SEO for Blog Posts Part 4: The "Key" to More Traffic on Your Website?

Have you ever fumbled around in the dark for just the right key to open the door to your car?  Your visitors are looking for you. Don't lock them out by using the wrong keywords. They have children too!It can make a seemingly normally coordinated person turn into completely clumsy one in a hurry- trying to put the wrong key into the lock and not being able to get it open.  Frustrating isn't it?  

Well that's not how you want visitors to your site to feel.  They've likely typed in a phrase or keywords into Google hoping to get the answer to their question and they will feel frustrated if they end up on a page that doesn't have anything to do with what they're looking for. 

For example, if someone types in "Pet Toys" in a search engine and ends up on a site for "pet tricks" they'll leave pretty quickly.  Why?  It's just not what they were looking for.  That's often what happens when people write content but don't include the proper keywords in their blog posts.  We want our blog posts and any pages we write to draw readers who say "Yes! this is exactly what I'm looking for!"-right?

So how can you make sure that what you are writing about in your blog post ends up being read by people who are looking for it?  In a word:  Keywords.

 In the last few blog posts we've gone over writing for the search engines vs. writing for people who actually read your blog and writing searchable yet catchy title tags but now we'll take a moment to talk about how to use keywords in your blog posts to get maximum traffic. 

How to and Tools:

Keyword Research Step 1

Please read SEO for Blogs Part 3:  Double Sided Title Tags That Stick. After you read and do what it says there you should have some nice keywords in your title tags.  Now you're going to take those keywords and put them into a keyword research tool and see what comes up. There are a ton of keyword tools out there.  If you're going to use just one, please use: Google Adwords Keyword Tool

If you want to check out a bunch then here are more on Aaron Wall's SEO Book page: http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools

What you're looking for

These tools will show you not just the popular keywords but keyword modifiers, synonyms and phrasing you may not have thought of. 

Keyword Research Step 2

Unlike a static web page, blogs are more social in nature and often rely on what's new, what's fresh- what people are talking about now.   You need more than just keyword ideas to reflect that.  So how can you find this out?  More tools:

Using your keywords you have researched, do a search on the following sites to see what's going on in the area of what you're writing about:Technorati, Google Blog Search, and Google News. Services like Google Trends and Yahoo! Buzz Index

Now you know what and how people are talking about the ideas and keywords you're targeting.  You can adjust your blog post and the way you use your keywords accordingly.

Putting it all together

Now that you've taken a few minutes to do keyword research how exactly should you use them in writing your blog post?   Let's start with the don'ts:

Don't stuff every keyword known to mankind in your blog posts.   This isn't 1999: the search engines know about this bad technique and could ban you for keyword stuffing.

Don't make you're blog post sound weird or robotic just to get that keyword in there to supposedly rank higher.   Remember, it may be the search engines that crawl your site but it's people who read it.  They just won't hang around, never mind become a regular reader if your posts sound lame and don't have the human touch.  See  the post SEO for blog posts Part 2:  You're Only Human- And That's OK.

Now the Do's:

Use the keywords, synonyms, modifiers and phrases in your posts a few times, but only if it sounds natural like a real person wrote it.  Balance writing well for people with putting these keywords in.

It's really that simple.

Isn't it interesting that you have the key(words) to whether you're blog posts draw people who are searching for your content.  As tempting as it may be to just shoot out a quick blog post, take the five minutes to research your keywords.  The benefits are obvious:  People will find what they're looking for on your blog, and they may become regular loyal readers and continue to return for more.

SEO for Blog Posts: Part 3: Double-Sided Title Tags That Stick

Double-sided tape is handy for sticking a sign to a wall; one side sticks to the sign and the other to the wall.  A nice, simple solution.  But imagine trying to stick a sign to the wall with one-sided tape.  You're going to have a problem:  You can only apply the tape to one thing - the wall or the sign.  

That's the problem with writing title tags for blog posts.  People often make them one-sided.   They either write them for the search engines or for their readers.  But it's better to write for both. 

Make your title tags double-sided and you'll attract both search engines and readers to your blog.  So, what is a title tag?  Should you even care about them?  How do you make them "double-sided, "that is, appealing to both search engines and potential readers?

What is a Title Tag?

