SEO for Blogging Guide

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SEO for Blogging Guide

Transcript of SEO for Blogging Guide

SEO for Blogging Guide

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

What We’ll Cover

Blogging, On-Site

SEO & Social Media

Blogging Lingo

Anatomy of a

Blog Post

Blog Post Formulas

Do’s and Don’ts

of Blogging

Blogg ing , On-S i te SEO and Soc ia l Med ia

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Blogging, On-Site SEO and Social Media

Blogs are a unique mixture of both On-Site and Social SEO.

The SEO rules that apply to regular websites also apply to blogs.

Additionally, users can endorse, share, and comment on blog posts

through various social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter,

Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more.

The more social interaction between users and your blog, the more

credible your content will appear to search engines.

Blogs on the same root domain (e.g. yoursite.com/blog) can

increase the ranking of a website. They’re especially useful in

boosting product-focused websites that would otherwise remain

fairly static.

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Blogging, On-Site SEO and Social Media

Ways Blogging Can Influence

Rankings

Entertain and inform users

with a well-written blog and

they’ll likely share it on social

media.

Shares can bump up the

post’s ranking with the search

engines, and bring in more

users who might otherwise

have never found your site!

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Blogging, On-Site SEO and Social Media

Ways Blogging Can Influence Rankings

An active, informative, and well-written blog can:

• Build search engine visibility and improve overall site ranking.

• Communicate the image of a quality business.

• Creates brand recognition that can prompt users to click on your

familiar name in search engine results.

• Nurture good online reviews – a significant factor in search rankings.

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Blogging, On-Site SEO and Social Media

Google Panda likes blogs.

First launched in February 2011 and updated several times since,

Google Panda is a change in Google’s ranking algorithm aimed at

rewarding high-quality, useful sites and lowering the rank of low-

quality, thin websites.

Sites with a lot of advertising and little content rank lower in Google

search results. Those with fresh, relevant, and quality content rank

higher.

A good blog can help you woo Google Panda, because you can

post many formats of great content, including articles, videos,

infographics, and more.

Blogg ing L ingo

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Blogging Lingo

Blogging is an art form with its own language.

A Blog is a website, or section of a website, where an individual

or group of users records opinions, news, and information on a

regular basis, with the most recently published posts appearing

first. Each individual piece of content is a blog post. Think of

posts as articles in a magazine or journal entries. Each blog post

generally focuses on one topic.

Blog archives are a record of all the past blog posts.

Most blogs enable comments, allowing readers to interact with

the blog by giving their opinion, discernment, or affirmation on the

content of a specific blog post.

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Blogging Lingo

Blog categories allow you to assign broad topics to each blog

post, making it easier for readers to search by subject matter.

Categories don’t help SEO, but they can hurt it. Assigning a blog

post to multiple categories can cause it to appear under multiple

URLs on your blog, and search engines may view it as duplicate

content – a definite no-no.

Blog tags further refine what a post is about for the user.

However, unlike categories, you can assign multiple tags to each

post without hurting your search engine ranking.

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Blogging Lingo

Blog plug-ins are tools that can be added to blogging software to

provide additional features, such as assessing the SEO-

friendliness of a blog post. Most popular blogging content

management systems (Blogger, WordPress, etc.) have a variety

of plug-ins that provide additional functionality. We recommend

using an SEO plug-in like WordPress SEO by Yoast.

Anatomy o f a B log Post

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

To maximize SEO, each blog post should have:

Title

Title Tag

Images

Image Alt Text

Tags

Categories

Links

Link Text

Headers

Body Text

Meta Description

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

The title of your blog post needs to be compelling for readers and

keyword-rich for search engines.

Most users are more likely to click on “How to Get a Mortgage

Loan” than on “The Mortgage Loan Process.”

• Both titles contain the keyword phrase “Mortgage Loan,” which helps

search engines understand what the content of the post is about, but

“The Mortgage Loan Process” is less compelling to human users.

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

The title tag appears in two places: on the top of your browser

window when you are viewing a web page, and as the blue link

text on the search engine results page.

Title tags do not appear anywhere in the actual page content, but

because both users and search engines use them to understand

what a page is about, they need to be compelling and keyword-

rich, just like your post title.

Title tags often contain extra bits of information. For example, for

our post titled “How to Get a Mortgage Loan,” we might make the

title tag say “How to Get a Mortgage Loan | Freedom Institution

Blog.”

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Anatomy of a Blog Post

Images are common in blog posts and make them more

appealing for readers.

While search engines can’t read images, they do expect relevant

images to be part of a successful blog.

Sometimes shown as a caption below or above the image on the

page, image alt text serves two purposes.

• It tells search engines, which can’t discern the contents of images,

what the image on the page is about.

