The Confident Copywriter

Posts Tagged ‘blogging’

On Thursday, we introduced the concept of Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), technology poised to change the way we use keywords to optimize copy.

One way you can get moving is by starting a blog. You’ve heard this advice many times, but the truth is that the humble blog is becoming more important, not less. That should be a relief to some who have questioned whether social media is making blogging obsolete.

If you want to rank well in organic search, your site must reward the search engines with lots of valuable content. There is no faster or easier way to achieve this goal than with a blog. It’s one of the smartest ways to build content.

Once your blog is ready to go, be sure to publish at least three posts each week. Why is this important? Because each post is counted as a new page. More posts equals deeper content, and a higher page rank.

LSI is not meant to replace the all-important keyword, but to enhance it. Be sure to optimize your blog posts with keywords, as well as tagging and categorizing the post.

And never, ever forget the importance of relevant information!

Keyword-Optimized Images

Adding keyword-optimized images is another important strategy. Google does include images when indexing your website, so make sure you’ve got some keyword-optimized images. Before you do this, be sure the images you choose add relevancy to your content. A blog post about SEO accompanied by a picture of an ice cream cone probably isn’t going to be as optimized as it could be. The point of a picture is to add weight to the message.

To keyword-optimize the image, simply include one of your top keywords in your HTML code where the image is linked to the page. (In the image “alt” text. Wordpress users, use the “Title” field.)

The Ever-Popular Video

Videos are enjoying immense popularity. Unfortunately, search engine spiders are deaf. Therefore, build individual videos around one important keyword, and be sure to use that keyword in the video title. And don’t forget the importance of a transcript, the actual words used in your video. This helps the search engines recognize the keyword you’ve so carefully used. For example, when uploading a video to YouTube, choose “closed captioning” to also upload the transcript.

Nike Got It Right

Search is going through an unprecedented transition. As social media networks continue to infiltrate our lives, people rely less and less on the search engines and more and more on the opinions of ‘friends’ to make trustworthy recommendations. If you’re not on board with social media yet, time is running out. (That’s not a sneaky plea to win business. It’s the truth.)

As a child, when my Mom would nag me on some point I had heard umpteen times, I would complain, “Ma! You already told me 100 times!” To which my very wise mother would reply, “If you would just do it, I wouldn’t have to keep talking about it!”

If I had a dollar (inflation, people) for every time someone asked me how I manage to keep up with all my writing…well, let’s just say I’d be doing a lot less writing!

One area that causes consternation is blogging. Since you’re here, it’s a good place to start.

How do I keep up with the relentless pace of creating valuable content 3-5 times a week? And what happens as my blogdom grows? (My new blog, CopyVirgin, will be available in March. If you can’t tell who I’m targeting, drop me a line and we’ll discuss it. )

Here are some tips to get you going:

Pay Attention

Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Are you still keeping them? If so, you’re the exception to the rule. Like dieting, losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking…blogging requires commitment and attention. Don’t relegate it to the back burner. Schedule it as if a client is paying you for it.

When you stop posting as frequently, the search engines lose interest. So do all of those great groups you’ve worked so hard to attract. If necessary, trade services with another writer who can post content for you, or pay a professional blog writer to get you over the hump (last resort).

Get Organized!

To blog regularly, you’ve got to make time for it. Solving this challenge requires organization, a plan. You schedule your time to meet client deadlines, don’t you? Plan your blogging time. Set aside 30 minutes a day, or 2 hours once a week, or Saturday mornings…whatever works for you. This is Blog Time and nothing and no one is going to get in your way.

Bring the Inspiration to You

Often, the problem isn’t your ability to write. The problem is, “I don’t know what to write about.” I suggest creating a document called Blog Ideas. Keep it on your desktop. As blog ideas pop into your head, jump over and jot them down before the phone rings or the kids interrupt and you forget. Then, when it’s Blog Time, the ideas are already there.

Google Alerts are another neat little trick – simply type in your chosen keywords. I typed in ‘copywriting’, ‘freelance writers’, etc. as well as the names of companies I want to follow. Don’t forget to follow your own name – you’ll be surprised where you pop up! Google Alerts will send information matching your keywords straight to your inbox, hot off the press. Voila! Instant inspiration!

Don’t Give Up!

There will be times when you feel pressured, just don’t feel like it, or something else needs your attention. That’s business, isn’t it? But it’s no excuse to give up. Like the dieter who gives in to chocolate cake, no good can come from skipping a scheduled blog post. If you miss a post, get back on track for the next one. Be disciplined and reap the rewards!

Have blogging tips of your own? Please share!