How Blogging Supercharges Your WordPress SEO Efforts
Adding timely content to your website is one of the most powerful ways to rank higher in search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. With WordPress, the simplest and most efficient way to do this is by blogging on a regular basis.
Blogging is a fundamental layer of any search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. By adding fresh, useful content to your site, you can drive more traffic to your site and boost sales organically – without needing to spend more on advertising.
Here’s how your WordPress blog can boost your SEO, and how to get the best results.
Why Google loves blogs
In its SEO Starter Guide, Google outlines a comprehensive list of steps that can help businesses rank higher in search results. But ultimately, the company says, nothing is more powerful than adding new content: “Creating compelling and useful content will likely influence your website more than any of the other factors.”
Why does it matter?
As search engines crawl the Internet, they’re looking for sites that can provide the information that users are searching for. Specifically, Google is looking for websites and blogs that are:
- Relevant to users’ searches
- Engaging
- Substantive
- Meaningful
- Unique & original
Blogging for your WordPress site enables you to tick each of these boxes, winning points with search engines and visitors.
Keyword-rich content for the win
The old days of “keyword stuffing” are long gone. But your blog remains the ideal spot to lightly optimize your site with the keyword phrases that are relevant to your business.
To be clear, this does not mean repeating phrases over and over again. Google is very clear that websites should avoid “inserting numerous unnecessary keywords aimed at search engines but are annoying or nonsensical to users.”
However, by writing frequently about topics related to your business, you’ll naturally include the keywords that people are searching for, helping your site rank higher in results organically.
New content brings new customers
A single blog post isn’t going to cut it.
Search engines reward sites that post more frequently, because it’s a sign that the content is fresh and timely. Old, stale content (like your static WordPress pages) typically won’t rank as high as content that is new or recently updated.
As Google says, “New content will not only keep your existing visitor base coming back, but also bring in new visitors.”
Engagement matters for SEO
Search engines are increasingly good at identifying how long users stay on a page and how much they interact with it. When users stay longer, it’s a good sign that the content is engaging and meaningful. In return, search engines will typically rank this content higher in search results for relevant queries.
By blogging more frequently, you send a signal that your site has an abundance of content, and you significantly increase the odds of creating posts that engage your visitors.
Simple tips for SEO-friendly blogging
How can you maximize the SEO power of your WordPress blog?
Here are some simple tips:
- Post frequently, at least 2 to 4 times a month
- Aim for at least 500 words per post
- Make the topics original (no copying!), useful and interesting
- Consider topics that answer the questions people are searching for
- Avoid sloppy, poorly written text. When in doubt, use professional writers
- Link to 1 or 2 relevant, authoritative sources (for example: reputable news articles, government sites, studies, etc.)
Remember that SEO is a long-term strategy
Don’t expect a flood of traffic overnight. SEO results take time.
Keep on blogging, have fun with it and remember to measure your results, so you can see how your blogging is driving new traffic over time. If you need a hand, our experts are here to help
