The three basic elements that can be used to achieve good SEO results in a blog post are text, images, and links. These are the basic means with the help of which things are best expressed and linked, but also proof that SEO is not a boogeyman that requires digging through the website code, optimization performed by experts, or something else that you do not have time for because of researching and writing.
To achieve a completely optimal level of correctness of what you create, it is enough to follow rules that are not abstract in nature, they are even quite logical.
SEO Optimization – SEO of the Text and Blog Post
You may have heard that there are websites that are technically good when it comes to SEO ratings but have no traffic. They are interesting, but not readable. What is the deal with them?
Simply, no one needs them at that moment. If most people are getting ready for summer vacations, they will hardly search for the offer of snowboarding equipment no matter how well done it is, or full of descriptions, pictures, and quality details. When the summer season is over, the story may take a different turn, but you should see what you can do while waiting for the right time.
Think Before You Begin
Think carefully about what message you want to send with the new text. Ask yourself what readers will conclude and how they benefit from what you have to say. Think about what you want readers to do when they finish reading. Do you want to start a discussion, present a problem that you do not know how to solve through text and ideas, or present a solution that you think will benefit many?
Try to understand from the previous experience with the visitors what they want and find the best possible way to serve it to them. Find similar texts, spot mistakes, and try not to make them yourself.
Make a Text Scheme
It is good that the text has an introduction to the topic, the main part, and a conclusion. You will not go wrong with a scheme like this. Make a note of what you want to find in each of these units. Make sure that the message you want to send is contained in each unit/section.
Follow the flow and make sure you do not make big thematic fluctuations or get lost. Draw your idea, connect the items with lines and use visuals to better design your writing.
Use Subheadings (H2, H3)
This is an important item that makes it easier for the reader to scan and remember the text map. Subheadings allow the reader to orient himself, to know where the items he needs are, and to be able to quickly find the ones he is looking for the next time he comes back.
This is why search engines expect to find these elements every time they index new text. They do this in order to provide the best possible texts to people who search the Internet, with elements on the basis of which it can be interpreted that the text is well-formatted and presented. Do not forget to use them if you have the ability to do so.
Use Paragraphs
Paragraphs make the text clear, readable, and easy to scan. Do not single out new paragraphs just because you think it is so much nicer and appealing. One thought that carries an idea deserves a paragraph just for itself.
If you have to express a few unrelated thoughts to convey an idea, separate them into paragraphs.
Signal Words
They help you draw attention to the key details of the idea you are presenting. They should not be confused with keywords and are usually the following words:
- for free
- in first place
- it is secondary
- finally
- for sure
- at the end
- never
- pay attention
- required
- however
All those words that draw attention to the main idea and its confirmation fall into this group. Think carefully about them and their use.
Keywords
Keywords carry your idea, form its basis, and help it to exist in the text, on the Internet.
The lowest bottom limit of the number of words that a text should have is about 300 words. In the text of that length, use the keywords at least three times and at most six times (1-2%). It is a good idea to find them a suitable, unobtrusive place in the subheadings.
SEO Plugin for WordPress
If you use WordPress, which is one of the two most widespread methods of building a website, look for an SEO plugin that will help you achieve a good SEO result as well as possible. If you already have one of the plugins, learn how to use it, adjust it even better, and track the results.
If you do not know which plugin to install, we recommend Yoast SEO.
SEO of Images
You may not have thought about it, but images can also bring traffic and better positioning through image search engines (Google Images, for example). Here is how you can improve your position and make it easier for search engines to find your content:
ALT Text
If you place an image in the text that talks, e.g. about web hosting services, everyone who visits your site will be able to see what the image is about. However, search engines do not search for images visually and do not know what is on them unless it is highlighted in the space provided. How to send an engine a signal what is in the image? With the help of ALT text.
What is ALT text? It is the text that helps search engines understand what is in the images and what they refer to. Here is what the code that displays the image in your text looks like: <img src = “web-hosting-packages-comparison.jpeg” alt = “web hosting packages comparison” />. For each image you add, it is advisable to check the ALT text and write it. If you use WordPress, all you have to do is open the image settings and enter descriptive text in the “Alternative text” field.
You can perform the same procedure directly in the text code. And you can do that by clicking on the “Text” tab in the upper right part of the editor (the raw appearance of the text in the code will be displayed). For each uploaded image, add ALT text in the part of the code provided for it: <img src = “image.jpeg” alt = “(enter alt text here)” />. This method can be more difficult, as it requires more attention to find the pieces of code that relate to the image.
There is also something called the image file name. In other words, in addition to ALT text, it is recommended that you assign a descriptive name to the file name itself. Example: our-servers-image-1.jpeg.
Captions
If you have optimized the file name and edited the ALT text, adding a caption can be useful. Many will find this unnecessary but if the nuances separate you from standing out from similar competing sites, this is a detail that can contribute to better positioning in search results. Search engines search and record this detail, so it is worth giving it a minute or two.
If you are using WordPress, you can enter Caption by opening the image editor and entering the text you want to be placed just below the image in the “Caption” field.
Image File Size
Well-optimized pages load quickly. Loading depends on the design of the site, but also on the content (text, images, video). Text loads the fastest, then images, then videos. The reason is obvious – the size of the file.
Try to post as light pictures as possible, but without sacrificing quality. To optimize images (reduce, lighten…) you can use Photoshop or some of the free tools, such as GIMP for computers, or a web application for editing images online, such as Pixlr. Avoid placing large images in the article and then resizing them through setting options. Use one of the mentioned tools to prepare the image in advance and adjust its text size and page size.
SEO of the Links
A URL is a readable form that replaces the IP addresses that computers use to communicate with servers and find them over the Internet. They also represent the structure of the website. An optimally good URL should be clearly readable and in a recognizable form that, in addition to engines, is also understood by people, and it looks like this: http://site.com/headline-of-the-text-or-page/.
A readable URL lets the visitor know in advance what is on the link he is visiting, instills confidence, and provides information before the page opens. A bad example looks like this: http://website.com/p=34454AADDFf??D8987.
In addition, it is good to find keywords in the URL. If you follow the SEO suggestions that the keyword should be in the title, depending on the settings of your way of generating links, the keywords will automatically be found in the URL of the text page. If the title of the text is “System solution of SPAM on our servers”, the URL will be generated as https://(name of the website).rs/system-solution-of-spam-on-our-servers/. If the settings specify that the links are generated based on the title, then the URL will be http://my-website.com/(the example of the article).
Check the default link generation settings to avoid errors. If you use WordPress, you can find these settings in “Settings” → “Permalinks”. You can also make additional changes and adjustments to the text link before posting manually, so look for the “Permalink” option below the title. Click the “Edit” button to edit the link. In the open field, you can make changes, add a keyword, or simply remove redundant ones. If you leave this option intact, a link to your article will be generated from the title text.
Is Optimization a Guarantee of Success?
The answer is no. SEO is not a guarantee of success. The goal of optimization is to highlight the qualities hidden in texts, find them, and make them visible for search engines. If a text is popular because of a current topic or is simply interesting and experiencing global expansion, optimization is not even necessary.
However, if you want even more people to find, see, and read what is already interesting to many, this article can be useful to you and SEO is an area that can play a big role in your success.
