In my previous post, Keywords For Blogs – Increase Your Reach To The Masses, we had a quick introduction to keywords, what they are and how keywords help with your blog search engine optimization (SEO). Without them, your blog is not likely to ever make it into the top search engine results pages (SERPs). When potential blog readers search for specific content, it would be optimal if your blog posts were accessible to them. Today we want to start looking at how to choose the best keywords for your blog.
I’m not going to drag you kicking and screaming into the high-tech world of keyword research, at least not yet, because you’re simply not ready. You need some fishing lessons before anything else. It is imperative that you understand how to go fishing for your readers. You need to develop the mindset and tactics that a good fisherman uses to attract and hook his fish. Do you know anything about the fish you are attempting to attract to your blog? First, we need to address some attitude issues:
Any Blog Can Be Keyword Optimized
One of the most common things I hear is that “My blog isn’t centered around a central theme.” In other words, you may not be niche blogging. Even those of you who are blogging around a central topic, often feel that your content is too diverse for keyword optimization. This statement simply isn’t true! If you take the time to think about your blog on a post by post basis and your potential readers as they relate to a single post, you will realize that is entirely possible to keyword optimize any post you create for your blog.
You Are Trying To Attract Fish Not Drive Sheep
You have probably heard the expression “drive traffic” when discussing how to get readers to your blog. This term is a very inaccurate description of what you are actually trying to accomplish with blog promotion, blog keyword optimization, and other blog SEO techniques. You are not trying to chase a bunch of mindless sheep to your blog. Instead, you are trying to attract and hook some very discerning fish.
You are not a shepherd, and it is not your job to “drive” traffic to your blog. You are a fisherman, and you must learn how to bait your hook in such a way that the fish will come to you. Sheep are mindless creatures in need of guidance and direction. But fish are cunning, hungry thinkers who know exactly what they want. You need to start thinking of your readers as fish. Also you need to adjust your attitude to attract the most appropriate readers to your blog. You can’t choose the right blog keywords or blog keyword phrases if you don’t know what your fish, i.e. your targets are looking for.
Understand The Fish And Choose The Correct Bait
When you write a post, you often don’t think about what type of reader will be interested in reading it. You want to be caught up in the pure joy of the creative process. Who wants to bother thinking about keywords? Nobody, except of course people who really care if anyone will ever read their articles. Your posts deserve maximum exposure. You put a lot of work into your blog production process, and you are worthy of a broad and appreciative audience. So who are your audience and what keywords might they be using when they search for blog content that will meet their needs?
In most cases, you don’t have to think about keywords when you write the first draft of a post. The exception to this is if you are writing to target a specific audience to draw them to your blog for a particular reason. This method is a common practice for authors whose blogs are marketing tools. In this instance, you may want to do keyword research first and then write your post around a set of specific keywords and keyword phrases. If you are not using your blog as a marketing tool, keyword optimization can be effectively applied in the second draft of your articles, as a part of the proofreading and rewriting process.
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Homework – Learning To Think Like A Fish
Now that we’ve looked at how to approach blog keyword optimization, it’s time to practice thinking like a fish. Take a look at one of your recent posts. Choose the one you think is pretty stellar, a juicy tidbit that the “fish” should appreciate. Now ask yourself the following questions:
What is the central theme or topic of this blog post?
What is the nature of this post? (Is it informational, tutorial, opinion-sharing, humorous, anecdotal, etc.?)
What kind of fish would be interested in reading this post?
What phrases or keywords might they type into a search engine to find this post?
Make a list of the keywords and keyword phrases you imagine a potential blog reader might type into a search engine to find this post. Don’t just create a list of words and phrase that are already in the post. Think about more things that they might use when searching for a post such as this. Get all “free association” about it and come up with as many variations as you possibly can.
The above exercise should help you start thinking like a fish. You have to think about your potential blog audience, who they are and what they want. You need to define what they are searching for, and then modify your blog post to match their needs and desires. If you can do that, you are ready to start applying keyword optimization for every post you write. Blog keywords like other blog optimization practices are the bait you need to attract the right fish. If done right, you will increase and maintain a viable readership for your blog.
Next – Choosing And Using Your Fishing Equipment
SEO-Tips-Don’t-Underestimate-Internal-LinkingSEO-Tips-Don’t-Underestimate-Internal-LinkingIn our next installment on keyword usage, we will start exploring the SEO techniques and tools available to help you choose and apply blog keywords and keyword phrases to any blog post. In time, selecting the appropriate keywords will become a natural part of your blogging process, and that is as it should be. After all what fun is a blog if you don’t reach the widest audience possible? It is much more gratifying to have a vast and appreciative audience for your posts. It helps keep you motivated to produce blog content that is creative and fresh every day.
Furthermore, your blog can turn into a money-making source, and this is also one of the things that attract many players to the blog-making process. Of course, I have already mentioned keyword-specific websites, but even your personal blog can earn valuable points with Ad Sense if you make it more visible and more attractive to new audiences. It is all about traffic, and the more fish comes near your hook – the more of them will eventually end up in your boat. Blogging can be a lucrative activity, and you only have to create a suitable strategy and apply the right tools so that your website is high on the list of sophisticated search engine.
