I’m not going to pretend to be an SEO genius here. What I am going to do is share with you a few simple ways to improve your SEO.
Before using these few simple techniques, my traffic from Google searches was around 3% of my visits. It’s now around 20%. It’s not a huge leap, but I think it’s pretty good when you see how easy these tweaks are.
1. Think About Your Post Title
Your post’s title is, I would say, the most important aspect for boosting search engine traffic.
Make sure you use key words (ie, words people are likely to type into a search engine) at the beginning of your title. For example, let’s say you just wrote a post about your fabulous new camera (for the record, I haven’t got a fabulous new camera, this is just wishful thinking). Calling your post “My New Camera” isn’t going to get you results on a search engine. Something like “Nikon D3200: A Review” will be much more likely to have search hits.
If you really want to nail it, try something like “Nikon D3200: Why this camera kicks ass!”. You still get the SEO hit off the key word (Nikon D3200) and the post title is catchy enough to make people choose to click through to your post rather than the other options available.
2. Tag Your Images
The alt text on images is searchable by search engines. On Blogger, add your image as normal, then click on it. A menu will come up, select properties, then add your text to the alt box.
In theory, you are meant to describe the image. I tend to use the post title in this box. It contains your key words, and also, if people choose to pin your images, it gives an idea of what the post is about if people click through to it.
Again, it’s all about what people will be searching for. If you don’t fill in this box, it defaults to whatever you have saved the image as, so you could end up with an alt description of something like “img123” if you don’t change it.
3. Add Keyword In The Body of Text
Try to include one or more keywords in the post itself. Particularly, the first paragraph. Generally, the first line or two is an introduction to what is to come in the post anyway, so it is just a matter of wording.
To continue with the above example, rather than say “My new camera just arrived and I am so excited”, try “My new Nikon D3200 just arrived and I am so excited”.
4.Use Sub-Headings
To make sub-headings searchable, just add a bit of simple HTML, effectively turning them into post titles in the search engines eyes. I only use this one if I feel the sub-heading will contain key words, I don’t actively try to use them here.
In this post, I don’t see anyone searching for the terms I have used as sub-headings, so I haven’t bothered, however, in our example post, it could work.
Say you are comparing your new camera to your old one. You could use the sub-heading “Why my Nikon D3200 is better than (insert old model here)”. You now have two key words in there. To make it a sub heading, use the following HTML:
<H2>Enter sub-heading here</H2>
That simple!
5. Post Regularly
Google robots check to make sure your site is a reliable site. If it is, then your posts will be higher in the results list. The higher it is, the more likely you are to get hits.
By regular, I don’t mean you have to post three times a day – or even once a day. Find a schedule that works for you, and try to stick to it where possible.
For example, posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or once a week on a Sunday is regular. Google doesn’t like sending searchers to sites that aren’t regularly updated.
That’s it, my five simple tips. Easy right?
For the record, Nikon haven’t asked me to plug their camera. It came into my head when I was thinking of an example to use (a bit of wish fulfilment maybe?), and when I typed Nikon into Google, the D3200 was the top result. I feel a bit guilty for anyone who Googles it and ends up here, a post totally unrelated.
Do you have any tips to add? Let me know in the comments!
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great tips, simple yet effective #binkylinky
Thank you 🙂
Great tips… Will be working on getting my titles more SEO friendly. Thanks for Sharing #BinkyLinky
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful 🙂
Great tips thank you – I will look at this 🙂 #BinkyLinky
Thank you 🙂
Great tips! Will definitely take your advice
Thank you, let me know how you get on 🙂
Really good you clever clogs! I need to add some text to my piccys now and think key words!! Thanks for sharing #binkylinky x
Lol thank you 🙂 It's definitely worth doing! x
I need to start adding alt text to my images to maximise them. Great tips – thanks!
Thank you 🙂 It's really easy to do and can definitely have a good effect!
Great post. Very useful. Thanks for linking up to the #BinkyLinky
Thank you and thanks for hosting 🙂
Great Post! I was just going through all of my blogs the other day and checking on my SEO. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you, I hope you found some of them useful 🙂
Really good tips, I started using ALT text and then just keep forgetting but should do it again!
#binkylinky
Thank you 🙂 I still forget sometimes, but I'm trying to build it into the process so it becomes habit!
SEO is a mystery to me – These are really manageable tips, thanks!
You're welcome, I'm glad you found the helpful 🙂
Fab tips I always change the title of a post a few times thanks for linking to the Binkylinky
Thank you 🙂 Yeah me too – it can be hard to use keywords, and make it eye catching too! Thanks for hosting 🙂
Great tips 🙂 I get about 20% of my hits off Google as well (although I suspect a big percentage are looking for my blog specifically). With pictures I rarely bother anymore, unless it is a specific event / food / place in the pictures, but if you do it a lot, it can definitely help page views.
Fab post! #binkylinky
Thank you 🙂 I never considered someone actually searching for my blog specifically! I try to do it to all of my pictures so it becomes part of the process, otherwise I know I'll forget when it matters lol 🙂
Very informative post as always Debbie & great tips here. I learned about the images & having the key words in the first paragraph. I didn't know about the sub-headings – I'm going to try adding that code in the text portion. Thank you! #momsterlink x
Thank you 🙂 It's definitely worth doing – it only takes a couple of seconds and anything that can help with SEO is a bonus! x
Oh, absolutely!! so much to learn 🙂 #AnythingGoes x
Yeah, sure is! Just when I start to think I'm about sorted, something else comes along that I need to know about! x
Ahem, I recently bought the Nikon D3200, and it makes a brilliant starter DSLR so it's an excellent choice for the title of your hypothetical post. As for your actual post, it's very useful, thank you. I'm still learning about SEO, and never really know what I'm meant to be doing. It seems like it should be more complicated than it is, and I always wonder if I'm missing something. #binkylinky
I'll be looking at getting a decent camera soon, so I think that one may end up on my wish list! I know what you mean, I always feel it should be harder lol. Thank you 🙂
Helpful tips – I need to start thinking about SEO. (&, I suppose if anyone googles Nikon & ends up here, they may be disappointed, but will have demonstrated the point of your post nicely!) #anythinggoes
Thank you 🙂 That's true, bring on the angry Nikon shoppers comments lol
Really good tips. I actually didn't realize that I could add search to the pictures. I guess it just shows how green I am at this whole blogging thing. #AnythingGoes
Thank you 🙂 Blogging is a learning curve for sure!