• Plus, it can describe an image on the page for visually impaired

users.

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

Every blog post you create on your blog should be assigned one

category and any number of relevant tags (if these features are

available in your blog management software).

• For example, for the Mortgage Loan post, the category might be

Loans or Lending.

• More refined characteristics of the post can be assigned as tags, like

mortgage, home loan, how-to, credit score and more.

Don’t get carried away with too many tags. Assign only tags that

you feel will be relevant and that may also apply to future posts

on your blog.

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

Links enrich a blog post by leading readers to other relevant

posts within the blog, as well as other high-quality external

websites.

Links in the copy boost SEO by establishing a weak but helpful

association between your blog and the other web content you

have linked to.

Link Anchor Text is the visible text a user sees as part of a link.

• Link text usually looks like this, and masks the URL of the

destination page from the user. In this example, the users sees “like

this” instead of http://www.example.com/page.

Search engines use the anchor text to figure out what the linked

page is about and why you are including it.

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

Headers dictate the structure of your blog post.

Each header should be named based on the content that falls

below it.

• Looking back to “How to Get a Mortgage Loan,” we might use

headers like: Finding and Improving Your Credit Score, Getting

Prequalified or Choosing a Financial Institution.

Blogging management software usually includes several levels of

headers.

• Generally, the title of your entire post is called an H1 header, and the

tiered sub-sections can be designated as H2, H3, H4 and so on.

• Most blog posts do not use levels beyond an H3.

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

The body text is the meat and potatoes of a blog post.

Body text should read naturally to users and should include

familiar terminology they can understand.

Include the most important pieces of content early in your post;

search engines emphasize the first portions of each webpage,

and users don’t often read entire blog posts.

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Anatomy of a Blog Post

A meta description is a short blurb that search engines use as the

text beneath a link in search results.

Because it doesn’t appear anywhere on the blog page, the meta

description doesn’t directly impact SEO, but a compelling one

can encourage readers to click through to your blog.

A high click-through rate can help a page climb in the rankings.

Blog Post Formulas

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Blog Post Formulas

So you’ve got a blog. Now what should you write about? Don’t worry

if you think your ideas have been done before – they probably have

been! Your blog is still valuable, because each time you write a post,

you are providing your own unique perspective and style of writing.

You can keep your blog fresh and interesting by using several

different blog styles and formats to present your valuable

information and perspective.

Understanding the different blog formats can help you come up

with more ideas to write about. You can always find something to

write about that your customers will find helpful. Sometimes you’ll

have to think outside the box, and sometimes you’ll have to ask

readers what they want to know.

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Blog Post Formulas

How-To

News/Updates

What is __?

How does it work?

Top 10 ________.

Helpful Resources

Person Spotlight

Problem > Solution

Comparison

Story

Research

FAQ

Interview

Cheat Sheet

Checklist

Debunking Myths

Series

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Blog Post Formulas

The how-to formula is relatively simple. Focus how-to posts on

subjects pertinent to your business that customers often don’t

know how to navigate.

Each major step of the how-to should include a header that

covers the generic goal of that step, and then body text below

that further explains the step.

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Blog Post Formulas

News and Updates posts can cover many subjects, from a new

website design to sponsoring a local little league team, from

employees of your institution being honored in the community to

your community involvement, and more.

Each post should focus on only one piece of news – showcasing

your unique perspective on it – especially if it is general news

about the community where you are located.

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Blog Post Formulas

For a keyword-rich blog that informs readers and showcases your

expertise, it’s hard to beat the “What is ______? How does it

work?” format.

While talking to readers about complex topics they might not be

familiar with, segment the blog into manageable chunks set up by

headers. This helps users work their way through the content

more quickly. It is also helpful for SEO.

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Blog Post Formulas

The simple list format of Top 10 ________ posts are particularly

compelling to users.

The best Top 10 blogs are brief, concise, informative, and

entertaining.

Top 10 posts can also be written to be keyword rich. Here are a

few examples:

• Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Credit Score

• Top 10 Things to Look for When Buying a Home

• Top 10 Ways to Save on Summer Vacation

• Top 10 Ways Your Home Could be More Energy Efficient

• Top 10 Ways You Can Use Kasasa to Manage Your Money Better

Each of the 10 reasons should include a short header with body

text that further explains it.

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Blog Post Formulas

Give readers the tools they need to solve problems through

Helpful Resources blogs.

These may be a list of a few tools/items with a few sentences of

explanation for each, or a deeper dive into a single resource that

solves multiple problems.

Be sure to address where readers can access the resource and

why it’s helpful to them.

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Blog Post Formulas

A Person Spotlight post can help put a face on your brand and

allow you to highlight an employee or person in your community.

