How To Write Blogs that Rank Well on Google Search

Blogs are the bomb! They bring attention to your brand, lend credibility to your knowledge and capabilities, drive more traffic to your website, and can bring in more leads. Equally important, websites that have content that is updated on a regular basis signals Google that your site is alive and relevant. Search engines use algorithms that are triggered to index your website more often and keep it more visible to future searches. An added benefit? When someone stays on your site for a long period of time reading your blog, Google will be alerted and is more apt to suggest your website over others with a higher bounce rate.

But are all blogs created equal? The answer is definitely no! Learning how to write and submit a well-searched blog relies on a number of factors.

How Do I Find the Right Keywords for my Blog?

Keywords are the words that someone may use to try and find you with a Google search. Common search terms may be something like “Best plumber near me” or “How do I fix my own sink?” The key is to find out what phrases are used often and what phrases still have room to rank well on.

There are many keyword research utilities available (I cross check using several). But one of the best is free: Google Keyword Planner. Enter a keyword like “plumber” and a list of keywords will appear ranked by relevance. It is important to note the competition score. The higher the score, the harder it will be to compete with the big dogs.

Here’s a pro tip: Try searching for a phrase that is a little more detailed, like “broken Kohler faucet.” There will be much less competition. The optimal find is a word or phrase that is searched often but has relatively low competition.

Where Should I Place Keywords in My Blog?

First and foremost, ensure you have the optimal keywords in the blog title. The closer the keyword is placed at the beginning of your title, the better the chance it will be picked up. Try to use your keywords or keyword phrases as much as possible throughout your blog without making it sound unnatural.

What Roles Do H1 and H2 Headers Play in Ranking My Blog?

Every page on your website, including blogs, should have an H1 header so it won’t be flagged in a negative SEO way. It is an ongoing debate on how much of a role H2 headers play, but err on the side of caution and use them anyway. At a minimum, using H2 headers will segment your blog into logical sections and make it much easier to read. This can translate into a lower bounce rate, meaning viewers stay on your site longer. H2 headers also appear larger than other content text, and that helps them stand out to Google bots as well.

Ensure your blog reads well on mobile as well. Ask yourself: Do the H1, H2, and H3 headers help with content separation, or are they distracting? Do all images or graphics appear in the correct order?

Should I Use Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) Keywords?

LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords are terms and phrases that are similar or related to your target keyword. They help search engines by adding context and connecting the copy to the target keyword. LSI Graph is a great free tool. You may also look at the related phrases that show up at the bottom of the page when you type a target keyword into the Google search bar.

Optimize the Voice Request Feature

This feature is being used more and more by those using the voice search option on their phones or computers. To take advantage of this, be sure to include keyword phrases with the words often used in a voice request, like “How do I…”, “Best way to...”, “near me,” or “5-star rated.”

Longer Blogs Rank Better

While you want to keep your blog interesting and to the point, the best-ranked blogs are full of good information. Google rewards blogs that cover a topic thoroughly without becoming overly wordy. While all topics may not warrant length, shoot for 1000-2000 words if possible. As an example, this blog is just over 1200 words.

Readability Matters

Not only should it be organized in a logical order (thank you, H2 and H3 headers), but it should reflect your subject and audience. Using complicated jargon for simple concepts will not only frustrate your reader but will cause your blog to be flagged unfavorably. Try the Hemingway App, an awesome free tool that will evaluate your content to ensure it is readable and comprehensive.

Optimize Your Images

Large images will slow down your blog's load time, not only frustrating viewers (especially those on mobile) but also negatively affecting your SEO score and ranking. Ensure every image is under 500K (or less if you can maintain clarity). Be sure to add Alt-Text (a brief image description) and change the filename to a relevant keyword.

Include Multimedia

If appropriate to your topic, adding video, audio, tools, calculators, and more can significantly increase your ranking. This can generate more traffic to your site and even cause some viewers to return often to view a “how-to” video or reuse a certain type of calculator.

Linking

One of the easiest ways to create links back to your blog is to promote through email marketing or social media posts. Do you want a better return? Consider linking to other blogs, then letting the author know that you did so, thereby creating a positive relationship. That blogger may be more apt to include your link in their future content.

Don’t forget to create your own internal links to previous content. Google can then easily crawl your site and find the best content you have to offer. Just be sure that all your links are working correctly as broken links will cause your ranking to decrease.

Pro tip: use keywords in your linking anchor text. For example, instead of linking the words “click here” try to include something more descriptive like “learn more about our plumbing services”.

What about the URL?

Ensure your URL has keywords. Google searches for keywords URL names.. Searchers will be more likely to click on links where they recognize keywords - which then translates into higher rankings.

Don’t Forget the Meta Description

Meta descriptions are the lines of text right after your blog title and URL in Google search results. If you forget to include your own meta description, Google will fill it in with some random snippet of your article.

Sharing Your Blog

Ensure it is easy for your readers to share your blog on all social media platforms. Include links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more to expose your work to more viewers. Google will consider this a positive reason to increase your ranking as well.

What about Frequency?

The more you post good-quality content, the better. Google wants to present the newest information first. Every time you add new content, your site will be re-crawled. Pro-tip: It is okay to update old material. Google will treat updates as new content.

Can I Use AI to Write My Blog?

The answer is a resounding No! Blogs written solely by AI are viewed unfavorably by both readers and Google Search, resulting in issues with your overall SEO score. In fact, a recent study showed that blogs written by humans are 94% more apt to be ranked and read. This is not surprising due to the fact that AI spits out the same content over and over again so it will not be considered unique.

In Conclusion

Blogs need preparation and work to rank well. The average blog can take hours to prepare and write and, depending on the subject, much longer. But by following these guidelines, your blogs will have the chance to rank higher, get seen by more people, and may translate into more business for you.

Charlotte’s Web Designs, LLC provides content and blog-writing services for most businesses. Please reach out for a free consultation.