Even in these days of ChatGPT, pulling together an effective blog post is no quick task.

After hours of work, you finally hit publish. 

You wait for the traffic to roll in... and tumbleweed.

If your blog is getting ignored by search engines, it’s probably not personal. It’s just missing a few behind-the-scenes details that help Google know what you’re talking about.

The good news? You don’t need to become an SEO expert to fix it.

Here are five simple things every blog post needs if you want a shot at showing up in search results.

Oh..and if you’re wondering if this is even relevant in a world of AI summaries, AI is using the exact same tools to find you. If you want to show up in summaries, the same rules apply!

5 Tips for Better Blogging SEO

1. Know what your clients are actually typing into Google

This is step one. Don’t write what you think people are looking for. Write what they’re actually searching.

How do you find that out? Use tools like:

• Google autocomplete (start typing and see what it suggests)

• “People also ask” boxes

• Ubersuggest

• AnswerThePublic

Once you’ve found a few phrases your ideal reader is using, work them into your post. 

Keep it sounding natural. You’re writing for humans, not robots.

2. Use headings properly

It can be tempting to think all you need to do is to make your headings bold and be done with it. 

Not so.

Your subheadings need to be set as H2s or H3s.

Why? Because Google reads your blog like an outline. If it’s all just one big wall of text, it won’t know what the key points are.

Proper headings make your post easier to read. Which your audience will love. And Google likes happy readers.

3. Don’t skip the meta description

This is the little preview text that shows up in search results. It's your chance to say, “Hey! Click me!”

Keep it short and to the point. Tell people what they’ll get from the post. Slip in a keyword if you can do it naturally (no weird shoehorning, please).

4. Add links – both kinds

A well-linked blog is like a friendly tour guide. It points readers to more useful stuff.

• Link to other pages or blog posts on your site

• Link to relevant outside sources (no, not your competitor’s sales page – but a solid article, tool, or stat is fair game)

  
  

This gives your content more context and shows Google you’ve done your homework.

5. Optimise your images (yes, really)

Images help your post look better, sure. But they also play a part in SEO.

Before uploading, rename your image files to include a keyword- something like “seo-blog-tips.jpg” instead of “IMG_2948.jpg”.

Then add alt-text. That’s the little description that screen readers (and Google) use to understand the image. 

It also makes your site more accessible, which is a win all round.

That’s It – SEO Simplified

You don’t need to stuff your post with keywords or turn it into a technical mess. Just give Google (and your readers) some clear signposts.

Still not sure if you’re doing it right? Or want someone to walk you through it without making your brain hurt?

I offer 90-minute starter sessions where we go over your blog setup, what to fix, and how to make it work for your business. 

I walk you through how to achieve all of this on-screen so that you’re ready to hit the ground running.

SEO help, minus the jargon.

Sound good? Drop me a message and let’s get your content seen.