SEO For Bloggers: 10 Tips to Rank Higher on Google

In the late 2000s, early bloggers were quickly able to monetize their efforts.

Considering the popularity of blogging just a decade later, many entrepreneurs have struggled to manage an effective blogging strategy that actually attracts their target audience and generates revenue.

Though the early bloggers were able to make blogging a means to an end, today, blogging should really be considered a leg or an extension of your business marketing strategy.

Before you set out to become a lifestyle blogger, micro influencer, or develop your brand, consider these 10 proven tips to rank higher on Google so you can start bringing in more traffic that generates results.

Write blogs based on your keywords

Keywords are critical to your online success, so choosing keywords that will improve your ranking will help your blog become more readily accessible. Consider formulating blog content around your keywords, or creating articles based on questions your audience may have.

Make your content 400 + words

If engagement is your goal, then you can afford to write blogs in the 300-word count or less range to induce more comments, but that low of a word count isn’t going to cut it to rank online. Instead, really focus on writing content between 300-600 words to maintain a higher ranking.

Collect emails & offer a subscription

I can’t stress enough how important your email list is, so be sure to include options for your audience to subscribe or join your email list based on your blog. Consider sending emails when a new blog post is up and make sure you have an automation sequence enabled to collect them.

Make sure social sharing is on

Though most blogs aren’t going to go viral, if they’re helpful and relevant to your target audience, they’ll likely be shared. Ensure that the option to share your content on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest is enabled so your audience can continue marketing on your behalf.

Use links to reference

Reference links, or more commonly referred to as backlinks, will also help improve your ranking over time. Though they may not give you an immediate boost, backlinks are typically seen as blogging etiquette. Over time, using backlinks as your blog becomes established may lead to more bloggers linking back to you, which will definitely boost your ranking.

Optimize your images

First things first: large image files, though they may seem quality, can actually significantly slow down your loading speed. Unfortunately, this can lead to more people leaving your website, rather than staying to read and share your blog. Consider using quality images with a compressed format, like a JPG file.

Also, naming your image files is a great way to incorporate keywords. Though you’ll want to be sure to stay true to naming your description in a way that actually defines the image, considering the Americans with Disabilities Act does audit websites to ensure they’re accurately depicted for the blind, you can use images based on your keywords and name them accordingly.

Use keywords in text

And more on keywords. Be careful not to over optimize your website. Keep them relevant to your content, but the more you blog about topics that are relevant to the words your audience is searching for, the higher you’ll rank.

Use a call to action to engage your audience to comment or subscribe

You need a CTA, or call to action, for just about everything on your website and your blog is no exception. Having a call to action will encourage your readers to take action and engage with your blog. Want comments? Ask your readers to drop a comment on what they think. Need shares? Tell them to share your blog post on Facebook messenger with someone they think it’d help. You get the idea.

Improve your meta descriptions

Your meta description summarizes your page content, so make your characters count. Your meta description is the short and sweet summary your readers will see if they find you via a search engine that will determine whether or not they take the click bait. Take this opportunity to draw them in…and don’t forget your keywords.

Optimize your URL

Your URL description can also affect your ranking. Make it relevant to your content and short enough read so that you’re easy to find online.