Some basic actionable tips and tools bloggers can use to improve their search engine rankings. This is a beginner level talk aimed at bloggers with little or no previous SEO experience. Delivered at Breakthrough in Blogging in September 2017. http://creativeindustryhub.co.uk/events/breakthrough-in-blogging-july-3rd-2017/

1. Philip Gamble | @freeg131
Getting Your Blog
Ranked High On The
Major Search Engines

2. Why should I care about Google?
• 3.5 billion Google searches a day
• International audience
• Largest source of traffic for most blogs
• Massive opportunity to grow reach
• Free traffic!

3. Rank well for a specific query
More visitors

4. don’t have to be a data scientist

6. Good for Users = Good for Google

7. What makes a site rank?

9. 3 Google Ranking Considerations
• Accessible - search engines need to find your content
• Relevant – must match searcher intent
• Credible – must be trusted over other results
Influence these factors = more traffic

10. Small Changes
Big Impact

11. Your Current Situation

12. what is your most popular post?

13. Google Analytics
Common to have 1 or 2 unexpectedly popular

14. Google Search Console – What do I rank for?
• Instant post ideas!

15. Opportunities

16. find the balance
what do you like to blog about?
what are people searching for?

17. Google AdWords Keyword Planner

18. Predictable Trends

19. Replicate ideas which work!

20. Action!

21. On Page Relevance – Use target keywords

22. Title Tag
• Extra weighting given to words in title
• Be specific
• Questions and Years work well

23. Meta Description
• Give context
• Encourage clicks

24. Post Headings
• Summarise the key points
• Long than a Title Tag –
shouldn’t be the same

25. Images
• Search engines need help!
http://www.myadventuretravels.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/DSC100432.JPG

26. don’t keep repeating keywords
write for your readers

27. Interlink
• Link between related posts
• Link to other bloggers, they’ll link back

28. You will increase your search traffic
2013 2015 2017

29. Finally…
• Write about what you enjoy
• Readers first
• Don’t worry too much