How to create links that attract search engines and use keyword research to cure writer’s block
By Becky Dan
Duane Forrester, Senior Product Manager of the Web Master Program at Bing, offers many great tips and tricks for improving the searchability of your web site or blog. He says good SEO is mostly art and, unlike paid search which is mostly science, involves a much smaller amount of the technical stuff. I have to add that the examples and descriptions he uses in his video Learn the Basics of SEO felt like pure magic.
Using Keyword Research
As an author and blogger, Duane understands that content must be relevant to the searcher. Using Keyword Research can not only help you find topics of interest to a large group of readers, it can also cure writer’s block.
The keywords people use when looking for content tell you what topics are trending and, therefore, what topics will bring visitors to your web site. Use this information to plan your editorial calendar, and to generate ideas for blog posts. You only have so much time and can only write so much content, so why not write content people actually want to read.
Researching keywords also helps you learn which terms a person is more likely to use in the research vs. purchasing phases of a search. Normally, when people are researching a product, they tend to use plural terns like “digital cameras.” Once they move into the purchasing phase, they switch to singular terms like “digital camera” since they only intend to buy one camera.
How about abbreviations like “SUV” vs. a full name like “Sport Utility Vehicle”? Duane gives an example of a meeting with clients who wanted to use the full name because they felt it was “more correct.” When Duane showed them that nine-out-of-ten searchers use the shorter “SUV” term, they quickly understood the value of keyword research.
Creating Links to Attract Search Engines
Including links to other content in your articles and blog posts, tell searchers that your content is useful and credible, so look for way to guide your readers to places where they can find more information on the topics you are covering.
By looking at the analytics for your site, you can determine which articles and posts generate the most interest for your site. Ask yourself what made these particular posts so popular. Consider writing more similar posts, and even narrowing your focus to create a niche on that subject.
This is just a very short snapshot of the information Duane covers, so consider watching his whole video to learn more. Speaking of snapshots, here is one from his video “12 Things To Know About SEO.”
