Before you hit publish make sure you’re checking off all 10 of these SEO must-haves.
Table of Contents
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can seem like another language if you’re new to the game. But not to fear! I’ve created a 10 step on-page SEO Checklist that anyone can follow (download below).
Ever wonder how random people who aren’t celebrities or ex bachelorette contestants manage to make blogging a full time paying job? It’s SEO.
Google has 1 main job, and that’s bringing the best and highest quality information to users through search. That means with the right SEO skills literally anyone can rank on the first page of Google no reality tv experience required.
Why SEO is Important for traffic
Ranking on the first page on Google in the #1 slot averages a 28% CTR (click-through rate). After that, the click traffic drops to 15.7% for #2 and 11% for #3. Imagine getting 28% of a keyword’s search volume traffic? That would be INSANE.
Is My Blog Post SEO Friendly?
There’s so much that goes into researching and crafting the perfect SEO blog post. You’ve spent hours researching low competition keywords, outlining your SEO friendly blog post, and actually writing the damn thing.
After doing all the hard work how do you know you’ve actually accomplished all the key markers of a solid SEO blog post?
This 10 step on page SEO checklist helps with all of that!
Where do SEO Keywords Actually Go?
Where do I put long tail and short tail SEO keywords? There are actually a few different places all important for different reasons.
Title and Headings
This may seem obvious, but it’s critical that the title of your blog post contains your focus keyword or phrase. This also matters for sub-headings as Google looks at them for context.
Since Google is all about user intent I use my sub-headings to answering questions. Why? How Much? Where?. You can easily find these at the bottom of your google search, uber suggest or answer the public.
URL Slug
Always make sure your URL contains your focus keyword while being short and sweet. You don’t want it looking spammy to the user or Google. Go with your blog post title or create a short to the point one.
Images
Not including your keyword in image alt texts is probably the biggest mistake bloggers make when creating SEO blog posts. Images need to be uploaded and named properly with the keyword and then need to be assigned an ALT TEXT with the same keyword name. This lets Google Image Search crawl your site for image SEO, not just word SEO.
Meta Description
The meta description is a short 2 sentences that appear under your blog title on Google. It’s used to give users a summary of what they’re about to click on. Meta descriptions should have your focus keyword as well as an interesting point of the article.
Want the full details on all 10 SEO steps to make your blog post stand out? Download the FREE checklist now.
Ready to fully invest in SEO for you and your business whether it’s a blog or service? Book a free 1:1 discovery call with me HERE.
A useful guide Anna. I think a lot can be achieved following simple on-page optimizations like this, especially if you can implement them site-wide. This would be particularly beneficial for large sites with lots of unoptimized pages.