When it comes to blogging, you can’t simply write out your thoughts and expect it to be a success. Unfortunately, the world of blogging isn’t like the Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will not come. Instead, you need to find a way to get the public’s attention and draw them into your site. If this is a new website and you haven’t built up a following yet, use the internet to your advantage by optimizing your text for SEO.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, involves writing with specific key words in mind. When writing, think about how the general public searches. There are websites where you can enter in which key words or key word phrases you want to write about and the site will tell you how those words are arranged and searched most often. For example, if you want to write a blog about how to select the best canine companion, a blog entitled “how to choose a dog” would be your best bet.
Once you figure out what key terms you like, you’ll want to write your blog with those terms in mind. Keep in mind, the content itself needs to be of good quality but by lacing in the keyword or keyword phrase, you can make your blog easier to search. Typically you want a keyword density of around 2.0%. Any less than that and your blog will not get picked up by the search engines; any more and your blog will be considered to be “stuffed” with keywords and a red flag will go up.
Another good place to put a keyword is in the URL address. By placing your keyword in the URL, there is a higher probability of your blog getting picked up by the search engines. For example, if your URL reads http://www.yourwebsite.com/p=274…. it is unclear to the search engines what your blog is about. This being said, if your URL address reads http://www.yourwebsite.com/pets/how_to_choose_a_dog then the text of the blog is a lot easier to understand.
Optimizing your text for SEO isn’t the only way to make your blog more visible. Updating frequently, sharing your blog on various forms of social media, and linking to your blog on blog contributing sites all help your page get noticed. If you still need assistance increasing your visibility, you can always attend blogging school, ask advice from other professional bloggers, read up on the internet, or simply keep practicing.
Writing a blog can be a fulfilling and enjoyable hobby or career, but what makes it even more enjoyable is knowing others are reading and learning from your content. So get out there, start blogging, and share your thoughts with the world.
