Crafting a Blog Post to Rank: On-Page SEO

Creating a blog post with SEO in mind begins the second you start your outline. Actually, it begins before that – let’s rewind a little.

An SEO-optimized blog post begins with keyword and competitive research. In the past, you could literally pick a keyword, write a few hundred words with the keyword sprinkled in a few times, and you could rank on page one or two of Google.

However, the world of SEO is stacked with ferocious competition, and if you even want a chance at ranking you need a solid strategy. Luckily, we’ve got some pretty solid tips for you.

It’s a Process

Creating a blog post that’s SEO-driven is a process. Use the following steps to create your own process for search engine success.

Research

First, you’ll need to do some research on the competition. The way we like to create articles is by picking a low-competition keyword that gets a decent amount of traffic.

Use a keyword research tool to find out what articles are ranking for this keyword. Study their word count and quality and simply outdo them. Create a piece that provides more value.

Outline

Using your keywords, create your blog post outline. Your H2 and H3 headers should include variations of your keywords, which accomplishes two important tasks.

Your chances of ranking are higher if your keywords are in your headers. Additionally, this will give your post flow and direction, allowing you to easily fill in the rest of the content.

Meta-Data

After you post your article, it’s imperative that you properly fill in the metadata. This is how Google knows how to list and preview your article on search engine listings.

The meta title should include your keyword, a power word, and a number if possible. Your meta description should also contain your keyword, and mad readers curious about the article.

Graphics

Include high-quality images and videos. Make sure you include the alt description which tells Google what the photos or videos are about.

If you want the easiest way to create an SEO-optimized blog post, the information above is the most basic, direct route. Additional tips will provide a boost, like your URL structure, but the items above are the most important.

Remember, always make quality posts and provide plenty of value. The more relevant your article is, the more authority it gets from Google and the search engine gods. Remember the two Q’s, quality and quantity, and you can’t go wrong.