If you are wanting people to visit your blog or website or to start getting your name/brand out there, there are things you need to do that are simple and in some cases a one time set up that will help you. They range from blog post content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to adjusting your blog settings. Today I’ll share four with you.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Friendly Blog Post Content
Search Engines, such as Google, ‘read’ your blog content, that’s the way I will explain it. What they are ‘reading’ for is what the person is searching for, what they typed in the search bar. If you have a blog post about ‘How To Roast A 
Turkey’, then your post needs to OPTIMIZE and include words that people use to search for when wanting to find out ‘How To Roast A Turkey’. The more relevant words you use the better chances of your blog or website post showing up in Search Engines. No, don’t say turkey or roast every other word. Search Engines actually DON’T like that.
I personally Optimize by having my key words a person is searching for in Search Engines in the first paragraph or two. Why? When a reader clicks to my site I want them to know instantly they have found what they are looking for. I might meander a bit later, but I want to catch their attention to have them keep reading.
Of course don’t get crazy with using the words when it just doesn’t make sense to do so. Sometimes you just need to talk to the reader and sound like you.
Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:
4 until you get the hang of it because you may have to adjust your style just a bit.
Why I mention:
Search Engines are my second place referrer to my site after the WordPress Reader. But here is the kicker, for the past 7 days the Reader only beat Search Engines by 11 referrals. And to be honest we want to be found on Search Engines. (It’s now Dec. 31, 2014 and Search Engines are my #1 referral.)
Including Images Inside of Your Post
Many blogs or website content posts are shared on different platforms or sites. Examples would be Facebook, Google+, Tumblr and Bloglovin. When your content is shared that’s a great thing unless for instance it visually looks like a set of blank photographs.
You have an image or photograph set as a ‘featured image’. Great, it’s needed at times. I set one for every post I do, unless I am helping with another site and their layout does not use it. But here is something you need to know, put the image in your actual post itself as well. When you get shared on other sites those sites don’t always grab the featured image but they do usually bring the content images along with the share. That way when they do show up, say on Bloglovin you will have images to attract people’s eye.
Facebook is a problem as well in what it pulls in. It will grab an image and carry it with the post if you don’t have one. For a time it was my Blogging U badge on my sidebar, now it is my About.Me image. So I make sure to have images that are for the content itself.
BONUS TIP!
While I am at it, I’ll mention an additional tip. When you add media to your blog notice those different boxes that come up with titles like Title, Caption, Alt Text and Description? Fill those out. Why? When Search Engines read your content you want your images to have words of what those images are. Make sure they include things like .jpg or .gif or whatever format the image is.
Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:
3 just because it can be tedious depending on your amount of images. I sometimes reuse images to make life easier.
Why I mention:
This is one of the things that a lot of people skip and miss out on. Some Search Engines don’t ‘read’ the entire content, just the first so much amount. If you have images taking up the beginning of your post content, then what is the Search Engine reading if you have nothing descriptive in there?
Add Your Twitter Handle to Your Sharing Button
Your Twitter Handle is your brand, your advertising, your contact. You don’t have a Twitter account? That’s fine, it’s all up to you. Twitter is my number three referral for visitors to my site right now. Not a huge number, but numbers. But that’s misleading to say. Some people just don’t click the link in that Tweet. They will open it elsewhere, or copy and paste it. I am sure my Twitter referrals are a lot more than the stats show.
You might be asking me through your monitor screen what I mean by ‘Your Sharing Button’. At the bottom of your post
you have those little buttons people can click on to share your post to various other platforms. One site to share to is Twitter. You don’t have to have a Twitter account for people to share to Twitter. It will simply say wordpress instead of YOUR NAME that created the content. It’s up to you.
If you have Twitter just Go To:
- Dashboard
- Settings
- Sharing
- Twitter username to include in tweets when people share using the Twitter button.
- Type in your Twitter Handle without the @.
Some of you are wondering why that would increase people coming to your site. Brand recognition. If you have a good name and image people will begin to notice. The more your name gets out there and is seen the more people know it. This is not my personal idea this is a marketing idea. There are times you will see a TV commercial for weeks before you finally actually watch it. Your child will tell you “Dad, um, this is like the millionth time you’ve seen this.” I am not at all quoting my son.
Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:
1 Once you have a Twitter Account
Why I mention:
It’s a, sorry to say it this way, no brainer. You have a Twitter, you have the option, why not do it?
Use Hashtags and/or Twitter Handles in your Post Title
#BloggerBoySayWhat This is something I’ve started doing lately. It’s not something I’ve really noticed being used, the Hashtag thing, yes, the Twitter Handle, no.
Include these in the title of your post so when the post is shared, say on Twitter, you automatically have certain things you want to include to be tweeted. I do this with Authors and Bloggers I interview now. I put their Twitter Handle in the actual title. I don’t use the Hashtags so much but have when it is an important issue of the moment. For example if there were some Spousal Abuse media frenzy going on I might have a title #(FirstnameLastname) is a prime example of . . . Like I said, this one is a rare one, so when I do use it, it not only gets the write Hashtag used but people will do double take when they see the article title.
Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:
2 I only say a 2 because you need to know the Twitter Handle of the person you are wanting to boost/help out/ promote. And you should already have that if you are doing a post about them.
Why I mention:
Twitter is huge and if you are wanting to draw attention then make your blog work for you. People will share your post on Twitter but they might not go through the trouble of using Hashtags. Just don’t be obnoxious with it unless it’s a joke of sorts.
This was a lot longer than I expected it to be and for that I say . . . ouch. Even my fingers are hurting typing that much. As you begin using tips you get from me or from others it becomes second nature to do them and quicker. Turn these into habits/routines and you will think nothing of them. And as long as you have good content you should, I repeat . . . should increase your readership.
For More of My Blogging Tips and articles click here.
For Tips about Twitter click here.
Much Respect
Ronovan
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