Basically, a title tag is a tag inserted in the head section of a web page that is used to tell both search engines and human visitors what the page is about.  A title tag is what shows up in your browser window and tells you what the page you are on is about.

For instance, if you look right now up (way up) above the website address where you can close or open this window, to the left it will say " SEO for Blog Posts: Part 3:  Double-Sided Title Tags That Stick" and then your browser name.  That's the title tag.  And when you search on Google for, say, "broccoli soup recipe" in the search results, all the blue lettering in the search results is the title tags for each particular web page.

Why You Should Care About Title Tags in Blog Posts

1.  Well-written title tags drive traffic to your blog. 

Title tags are still one of the main factors in ranking your web page or blog post.  Search engines love well-written title tags with keywords that are on that same web page.   

Some people just knock out a quick blog post and the last thing on their minds is the title tag.  The good news is that in most blogging platforms adjusting the title tag is as easy as writing the blog post.  Spending a few moments writing a decent title tag will pay off in higher search engine rankings and more clicks from users. 

2.  It's the first thing people see on the search results page in Google.

If you put nothing in for your title tag, it may show up in the search results page as something generic like  "http://yourwebsitename.com/blog/post123".  And no one will click on it because that means nothing to them.   Just like you skip over confusing search results. 

3.  People who like your blog post will often tell other people about it. 

They may send an email to a friend with your blog post title tag in it.  Or they may tweet it on Twitter, and their friends may retweet it to other potential readers.   In addition, you may (and should) have your blog set up to automatically post to your Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts.  Finally, if people really love your blog they may subscribe to your feed.  In all cases guess what will show up first?  Your title tag.   

How to Make Your Title Tag Double-Sided

Sticky Side 1:  Write for Humans

You're writing a title tag first and foremost for real Use your title tags to write eye catching "sticky" titles- lke this guy did!people.  Why?  Because when people do asearch on Google, check their Twitter feed, or subscribe to your feed it's the first thing they see.   

So rule #1:   Make that title tag short, sweet, on-topic and catchy in a way that will make some people say, "That sounds cool! I want to read more. "   

For example, if you have a gardening blog and you write a post on moles, you could skip writing a title tag and your title would look generic like this:   “"http://www.yoursitename.com/blog/moles".

Or you could write a title that says something like this:  “Moles:  Friendly Visitor or Gardening Disaster?”  Which might someone click on?  Probably the latter.

Sticky Side 2:  Write for Search Engines

Search engines look carefully at the title tag of each web page, as it helps them to determine if the page is relevant to the searcher.   What does that mean as far as writing title tags?   

If possibl,e have one or two of the main keywords in your title tag.  If your blog post is on the new Nike Air Jordans, you will want to have those three keywords worked into a catchy title (for example, “New Nike Air Jordans:  Best Ever or More of the Same?”).    

 Tip:  Write your title tag, then go over to the Google Adwords Keyword Tool.  Put in a couple of the main words in your title tag and see what it comes up with.  You might decide your title tag is fine or you may tweak the phrasing of the title tag a little based on what comes up. 

Miscellaneous tips:   

Google only allows 66 characters (letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces) in the title tag.  So come in under 66 characters or your title will get chopped off. 

Do the above and you'll make your blog posts Double-Sided - sticky to both search engines and people.

Stay tuned for Part 4:  The "Key" to More Traffic on Your Website 

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What time is it? Time Management Secrets Revealed on 3/4/10

How many books or articles have you read about time management?  

Many people time managment tactics is anything but a work of art. (Painting by Salvador Dali).

In the always changing world of Internet Marketing, It’s important to get a multitude of tasks done each day.  The more focused, efficient and productive you are each day can go a long way to getting the most work done.

These tasks usually fall into a few (but there is surely more) major areas: 

1.  Doing the work for your clients:  SEO, PPC, Social Media & all the other aspects of internet marketing. 

2.  Doing the work of running a business:  Invoicing, reading email, opening mail. 

3.  Keeping up with the latest changes in developments in the industry which may include:  Reading blog posts, attending classes, conferences, meeting with colleagues, etc. 

4.    Anything not in numbers 1-3

How do you keep up?  What system have you come up with?  Do you read books from time management gurus to learn how to better manage your time? 

