Why is it so important to be aware of Google’s SEO guidelines for blogs? Because the ultimate goal is to rank higher on Google. If you don’t know what’s allowed and aren’t following Google’s guidelines or using their tools, your site might be penalized.
There are a lot of things to consider when you’re trying to improve your search engine rankings. You need to make sure that your content is relevant, that it’s well-written, and that it’s easy for Google to crawl. But what about your blog article? How do you optimize it for search engines?
If you want people to find your blog, then these SEO guidelines will help:
1. Create unique, accurate page titles
The title tag is one of the most important parts of your page and should be between 55 and 60 characters long. It should include your target keyword once or twice, but only in context. For example, if your target keyword is “organic fruit,” you could say “Organic Fruit for Sale” instead of just “Fruit for Sale.”
2. Make use of the meta description
The meta description is another important part of your page—it’s what shows up in a search result preview when someone looks at your site. It should be descriptive and less than 160 characters long, otherwise it won’t show up!
3. Optimize your use of images:
Make sure all of your posts have at least one image and the main subject of the photo and your article is at the beginning of the file name.
Be sure to add ‘alt text’ to every image you use, and make sure the alt text includes the SEO keywords. The more relevant information of an image, the more search engines deem this image important. You can find more tips here!
4. Use keywords in your titles and URLs, but don’t overdo it!
Keywords are words or phrases that people use to find products or services online. Keyword research involves determining what keywords people are likely to use when they are looking for you, and then optimizing your web pages so that they rank higher in SERP when those keywords are searched for.
5. Create a custom URL structure for your blog posts using dashes or underscores instead of hyphens:
This will help Google determine what type of content each post is about, which is important for search engine indexing and ranking purposes. When choosing a keyword for custom URLs you are delivering an information about the page the link leads to. Also, keep in mind the target keyword of the blog you are sharing.
6. Use relevant tags for each post:
Don’t make up tags, they should be existing words or phrases that people search for. That’s why we’d advise performing keyword research first to try to make them rank well too.
7.Keep your blog posts short and sweet – people don’t want to read a novel on their phone.
You don’t always have to use words to make a point. Often, a new paragraph, set of bullet points, numbered list or simple exclamation point conveys your message more effectively.
8.Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines
a. Create compelling headlines:
Your headlines are the most important part of your blog post because they’re what will draw people in and get them reading your article. Make sure they’re relevant, interesting, and descriptive of the content within.
b. Use keywords naturally in your body content:
You should include keywords in your blog posts, but don’t stuff them in where it looks unnatural. Instead, use them naturally in sentences throughout your body copy as appropriate for the context and meaning of each sentence.
c. Include links to other relevant articles on your site or elsewhere on the web for further reading by your readers.
In short, these are generally the most important rules of thumb to follow in order to produce an effective blog post on any given topic. The following should be observed for best results, although there’s no guarantee that Google will like everything you have to say.
Very good blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
Any tips? Thanks!
This info is invaluable. How can I find out more?