That’s right, this is a blog about blogs.  However, instead of telling you how cool it is to be able to voice your opinion, I will be revealing how blogging can help improve your SEO and in turn drive more traffic to your website. Here are some tips for effective blogging.

1.     Provide Value

I know this tip seems like a no brainer, but it is probably the most important tip of all.  Make sure that the content provides valuable information for the reader that is relevant to the topic. This will develop credibility, loyalty, and a great opportunity for back links.

2.     Be Consistent

In addition to having consistent views and opinions that don’t contradict previous posts, it is also very important to post blogs regularly.  Ideally, in a successful SEO campaign, a new blog post everyday will help drive traffic to your site/blog.

3.     Keywords

Before you begin writing content for your blog, be sure to do your keyword research and have a plan or strategy for attacking these keywords/keyword phrases in the blog and in the meta area in the backend.  Use the keywords within your blog generously, but make sure it doesn’t take away from the flow of the blog.  There needs to be a balance between writing for your audience and for the search engines.

4.     Headers

The header 1 and header 2 tags let search engines know what the article’s theme is.  The header 1 & 2 tags are key for SEO. Not to mention, these tags organize and make your blog visually appealing.

5.     Internal Links

If your blog is part of a full website, it is crucial to place links within your blog that link to other pages within your site.  By creating a bridge from your blog to other relative internal pages, readers will more likely explore the rest of your site.

6.     Pictures

Every blog should have an image associated with the content contained within.  An eye-popping visual stimulant can be the difference between someone reading your blog and someone not. Make sure the image or video is relevant to the blog, but a slightly abstract image can be useful as it creates intrigue. And make sure to have a thumbnail version of the image so that bookmarking sites and social media sites can properly display your image.

7.     Bookmarks

Share your blog with as many people as you can. Especially when beginning a blog, it is vital that your blog gets bookmarked to as many relevant sites as possible as soon as it is written and optimized. Do some research and find out the best bookmarking sites that relate to the industry that is being discussed or targeted.  There is no need to be “spammy” with your bookmarking. Make sure to follow the rules and guidelines of these bookmarking sites to avoid any unwanted bans. Also, post your blog to social media outlets such a Facebook and Linkedin. This is another great way to get your blog seen by targeted audiences.  Whether it be your Facebook friends or specific industry related Linkedin groups. Social bookmarking is the gateway to having your blog seen.

These are great tips I use when writing for my company. By following this guideline, you should see an increase in traffic and exposure to your website/blog.