5 keyword and SEO essentials for blogs

5 keyword and SEO essentials for blogs

While searching for content on search engines, information seekers look for a variety of keywords. Marketers and bloggers need to understand the various audience types, nature of the content to be created while keeping in mind the key messages of the brand. It is also true that if your content is relevant and exceptional, being located by users on search engines is not a herculean task. But in some cases, a blog loaded with facts and figures might still not make the cut and reach the top of SERPs.

Now the challenge is, how to rank organically high in the SERPs?

While it isn’t rocket science, it also isn’t a piece of cake. SEO experts use a variety of strategies to get their blogs to rank well. Below are some essentials to attract organic traffic to your blogs –

 

01

Capitalize on most ranked keywords

At times, you might end up incorporating a few crucial keywords in your copy without a hint that they can get you traffic. Those alone will not suffice to help you get organic traffic. Many keyword research tools equip you with the most searched keywords relevant to your topic. It saves you much time if you can learn what type of keywords are being searched for by your audiences. All you have to do is incorporate those keywords effectively and appropriately in your copy.

 

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02

Populate keywords consistently

If SEO was simple, your text could’ve been a winner with repetitive keywords throughout. But that is meaningless and lacks a message, and search engines generally ding such websites. Once you have recognised keywords that can potentially make way to organic traffic, use those keywords consistently in your copy but be careful not to overuse them. Meaningfully include long-tail and short-tail keywords by attaching factual and informational value to your copy. You can play with keywords in the title, paragraphs, anchor text, meta description. Please do not engage in keyword stuffing, as some policies by Google dictate that they be adequately used.

 

03

Make your blog design-heavy

Content alone will not appeal to your audiences. Imagery, videos and graphic elements bring colour to your blog. These elements can easily keep your viewers engaged. While uploading your images on the blog, be sure to include the keywords in the name of the file. Fill the alt text with a brief description of the image. This might seem like a minuscule effort towards SEO, but it adds immensely.

 

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04

Link other relevant articles

To increase traffic to your blogs, identify other prevailing blogs that are related to the subject on your blog. By doing this, you might attract the attention of a fellow blogger who has a better online presence. If you’re fortunate enough, you might even receive backlinks. Some sites might link your blog in theirs, and this will be rewarding as it helps to climb up the SERP ladder.

 

05

Your older articles might come in handy

If you are a blogger who writes about diverse subjects, then you must also be one that writes multiple articles on the same topic, which would work to your advantage as you can link an article previously written by you to another blog on a similar subject. That way, you are generating more traffic within your blog by redirecting your audiences to other blogs on the same content bucket.

 

The idea behind optimizing blog content is to be discovered on leading search engines and possibly find a spot on the first page of the SERPs. Presence on second or third pages of the search results is neither visible to the audiences, or is it beneficial to you. Through keyword optimization, your blogs are likely to receive more traffic, given that SEO practices are diligently implemented.

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WordPress for SMEs

WordPress for SMEs

Small/medium businesses gain visibility through their online presence; be it websites, social media or emails. However, building a website that relays all the necessary company information to the target market is paramount. A website can be set up to take orders for the products/services displayed or in general, to imprint the organisation among the target audience. But for small/medium enterprises, setting up a website isn’t necessarily cost-effective.

Owners of small companies shrug at the thought of setting up a fully functional website, and the reasons are many. It’s not as simple as hiring a web developer/ coder.

The introduction of WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) revolutionised website building and how the world viewed website building.

What makes WordPress so peculiar that nearly 34% of the websites in the world are developed using it?

And how does it help and impact small/medium enterprises?

 

01

Cost-effective, for the win.

WordPress stands out because it cuts down the costs of website building significantly as it gives a user-friendly interface, allowing users to tailor-make websites without embedding a code or hiring a web developer. It helps the business establish a name and brand for itself, to make its presence felt without expending lavishly.

 

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02

Free plugins that can perform multiple functions.

Numerous free plugins and themes are available on WordPress that make custom-designing a website extremely convenient. Users can download plugins and themes that fit the agenda/style of their company and proceed with building the website. Almost every aspect of a website can be meddled with to make it according to your preference. From the placement to the size of each element, you are at liberty to modify aspects as you like.

