While there are tons of SEO optimization methods that can be implemented for websites, here are the ones that are a must have for your business blog if you want it to rank well for keywords and be visited by those who come across it in search results.

1. Blog Post Title Tag

Be sure to include an up to 60 character title tag (<TITLE>Your Page Title</TITLE>) for not only your blog’s homepage, but for each and every post that includes your post’s main keywords.

This is important not just for SEO, but also for social media sharing of your post, as the post’s title is generally what gets tweeted, shared on Facebook walls, bookmarked, etc.

So make those 60 characters count, as that will be the first impression of your post in search results and on social networks.

2. Blog Post Meta Description

Though it is often debated about in terms of whether it is still important, I still always suggest that the blog’s homepage as well as individual posts have a great 160 character meta description (<meta name=”description” content=”Your page’s awesome description that makes people want to click on it to read more.” />).

This is usually the description that will show up in search results as well as the description for your post when shared via Facebook and social bookmarking networks. It should, like the title tag, include your post’s main keywords and should be written as a sentence – the description should not be just a 170 character stuffing of keywords.

3. Blog Post URL

Along with the TITLE tag, the blog post URL should be optimized with your post’s main keywords to help boost them in search results.

As you can see from the below results for our link building expert interview series, the keywords that were searched for are bolded in both the title and blog URL which means the URL is noticed by Google. It also makes the listings stand out even more.

4. Blog Post Images and Attributes

Images can be an important part of your blog post, as many people will be attracted to a post simply because of the image. It can also help you demonstrate your topic more thoroughly as well as break up the text in a post to make it easier to read.

When you add images to your post (<IMG SRC=”your-keyword-image.jpg” ALT=”Your Keyword Image Description” TITLE=”Your Keyword Image Description” />), there are three ways you can boost your SEO optimization including:

• Image File Name – Be sure to have a descriptve, keyword rich file name for your image.
• Descriptive ALT Attribute – The ALT tag, which should also have your post’s keywords if possible, needs to be a concise description of the image. This is also the text that comes up if the image doesn’t load correctly on your blog post or is heard when a visually impaired reader using a screen visits your post.
• Descriptive TITLE Attribute – this one may not have much weight in SEO value, but allows you to inlcude your keywords (either the same as the ALT text or different ones) and shows as a tooltip when someone hovers over your image in certain browsers.

The combination of the above elements will help your post images rank in Google Image Results…

As well as additional areas of Google search, such as the news results, which will also help the result stand out from the others no matter where it ends up in the top 10 listings…

5. Blog Post Header Tags

How important are your header tags (<H2>Keyword Rich Heading</H2> and <H3>Keyword Rich Heading</H3>)? First of all, they make your article easier to read by breaking the content up into easily scannable sections.

They also can help your post rank for specific keyword phrases and terms within search results.

As you can see from the above search result based on the header in this post, you also need to make sure the first bit of text after the header supports the keywords mentioned to get readers to want to click on the post to learn more.

Your Best Blog Post SEO Tips

These are some of the top optimization elements that I have seen lead to better search engine results positioning. What are some elements you include in your blog posts to ensure better rankings?

Kristi Hines

Kristi Hines is a Web Strategist and author of the Vertical Measure’s Guide Blogging for Business.

+Kristi Hines

Twitter – More Posts

As one of the 3 lucky Vertical Measures employees soaking in all the fantastic, valuable knowledge here at Pubcon 2009 in Las Vegas I wanted to share all the best SEO related information in a fast, clean uncluttered way.  I’m not going to spend a bunch of time writing a compelling intro, talking about Vegas or parties or who is here and why. There are no links in this post, opinions or plugs for anything or anyone. 

These are tips, information and recommendations you can start using right now to get more traffic to your site, rank higher in the search engines and better conversions. This is from the most credible sources in the industry so don’t question it, just take action as quickly as possible and enjoy the success!  If there is something below you are not familiar with, Google it.

1) On Site SEO: Glossary pages are good content for SEO

2) On Site SEO: Use footer links sparingly and only link to your most important pages. Don’t waste pagerank on content that is worthless.

3) Search: You need to get your site in to the blended search results using images and video. A picture is worth 1000 words and people are clicking on it.

4) Keyword Research: Use Google Insights to make sure the keywords you are focusing on do not have declining interest.

5) Analytics: Measure your brand traffic and keyword traffic separately.

6) Analytics: Are you ranking #1 (or trying  to rank #1) for a keyword that will not provide any real benefit to your business? Check that.

7) Keyword Research: Perform ongoing keyword research. The way people search changes.

8:) Competitive Analysis: Read competitors press releases. Are they using words that may change the way people search? Think "Kleenex, Xerox, Dell"

9) Keyword Research: Use Google Trends to check traffic trends in different markets.  There may be emerging opportunities in other geographic areas..

10) Keyword Research: How long will it take to get a keyword converting? Will it be worth it when it does?

11) Launching a new product that doesn’t exist in the market yet? Associate it with one that does to make people more comfortable with it.

12) Landing pages: put the call to action above the fold.

13) Landing pages: keep forms above the fold and make them as short as possible

14) Conversions: 3% to 5% is decent

15: Bounce rate: 30% is good, 50% is ok, 70% needs work

16: Search: 80% of queries are informational. Give them the information they want and then lead them where you want them

17: Forms: make sure there are no questions they can’t answer or they will leave

18: Does your "Thank You" page cross sell or further engage? It should.

19: User experience: Screen size and resolution matters. Test, test, test

20: Local search: Just because you are closest doesn’t mean you get the business. You need to build your brand too. Build trust.

21: Local search: Pull out your phone and do a search for your business. What happened?

22: Local search: neighborhoods matter

23: Local search: Pull out your cell phone and search for your business. What happened? (duplicate)

24: Local Search: neighborhoods matter. Are you optimizing for a "bad neighborhood"?

25: Local Search: point your browser to getlisted.org and follow the instructions

26: Local search: Add photos and video to your local search listing

27: Local search: include city & state in the title tags

28: Even negative reviews help your rank. It’s all about the numbers

29: Offer an Incentive for reviews

30: Sign up to watch a video worked much better than sign up to download a white paper

31: 80% of your visitors will fill out an "optional information" form after completing your call to action

32: Most visitors will not watch more than the 1st image of a rotating image.

33: Your marketing purpose must be the #1 goal of your website

34: 7 choices tops for your main navigation. Too much = no choice

35: Don’t use a final forward slash on your URL’s

36: Buttons should never say "Submit". Try "Download Now", "Start Free Trial", "Request More Information"

37: When building links make sure they have a random life

38: Link magnets are more productive than link begging

39: Local Search: Local business’s need local links

40: Text links in a page carry more weight than alt text

41: Link Building: No follow one link on a page and all become no follow

42: Link Building: The sequence of links on a page matters. Put the important ones on top.

43: Check your analytics for pages that are getting links and no traffic and redirect them.

44: Always be testing and measuring results. Before you change something get a benchmark.

45: The order of links in the code is more important than the order of links in the user experience

46: Surface conversations about your product, service or brand that are happening

47: Google’s technology is emerging to be able to read text in images. (Think picture of a newspaper page)

48: Google’s technology is also emerging to be able to understand words spoken in Video and index the transcripts.

49: If you are going to do video write the script with keywords in mind

50: If you use a map on your site embed a real map versus using an image.

I hope you found this information useful!  Visit http://search.twitter.com and type in #pubcon to hear the chatter all around Vegas.  Posted by Chris von Nieda, Director of Search Marketing at Vertical Measures. Twitter: @SEO4Vertical

Vertical Measures

Website – More Posts