How to use SEO, the right way

SEO is an incredible tool for any blog or content site that can drive traffic and increase your site visibility – when used well. But it’s also a rapidly evolving area that is constantly changing in terms of what works and what doesn’t. This means that using tactics that may have worked in the past might not get you results today. So what can you do to ensure that you use SEO in the best way possible for your business? Here are some tips and tricks to help you out.

Source: http://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/wooden-tile/s/seo.html

Avoid shoving keywords into your content

There was a time when SEO was all about loading your content with the maximum amount of keywords. Back then, content was stuffed full of keywords and content quality suffered. Not only were users put off by the terrible quality of the writing, search engines also started to respond. Today, search engines penalize “stuffing” SEO tactics and aiming to get as many keywords into a post as possible will actually mean your content performs worse.

Get the ratio right

Keyword stuffing might be out, but keywords themselves are not. So, when you write an article it’s important to add in the correct number of keywords. Recommended amounts are usually around 2-3% of your content. This allows you to create high quality meaningful content that includes relevant keywords but isn’t nonsensically stuffed full of them. A good way to structure things is to begin with SEO in mind. Too often, blogs will be written about one subject and SEO keywords will be inserted at a later date, which often leads to unnatural and unreadable content. The thing is, search engines favor well-written content, so writing well and avoiding heavy handedness can really pay off for your blog or website.

Never stop proofreading!

Ok, maybe never is the wrong word. But, make sure to proofread your content thoroughly as search engines penalize poor spelling and grammar. Even if you have a great writer, it’s always important to have a second set of eyes on each piece before you publish. And this can help with more than just minor errors. Having someone review a post can help weed out any ambiguity, sloppy writing or anything else that may be less appealing to search engines and potential readers.

Work on your comments section

SEO isn’t all about what you consciously and purposefully add to your writing. A lot of how your site gets ranked will be based on user-generated content (if you have it), and this can dramatically improve your ranking. Don’t have any user-generated content on your site yet? No problem – it’s incredibly easy to add. All you need to do is find a user-friendly and easy to install comments platform to encourage users to write their thoughts, opinions and more. And to make sure they get talking, use your content to ask questions, ask for engagement and even praise commenters who have made valuable contributions. When the comments do start rolling in, remember to respond to them. The best kind of user-generated content is a conversation, so grow your community by listening and responding to what people have to say.

Heyoya is a game-changing comments platform that brings voice to online publishers, improving user engagement and SEO by allowing readers to express themselves beyond the medium of text. Heyoya is proven to increase brand affinity and the quality of user-generated content, while preventing spam and abusive content & increasing reader interaction with your blog. Join Heyoya today and grow your community.

 For more information on Heyoya, click here.