One thing every blogger is constantly looking for is free traffic. But more than that, we need “targeted” traffic that responds to what we’re offering. If you’re promoting an affiliate offer about web hosting, you could only refer new customers if that’s the kind of traffic your blog gets.

I want to share my top five easy-to-use SEO strategies for bloggers. If you aren’t blogging, simply replicate these tips on your model and share your success story. It’s proven to work and I use them every time. I’m ready to share, are you?

1. First, Define SEO

You cannot rank your web pages on Google homepage if “SEO” is strange to you. Definition is the first step to take because it would expose you to diverse and viable opportunities, on search engine marketing. There are several loopholes in SEO, but taking advantage of them is more difficult than mere knowing.

SEO simply means “search engine optimization.” Basically, it’s the process of optimizing (positioning) your blog pages: about me, hire me, services, products, etc. where search engine spiders can find them. Getting to know how optimization works is the concern of every blogger. Some people simply talk about it, but they’re yet to experience the real satisfaction of being on Google top 10.

Now that you know what SEO stands for, it’s time to dig a little deeper on what you should do next. You’re already a blogger, so we’re going straight to what you enjoy doing most often.

2. Pick Easy-To-Rank Keywords

This is very vital. When my first blog was launched, I didn’t follow this simple advice and it took me about 5 months to recover. No matter your niche and how profitable it seems, you won’t enjoy buyer traffic from Google if the keywords you’re targeting are competitive.

For most bloggers in the ‘make money online’ niche, I wouldn’t advise you targeted this particular key term. It already has over 12,000,000 competing web pages on Google. Even if you’re a Google ranking staff, I guarantee you won’t get results.

What you should do instead is to dig deeper and target long-tail keywords. Using the example above, a better key phrase you could optimize for is “best way to earn money at home.”

This term has about 6,000 monthly searches (local) with less than 120,000 competitions. With the right approach, well researched content and quality backlinks, you could dominate this term in no time. Stay off the radar and rank highly using this technique. Will you?

3. Craft Attractive Headline

Yes, headline has a strong impact on your SEO career. Google and other search engines look at your headline even before readers do. So, you should craft an attractive one. If you eventually rank on Google top ten within 14 days – 3 months of posting on your blog, will someone click through to your blog?

I’ve seen blogs with top ranking but their click-through rate is less than 2%. It’s good to add your target keyword on the headline, but don’t stuff it. Ideally, you could start with the term and then add a verb (action words) to it. Key terms do not attract clicks as such, it’s the action word that do.

Copywriters will tell you that the most important part of a copy is the headline or title. Attractive ones will convert well, generate sales and perform better in search results pages.

4. Optimize Your Images

Do you use images on your posts?

Congratulations if you do. It’s one of the best ways to engage readers and further increase trust. For those who don’t use photos on their posts, you may likely consider it in the future, as your blog grows.

Unfortunately, a lot of people use photos but fail to optimize. It’s like buying a new car that has no engine – you’re not moving an inch my dear. Interesting, wordpress has an area where you could easily add keywords, description and title to your images.

Ensure you use the key term you’re targeting as your image title, alt and description. This way, when someone searches for images on your subject, yours would appear, sending new visitors to your page. I bet you it works – give it a shot.

5. Write Engaged Content

“Quality content” is a cliché. I hate using it, because a lot of bloggers are misunderstanding the essence of it. when we talk about quality content, we’re not talking about length or how many key phrases you’ve on your post (though important), our aim is to write a post that someone can read.

When a handful of targeted people decide to read your content, shares willingly on Twitter and comments, it’s an indication you’ve engaged them. Engaged content is the new SEO route that’s proven to send the right readers your way.

When you write, use intelligent questions and bring readers into your content. The more they answer questions, the more trust you build professionally.

Until this happens, Google spider is not going to consider your content as helpful. Search engine is just a script, not a human being who understands words and the point you’re making. Whatever your readers do on your page SPEAKS louder than the noisiest Train. Engage readers and Google will send you more quality traffic consistently.

Search Engine Optimization Recap

What I’ve just shared with you may seem common, easy and traditional, but the impact on web pages can never be over-emphasized. You need to stop looking for “expert” advice and focus on the basics. That’s where SEO success lies.
Do you need links to succeed? Off course you do. But after you’ve built a strong on-page SEO as described above, natural and relevant links would gradually come to you at will from your readers and content enthusiasts.
Search engine optimization isn’t as difficult as we think – follow the right tunnel and you would see a greater light at the end. Your success is sure!