 

03

Ease-of-use, through and through.

In comparison with other Content Management Systems, WordPress comes out as the absolute winner due to the balance it has struck between robust functionality and ease-of-use. The features in WordPress are easy to manoeuvre and control. Users, even with least knowledge about web developing, can create a website that can go up and running.

WordPress is no doubt, an impeccable platform that makes website building easier than ever. Although customisable, WordPress can get a bit tricky if you intend to add specific features. Such situations demand help from a programmer to tailor-make those particular features. To get the result, it will cost you a few more bucks. If you are determined to make the changes yourself, you will need to get a good understanding of HTML or CSS.

WordPress is a game-changing platform despite its few shortcomings. Small and medium businesses can benefit massively by using WordPress and create personalised websites that best speak their company’s purpose.

 

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How to write an appealing boilerplate

How to write an appealing boilerplate

Reporters are on the lookout for a piece of information that acts as a bird’s eye view of the company. It is necessary to keep the information to the point and refrain from including less important information. However, while you’re engaged in the process, it can be hard to narrow down the vast amount of company information to a short piece of content.  A boilerplate contains only those facts and pieces of information that are vital to describe the company precisely.

Generally included at the end of a press release, a boilerplate should consist of not more than 3-4 sentences. It allows the reader to gain knowledge about the company that is not just concise, but also meaningful and adequate. The idea behind a boilerplate is to keep information comprehensive and not cluttered.

An ideal boilerplate or simply put, an “About us” statement should integrate relevant information that the media reporters and the consumer audiences can refer. If you are aiming to write a wholesome boilerplate, you should include the following details:

01

When was the company founded?

Information about the time when the company was established, helps the readers know how long the company has been in existence. Journalists often describe a company based on the number of years of experience the company has in the market.

 

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02

Where is it located?

When the location of the company is specified, audiences looking for a service provider within their locality will be interested. It is easier to work with a company that is within the confines of city/place than looking farther away.

 

03

Is it a publicly held/ privately held/ start-up organization?

The nature of an organization helps the journalists convey the type of work that the company t. Additionally, specifying what sector it belongs to will help the audiences estimate the feasibility of being associated with such a company.

 

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04

What are the core products and services offered?

The most crucial element of a boilerplate is the catalogue of products and services offered. The readers can analyze the products and then select one that is most relevant to them.

 

05

Who is the target audience?

Stating the stakeholders that the company caters to will give clarity to the reader and thereby help them draw any conclusions.

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06

Has the company been awarded?

Achievements entitled to a company, if mentioned, might prove to be useful when journalists elucidate more on the company to the readers. It gives an instant facelift to the company and helps the client decide in favour of the company.

 

07

What is the Unique Selling Proposition(USP)?

The crux of an ideal boilerplate is the USP or the Unique Selling Proposition, which determines whether or not the reader finds your company appealing enough to consider working with. The USP must state what makes the company different from the others in the market.

Finding the right mix of facts that constitute a boilerplate needs to be remembered. The arrangement and order of these elements are also crucial that they impact the entire look of the boilerplate.

Even though boilerplates are typically used in press releases, they make a good fit for a company’s sales pitch, brochure and also on a website’s “About Us” section.

Here are some examples of well-written boilerplates that you could use as a reference:

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NETFLIX:

Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment service with 139 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

Refer: https://www.netflixinvestor.com/ir-overview/profile/default.aspx

 

NIKE:

NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer, and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brands include Converse, which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE, Inc.’s earnings releases and other financial information are available on the Internet at http://investors.NIKE.com. Individuals can also visit http://news.NIKE.com and follow @NIKE

Here’s a boilerplate for our agency, Fablesquare:

Fablesquare is a full-service marketing agency based in Bangalore, India. Incorporated in October 2016, Fablesqaure caters to the marketing requirements of both B2B and B2C  businesses. Fablesqaure provides end-to-end marketing services such as Branding, Digital Marketing, Website design, Content marketing, Influencer marketing, and Public relations. Since its inception, Fablesqaure has worked with 80+ clients and has successfully completed over 175 projects.

For more information, visit https://www.fablesquare.com/.