post.
6. Provide a call to action
After reading your blog content visitors are ready to take action. Capitalize on their preparedness by providing a call to action at the end of your content. Introduce your product, service or subscription to a newsletter and the url of your offer.
7. Proof read your content before publishing
Spelling and grammar mistakes make your blog appear unprofessional and cause visitors to click elsewhere. Before publishing your content check it with a spell checker, read it aloud to yourself or get someone else to edit it. Word Press allows you to save it as a draft so you can edit it before it goes live.

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