How To Use SEO With Super Easy Baby Steps

Check these easy baby steps on how to use SEO if you want to use it but do not know where to start. You will see that it is much simpler than you think.

When I made the decision to go self-hosted, I read a lot about SEO and on how I could benefit from it. In the middle of all the information I got, in the beginning, I just dropped SEO all-together. Deep inside I hoped it was going to disappear, and I would never have to think about it.

Unfortunately, this is not the way things work. SEO remains strong, and those making use of it are having great results.

Check these easy baby steps #SEO for beginners to get you started. #howtowriteablog Click To Tweet

Note that SEO is not for everyone. First of all, it requires work. One needs to invest time in defining their brand, understand their readers and put it in place. Not all bloggers are interested in taking their content to this next level. There is nothing wrong with that. It is a choice like any other. I spent most of my years writing this way, and I enjoyed it. For those who are on this boat, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.

But if you are curious to decipher the “mystery” of the SEO, please join me in this first Hangout on Air from the Smashing Series:

Before moving on to the presentation below, may I ask you to fill in the feedback form from this Hangout on Air, please? Feel free to suggest topics for our next one as well. Your opinion is very important to me. Thank you in advance!

Let’s start with what you are here for and that is SEO. If you are new to the site and would like to get to know Debbie Rodrigues better, you can always read more about me here.

Download now Super Easy Baby Steps On How To Use SEO!

SEO

How many times have we used Google or other search engines to find an easy recipe, a quote or the news? In the universe of blogs and websites, just a handful of them score the top positions. The further the content is from the 10 most visited sites, the lower the chances to find it organically.

One can always hope for going viral which makes things a little easier. Still, you want to give continuity to your efforts. By having your content tuned beforehand, you can stay “on top” for longer.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a way to make our content accessible to those using search engines such as Google.

In addition to writing great content, you can also fine tune your posts. You can make them shine brighter among all the other articles spread throughout the blogosphere.

Is your content #SEO? Read these easy baby steps for SEO for beginners. #howtowriteablog Click To Tweet

Why SEO?

As I wrote above, you do not have to optimize your blog if you do not want it. But even if you do not wish to monetize your content, why not wanting to reach more readers? Why not trying to get your message read by a larger number of people?

There are many ways to interact with other bloggers. The list goes from link parties and blog hops to Facebook groups and Internet forums. They are all valid and fantastic ways to interact and learn from other writers like yourself. Still, you also want to reach those casual readers. People who do not have a website but who are also seeking for the knowledge you have to share.

Not all posts have to be SEO-oriented

The same way as there is time to work and time to relax, not all your posts should be business. No matter how important your message is, your readers would also like to get to know you better sometimes. Other bloggers will also enjoy stopping by for link parties like Tip Tuesday, for example.

No matter if you blog every day or not, do not hold yourself back. Include in your editorial calendar posts that do not fall in the categories you want to be discovered for. Let them be your blog’s coffee break, a space to hang around.

Any subject can be used for an SEO post

One of the misconceptions I had, in the beginning, is that only people writing technical articles were to use SEO. It could not be further from the truth, though. All posts, no matter the subject, can be written in a way to boost SEO.

During the hangout, I shared ideas based on “DIY” and “LEGO”. Needless to say that the same would go for your recipe or workout blog. There is no limit.

Have you already tried these easy ways to use #SEO tools for beginners? #howtowriteablog Click To Tweet

For more tips on my favorite tools read also:

Tools

The first step to writing your next SEO post is planning your keywords. On my blog “How to Write a Smashing Blog Everyone Will Love“, I had asked you to do some prep work and write down some keywords.

The starting point was your brand because if your brand has nothing to do with cooking, recipes should not be on your list. You want to narrow the options in the beginning until you get used with the process. Stick with the features that matter the most to you.

Think of it as having one person calling you repeatedly compared to having a lot of people shouting your name at the same time. The first will be easier to identify while the second sound more like background noise. In the beginning, when you are still building your SEO content, it is better to have one voice or two standing out than a tumult.

Here are some of my favorite tools*:

Google tools

Google Trends and Google Search are my favorite tools. Both are easy to use and free.

Google Trends is perfect for those days when you lack inspiration and want to write a blog about a topic that is in the spotlight at the moment. While Google Search’s autofill will give you the most used combinations for the search term of your choice.

During the hangout, I played about with the keyword “DIY” to get to the most optimal combination to a possible article.

WP SEO plugin by Yoast**

If your blog is on WordPress.org, this is THE plugin you need to have. This free plugin is not going to slow down the performance of your page, it is intuitive and user-friendly and, it is free. What else can we bloggers ask for?

Its traffic light system is visual. It provides all the information that you need to optimize your post without guessing. It will also help you understand what matters most for SEO.

Final considerations

It’s just a glimpse of all the possibilities SEO has to offer. I can guarantee that as a beginner, you have here enough material to play around for at least a month. Take time to get used to these tools before moving to more complex ones.

You can start by reviving an old post of yours that was already successful in the past. Test how optimized it was and make any necessary adjustments. Share it again on the social media and check the results. Note that it takes 2-3 days for SEO queries to show on Google Analytics. Once you feel comfortable with these tips, move to more complex systems such as AdWords.

Are you a beginner in #SEO? Then check easy baby steps to get you going. #howtowriteablog Click To Tweet

There is no limit on how far you can go once you build a strong base. If you get the desired results only with the information I shared here; there is no need to make it difficult. The simpler you keep the process the more time you will have to invest in other things.

Download now Super Easy Baby Steps On How To Use SEO!

SEO may sound scary in the beginning, but it is up to you to decide how easy or difficult you want it to be. And again, if you choose it is not your thing, that is absolutely fine. My mission is only to inform not to impose.

Were these easy baby steps SEO useful? Is there anything you would like to learn more about?

I hope I was able to bring you some light about SEO. I would appreciate your feedback on the Hangout on Air. Suggestions for the next one(s) are more than welcome too!

For more tips on blogging read also:

Please check the list of link parties I join here.

Be Healthy and Live Fully.

*Disclaimer: Links to all tools mentioned on this post are clickable in the presentation. None of them are an affiliate, though.

**This plugin was renamed to Yoast SEO Plugin.