Common SEO Mistakes People Make On their Blog

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It is a common understanding and expectation from any business by its customers that the business should be known to all. This they believe will help them build trust.
While this is practically impossible, it is indeed a fair expectation from customers for any business. And to make this possible, over time, the internet has helped brands to become SEO-friendly.
This makes it easier for them to reach out to consumers across the lengths and the breaths of the planet. Blogging has been an excellent pathway for this.

Related : 40 Common Local SEO Mistakes & How To Fix Them

List of Most-common SEO Mistakes People Make On their Blog

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Doing SEO, the right way is very important. If your page is not ranking even after creating interesting content, then there’s probably some fault in your SEO tactics.
All of SEO is related to Google’s algorithm and what one has to understand is that it is ever-changing.
Here are some top 10 common SEO mistakes that bloggers make.

1. Not Choosing The Right Keywords

It is the age of machine learning and semantic search, and there is no room for ‘guess’. With the right elements, Google can cleverly understand what your content is trying to say.
While there are so many elements of SEO, many bloggers skip the very first and important step - ‘keyword research.’
The first thing that a blogger should do is to find good ranking keywords. You can either find them on Google Search Console or use many other Keyword research tools available on the internet.
The best way to do this is by analyzing your competitor’s website and understanding their keyword profile. While this is a task-taking activity, it can prove to be the best in the long run.

2. Stuffing Keywords More than What the Content Needs

Though keywords play an important role in ranking your content, it is also important to make sure that they appear in your content naturally and not ‘forced.’
There are many bloggers who list down ranking keywords and find places to stuff them into their content. This can be very obvious sometimes and might not interest the reader.
Some best tips to follow are to make sure the keyword appears at least twice in alt texts and H1 tags. Technology is taking over, and with no doubt, one has to focus on that too.
Since voice searches are also seeing a boom, one can consider including a substantial amount of long-tail keywords. Make sure the keyword fits in well with the content you write.

3. Not Checking on the Crawl-Ability of Your Website

Website accessibility and crawl-ability are two major factors that influence your position on a search engine. No matter how hard you work to add some amazing content to your website.
But if Google is unable to crawl to number your website on one of its pages, then there is no point in it. Making your webpage easy for the Google bot to ‘read’ is very important.
One of the best tips to follow to make your website easier for Google to read is by firstly strengthening links internally. This will enable Google to easily read all your internally linked pages.
Keep updating new content and avoid any duplication. Some tools that can help you with this are Log File Analyzer, Site Audit, Google Search Console, and Google PageSpeed Insights.

4. Ignoring the Page Speed

The secret to a happy ranking is page speed. Better the page speed, more the visitors, and lesser the bounce rates. Your scale for this is to compare your website with that of your competitor’s.
When it comes to Google, users come first, and everything is aimed to improve their experience on any page. If your webpage is slow, users will tend to leave it within three seconds of being on the page.
This will, in turn, increase the bounce rate that will bring down the site’s credibility. One significant aspect of this is to add optimized images.
Improve your server response time and reduce the number of redirects. Additionally, you can also work on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. A good page load speed in under two seconds.

5. Not Building Enough or Proper Links

Internal linking is one the most important aspects of driving SEO. Why is internal linking important?
When the Google bot targets your page to crawl, you favor it when you have stronger internal links.
Internal Links: This is because this will make the bot crawl to all other linked pages. The best practice is to make sure the homepage is linked to at least one of the other pages on your website. One major reason why internal linking is important is that it enables people to easily navigate to all your other pages.
Backlinks: Backlinking is also another strong aspect of link building. Using anchor texts, rich links, linking to important pages are all some things that you can follow.
Make sure you audit your internal links with Google Search Console. Try to avoid navigational links. Adding links to your taxonomies like tags and categories are also a great way to strengthen your linking activity.

6. Not Checking on Plagiarism

If there is one thing that Google loathes, it is duplication and stolen content. Plagiarism is, in fact, an offense as well. For a better ranking page, make sure your content is original and has real facts.
Make sure you facts-check when you add citations and see to it that they are genuine and have a valid basis. In a rush don’t hire writers to churn out content. Instead, take enough time and make sure they provide original, well-researched content.
One has to understand that inspiration is different from copying and that there are even chances of being sued for the latter one.
Plagiarism is not just illegal but can also rip your website’s reputation that is very difficult to build once crumbled. Some creative tools to keep your plagiarism on track are IFTTT, Copysentry, and Unplag.