No doubt, even those with the best intentions often find themselves running like crazy just to accomplish all the things they need to get done. 

Which came first- The time saved by reading a time management book or the time to read it in the first place?

It’s the chicken and egg syndrome:  How do you find the time to read a book on time management when so many other things need to be done first?  We  here at Echo Internet Marketing strive to be efficient, have systems in place and overall not waste time but we have to confess:  There’s still an unopened, unread copy of  Getting Things Done by David Allen in our office (it’s on someone’s to do list to read it). 

The problem with all these different time management philosophies is twofold:  1.  Either they are so time consuming to read about that you never get around to them or 2.  they are in generalities that don’t really apply to those of us who work as Internet Marketers. 

Wouldn’t it be great if there was someone who was an actual internet marketer who has a system that not only allows him to manage his time in an extremely productive way but can show you how to do it in just a short amount of time? 

Well, our friend Corey Creed, who runs Hippo Internet Marketing & Training in Cornelius, NC is giving what will prove to be a lively, practical presentation on “How to Get a LOT More Done Online - in less time”  this coming Thursday at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce in downtown Charlotte, NC.  Here’s some more detailed info:

“How to Get a LOT More Done Online - in less time” 

Location:

    Charlotte Chamber - Belk Center

    330 S Tryon Street

    Suite LI2

    Charlotte, NC 28202

We’ve known Corey a long time and not only is he an excellent person but he’s an experienced internet marketer who owns a number of successful ecommerce sites and also teaches classes on SEO, PPC, Social Media and more (http://www.hippoimt.com). 

So we’re definitely going to be there this Thursday.  If you’re in the Charlotte area you should too.  P.S.:  It’s free and there’s no catch to it:  No high pressure sales stuff whatsoever or anything even remotely like that.  If you’re not able to attend in person go ahead and signup for Corey’s free email newsletter as he’s sending out the info to watch it live on UStream. 

Here’s the links for full info:

Corey’s blog post on his presentation:  http://www.thejunglemap.com/post/678

The Charlotte Search Engine Marketing Meetup Group to sign up to go to this presentation (Last check there’s 88 of 100 spaces taken so only 11 left): 

http://www.meetup.com/The-Official-Charlotte-SEO-Search-Engine-Marketing-Meetup/calendar/12431981

If you can’t attend in person link to signup form to get the info to watch it on UStream by clicking here.

See You There!

SEO for Blog Posts: Part 2: You're Only Human- And That's OK

Convenience.  We love that word.  There a lot of things that are automated for convenience that we all enjoy taking advantage of: automatic car washes, cruise control, recording your favorite shows, having your son mow the lawn.  But one thing that cannot be faked is:  You. 

So how does that help in promoting your blog posts and thereby marketing your business?  Well, for better or worse people may be searching for what you wrote in your blog because you wrote it - not like a boring business sales copy or proposal but like you were actually speaking to a person.  And when they find it, they may become your next customer. 

If You Write Robotic Blog Posts Will Smith Will Take You Out

When you write your blog posts, write in a real, human voice.

Sure, you want to target certain keywords, but you need to sound like a person, not a robot that is “trying-to-get-the-best-rankings on Goo-gle.”  (Imagine robot voice).   Why?  Because while Google indexes your site, it's people who are reading the posts you write and people who will decide if they will use your business or become a regular reader of your blog. 

Unfortunately, finding real articles online to solve real problems seems to be getting harder and harder.  Many people are paid to write perfectly search engine optimized articles for large sites with only badly written, superficial articles just to rank the site well to sell advertising.  Ever landed on a site like that? You probably clicked away pretty quickly. 

What's Good for Pinocchio Should Be Good for Your Blog Posts

 It’s kind of like that Disney movie Pinocchio (this may be a stretch).  No, not the lying part.  You shouldn’t lie on your blog posts, that’s obvious.  I mean how he was made of wood but just wanted to be a real boy.  Application:  When you write a blog post, don’t be a piece of wood, be real because people are tired of finding fake, wooden, badly written sites. They are searching for - and they will love it when they finally find - a real, well-written site by an intelligent, funny person who knows what they’re talking about.

When it comes to “real” blog posts, what do people like?