I still never remember to do this
I've tried to make it part of the process of adding images so it becomes habit 🙂
Fab tips. I have no idea when it comes to this stuff. Shall try and put a few of these ideas into play.
#anythinggoes
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful 🙂
Thanks for the tips and, as ever, thanks for hosting #AnythingGoes
You're welcome, thanks for linking up 🙂
I definitely agree about images – I've also found that "pull quotes" help people scan through my posts… Thanks for sharing #AnythingGoes
That's something I keep saying I am going to try, but I never seem to get around to it, I must start soon 🙂
These are all good tips Debs. I'm going tot try and improve my SEO once Sylvia is back at school.. for now im just managing to get my posts out and link up to a few top linkys 🙂 Angela xxx
Thank you 🙂 Getting posts out is definitely more important. These are just some ideas for if you want to work on SEO and aren't sure where to start 🙂 x
You are right, trying to understand and improve your SEO is very important. I'm still learning about these things. Great tips. Thanks for sharing, 🙂 xx
#AnythingGoes
http://www.amomentwithfranca.com/
Thank you, I hope they help you 🙂
Great tips! I need to work on putting more of my key words in the first paragraphs of my posts. I'm definitely going to make a bigger effort to do that. Thanks so much for hosting #AnythingGoes! xx
Thank you 🙂 That's one I struggle with. I tend to write an intro paragraph that is more about why the post came about, I need to stop doing that really 🙂 x
Great tips Debbie! I am always looking for new ways to increase my SEO! As bloggers it's so important. Thank you again for hostessing the fabulous #anythinggoes!
Thank you, I hope you found them useful 🙂 You're welcome, thanks for linking up 🙂
Even after two and a half years I'm still learning this stuff 🙂 Great post!
I don't think there's ever an end to the things we learn as we go lol. Thank you 🙂
This is very helpful! Thanks! Reading from #anythinggoes Thanks for hosting!
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful 🙂 You're welcome, thanks for linking up!
I have already opened a separate window to start adding alternate text to my pictures. Really helpful! Thanks! #wineandboobs
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful 🙂
Visiting this time around from #momsterslink 😉
Hi again lol 🙂
I wish SEO was easy. 🙁 It's just such a slog. And a cryptic mystery! Great tips to get started though. #bigfatlinky
It's definitely a minefield! What works one day seems to work against you the next. I stick to the simple stuff and hope for the best with the rest. Thanks for hosting 🙂
This is so helpful, I never bother with the ALT text box, but now I will! Great tip about using the blog title too, very clever and easy to copy and paste. Becky #sharewithme
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful 🙂 I always use the post title as the alt text!
Thank you for these tips! I can use all the help I can get on SEO! You were a great find on #ShareWithMe! So glad I stopped by!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Thank you Lori, glad you found them useful 🙂
Great post! I need to look into the sub-headline subject. Thanks again. 🙂 #wineandboobs
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it 🙂
A really interesting read thank you – especially about subheadings! I really must start using them!
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful 🙂
Great tips SEO is mind blowing for sure. Thank you for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme
Thank you 🙂 It's crazy isn't it! Thanks for hosting 🙂
I really like these tips. I think people get a bit scared about SEO but actually a few tricks like this will make a lot of difference to your page views. I've used a very similar strategy 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I remember when I first heard the term, i thought it was going to be way more complicated than this. When I took the plunge and delved into it, I wished I had started way sooner!
I had no idea posting regularly helped SEO. Thanks for sharing! Stopping by from #blogstorm
Yes, Google bots check how often your site is updated and use this information to decide if your site is "reliable"! Thank you 🙂
This is something admittedly that I don't do or have done. It's on my list of things to do but never got round to it. I know it's a really good and beneficial thing though! Will try this now though #blogstorm
I do the images religiously and I post regularly, but the rest I only do if it works for the post. I try to get keywords in the title and body of text but if it makes it sound fake I don't. Thanks for hosting 🙂
I kind of half heartedly do SEO with a plugin. But not very well, most of my traffic is from facebook promotion though I'd love to nail SEO so great to get started. I also saw somewhere a title analyser – must search that out again! #blogstorm
I kind of half heartedly do SEO with a plugin. But not very well, most of my traffic is from facebook promotion though I'd love to nail SEO so great to get started. I also saw somewhere a title analyser – must search that out again! #blogstorm
Most of my traffic is through Twitter but I do get quite a bit through searches and what I do is pretty easy 🙂 A title analyser sounds very useful! Thanks for hosting.
I did read this is the past but I think it made more sense to me this time round! I’m going to spend a day updating my SEO and keywords especially in my pictures! Thanks again!
Angela
The pictures are particularly important because when you have keywords in the alt text, they are searchable on Google Images where there is nowhere near as much competition per key word as there is on text searches 🙂
Great post. Useful tips that can be easily incorporated into any post