Write a Blog

How to Write a Blog

Being able to write a blog should be simple, but if you’re looking to get the search engines to pick you up, you’ll have to put in a little more thought.  If you’re going to write a blog, don’t just fill it with key words to try to attract the search engines either, because keyword stuffing is frowned upon.  Therefore, your challenge is to write a blog that will help you with your search engine optimization while still providing valuable content to your readers.  The following are tips on how to write a blog:

How to Write a Blog | Keyword(s)

The first step to take when you write a blog about a keyword is to identify the keyword or keyword phrase.   This makes common sense, but I read many blogs where I am unable to determine what keyword the person is trying to focus on.  Obviously the keyword phrase of this blog is ‘write a blog’.  This means I have to structure my sentences to make sure that I am saying how to ‘write a blog’ rather than using a phrase like ‘writing a blog’, as using both phrases will not help you with your SEO.  One final note: don’t over do it on the keyword usage.  You should keep the percentage between 2-4% of your words, meaning that your keyword phrase should be used 2-4 times out of every 100 words.

How to Write a Blog | Catchy Title

Having a catchy title is important if you want to write a blog that will get read.  Titles should be no more than 7 words long and contain your keyword or keyword phrase.  I like to give commands or ask questions for my blog titles, like ‘What is a Blog’ or ‘How to…’.   These types of titles will attract people who are seeking answers.  If you write a blog in a manner that allow people searching for your keyword to find you and have a title that will make them open your blog, then you have won half the battle.  The second part is to make sure they read your blog.

How to Write a Blog | Break up the monotony

As my high school English teacher used to tell me: ‘Tell ’em what you going to tell ’em (intro), tell ’em (body), and tell ’em what you told ’em (conclusion).  The next step to making sure you write a blog people read is to write in a visual format that people will want to read.  No one wants to read one long paragraph, or even a series of paragraphs.  Therefore, if you want to write a blog that is going to be read, follow these steps:

*  Use pictures– pictures are a great way to promote your key words (notice the caption), break up the monotony, and maximize SEO.  Search engines give weight to a picture that has the keywords in it’s Alt Tag description.

*  Title Tags– title tags are used in a bigger, bold font that help divide the page by topic, such as ‘How to Write a Blog | Topic.  Using title tags that state the keyword while also specifying the topic you will be discussing is a great way for the reader to quickly scan your blog and read the information most relevant to them.  Title tags are also a big part of SEO as Google’s bots are trained to look for title tags.

*  Bullet points– bullet points are a great way to list out specific topics.  These types of bullet points do a great job of drawing attention to the particular section.  There is a good chance that you are actually reading these bullet points before the rest of the blog!  When using bullet points, I generally recommend using a minimum of three.

*  Bolding– bolding words of importance allows the reader to quickly scan the article and find value without having to read the entire thing.  The more value they derive from looking at the blog, the more likely they will read your blog, read future blogs from you, and visit your website.

How to Write a Blog | Linking

Linking is important when you want to write a blog as it will improve your search rankings.  Some simple tips are to linking are to always link at least once to your home page and, if possible, link once to a previously written blog.  Also, if you happen to get an idea or quote from another blog, then reference the blog by providing a link as well.  As that blog gains relevance, your blog will do so as well.  One final word of advice: always add the html command “rel=’nofollow'” as this command will allow you to benefit from having links on your site without the Google bots following the link to another site.  When you write a blog, you want to keep the Google bots on your site, so this command is valuable.

How to Write a Blog | Summary

In conclusion, it is simple to write a blog that provides value to your readers while also assisting you in maximizing your search engine optimization goals.  By establishing your key words, using a catchy title, and writing in a format that people will want to read, you can write a blog that will both educate and promote your website.  For example, this blog used the key word ‘write a blog’ 3%, had a picture, 5 title tags, and 4 bullet points while having less than 1000 words.  When you write a blog using this type of format, your readers will appreciate it and your website will improve in the search rankings.

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net