5 steps to make your blog an SEO Juggernaut

There are a small number of absolute truths in the world, but above all, we know that the Google algorithm is a hungry, insatiable beast, and the best way to make her happy is with more, more, and more content. And the fastest most effective way is blogs.

The difference between a regular blog and an SEO blog are extensive and they can change low traffic content into valuable impactful content for your site ranking. There are 5 key steps you need to take in order to transform your blog into a ranking upscale SEO blog:

1. Page Structure
2. Titles and anchored table of contents
3. Keyword emphasis
4. Speed and movement
5. Clusters

1. Page Structure

While in the past pages were created with a block of text and a title, today we all understand the importance of coherent and clean structure for optimal user experience. That said, there are rules you must obey for your blog to be ranked in Google’s algorithm.

Keep your blog cohesive and to the point. If you see you are over 1,000 words, create a blog series. A blog is not a manual or a whitepaper, it is a limited summary of a singular idea. SINGULAR. If you have more than one concept you want the reader to take from your blog, then you probably need two. 

For example, this is a tip blog for SEO, but I can create an additional blog on the tools that will make your blog faster and more responsive for mobile, I won’t write at length about this subject here.

Keep your blog cohesive and to the point. If you see you are over 1,000 words, create a blog series.

2. Text Hierarchy and anchored table of content

Copy what I write here and paste it to your notepad. Each time you finish writing a blog, review this list. In other words, cover your SEO bases.

• Text hierarchy is super important as it tells Google what is the topic and what is the text. It must be organized by H1, H2, H3 and paragraphs.
• Create at the top of the blog a table of contents, and hyperlink each title, it will map the structure of the blog to Google and dramatically increase the chance for a rich snippet in the SERP
• Don’t get smart. Use a white background, it’s not 1996 and you are not building the site in HTML. Insert 2-3 light images following a clear naming convention for the algorithm to pick up
• Lastly, don’t add white text on white background, just… don’t.

3. Keyword emphasis

Yes, keyword repetition is well… key. BUT, and I don’t believe I must say this, it cannot come at the cost of the quality of the text. If the writer just copy-pastes the keyword phrase with no logical sense and people won’t enjoy reading the blog, neither will Google. 

On the other hand, a complete overview of a specific subject – let’s say writing a comprehensive blog about: “5 steps to make your blog into an SEO juggernaut” does make sense. Did you see what I did here? Addressed the blog topic inside the content in relevant fashion.

4. Speed and movement

A blog should be interacted with like a newspaper, you can pick it up and start reading. No elaborate, complex loading screen, animations or colors. It should be clean, neat and to the point. The full loading time of the page should be less than 2 seconds with a minimum amount of sluggish 3rd parties add-ons. It’s a blog, not an art show.

5. Clusters

A blog doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It is not one piece of content – separated from all other data on the internet. An SEO Blog is only as strong as the other blogs supporting it in the same context, on the website and out. In other words, your blog should direct to other related blogs in your site (hence, the blogs’ cluster) and outside blogs, on the same topic that support this content.

An SEO Blog is only as strong as the other blogs supporting it in the same context, on the website and out.

Conclusion

Following these 5 rules will enable you to transform your regular blog into an SEO Juggernaut that will drive traffic and sales to your site. Each one of the rules here is part of a bigger picture that enables the Google Algorithm to better understand who should be directed to your blog.

One thing to always remember however, is that all the structure and guidelines in the world are not a substitute for quality, interesting content. First and foremost, you must write something good. Then figure out how to adapt it, and not the other way around.