Blogging 101

Keywords- Why are They Important

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 31 Comments

Day 11:  

All Bloggers are, theoretically, familiar with the term keywords. If you’re like me, understanding what they are and what they do for our blogs is still a mystery. I’ll admit, this is one area of blogging, I haven’t gotten a complete grasp on, yet.
Keywords are words or phrases used in search engines to find the information we’re seeking. For example, place any word or phrase (best is 3-5 words) into Google, Bing, or Yahoo and a list of content reflecting your topic will appear. Keywords are either short tail (one word) or long tail (a phrase). Every article or blog content can be reduced to a few key topics. The trick is to choose your keywords carefully. Common keywords will receive thousands of clicks per day, others a few. As a blogger, you want the find and use the keywords that increase traffic to your site.

How to Find the Right Keywords:images-15

  1. Research keywords.
  2. Keep track of your keywords in a spreadsheet – include the number of clicks per day.
  3. Don’t spam – using keywords arbitrarily.
  4. Write great content that people want to read.
  5. Once you find relevant keywords, place them where they’ll give you the biggest bang.

4 Keyword Mistakes:

  1. Too many keywords – best for search engines to use one per post.
  2. Using exact phrases – Google understands related words and phrases. Don’t be so rigid.
  3. Not using keywords in photos – photo optimization is essential.
  4. You don’t research keywords

Resources for Finding Trending Keywords:

• Hubspot – Download your SEO template to organize keywords
• Google Adwords Keyword Tool
• SEMrush.com & Market samurai – find out what keywords are competitive.
• Keyword Finder

Where to place the keywords:

  1. Title.
  2. Heading and subheadings.
  3. Introduction sentences.
  4.  Concluding paragraphs and meta descriptions.
  5.  Title tag.
  6. In the text, you hyperlink to other pages.
  7. When you use photos, include keywords in the file name
  8. When you reference other links.

Want more information on keywords? Check out these articles:

  1. Blogtyrant : How to Easily Find the Best Keywords to Write About (and How to Activate Them).
  2. Hubspot: How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by  Rachel Sprung | @
  3. Shout Me Loud: The Importance of Keywords in SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by 
  4. Moz: Is Optimizing Photos More Important Than You Think?

So, what about you? Do you have a grasp on keywords?

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I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently

 

Blogging for the Beginners

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 32 Comments

Day 2: 

There are as many types of blogs on the internet as names in a baby book. The most common, by far, are personal or niche blogs. These cover a gambit of topics including, healthcare, family, travel, book reviews, writing and cooking (to name a few).

Cow Pasture Chronicles has evolved into a blog mostly about writing, tips and resources, and a place to share my stories and on occasion an opinion piece.

images-14When I began blogging more than three years ago, I knew little to nothing about how to blog. Along the way, however, I’ve picked up a few tips I’d like to share.

  1. Determine what type of blog you want – personal, business, or niche (a themed blog).
  2. What’s the main topic?
  3. What do you want to be known for in the blogging community? Expert, Reviewer, Personal blogger, or reporter?
  4. Choose the 3-4 main topics you plan to blog about.
  5. Research the best platform for your blog. WordPress, Blogger (Google’s), and tumbler are some of the most popular.
  6. Research your top competitors. What do you like about their blogs?
  7. Decide how much time and effort you want to put into your blog. Do you want to write content weekly, daily or whenever?
  8. Select the name of your blog carefully. Consider what your blog is about, who your target audience is, and whether you want to make it into a brand. You can read more about selecting a name here. How To Come Up With A Blog Name: 10 Effective Ways To Choose a Name For Your New Blog  from Successful Blogging

Want to know more about starting a blog – check out these articles. Blogpress has an excellent post, 3 Quick Tips To Start A Blog The RIGHT Way, and of course, WordPress support is my go-to resource. There you will find video tutorials on just about everything.

It’s by no means all the things you need to know. Developing your blog is an ongoing process of learning, but I hope this will help.

How long have you been blogging? What type of blog do you have and how did you come up with the name?

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.