SEO Elements Every Blog Post Should Have

Lets get one thing out of the way: Blogs are NOT only for twenty-something hipsters in coffee shops or self-important pseudo-celebrities. Believe it or not, a company blog can be a very useful tool that can positively help your search ranking and bring more leads to your page. Has your company struggled to get to the first results page for particular topics or keywords? Creating blog posts about said topics can not only give Google more of your pages to index, it will also provide added value for new and returning customers. Google’s algorithms also favor websites that frequently update their site with fresh content.

Hopefully that was persuasive enough to convince you to create a blog for your company. After setting up your new blog, creating the actual content can be a challenge without the proper know-how. Not only do you need to write quality content, but it needs to include several elements that will help optimize your posts for searching. Below is a list of important items to consider when creating a new blog entry.

1. Keywords

This may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how many people do not think about which keywords they should be adding to each blog post. It’s always best to focus on 2-3 keywords per blog post. Include these keywords in the title of your blog and throughout the body. Be sure to include them within the alt-tags for any images (we will get to those later) that may be throughout the blog.

2. Geo-Targeting

If your company operates locally or within a specified market area, geo-targeting your blogs help to increase your search-ability in these areas. Not only do you want to mention your market areas or city but custom-tailor your writing for these demographics. On their blog, IMA mentions that you should not only write about your industry or city but write AROUND them. Create content that those in the area you are targeting will search for. Write about relevant news, current events or other things relating to your city. For example, writing about the Cleveland Business Community may be a good idea for Dallas Riffle Media!

3. Internal/External Links

If you know anything about SEO, you have probably heard of a backlink. To put it plainly, Google likes it when websites link to each other. Adding external links to high-ranking pages will not only help put you in the all-powerful Google’s good graces but it will also help you potentially establish relationships with other blogs or websites. The sites that you link to will see that you linked to them and may return the favor.

Along with links to external sites, you also want to include internal links to other pages on your site or to your social media channels. This will help drive traffic to more of your pages and make it easier for your customers to find relevant pages they may have otherwise been looking for.

Also, did we mention Google likes links?

4. Images

Images are important for a number of different reasons. First of all, having an eye-catching image will help your blog stand out when customers are scrolling through your page. Generally, a high-quality photo is a lot more visually appealing than black text on a white background. Using a properly sized blog image (typically 1024×612 at 72 ppi) will help your content stand out more on the newsfeed of your Facebook followers. Below you can see the difference between a post with a properly formatted header image and one that does not.

5. Call-To-Action

Now that your visitors have read through your entire article, it is time to convert their visit into a lead. A call-to-action is a statement that is meant to generate a direct response from a prospect. Whether it is “Call Us Today,” “Email Us for A Free Estimate” or “Send in This Form for a Free Puppy,” a call-to-action is ultimately the next step in the sales process that will convert your website visitors from a prospect into a lead. For an example of a call to action, read the below paragraph.

At Dallas Riffle Media, we are in the business of growing your business. If you need help growing your business, let us put together a comprehensive online marketing strategy for your company. We offer free estimates, so don’t hesitate to give us a call at (216) 245-0835. For more information about DRM, visit our website.