It’s not an interview, though. It’s a post about that person from

your perspective that tells your readers why he or she is

important.

• If you have an Employee of the Month program, each month’s

winner would be a great person to spotlight.

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Blog Post Formulas

In the banking industry, the Problem > Solution format can be

particularly valuable for readers.

Most people get into a financial pickle at some point in their lives,

whether it’s overdrawing on their checking account or skipping a

mortgage payment. Often, those people don’t know what the best

course of action is in these situations.

Discuss a common problem and offer possible solutions, keeping

SEO in mind to create a keyword-rich post.

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Blog Post Formulas

Comparison posts are also really helpful resources and are often

keyword rich as well, making them great for SEO.

When customers need to make an important financial decision,

they don’t always understand the differences between their

options, or the pros and cons associated with each.

• For example, a post might compare auto loans, mortgage types, or

investment opportunities.

Put your staff’s expertise to use to create a keyword-rich,

informative blog post.

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Blog Post Formulas

Stories about customers, your community, how you were

founded, and other topics can make for very compelling and

enjoyable blog posts.

Most “story” posts won’t be very keyword rich, but are more likely

to be shared across social networks.

Social media interaction also has high value when it comes to

search engine optimization, so don’t discount a post if it doesn’t

have lots of key terms in the text.

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Blog Post Formulas

Sharing your own take on Research done by a third party, or

even research you’ve done yourself, will be interesting to users

and often SEO-friendly.

The most-shared research posts contain compelling statistics or

information users can apply directly in their lives, like information

on the health of the housing market in their locale.

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Blog Post Formulas

The FAQ blog post should cover only one complex question in

each post, or several simple but related questions.

Focus on questions that are asked relatively frequently – think,

“what might someone ask in a Google search?”

When answering questions, make sure you use banking

terminology that consumers understand, or define terms along

the way when you think they warrant further explanation.

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Blog Post Formulas

In Interviews you ask questions of an individual who has agreed

in advance to have his or her answers published on your blog.

You can interview thought-leaders in an industry or other leaders

in the community.

• For example, you could interview a mortgage officer about things like

the best time of year to apply for a mortgage loan, common

problems that prevent people from qualifying for the amount they

want, and more.

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Blog Post Formulas

Cheat sheets and Checklists are relatively similar posts. Often

keyword rich, they are best if oriented around your business.

• For example, a checklist for the things someone needs to gather

before applying for a mortgage loan, or a cheat sheet covering what

to look for when house hunting.

Each item on the cheat sheet or checklist should have a header

with one to five sentences of explanation below.

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Blog Post Formulas

A blog post that Debunks Myths is also helpful for consumers and

SEO.

You could combine it with a Top 5 list and write a post entitled

“Top 5 Misconceptions about Credit Scores.”

Have employees at the bank watch for certain concepts that

customers are confused about when they call or visit. Take note,

because these misconceptions may help you write a blog post in

this format.

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Blog Post Formulas

A Series is a group of related blog posts concerned with a

specific topic that requires a lot of content.

• For example, a series about the home-buying process for a more

complex loan, like one that includes a grant for low-income earners,

could start with a post that contains a checklist for the items a loan

officer will need.

• A second post could address how that particular type of mortgage

loan works, another might focus on how to select a residence that

will meet the program’s qualifications, and so on.

Bloggers will often create a unique tag for the series of posts to

make it easier for users to find the series long after it has ended.

Do’s and Don ’ ts o f B logg ing

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging

Do post at least one blog article per week.

Do get all employees involved with writing for the blog in order to

distribute the workload.

Do have fun and show your personality. Blogs don’t need to be

written like professional newspapers, so use a conversational

tone.

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging

Do share your newest blog posts in all your social media

channels, especially Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Do link to other relevant posts within your blog and on external

sites.

Do use a WordPress SEO plug-in if you’d like to try some more

advanced SEO techniques.

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging

Don’t use your blog to try to sell your accounts. Use it to give

advice and information to your customers.

Don’t publish a new blog post without having someone review it

for typos, misspellings, and grammar errors.

Don’t post large blobs of text. This is unhelpful for both users and

search engines. Organize your ideas logically within the post.

Don’t write posts you aren’t proud to call your own!

© 2015 BancVue. All rights reserved.

Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging

Don’t post the exact same article more than once or copy posts

from other blogs. That will be seen as duplicate content by a

search engine.

Don’t plagiarize. Blog posts should be unique without lifting text

from elsewhere. Information, data, etc., from other sources

should be correctly attributed.

Don’t worry if your blog doesn’t have a lot of readers for the first

year or so. It takes time to develop a reader base and a good log

of articles they will want to read. While you’re waiting for

readership, just remember how great this will be for SEO!

Thank you!