Blog writing as a profession is probably the most fun I’ve ever had. I get to create content by doing something that I’ve always loved-writing.
When I made the switch from writing micro-fiction to web content, though, I didn’t know the transition was going to be so difficult. There are sooo many things that a blogger and content writer have to remember, all the time, just to write a “good blog post”.
Writing fan fiction was easy! You wrote a story for the people who were going to read it. If it a good yarn, written well and accepted that meant you had some “game”. You made the cut.
Not so much with web writing, though. There’s a mysterious monster out there that determines the success of anything written on the web. That monster is called the Google.
Finding Favor for Your Blog Content in Google’s “Evil” Eye!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying Google is all “evil”. I’m just saying that having to write for robots that determine how “good” your content is, based on a mostly vague algorithm, is “a monster” task. Not everyone can do it. Those who can are better off than those who can’t. Bloggers and web writers who do it well all the time, they’re AWESOME!
Just think about some of the aspects that blog writers have to think about when they write web content!
5 Things that Every Blog Writer Should Be Doing!
1. Keywords
Any good blog writer will do a little bit of keyword research before writing any post just to make sure they have a target audience that is out there actively seeking the information they are writing about. You may have a good “idea” of what the keywords should be, but being just little off in your wording can mean a huge difference in search engine results.
2. Images and alt text
Yup, you can thank Google for this pain in the neck task, as well. Because Google has such an awesome image search database then a blogger must understand that using great images with the right keywords in the captions and alt text will bring in even more traffic and further optimize their blog post.
3. In-Text Links
Many bloggers wonder why their “bounce rate” is so high and their not converting sales, social media followers or subscribers. The simple answer is that they are probably making it too easy for a reader to leave their site. Links within a blog post that lead to other posts within a site and landing pages will keep blog visitors around longer. This further enhances the chance that they will take some sort of action. And don’t think that Google doesn’t take bounce rate and time on site as indicators of whether there is quality content present on a site.
4. Speaking of Action
The “call to action” is extremely important and it’s the “bread and butter” of any good web or blog content writer. If you want people to do something then you have to ask them to do it. It’s simple, right? Yet many bloggers won’t add a simple blurb at the end of their posts asking, or even telling, the visitor what to do next. “Please follow us!”, “Sign up for our newsletter.” “Buy our new <insert product>!” Those are all considered “calls to action”. They may not be the best, but at least they’re a start and will have the reader saying, “Oh, yeah…why not!” This gets people interacting with your blog and more apt to do stuff that Google will recognize as viable proof that your content is of high quality. Which bring us to…
5. The Need for Social Proof
Google figures it like this: If your content is being shared by a lot of people and spread around the internet like butter on toast then it must have some value. So Google places a higher value on your content in search engine results when that happens. If you don’t have a social media plug-in installed on your blog and placed somewhere around the content to make it easy for readers to tweet, share, like, pin, digg, or stumble then you’re losing out on a lot of social reputation that Google is looking for.
Wrap Up
Despite all these things that you need to do to get Google to rank you higher, you’ll still hear lots of bloggers and writers say “write for people, not search engines”. I have to disagree. While you should always write for people first, YOU MUST write for Google and the other search engines as well. It’s paramount. So, instead think this way:
“Write for people FIRST, and then Search Engines!”
Phew, I think I’ll go back to fiction writing! Naaah…just kidding. This blog writing thing is just TOO much fun!
Guest Post by Ken Muise :
Ken Muise is a content writer who provides blog writing services. He is an active-duty US Soldier, father of 4 and lover of the blogosphere. Connect with him on Facebook – he likes new friends!