7 Basic tips to Optimize your Own blog posts

By Sharmistha Neogi (Pinks)

How to Optimize your Own blog posts both for your readers and search engines? Is it really possible to prepare an 'Optimal blog posts for search bots and online visitors?

The answer is 'Yes'. You may often find some considering 'Search spiders', some considering 'Visitors' as most important. But according to me, both readers (online visitors) and search engines are important for your blog. The visitors are more important because readers indirectly help your blog posts to appear in first or second Search engine result pages by linking to your own blog. Also do not ignore the search bots too because visitors are sent in bulk by the search engines, after the search query is being made. So always try to keep a balance between these two - readers and search engines. Make your best efforts to optimize both for your readers and search engines.

Here are some key aspects to see your blog right at the top.

1. Focus on quality content:

Good and quality content is the basic key. Nothing much can be achieved without having relevant content. So how to create quality content for your blog posts?

Quality content is the king. If you don't produce interesting, unique and quality posts, no one will ever visit your blog site. It's is very simple. More readers - More links - Rank in 1st or 2nd Search engine result pages.

Optimizing blogs (by following basic Search engine optimization techniques) will help you to rank in first or second search engine result pages and ultimately get more and more traffic for your blog site.

So just focus on generating quality content.

2. Research keywords and keyword phrases to optimize you blog:

Your blog post title should include the main keywords in it. Combine main, semi-competitive keywords for your blog title. Keyword research is needed before considering the 'best and unique' keywords for your blog posts. For keyword research you can use best keyword research tools like Goodkeywords.com ( http://www.goodkeywords.com ) , Overture ( http:// inventory.overture.com ) etc. Get the potential keywords and keyword phrases to optimize your blog. Do not go for highly-competitive keywords. Choose semi-competitive and low competitive keywords initially.

3. Use search engine friendly URL's

Always use search engine friendly URL's. I feel very irritated when I see blog Url's like http://www.profitimo.com/Blogs/tabid/84/Default.aspx..Does this URL give you any idea about what this is regarding? People intentionally commit such mistakes knowing the fact that it is NOT a Search engine Friendly! The url should be some what like this "blogdomain.com/articles/name of the blog.aspx". If your system allows you to choose a search-engine friendly URLs, by all means, set it up! Or perhaps while choosing a blog provider that has this feature.

Use keywords to your blog Url. Use the blog post title as the permalink. Adding keywords to blog urls acts as a real booster to search engine rankings. Using keywords in the blog post title will occur as anchor text in the permanent post link. This is one of the best SEO tips to help your blogs and blog site rank better and drive traffic each single day.

4. Submit your Blog:

Submit your blog to RSS, Blog directories, and Regular directories. Ping the major RSS feed and Blog search engines. For examples Google blog search, Digg, technorati etc.

5. Use headers to Highlight the main elements.

Bold and highlight the sub-titles and major keywords in the blog. The heading tags h1, h2 etc also help the search engines bots decide what the post is all about and rank them accordingly. Put your main keywords between the header tags. Highlighting the MAIN points on the blog helps your online readers to have a glance on it..in case they do not want to read the whole post due to lack of time. Moreover the search engines spiders consider 'Bold and highlighted' points very important. So this is a very useful tip to optimize your blog both for your readers and the search engines.

6. Always Pingback and send trackback:

Make sure that your blog software (wordpress,blogger.com etc) is configured to send a trackback ping to blogs that you cite within your posts. This is better for driving traffic than for link popularity. Make useful comments on other blogs. Your name will be linked to the blog url that you enter. Do not comment on other posts that offer no value to the blog post. Avoid using keywords in the field for your name, use your name or blog name. This is another great way to generate more and more traffic to your blogs and blog site.

7. Use Cascading style sheets in your blog:

Use Cascading style sheets in your blog template if possible. Use light designs to load faster. Do not use excessive Java scripts texts like "Widgets". Avoid using unnecessary use of "widgets' (I mean which are not important for your site). Having a large number of JavaScripts can slow down your site. Search engines too cannot read Java script links and texts. This is another good way to optimize blogs for visitors and search bots.

Make all best-possible efforts to market and promote your blog posts. Optimizing blogs is not a hard task. Just keep the above optimizing tips in your mind and implement them when and where necessary. Get stunner free traffic to you blog by the above proven strategies.

NB- I would like to share a good tutorial Video on "Optimize blogs". Please visit http://fly2.ws/2pF0CUc

Good luck and Happy blogging :)

About the Author

Sharmistha Neogi (she likes to be called "Pinks") has joined http://www.profitimo.com as a content writer/editor. She is currently involved in learning SEO,SEM and Application and Implementation apart from writing and Forums Administration. She enjoys working with people and she can be often found on other forums..So Catch her Up :)