Blogging and SEO 101 - Zemanta Meetup

Blogging and SEO SEO 101 JOHN DOHERTY DISTILLED NYC

@dohertyjf Today we are talking about blogging and SEO.

@dohertyjf But before we talk about SEO, we need to talk about blogging.

@dohertyjf Because often the priorities get reversed.

@dohertyjf First, why should you listen to me?

@dohertyjfWell, I am a professional SEO withDistilled.

@dohertyjfAnd a longtime blogger

@dohertyjfWho is starting to see solid success

@dohertyjfLet’s get real.

@dohertyjf What is SEO?

@dohertyjf SEO is the process by which great content gets found by search engines and new users.

@dohertyjf So what is great content?

@dohertyjf Great content compels the reader to keep reading and share it with others before coming back to read more.

@dohertyjf “The key to good writing is to make your reader read the next sentence.” - CopyBlogger

@dohertyjf But great content isn’t just text.

@dohertyjfIt can be text. http://bit.ly/KMwQgj

@dohertyjfIt can also be images. http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/

@dohertyjfIt can also be video. http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/

@dohertyjfAnd combine all three, you get the mostlinks. My friend Casey found that on seomoz.org, the posts that earned the most links had a combination of: • Text • Images • Video Image source: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/what- makes-a-link-worthy-post-part-2

@dohertyjf Which helps SEO.

@dohertyjf Don’t forget about branding.

@dohertyjf Let’s talk about blog branding for a minute.

@dohertyjfKeep it simple My boss’s site is this way. http://essays.tomcritchlow.com (his main site in on the Svbtle network)

@dohertyjfBe consistent http://michaelhyatt.com has the same layout for his site and his emails. He also uses the same username across the Internet. Check out this post about personal branding.

@dohertyjfDesign matters The better your site looks, the more likely people are to trust it.

@dohertyjfWould you link to this? I didn’t think so. 1998 called, it wants its web design back.

@dohertyjf Now onto the SEO part.

@dohertyjf Since we are talking about blogging, let’s talk about onsite SEO first.

@dohertyjf Both users and search crawlers need to be able to access your site.

@dohertyjf And luckily, what’s good for your users will also be good for the search engines, especially on a personal blog.

@dohertyjf Blogging and SEO Onsite Best Practices

@dohertyjfBuy your own domain name This helps you brand yourself, plus you have control over the SEO if you use Wordpress. You’ll have to get hosting as well, which is usually a/b $6/month. I use Moniker for buying domain and Bluehost or Dreamhost for hosting.

@dohertyjfDon’t use a .blogspot or .wordpress.com Reason: These are terrible for SEO. They rarely rank for important keyword terms.

@dohertyjfWrite Descriptive Titles This post tells you what you need to know: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/are- your-titles-irresistibly-click-worthy-viral As does this one: http://www.copyblogger.com/magnetic-headlines/

@dohertyjfAnd put keywords in your URLs Make those “clean” as well. Wordpress does this out of the box; other blogging platforms you have to finagle a bit.

@dohertyjf And in your text You should never write for search crawlers. Write for readers first, not the other way around.

@dohertyjf This stuff works Just a couple links and some social activity, and I rank #4 for “seo for photographers”. I already see traffic for this term!

@dohertyjfHave a simple navigation If a huge site like CNN can have a simple navigation, so can you. A simple navigation with links to the most important pages is good both for users and for search crawlers, as it prioritizes these pages in the search crawler’s eyes.

@dohertyjfLearn to do keyword research http://bit.ly/KtQhMB and http://www.johnfdoherty.com/minimum-viable-keyword- research

@dohertyjfInterlink Your PostsBoth in-context and with a Related Posts plugin/option posts serves these Interlinking between your functions: 1) Flow link equity to important pages; 2) Good user experience;

@dohertyjfA few other pointsConsider using Google+ to get your author snippet showing in the SERPs. http://www.blindfiveyearold.com/how-to-implement-rel-authorDon’t use Flash or too much Javascript.Think about what pages matter to users. Block tags and archives (usually). (How to do this in Wordpress)Link out to others (adds value to users, can use to build relationships)Consider guest bloggers, because they’ll spread the word about their content.

@dohertyjf Two #protips: a WORDPRESS.ORG YOAST SEO

@dohertyjf Now go create useful and interesting content so the next part is easier.

@dohertyjf Linkbuilding and SEO

@dohertyjf In a nutshell, the more links you get from stronger websites, the more likely your website is to rank for more and more competitive keyword phrases.

@dohertyjf I love linkbuilding with a blog because you get to make friends.

@dohertyjf Remember, people, not websites, link to you.

@dohertyjfDo you use these?

@dohertyjfDo you push content out on them torelevant people? You should be. Don’t be afraid to tweet at people who would be interested (don’t annoy them). Also, think about priming the social pump before your post is published. That’s how I get influencers to share my stuff.

@dohertyjfDo you follow relevant influencers and seek tohelp them out? Twitter: https://followerwonk.com/ Google+: http://findpeopleonplus.com/

@dohertyjf Old school linkbuilding involved trying to wrangle others into linking to you.

@dohertyjfEssentially, you were begging. Begging for links doesn’t work. It’s high output, low return, and I think it sucks. But there is a better way!

@dohertyjf New school linkbuilding focuses on providing so much value that people can’t help but share.

@dohertyjf But you need to target the content curators and other bloggers to get on their radar.

@dohertyjf A couple important linkbuilding queries

@dohertyjf“[keyword]” “roundup”

@dohertyjf“[keyword]” “day in”

@dohertyjf A few more odds and ends

@dohertyjf Track Everything (Google Analytics for sites, Bit.ly for social)

@dohertyjf A variety of sources is good (organic, social, direct)

@dohertyjf tl;DR

@dohertyjf Find your voice through blogging consistently. Write about what you know and be an expert.

@dohertyjf Blogging is best learned by blogging...and by reading other bloggers. George Siemens

@dohertyjf Make friends in your industry who will share your writing if it’s good enough.

@dohertyjf Connect with influencers through social media and their blogs. Provide them value. Don’t be afraid to recommend your writing if it’s good!

@dohertyjfJohn DohertySEO Consultant – Distilled john.doherty@distilled.net http://twitter.com/#!/dohertyjfSEO Consultant at Distilled NYC.Traveler.Rock climber.Company Blog: http://www.distilled.net/blog/Personal Blog: http://www.johnfdoherty.com/

Thank You Questions?JOHN DOHERTY Distilled NYC

Blogging and SEO 101 - Zemanta Meetup

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