Blog Search Engine Optimization Strategy Questions
At work, we often work on the search engine optimization of corporate and organization websites. Usually, the main domain name isn’t ranking as well for keyphrases as it should be, and we can help. Though developing a blog is determined on a case-by-case basis, it may not come up as part of the initial SEO strategy, it sometimes comes along the lines of the social media strategy for the client.
Blog search engine optimization is important to integrate into a social media and an SEO strategy, and having ultimate goals on what you’d like your blog to rank for aside from your corporate pages is crucial in that integration.
On this blog, I unfortunately post most of the time “on-the-go.” Even when posts are planned out, I write without much editing. And I write the way I speak, for the most part. That means I’m fairly conversational, maybe a bit formal at times, and rarely thinking about keyphrases that would be good to incorporate.
As this blog becomes more popular, I’d like to help it along with more organic traffic as I do with any client.
In developing my strategy, here are some questions I will be answering:
1. What do I like to write about?
2. What receives the most eyeballs and publicity for the blog?
3. What am I currently ranking on?
4. How can I exploit gaps in the online marketing field? (Will I ever rank for “online marketing”? or SEO?) Not likely anytime soon because of the competition.
5. What are people searching for?
6. How can I best tie my blog posts here with the blog posts I do for work?
Look back at my previous post on blog improvement tips to help with your blog search engine optimization strategy.
Blog Improvement Tips for the Me(me).
How can one improve one’s own blog when tasked with client work, work blogging, and social news activities of sphinning, stumbling, digging, and voting?
This is my take on the question I’ve been tagged to answer in a “blog improvement meme.” And I’d like to refuse to answer my self-posed question. How can I? I can’t! I’m planning a wedding here, people!
But if I had the time to do something to this blog, I’d improve it in these ways (though in no particular order):
1. Highlight my Blog Titles
As I strive to write better posts, I am also experimenting with my title copywriting. Currently, the white on green just isn’t highlighting what is about to be read. As a matter of fact, the link colors in general just aren’t working for me because of improper contrast.
2. Post Regularly
I have not found my blogging rhythm, and I’m currently losing opportunities to retain readers (especially from influxes in StumbleUpon traffic) because I do not post regularly. Regularly doesn’t have to mean frequently, but once or twice a week shouldn’t be too painful.
3. Generate a Blogroll
There are people who I actually read regularly. I’m guilty of daily scrolling through the 1000+ blog posts that are generated in my RSS feeds, but for those who I make an effort to read, I really need to recognize as providing value. If this means a blogroll with two people in it, that’s what it’s going to be!
4. Socialize the Site
It’s already been pointed out to me that I don’t have any social buttons to simplify voting for and spreading my content. I MUST DO THIS! It’s fundamental, and we tell all of our clients who blog that it’s essential. Do as I say, not as I do, apparently!
5. Contact Info and Biography
The only place my name appears is under “copyright.” Yuck! And there’s no immediate way to contact me. (Hint: Go to MyBlogLog.) And there’s no photo of me, and my “about the site” section leaves a lot to be desired. I need to work on this.
Thanks to Jeff for the tag, and the team at Search Engine People for being so kind to me lately! I promise you’ll make the blogroll when it goes up.
The previous thoughts on my own blog are meant to inform about your blog issues. Colors are important, as are producing content, linking to resources, being a bit self-promotional, and engaging with visitors. I am happy with how things are, but blogs need tweaking and improvement, just like search engine optimization and other forms of marketing. The people I tag below are not because they need to improve their blogs, but because I believe they will have suggestions that may also aid in your blog marketing efforts.
I hereby tag: Simon Heseltine, Karl Ribas, Derek Beauchemin, Bill Hartzer, and Andy Beard.
11 Measures of Social Networking Profile Success
Social networking profiles, including social bookmarking sites, social news sites, and professional and personal network profiles can be time intensive endeavors to develop and grow. To entrench yourself in a community and develop meaningful contacts and relationships can be a challenge.
Is the time you’re putting in worth the output? What output?
1. Friend count and friend requests.
You can go around adding everyone you come across, and you’re bound to develop quite a friend list at some sites. But someone who doesn’t actively seek out friends may find that when they give something back to the community, people will seek them out. Someone who actively makes valuable contributions may find an increase in friend requests.
2. Profile views.
Not everyone is desperate to gain friends. A good measure of the success of your profile may be in a rapidly growing number of views of your profile. More profile views typically come from increased volume in your username being displayed, so you’re probably contributing more to the community.
3. Private messages received.
Private messages from other members may be blasted out to you and a whole bunch of people, or just to you. If you’re receiving private messages, you’ve typically made some form of impression on the sender. The more personal the message, the more meaningful the connection can become.
4. Emails received.
Email addresses may be private or public. Either way, it may be one step more personal than a private message. The more personal the message, the more meaningful the connection can become.
5. IMs received.
IM requires instant chat response. An IM conversation can be a meaningful connection.
6. Phone calls received.
Phone numbers may be private or public. Though Skype and VOIP are making calling with computers nearly one-click affairs, they still require voice discussion, where sarcasm, vocal inflection, and personalization can occur real-time and subsequently a meaningful connnection.
7. Referrals to your website.
A social networking profile may be just a starting point to your website or business. Increased traffic referrals from your social networking profiles to your website is a good measure that your profile is engaging enough for people to want to know even more about you and/or your services.
8. Business referrals.
A referral from someone to contact you for a business deal may be a stamp of approval as to your trustworthiness and service abilities.
9. Speaking engagements.
Requests for you to speak at events could be tied back to a person initially discovering you at a social networking site.
10. Revenue/Profit.
The ultimate in measurement is ROI. Though social networking typically doesn’t require investing money, time is money. If your goal is to generate revenue and you’ve invested 300 hours of your time and received no revenue that can be tied back to your profile, that may be a sign that your profile building isn’t working.
11. Stress versus pleasure.
If building your profile makes you want to pull your hair out, as opposed to giving you a smile and a kick to work on, it may not be worth it.
How do you measure your success in social networking?