It depends.  They could want an authority on a subject.  Maybe they need empathy for the problem they"re facing.  Perhaps they want someone who will just tell them the honest truth about something.  You can give them that by being yourself, by writing in a human voice to other humans. 

Wait!  You might say.  My blog is about my business which is something that isn’t very empathetic.  I don't have a medical blog that people come to needing compassion or empathy.  I install home theater systems, run a translating business, am an electrician, (insert your business here). 

That might be true, but people are still people and they still react the same way. 

They could be frustrated with trying to choose or set up a home theater system.  So write a post on how it’s frustrating to set up a home theater system and give a few tips to reduce their frustration. Or try writing, "The 5 Easiest Home Theater Systems to Operate," "The Best-Sounding Home Theater Systems Under $1000.00," etc.  When you write blog posts on topics that speak to real people, what will that do?  They’ll hopefully read them and see you as an authority.  They may tell their friends.  They may call or email you and become your customer.  Nice!

Let's take the case of an electrician - what are people often concerned with?  Perhaps finding an honest, reliable electrician that is not smelly, is courteous, friendly, on time and does great work?  Wow, just on those few qualities there’s a few blog posts:  “The Top 5 Things You Should Look For in An Electrician,” “Honest, Reliable Electricians- Do They Still Exist?,” “How Not To Get Ripped Off By An Electrician,” etc. 

Perhaps they came to the website frustrated and, because you wrote like a real person, they feel like someone understands, or - even better - someone who knows their stuff understands, maybe I should call them to do work for me or buy something from their site or sign up for their newsletter because they know what they're talking about. 

In reality, isn’t that the same as when we have a trusted professional we already know do work for us?

We may know our faucet leaks, but to talk to our awesome plumber we’ve used for years and have him give us a few options on what type of new faucets we can replace it with is invaluable.  That’s why we use him - we trust him and he’s the expert.  It’s the same with writing blog posts like a real person in down-to-earth, not sales-y, language.  There’s no substitute for it: we need someone to say, “Yeah, you’ve heard it’s like this and that, but here’s what you need to do and what you need to avoid. “

Yes, acting and writing like a human makes your blog “stick.” People who read it may look at you as their resource and it may drive sales to your business.   So when it comes to writing blog posts: You’re Only Human- And That’s Not A Bad Thing.

Next Time:  Part 3:  Double Sided Title Tags That Stick

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The ABCs of SEO for Blog Posts: Part 1- Don't Be a Clone

No matter what subject your blog post is on, you want to make sure that people are able to find it, read it and benefit from it.  So, is there a need for making your blog search-engine friendly?  Absolutely!  After all, many of the people who are potential readers often first find out about you by doing a search. 

Is optimizing for the search engines complicated and time-consuming?  Fortunately, no.  By incorporating just a few simple techniques into each blog post you write, you can make your blog posts show up on the search engines.  This will be a multi-part series, so here's step 1:

1.  Write Good, Unique Content

It might sound simple, but if you don't write something people want to read, people might find your blog but click away as soon as they see it was quickly thrown together or there's not much good, quality information they can use.   People read blogs for many reasons:  to find  information that they can use to solve a problem, accomplish a task, stay informed, be entertained & more.

Unique Content:Clones Can Cause Alot of Problems- And They Are Bad For Blogs!In Sci-Fi movies and even in real life clones might be cool- more than one copy of yourself so your clone could mow the lawn while you relax- but in the world of blogging don't be a clone.   It seems that most people just imitate what everyone else is writing about.  Don't just imitate what other people are writing about in their blogs-readers are just going to go to the big name blogs for that anyway.

For instance, if your blog is a tech blog, instead of writing about the same big story everyone else is writing about take a different approach- write something unique. Does your blog add something new that they would enjoy reading? 

Here's an example of unique content:  A while back a colleague was searching for how to fix an error on his computer with Windows.  Where did he find his answer?  Not on the Microsoft website, but on a blog post that showed exactly what he needed to do in a down-to-earth voice.  Even more, he browsed around the blog and saw that this person really knew his stuff and had a lot of other quality info on his site.  He's since become a regular reader.  That wouldn't have happened if that blogger just aped what everyone else was writing about.  The lesson?  Whatever you're writing about, write unique content!

Stay tuned for Part 2:  You're Only Human- And That's OK