7. Uploading Unoptimized Images

While concentrating on good content, many bloggers often forget to optimize their images and videos. Incorrect formats can often lead to slow loading of a page that can result in more bounce rates.
All images on your website should be in .jpg format for on-site images and for vectors, it should be in .webp form. Also, make sure you provide relevant alt.text for your images.
This will not only help you insert those extra keywords in it but will also help people understand what the image is about when the picture fails to load.
Collate all your videos in one folder and provide a site map to it. This will help in good indexing. Leverage it for adding meta descriptions, tags, and annotations by adding keywords in them as well.

8. Inadequate Efforts in Content Promotion

Besides creating amazing content, a blogger should also seriously concentrate on the proper promotion of it.
While Google organically shows up your webpage to users on one side of the coin, if your blog is new, especially if it is a small business, you have to put in those extra efforts in promoting it the right way.
Leverage all your important connections and social media platforms to promote your content. Reach out to influencers, run advertisements and campaigns.
Additionally, you can also guest blog and ask them to share your content and website on their page.

9. Not Optimizing Meta Descriptions and Title Tags

Meta descriptions and tags are probably the vital elements in SEO. These two set your content apart from that of the others. Adding keywords in title tags and meta descriptions can give you an edge over your competitor’s website.
It is observed that bloggers who do not optimize their meta descriptions end up having lesser CTRs that can lag you from potentially being visible to SERPs. Additionally, you can also do A/B testing to c

Blog SEO Tools

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While SEO is not everyone’s cup of tea, you can often experiment and try it out for yourself. For this, many developers worldwide have created many simple to use and affordable tools that can help you self-learn and achieve your SEO goals.
Here are the top seven SEO tools for bloggers in 2021. These are sure to make your website ranking the best and the right way.

1. AIOSEO

All In One SEO is one of the most preferred WordPress plugins to boost your website traffic. It helps create SEO-friendly content. It provides an overview checklist for each of the blogs and helps you add meta descriptions, URL, and meta title.
You can also find unlimited SEO keywords with this tool. It automatically optimizes meta descriptions and titles and generates relevant meta tags. If you are looking for a tool that provides an XML sitemap, then AIOSEO has got it inbuilt.
The Social Meta feature helps you determine your social signals. This tool is perfect for all SEO needs and one has to explore it.

2. BuzzSumo

This is an all-in-one content marketing tool that every blogger must explore. It is the largest in the world to have an index of social engagement data. This tool lets you stay on top of what’s trending. BuzzSumo also helps you find influencers.
It highlights the various pain points to focus on to improve your blogging strategies. You can also do strong backlinking to strengthen your brand awareness. If you want to know what best tactics your competitors are using for their blogs, this is the best tool to find them.
Pricing - It starts at $99 per month for pro and goes to $499 for an enterprise plan.

3. Readability Test Tool

What makes the cake complete in the SEO world is the cherry on top: keywords and some rainbow sprinkles that are backlinks. These two when done right can make your content rank on top.
But what eventually matters is if your content is interesting and informative for the readers. It is important to make sure your content is precise and easy to understand for a reader.
The Readability Test Tool works perfectly when it comes to an understanding if your content is simple and clear. The tool provides scores and shows the youngest age group that can read your content. A score between 4-8 is just fine, to begin with.
Pricing - This is an absolutely free tool!

4. Yoast SEO

This is a WordPress plugin that has all-in-one SEO characteristics. It is often used by pro bloggers who have their websites on WordPress.
It also provides tailor-made suggestions for each of the posts and blogs. It will also let you know if the keywords are stuffed or if the titles are too long or short. It also keeps an eye on the readability and gives suggestions to make it better.
Yoast will get all of your blog elements ready right before you click the publish button.
Pricing - Has free and premium versions.

5. SEMrush

Be it analytics or competitor research or finding the best and right keywords for you. You name it, and you will get to do it with SEMrush. It is one of the most trusted SEO tools worldwide.

• This tool helps you do the right kind of keyword research and lets you know what keywords are ranking for your competitor.
• It gives you an overview of your performance and also tells you how better your ranking is in Google.
• With this tool, you will get monthly reports that you can use for comparison that will help you curate the right strategies.
• SEMrush also lets you track your rankings over time.
• You will also be able to analyze what your competitor’s competition is.
• As a cherry on top, this tool will also tell you how better you can do your guest blogging.

Top Rated SEO Blogs

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SEO is not child’s play and that is no secret. Working on SEO needs the right measures right from the very first step.
While it is good to play around and see how things show up or happen on your blog, it is also a great thing to learn from some of the best bloggers around the world.
Here are some of the best SEO blogs around the world that you can learn from and see how they have created their pages SEO-friendly.

