5 Key Pieces You Need In Every Blog Post to Boost SEO

SEO

Jan 15

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We all want our blog posts to be found on Google right? There’s just something so magical about answering some questions for someone when they type in a Google search, or when that new client tells you she found you because she was searching for x and you were the first ranked person who popped up.

But just because you write a post about something doesn’t mean Google will automatically rank you at #1. It takes time to earn that top spot. You’ve got to crank out consistent, quality content. And it has to be optimized so that Google can pick up on it and share it when someone searches for it.

So this post covers the 5 things you need in every blog post to boost your SEO. Let’s go!

This is for you if…

You’re starting your blog and want to make sure you have all the necessary pieces to help your blog posts show up in Google search results
You’re updating blog posts and want to make sure your posts start working for you
You’re not exactly sure what needs to go into each blog post to make it search engine friendly

If this is your first foray into SEO, be sure to grab this free SEO + Pinterest Workbook! It’ll guide you through optimizing your website and using Pinterest to really give your blog life!

Key SEO Piece #1
keyword rich title

This is so important because well, without keywords, Google doesn’t know what your content is about. So do a little research here. Search Google for what you want to write about and see what keywords and phrases pop up.

I use a Chrome extension called Keywords Anywhere to search Google for key words and phrases and this extension tells me how many times that word is searched in a month, and other similar words and phrases that may be good to use or even better.

I’ll then go to Ubersuggest to check out those keywords to see how difficult it will be to rank for those words. Because you can bet if they are highly searched words, other people are using them too.

The key here is to find keywords that are actually being searched (because it won’t do you any good if no one is searching for them) and that aren’t too competitive. You want to actually have a chance to rank with it!

Key SEO Piece #2
links to related posts

I love this one. And covered exactly how to do this right here. Google wants to know you’re writing quality content that relates to each other. This showcases you as an expert on that topic. So adding related posts to your blog post is the best way to do this.

I like to link to them throughout my post as they fit in, but I also like to include a related posts section somewhere in the post. Show Google you’ve got lots of content on this subject and are a leading authority!

Key SEO Piece #3
a pinterest image

I can’t stress how important this one is! You MUST have a pinnable image! Even if you don’t use Pinterest (which you should), your readers may want to share your content anyway. Don’t prevent them from being able to do that!

Because, Pinterest is a search engine too. Just like Google. And as your content becomes circulated more on Pinterest, that can show up in Google search results too!

See how this all works together!

Key SEO Piece #4
seo Meta Data + ALT Text for Images

You’ve got to use your website platform’s SEO and meta tools. Squarespace has that all built right in which is why I love it so much. When I finish a blog post, I can go into the settings for that post and add an SEO title, SEO description, and any other SEO or meta data I want for that post.

This is the info that Google shows in its search results. So you want to make sure this is as optimized as you can make it with the keywords you want that post to be found for.

Another key thing here is the meta descriptions for your images. Make sure you are using keywords in your alt text. This can look different for Squarespace vs. other website platforms.

But with all of my images, I use keywords (post title), my name, and my title. I also use this same line as the caption, then hide the caption. This doubles as the alt text.

In Wordpress, you want to make sure you add alt text for all the images.

DON’T keyword stuff here! Google catches that now and punishes you for it. Describe the image as it is or use the post title. But don’t string together a bunch of keywords.

Key SEO Piece #5
place to join your email list

The last thing you need is a call to action at the end of your post! Now that you have all these people finding you through Google, make sure you capture their email so you can stay in touch with them.

I do this a couple of ways. First I have a banner at the top of each post. This goes to a landing page I created with ConvertKit. I also add a form at the bottom of my post. So you can fill it out right there without going to another page.

You could also do an exit intent pop up if someone sees if they start to click away from your website.

However you choose do do it, don’t let your visitors leave without giving them a chance to get more content from you.

Don’t forget to grab your free workbook right here! It’s 15 pages of how to get started with SEO, keyword research, and Pinterest. Your blog needs this today!

Recap

There you have it! Use those 5 things in every single blog post you write and you’ll start to see some major shifts in your Google ranking! Come back here to tell me which ones are working best for you!