Do you know the difference between website developers and website designers?
Bear with us for a sec.
From a distance, they look like one in the same. They are not.
While there are some uber-talented folks who can effectively do both, it’s far less common. Designers focus more on appearance and appeal while a developer’s job is making a website functional.
SEO is like that. You can create content that is tech-speak heavy and make search engines happy, but lose the humans. You can also make the content delightful for humans, but useless to search engines. It’s important to strike the balance between form and function when writing blogs and crafting blog titles.
Here are five simple steps to writing irresistible yet SEO friendly blogs and blog titles to grab the attention of both search engines and your audience.
Step One: Keyword Research
First things first, head to Google to do some quick and dirty research. Type in keywords for the topic you want to write about. Keep in mind this is not a comprehensive build-your-entire-SEO-strategy-level search. This is to help you find topics people are searching for most often so you can craft your blog title around what your audience wants.
Step Two: Pick Strong Keywords
Strong is a relative adjective, so let us clarify. Specific keywords are great if you want someone who is ready to move forward now. For example: “Best SEO Services Near Me”.
However, if your service or product requires some education, strong keywords could be more solution-focused: “How Can My Business Get Found on Google More Quickly?” Be discerning when choosing keywords for your blog titles.
Step Three: Write Multiple Headlines
Writer and entreprenuer Marie Forleo suggested this trick. Write multiple (like, 20) headlines. It seems like overkill and it isn’t. Sometimes you need to work through your thoughts on the page before they’re ready for the world. Avoid industry-speak when possible.
Examples:
- Your Guide to Great Blog Writing
- Five Steps to SEO-Friendly Blog Writing
- SEO-Friendly Blog Titles
- Four Tips for Great Blog Titles
Phrases like “Your Guide”, “Five Steps”, “Three Tips”, are key for a couple of reasons. It’s an easy way to slip in a keyword without it feeling forced and it gives the reader an idea of how much mental energy they need to commit: Five tips? I can handle five tips. Let me read this blog real quick.
Step Four: Write the Post
Be natural and educational. Don’t focus on squeezing in those keywords in your first draft if it feels forced. Say what you want to say and then add keywords during editing. It’s important to offer helpful information without selling. People change their thinking when they feel they’re being pitched. Be breezy, not salesy.
Step Five: Change Your Permalink
Most of the SEO nerds we know love WordPress, and with good reason. If your blog is on WP, we’re gonna nerd out for a moment, but stick with us and it will help!
WordPress allows you to change your permalink/slug URL. This is simply the actual URL for your blog post.
www.yourwebsite.com/your-blog-post
You will want to edit this permalink (you’ll find it at the top of your post, right underneath your blog title in WordPress).
Your permalink :
- Should contain your keyword
- Be short–no more than seven words if possible
- Be descriptive and relevant to your post
- Can be different from your actual blog title
Click “ok” to save and you’re ready to hit Publish on your blog post.
Are You Ready to Create Excellent Blog Titles?
When writing blog content, keep keywords in mind, but don’t sacrifice your audience. Whatever your headline, make sure it’s interesting and relevant enough to be clickworthy.
Insider secret: The amount of actual humans who read your blog impacts your SEO results. Google tracks search behavior and pays attention to how many clicks your post gets and if people stick around to read it. Big Brother is absolutely watching, so give ‘em a good show.
Need more assistance with jump starting your content strategy? Book a strategy session with GoBeyond SEO today.