1. Yoast Blog

Yoast was founded in 2010 and ever since they have been delivering the best. This free WordPress Plugin is an amazing tool to help you boost your blog and improve optimization.
Yoast blogs have tutorials that focus on basic and advanced SEO elements.
You can also learn a great deal about WordPress, Analytics, and much more. You can also understand how better the keywords are being used in the Yoast blog. It is also a great place to learn blog language and construction.

• Domain Authority - 79/100
• Average Monthly Organic Traffic - 110K
• Backlinks available - 2.0 M

2. NeilPatel.com Blog

Neil Patel is one of the most celebrated SEO experts around the world. He has an amazing collection of blogs that ranges from beginners level to experts. Basically, anything about SEO, you will find it covered in Neil Patel’s blogs.
His writing style is unique and keeps readers indulged throughout the blog.
His blogs are at least 3000 words long but sometimes also go till 10,000!
He also links various YouTube videos of tutorials and other essential tips to craft a successful SEO strategy.

• Domain Authority - 87/100
• Average Monthly Organic Traffic - 410k
• Backlinks available - 4 M

3. Official Google Webmaster Blog

Is there something that Google does not know? Google knows anything and everything. On this website of Google, you can see all the latest updates, reports and news from Google.
In this website you can also find blogs on practical tips to curate your SEO strategies.
If you want to get your hands on the latest Google trends and happenings, you have to follow this blog.

• Domain Authority - 93/100
• Average Monthly Organic Traffic - 2.3 million
• Backlinks available - 13.2 million

4. Moz Blog

Moz is said to have the largest SEO community in the world and is also the first SEO authority blog. They have the best SEO tools to help you in every walk of your optimization.
One of their most read blogs is ‘A beginner’s guide to SEO’. Having followers and contributors all around the world, it is an SEO land itself where you can find answers to all of your SEO queries.
It is owned by Sarah Bird and was founded in 2004. Though it deals with advanced SEO aspects, it is a great place to see how content can be built richly with deep research and practical examples.

• Domain Authority - 89/100
• Average Monthly Organic Traffic - 420k
• Backlinks available - 22.7 M

Blog SEO FAQs

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Q1. How Do I Make Money Through My Blog as a Beginner?

While many do blogging for passion, a majority of them do it to fetch an additional source of income. The basic tip is to never jump for bigger amounts. Always aim and start small that can help you get motivation.
One of the best ways to earn money through blogging is by doing affiliate marketing. You can also sell your eBooks and online courses on your blog.
Additionally, do guest blogging and freelance writing. One other simplest way is to create an account in Google Ads. This way you are letting Google showcase its ads on your website through which you will earn a margin.

Q2. I Have Amazing Content. Should I Still Rely on SEO?

That would definitely be a ‘Yes.’ In the digital world, nothing comes out shining without a push. Having said that, no matter how amazing your content is or how interesting it is, you still have to invest a great amount of your time in doing the right SEO for your blog.
This is because there are millions and millions of blogs and websites out there, and without you pushing it in the internet space, nothing much is going to happen. You need to add the right factors that will make it rank on the SERPs, and that’s exactly what SEO does to your blog.

Q3. How Best Can I Optimize My Blog with SEO?

There are so many elements of SEO, and SEO by itself is like a vast ocean. Beginners often get overwhelmed with the amount of work that has to be put in when it comes to SEO.
But some simple things that you can start with are planning your content based on keywords, choosing effective blog titles, and robust internal and backlinking.
One should also focus on creating unique content that is creative and easy to read. Using the power of various SEO tools to optimize your meta tags and descriptions are also the best tips to follow.

Q4. How Long Should My Blog Be for SEO?

The length of your blog depends on what your niche is and the nature of your blog post. After long conducted research studies, many show that long-form content tends to rank better than short blogs.
An ideal blog post should be 1000-2000 words long. However, this can also vary depending on the type of the blog and the kind of keywords for it.
While long-form content is necessary for better ranking, writers should make sure that it is not beating around the bush or stuffed keywords.
No matter the length, your content should be easy to read, unique, creative, and free of any plagiarism.

Q5. How to Make My Blog Rank on Top in SERPs?

Of so many SEO techniques that are essential for ranking your website on Google or any other search engine, some of the best ones are a handful.
Firstly, target websites for the right keywords, collaborate and work with influencers, optimize your images and tags, and keep diving and learning more about SEO to draft the right strategies for your blog.
Also, make the best use of various SEO tools available online.
Right SEO strategies cannot be drafted overnight. The entire concept of SEO by itself needs a holistic approach. While there are many SEO experts around the world, there are still others aspiring to become one.
If you are a blogger and are looking for the right SEO tactics to learn, the only way is through experimentation and research. Make the best use of tools and knowledge available to open out there.
Speak with our experts for more details.