What’s more important than consuming all that information is to focus on just the good information – just the accurate information that is relevant to creating a great blog. And when we do that, we realize that actually, it is a lot easier than you probably think.

• The Mistake – Mistaken or misguided SEO is all about trying to hack Google. It’s all about trying to trick Google into thinking your site is a top authority, by building specific links and by posting keywords. It’s highly technical because it is based on algorithms and ‘systems’ thinking.
• And sometimes this works! But then Google gets wind of whatever new technique is all the rage, it plugs that loophole and the related site gets penalized.
• So instead focus on the same thing that Google is focused on: the user. Stop writing ‘for’ the search engines and write ‘for’ the readers. When you do this, you are doing what Google wants you to do. Google wants to provide useful and entertaining information for its users. And if you get this right, then eventually Google is going to reward you with future updates.

• The Most Important Trick – Write long, high-quality blog posts. If you do this, you will get people to your site naturally and they will link to your site because they want to share the excellent content they are seeing.
• At the same time, you also do need to build those links. The thing we do need to take from SEO strategies is that the best links are the ones that come from the most highly regarded websites. These sites are invariably the ones that Google trusts – and if you want to see which sites Google trusts you can just take a look at the sites it features in its news section. Other popular sites are those that have a .edu TLD or a .gov.
• Finally, big brands will also invariably be trusted by Google. If you can get links from those sites, they will boost the credibility of your site by a huge margin. If you can’t, you need to get links from sites that have links from those sites.

Put these tips into practice to see the best return on your blog posting and marketing efforts.

The post Bloggers: Good Search Engine Optimization is Key appeared first on Second Self Virtual Assistance.

An Influencer is a person or group of people who have the ability to influence the opinions of others. Having a blog is one of the best ways to set yourself up as an influencer. Blog posts give you the opportunity to promote yourself and demonstrate your expertise. The challenge is getting noticed by the crowds of people in your target market.

Great content is a must. Here are four tips that will help you do that.

• Narrative Structure – In search engine optimization (SEO) circles, there is a saying that says “storytelling is SEO for the human brain”. This means that the human brain is optimized to hear stories. This is true in a far more literal sense than you might expect. From the beginning, telling stories is how people understood things and passed on knowledge. Stories help us feel like we know the writer and develop trust in them.

• Keep Your Audience in Mind – Think of your blog posts as your product. Be aware of who your target market is. The more connected you are to your demographic, the better your chances of spreading your posts will be. This is a great time to mention that your blog posts must be made “shareable”.

• Skim-Worthy Articles – People are busy and, let’s face it, have a short attention span. This issue has exacerbated with the popularity of social media. Take Facebook for instance. When we check-in, it’s normally a distraction. We don’t have time to read pages of text. Your articles need to be made easy to skim through. This is easily accomplished with the use of headers, bolded text, and bullet points. Your readers can quickly glance at your posts and get drawn into what they are especially interested in.

• Be the Expert – Let your readers know that you are the expert in your field; that you know your position inside out, upside down, and backward. If you decide to hire a blog writer, be sure they know your niche and subject matter. If you’re a Realtor®, find someone who works with individuals in that field. Otherwise, you could run the risk of hiring a writer who will write bland content.

BONUS TIP: Blog promotion is essential to be seen in a sea of other posts. Whether you write your posts or hire someone else to write them for you, have a promotion structure in place. Post to your social media accounts, email to your appropriate contacts, and include your blog link and/or posts in newsletters and other promotional materials.

To become a better influencer through blog posts, implement these four tips as well as the bonus tip. Check your analytics to see which posts resonate with your readers. Watch your readership grow as you are seen as an influencer and thought leader in your market.

The post Be a Better Influencer Through Blog Posts appeared first on Second Self Virtual Assistance.

To make your site as successful as possible, you need to know how to add “Google Juice”, commonly known as SEO (search engine optimization) to your blog posts and articles.

What does an SEO blog post or article look like? It’s written with search engine optimization at the forefront. This doesn’t mean keyword stuffing. It means a balance between being good for Google’s algorithm and makes sense for your readers. While both are important, the reader should always be considered first.

Google wants to provide quality information to its users. In doing the same for your readers, you will ultimately have the same goals as Google. And, Google is more likely to promote your articles and posts.

Below is an example of how a well-optimized website can rank on Google. When real estate support services is typed in a Google search, the paid ads come up first. The website listed third has been “selected” by Google to be first in their organic searches. That means the site is deemed most helpful to anyone searching that term.

Steps You Need to Take

• Research and Implement Keywords – Choose the keywords you want to use in your post. Use a free keyword research tool like Wordtracker. The keyword you enter will tell you how many times your keyword has been researched, what phrases were used in the search, suggested keywords, and other helpful information. Choosing a word because it’s popular and yet fails to actually answer your reader’s question will lead to a disappointed reader and a higher bounce rate. (Leaving the article immediately.)

How to Effectively Include Keywords in Your Content

• Keyword density should be 0.5 – 2″ for every 50 to 200 words
• Use keywords naturally in your articles
• Include keywords in the opening paragraph, the last paragraph, and in your headers.
• Add keywords to your alt tags and meta descriptions (images)
• Maintain your website. Be sure it loads quickly, is well designed, and is mobile-friendly.

Use these simple tips to add Google Juice to your blog posts and other content. Your articles will be found easier by readers because Google is able to find them in a search.

Can’t find time to write your blog posts? We’ve got you covered. Just complete the form below and we’ll give you a call.

The post Adding Google Juice to Your Blog Posts appeared first on Second Self Virtual Assistance.

There are many ways to drive traffic to your website.  Some can really dig into your marketing budget while others can be as simple as investing some time and energy into your blog.  A well-written and optimized blog post is an invaluable resource for website traffic and online exposure.

Websites built on the  WordPress platform already have a blog component.  WordPress plugins for SEO are invaluable in preparing your post for better page ranking.

Simple (and free) things you can do to drive traffic to your website through your blog

Post Often – Post to your blog at a minimum of once a week.  Consistency and frequency are key to your success. The more often you post, the more aware people become of your brand.  Quality information posted on a regular basis will keep people interested in reading what you have to say.  Frequent posts also get better search engine ranking.

Be Social – Each time you post to your blog, post it on your social media.  Write a few words (teaser text) letting people know what your post is about.  Include a photo and a link back to the original post on your website.  Shorten your link by using a service like  TinyURL. They will take your long URL and shorten it to a suitable length.

Reach Out to Your List – Each time you write a post,  create an email blast with teaser text and a link back to your blog post.  While your visitors are reading your post, they are likely to take a look at what else your site has to offer.

Newsletters – When you send out your newsletter, include a graphic or text link back to your blog.  Provide an opportunity for contacts to sign up to automatically receive notifications when a new post is written. Add a sign up form on your website.

Other Important Things to Know

You don’t have to write a long post.   An acceptable length can be as short as 300 words.

Search engines find your post according to the keywords you use.  Use no more than 3% of your keywords in your text.  Let them flow naturally or they could be viewed negatively by search engines.

Allowing comments on your posts is a slippery slope.  We want to engage with our readers, but by allowing comments, we open ourselves up to spam.  If you accept comments, make sure your settings don’t allow the comments to be seen publicly without your prior approval.

Start using these simple tips to use your blog to drive traffic to your website.

What do you do to get more website exposure through your blog?

The post How to Use Your Blog to Drive Traffic to Your Website appeared first on Second Self Virtual Assistance.