I remember a time when having a blog made you cool and edgy, kind of like having a MySpace account. Now, you can’t hope to survive without one—the blog, NOT the MySpace account. The world of blogging looks much different today and there are nuances to developing content for an online audience.

As a beginning blogger, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all the advice and suggestions. There is a ton out there and so much to comb through. This basic guide will help you get started on your blogging journey and encapsulates the fundamentals you need to set yourself up for blogging success.  

Basic SEO for beginning bloggers

Bloggers worth their salt need to have a basic understanding of SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization. More simply, SEO is a set of practices that involve how you put your content together which allows search engines to find content according to users’ search queries. You type in “what to do in Boston,” and algorithms crawl pages to find content that best matches that search. While SEO is an essential component for bloggers, don’t stress too much if you aren’t a master at these tactics out of the gate. There is time and space for learning as you advance in your blogging journey. 

Understanding on-page SEO sasics

Writing for an online audience is certainly different from other types of writing. You aren’t developing a deep plot for a novel or delving deep on a topic to write an academic paper. Those types of writing involve different strategies. Blogging requires a more straightforward approach.

To get started, beginning bloggers need to have a working knowledge of SEO. Here are the fundamentals.

·        Keywords: All SEO begins with keywords. You’ll need to integrate keywords into your content to help search engines identify when your content matches what users are searching for. These include short search terms and long-tail keywords. Short search terms include items such as “content marketing.” Long-tail keywords would be something like “how do I improve my content marketing skills.”

·        Title tags: A title tag is your main heading and the best place to rank for a keyword. You’ll want to include the main topic and specific keywords into your title to help you rank higher in search engines. This could look something like “Why content marketing matters for businesses.”

·        Meta descriptions: Meta descriptions are short summaries of what’s on a page or within a blog post. These are often pulled into search results and help search engines find relevant content. Ideally, a compelling meta description with keywords will improve click-through rates and should be between 155-160 characters. There is no actual limit on characters, but meta descriptions longer than that will be truncated by search engines.

·        Headings (H1, H2, H3): Clear and structured headings with relevant keywords help both readers and search engines understand your content. These also help with skimming to narrow down the search for content. Your content should be broken up into sections and structured with those heading tags.

·        URL structure: Linking helps build online authority and improve your search rankings. Try to target relevant keywords within the body of your content. For example, in an article about content marketing, you might choose to link out to other content under the related topics of “digital marketing” or “writing.” A good link structure involves several internal links to your other content and a couple of external links to other authoritative sources.

·        Internal linking: Linking to other content on your site is very important for SEO. It demonstrates that you have a broad range of knowledge in an area and helps the user easily navigate to other helpful content. 

·        Images: Images support your content and help make it visually appealing. You should use at least one image in every blog. Make sure to provide a descriptive name to help with your ranking.

Keyword research

Every beginning blogger needs to have a basic understanding of keywords and how to integrate them into content. Find a keyword search tool and begin your research with a general search of that term. Niche bloggers may have a harder time aligning their topics with high-traffic keywords. It’s important to remember that people-first content is always the smartest choice when developing your copy. 

Here are some free keyword tools you can use.

·        Google Keyword Planner

·        Ubersuggest

·        AnswerThePublic

·        Keyword Sheeter

·        Soovle

·        Question DB

·        Wordstream

Keyword usage is not as straightforward as you may think. Keyword stuffing is a common mistake new bloggers make . Using awkward phrasing or overusing words in an attempt to beat out the competition will actually lead to poor rankings. You should always take a human-first approach to content.

To avoid keyword stuffing, make sure to vary the structure of your keywords and spread them evenly throughout the content. Don’t attempt to force words into a piece  if they don’t fit naturally. Also, try to use related words alongside your primary topic. For instance, an article on content marketing would use those words, but also other related terms. You’d probably want to write a series of blogs that touch on different aspects of content marketing. You may see blogs using a variety of related keywords, such as the following.

·        Content

·        Marketing

·        Content marketing strategy

·        Content marketing writing

·        Marketing your content

·        Content marketing templates

·        Content marketing examples

·        Content marketing online

·        Digital content marketing

·        Content marketing plan

·        Digital marketing

Structuring and formatting for beginning bloggers

Online content and blogs should be structured in such a way that encourages readability by humans and crawlability by search engines. This can sometimes be a tough balance to strike, but remember that consuming content online is different than consuming content via physical media. You’ll want a logical structure that is easy to follow and broken up into easily consumable sections.

Bulleted lists versus long narrative style

Users consuming digital content tend to veer away from long narrative-style blogs. Instead, you should use bullets and lists to help break up content for readers. Use shorter paragraphs and find ways to group information into your lists.

Headings and subheadings

Headings should be clear, concise and include at least one relevant keyword. Break up topics using headings to help the reader find relevant content and make it crawlable by search engines. Many experts also recommend keeping titles to under 60 characters. Subheadings should follow an H1, H2, H3 (and so on) structure. Remember to vary the usage of keywords in headings as well.

Voice and tone

Remember that overly flowery language and hugely complex sentence structure does not generally perform well in an online context. Keep your sentences on the shorter, more direct side, but use a conversational tone to engage your reader. Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through in your content to keep that human-first approach.

·        Develop your voice: Audiences are drawn to certain blogs because they appreciate the unique perspective and are seeking to educate themselves. Identify your audience and make sure your tone speaks to your readers. If you’re writing for a business audience, be professional but relatable. If you’re writing for travel enthusiasts, be descriptive and informative. Always keep your tone approachable and avoid alienating any potential readers.

·        Establish credibility: Select topics that will resonate with your audience and strive to provide insights that will help establish your credibility. Use examples and provide actionable advice to set yourself up as a trustworthy source, and always, always, do your research.

·        Avoid overly negative language: Find ways to be encouraging and supportive for readers. Negative language is generally off-putting, but it can also lower your search rankings. Take the positive viewpoint and be helpful with your recommendations. Think about your word selection and try to take the positive approach. Instead of writing “content marketing is difficult and takes years to master,” you could say “content marketing is challenging, but rewarding if you devote the time to mastering new strategies.”

·        Using technical language appropriately: Try to simplify complex concepts and avoid the use of jargon. Readers appreciate direct, concise information and they may be tempted to find alternative sources if they feel lost in a technical concept. However, if you are writing  about a technical topic, you want to showcase your expertise. Break down complicated subject matter into easily consumable bits with guided examples.

If you have a passion for writing, you’ll find your way as a beginning blogger. Try out some techniques and don’t be afraid to change things up. Happy blogging!

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