How to Optimize Your Blog Posts for Google

Seth Spears

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What You Need

• WordPress

• WordPress SEO plugin by Yoast

• Scribe plugin

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Post Title

• Make it intriguing

• Keep it concise

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Permalink (URL)

• Descriptive of post title

• Remove “filler” words

• Keep it short & sweet

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Categories & Tags

• Only one category per post (with rare exception)

• Do not create tags on the fly (be strategic with them)

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Post/Content Editor

• More is better

• Quality over quantity

• 600 words+ is working best (for now)

• Minimum for Google “In Depth” articles is 2000 words+ (we think)

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Interlinking• Link to other relevant content you’ve written on site

(preferably in first paragraph)

• Link to off-site sources & information (when applicable)

• Link to affiliate products (if applicable)

• Don’t over do-it

• use rel=“nofollow” for non-cloaked affiliate links

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Post Formatting

• Use correct HTML markup & formatting

• h2, h3, h4, <strong>, <em>, etc.

• https://yoast.com/blog-headings-structure/

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Images• Always use high quality, original pictures (that you have

taken or created)

• Give each picture a unique, descriptive title, i.e. healthy-meal.png

• Re-size & optimize each image before uploading (https://imageoptim.com/)

• Use at least one graphic per post (with rare exception)

• Always give title and alt text to each image in media gallery and inserted into post

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• Use Scribe to research what primary keyword/phrase to focus on in each post

• Use Scribe link building research tool to determine best content to link to within post

Scribe: Keyword & Link Research

Using WordPress SEO to Optimize

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Focus Keyword

• Prior Scribe research should have told you what to use here

• Only use one focus keyword per post

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SEO Title

• Single most important on-page element for SEO

• It can be different than regular post title

• Use common search language

• “How to….”, “10 Steps to…”, “Benefits of…”, etc.

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Meta Description

• Does not effect SEO

• HUGELY effects click through rate & conversions

• Should be a descriptive overview of post

• Should contain primary keyword/phrase

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Page Analysis

• Save post as draft so WP SEO can analyze content

• Follow recommendations to improve content

• Goal is to get all green buttons :)

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Advanced Settings

• Be VERY careful with these

• Best to use defaults unless specific reason to change

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Social Settings

• Can help improve your social media conversions

• Enter unique title & description for each network

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Using Scribe to Optimize

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Content Optimizer

• Analyze post after WP SEO is completed

• Will let you know what can be improved upon

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Keyword Analysis/Site Score

• Analyzes how relevant your focus keyword is to other content on site

• Goal is to score 100

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Page Analysis

• Analyzes how technically optimized post is

• Will give suggestions & recommendations to improve post

• Goal is to score 100

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Tags & Help

• Don’t create tags here, but use it to research good ones to use

• Help section is an excellent overview of SEO terms & best practices

• When in doubt look here

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Social Media Sharing

• Share new post on each social media network

• Always create a unique description for each

• Don’t automate this! Reach is greater when each network is shared to individually

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That’s All Folks!Seth Spears

@SpearsMarketing

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