Nathan Williams, senior copywriter at SEO Advocate, once said, “SEO provides actions, targets, and priorities, and copywriters use that information to tailor the content. The two sides must work together, or both fail.”
High-quality content makes a big difference. That is because sites that Google considers to be more important are more likely to link to a site with great content versus a site that’s filled with spam-related strategies.
Misconceptions and Devious SEO Tactics
These strategies include filling pages with gibberish, buying links, and keyword stuffing, just to name a few. Google uses algorithms like the recently released Penguin 2.0 to find sites that take advantage of these devious tactics and rank them lower in the search engine listings.
Another misconception is that websites need a lot of backlinks. Yes, it is true that your site should have backlinks. However Matt Cutts, who heads Google’s anti-spam team, warns not to get obsessed with backlinks.
The Importance of Being Relevant and Reputable
Although you can spend an eternity studying about SEO, the key is to fall somewhere between being relevant, and being reputable. Being relevant means what you mention has to pertain to your blog.
For example if you have a high-ranking blog is about the healing powers of honey and you mention in passing that you love to tend the hives while wearing Italian leather boots, then even though your blog ranks high on Google, the mention of Italian leather boots is not very relevant.
While being relevant applies to what you say on your page, being reputable, on the other hand, is what people are saying about you when they link to you. The key is to maintain as even as possible of a balance between the two.
And when you stay relevant on your page, people will see your page as a reputable source of information. When people see you as a reputable source of information, then they feel confident about linking back to your website.
Have Unique, Interesting Content
Nobody wants to read boring content. So regardless if you are writing about how much you love cats or the importance of SEO when ranking with Google, make sure you love the topic before you sit down to blog about it. If you aren’t talking about something you care about, it will show.
Write often! Athletes don’t set out for a marathon without a lot of stretching and practicing. When you blog, write every day because that is your way of stretching your skills and practicing the art of blogging.
Strategies to Naturally Build Better Links
The end result should be that you get better at writing for your blog’s audience, which will lead to a bigger audience and a higher ranking in Google search listings. Here are some other strategies that can help.
- Promote RSS Feed – Every blog ought to have an RSS feed. RSS is most commonly referred to as “Really Simple Syndication” and it is a way to get published online. When you publish to a free RSS feed directory, you earn links in return.
- Guest Blog – You can even swap guest blog honors with another blogger in your same niche. It is one of the easiest ways to naturally build links to your blog and it allows you to show off your expertise to a whole new audience that may begin following your blog too as a result.
- Comment Everywhere – When you comment on reputable sites, be sure to link back to your blog in your signature. Whether you praise, critique, or offer a suggestion, the link in your signature helps build your traffic. However try linking back to a content page rather than a sales page, which can be a real turn off to new viewers who do not know your blog yet.
- Infographics – I love infographics. It’s like a blog article and a comic strip combined, using graphic design strategies to provide visual interest that enhances the text. If you don’t have the power to make your own infographics, consider outsourcing the job to someone on a site like Elance.
Benefits of SEO Analysis
Do you know how your site ranks up to others in your niche, aside from typing a keyword in Google and seeing where you rank? Consider investing in the services of a company to perform some type of website analysis of your site.
This will not only give you valuable feedback about web traffic, but it will also allow you to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. When you apply the information in the results and tweak your website accordingly to gain more traffic, the return on this investment has unlimited potential.
