If you want to start a blog you need to focus on excellent content creation and SEO equally.
I say SEO is necessary because no matter how epic your content is if it is not legible by search engines it will not be able to reach a wider audience.
If you’ve read our ultimate blogging guide for beginners, you would know why blogging isn’t dead and that creating quality content exudes 3 things:
- quality,
- brevity, and
- actionable takeaways
In fact, Panda algorithm update, one of Google’s methods of tracking websites, may detect poor content and punish them by lowering organic traffic.
Also, creating a blog that works is so much more than strategically placing a plethora of keywords in order to increase website traffic.
After Penguin, every smart webmaster needs to abandon bad SEO habits, like too aggressive positioning techniques.
Basically, Google’s goal is to improve user experience, rewarding original and quality content.
So, you need to find a way to write blog posts specially built for the readers and for the search engines.
Free Download: I have already written a 4000+ word easy-to-follow guide on the topic on page SEO techniques that will help you get higher rankings instantly.
Feel free to download the 23 point SEO checklist using the link below!
This article will help you find out how to create a better blog to please both users and search engines.
9 Tips to make a good blog even better
1) Focus on excellent content creation
Content creation must come first, in order for your website to establish authority.
Misinformation, plagiarism, poor grammar, comma splice mistakes, and shoddy paragraphs will significantly reduce one’s credibility and ethos. You need to write excellent content to let readers find your website, stay on the page and then return later to read more great information.
Here is a list of some essential content creation tools, a handy printable grammar cheat sheet PDF (for that quick vocabulary/grammar confusion clearance we all face), and the best plagiarism checker tools for you to use.
So what kind of content will attract readers, and turn visitors into customers?
Answer: Informative content.
A blog should have a takeaway aspect for readers. Provide information that will enlighten, inform, or inspire.
If your website is writing-related, provide some tips to create a better blog, for example. Blogging Books, movie, music, writing tools, or web reviews are effective ways to inform your readers.
Are you an avid reader, film reviewer, or music buff? You can write reviews on your website. You can include an inspirational movie quote or feature a new word of the day.
Share a recipe that worked well, or amuse your readers with a recipe that didn’t go well. Have lists for readers.
Are you a trivia person? Share an interesting fact. If you are not feeling creative, you can overcome writer’s block by inviting an expert to be a guest blogger on your website. Adding graphics and photographs will enhance your content.
There are people who can write a lot in less time and in the middle of confusion and people who need a calm place, without distractions and a few hours to create a good article.
Whatever is the level of your ability, consider that your writing skill will improve with time!
Find your compromise : check in which condition you are more productive. This is the most important thing, your productivity!
A little advice?
Get a PC without an internet connection where you can write and create new content (or switch off momentarily the internet connection of your main PC).
Another tip would be to use our Grammarly student discount to purchase a writing assistant that will take care of all your grammatical errors and act as your proofreading software so you can focus on creating content.
More Resources To Write Better
- How to stay motivated to write.
- 15+ essential content creation tools you need to use right now.
- Grammarly Review: Best Grammar checker tool, ever!
- Best books on blogging for money for bloggers
2) Create a Better Keywords Strategy
You have the option between targeting high-traffic keywords with the huge competition or else looking for long-tail keywords with very low competition.
Whatever you choose, Google Keyword Tool is an excellent method of finding out keyword statistics. Here is how you can use it Google Keyword Planner for SEO.