Getting high search engine rankings for your blog takes work. A lot
of work. While we all know the benefits of SEO, sometimes there just
isn’t enough time to focus on both SEO and developing a quality product
or business.
What can you do? You could hire a SEO consulting firm like Outspoken Media, but if you lack a budget, this article is perfect for you.
Everyone knows that creating fresh, engaging content helps build a
loyal following and attract links. However, if you’re looking to improve
your SEO with no budget, you can tweak your existing articles to prime
it for high search engine rankings.
Now I’m not saying that your website will shoot up into Google’s top
3. I’m also not going to tell you to stuff as many keywords into your
post as possible. If I did, that would be cheesy and I would be lying.
Instead, I will say this: if you focus on these 7 key areas of
on-page SEO, you can improve your search engine rankings. How do I know
this? Because it worked for me.
Conduct Keyword Research
You could try and guess what what people type when they use a search
engine, but with free Keyword Research tools available, it’s wasted
effort.
What are some of the best, free keyword tools? You could use the Google tool, or one that I like is Wordtracker. In addition, you can use this tool from Google to research trends in search phrases.
If you’re looking for a premium keyword research tool, look no further than SEObook.com, SEOmoz.org, or Raven Tools.
Focus on Low-Competition Keyphrases
Don’t waste your time going after highly competitive keywords with on-site optimization because you won’t be able to nab them.
So, how do you know if a keyword or keyphrase is competitive?
Take one of the phrases you found while conducting keyword research,
type it into Google search using quotations (ex. “how to install Thesis
Theme Framework”), and then look at the number that appears below the
search box.
Figure 1: See the 12,900 results below the Search Box? That’s the number you’re looking for.
If the number is large (over 75,000), I’d avoid it because it’s
highly competitive. If it’s small, I’d focus on it because it should be
much easier to score a top ranking.
Note, just because a keyword or phrase isn’t competitive doesn’t mean
it won’t send traffic. And if it doesn’t send much traffic, that
doesn’t matter either because the traffic it does send is highly
targeted. For example, I once optimized a post that landed the #1
position in Google and it helped me make a $1500 sale.
Choose One Keyword or Phrase, and then Write or Tweak Your Article
While you want a keyphrase with little competition, you’ll also want
it to have some search traffic (greater than zero). Then, either write a
post that targets that keyphrase or go back through some of your older
articles and tweak them for a specific phrase.
I’m not saying that you should let that keyphrases dictate what you
write about. Instead, find a phrase that relates to your topic, and
craft a helpful article around it. Remember, quality content matters.
The higher the quality, the better chance it will garner links and then
rank in search engines.
For example, if you run a blog about Kangaroos, and one of your
researched keyphrases is “what do kangaroos eat”, then you might want to
write a blog post about that.
Use Your Keyphrase In Your Post Title and Title Tags
Yep, simple as that. Use the keyphrase in the title of your post and in your title tags.
Repeat the Keyphrase in Your Article.
You want to build a loyal following, so don’t go crazy with this.
Instead, what I mean is, if you want to rank for your keyphrase, you
must use it. Avoid creating nicknames or trying to be clever. In the
end, clear and concise wins. As a rule of thumb, try to include your
keyphrase early on in your article or in a H2 tag. While this may have
little impact on your rankings, it will help show your readers that
they’re reading the right piece of content.
Use the Keyphrase in your Meta Description tags
Using keywords in your meta description tags does not help you rank
higher. However, when you include them, when people search on Google for
a specific keyword, Google bolds the keyphrase in the search results.
So, while it may not help you rank higher, it will encourage people to
click on your search results.
Find Images Related to Your Keyphrase
Think about it. If you were looking for information on Kangaroos,
when you visited a website, would it make sense to have a picture of a
Kanagaroo on it? Absolutely.
So, when you publish your articles, ensure that you find related
images and use your keyphrase in the alt description of your image. This
is beneficial for two reasons: first, it helps search engines see that
you’re trying to create a complete piece of content, and second, it’s
great for accessibility.
Other SEO Factors
There are, of course, other factors that influence your search engine
rankings that I don’t talk about here. However, if you want to focus on
building your business and creating great content, these 7 areas can
help kick-start your SEO without becoming a full-time job. If you have
any other quick hints that you think people will find useful, feel free
to leave a comment.