SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is becoming more, and more important in business. It is easy to spot the shifting tides of consumers preferring to search the internet for services or buy online instead of visiting the high street. This means that no matter what industry your business is in, it is imperative that you have a website or social media presence. Now, while it is good to have a website- how do potential customers find you? That is where SEO comes in handy.

Part of Google’s algorithm analyses your website’s value and relevancy through the written content on the page and by tracking the way in which your visitors interact with the content. Blog posts are an important part of both your website’s Google viability and audience engagement. So here are some top-tips for building a blog post that Google & your audience will love. 

Topic – Answer Questions & Think Outside The Box

In the SEO world, there are some that consider written content as the most important part of why Google ranks your website higher than another… and you need to constantly write fresh content. In part this is true. However, the way in which the website users interact with the page is by far the most important thing to consider. Search engines will look at how long users stay on the page, if they click through into another page or if they click off the page before it fully loads (this is referred to as ‘bouncing’). How long users stay on the content is often down to the topic and how well the post is written. Before anything, you must understand who your blog post is for and why they will find it valuable. Give your audience a reason to read your post and give them something really interesting. Engaging your customer is very important for SEO & your brand. If you are stuck, start by writing about questions you are often asked by your customer base – this is key information about what they may want to read about. 

‘Best way to sell something: don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect and trust of those who might buy’ – Rand Fishkin

Keywords

A keystone of SEO is the words that are written on the page. This written content tells search engines what the page is about, and therefore, what it should be ranking for. The second thing you should do is understand which keywords you would like to focus on. This is a combination of the topic you wish to write about, the audience you wish you to attract, and also the ‘search term’ which most people search on Google. There are some tools which help with this keyword research- I would recommend Moz (which has a free set of tools) or Ahrefs (which is generally paid for). There are millions of other tools out there. 

As an example: If I researched this topic’s associated keywords and found that ‘Blog post SEO’ was the best option for me, I would then ensure that the exact (or similar) keyword phrase was included a few times in the text (say 5 or 6 times in a blog post – or roughly once every 100 words).

Long Tail Keywords

This is where things get a little complex for bloggers who are new comers to SEO. Keywords can be categorized differently depending on their search volume & keyword difficulty. The best keywords for blog posts are called ‘Long Tail Keywords’ – these are keywords which are more specific. While these keywords have less search volume, they are generally less competitive. An example would be targeting the phrase ‘SEO Company UK’. Chances are this blog post will never rank well. However, if I choose something more specific like,  ‘Best SEO Company in Edinburgh’, I may have a higher chance of ranking. Targeting 5 smaller easier keywords could be better than 1 big one.  

 

Some golden rules:

1. If you put a million keyword instances in the blog post, Google will work out that you are trying to fool its system and will punish you (this is called ‘over-optimization’).
2. Try to avoid using the same exact keyword/phrase for different posts. Google generally only wants to publish one of your pages for a keyword so it may get confused as to which blog post it should be showing (this is called ‘cannibalization’).
3. Try and keep it natural and don’t stuff the key phrases in. The important thing is the passion behind what you are writing about. 
4. Ensure that these keywords are included in the big title (h1), at least once in the subtitles (h2), the text (5/6 times), and the meta title. 

 Title tags

Title Tags are an integral part of building the correct structure of a blog post- for your readers and for search engines. Titles are important because they help to break down the page and signpost new topics. There are 3 main tags to use – h1, h2 & h3 tags. In general, you should only have 1 h1 on the page and it should contain your main page focus. For subheadings under that, the h2 which should include associated keywords and below that should be a h3 and so on. Below is the structure of this blog post:

 

• <h1>-  SEO 101 for writing blog posts

• <h2> – Keywords

• <h3> – Longtail Keywords

• <h2> – Post Length

• <h2> – Meta Title

As you can see, each follow the hierarchy. Title ‘tags’ are to do with the HTML (like the code from the Matrix) behind the page. Google reads the page as HTML so by adding these tags you are sign posting to google what the key points of the page are. That is why your keywords should be in these titles. If you are adding these posts directly to the website simply add <h> text <h/> or use the page builder – if you are sending your work to be added to the website, note next to the titles which tag you wish to use for the webmaster to implement. 

 

Post Length

Post length is underrated when it comes to SEO. If you are really serious about SEO, you may go as far as looking at the word count of every page on the search engine results. Google looks at how long the page is to understand its value to a potential reader. If the blog post is only 50 words it may be considered as ‘thin’, if there are millions of words on the page, Google may think that a reader will never be able to find what they are looking for. We would suggest that a blog post should be between 500 and 1200 words. If in doubt, Google what you plan to write about and see how long those articles are. 

Meta Title

As a content creator, you may never have heard of a meta title, but it is a very important part of your customers understanding of the page before ever visiting your website. The meta title is the title that you see on the search engine result pages (SERPS). It should tell your users what the page is about and contain your keyword focus. It should also be long enough to be eye catching and it is a great opportunity to tell your customer ‘this is the page you want to click on’. 

You can see our own meta title & meta information below. We have done this by telling our potential customers what services we offer, and then make the point that we are the top ranking SEO company in Fife. If we can rank top for SEO companies in fife, it proves we are of value to our potential customers. Sell your post here!

Share on Social Media

Social signals are a growing part of SEO. Social Media is a great way to engage with your audience and retain their interest. The best place to share your blog posts are on all the social media platforms your business is on. This gets users reading your posts, sharing your content and spending time on the website. Google sees this and thinks – ‘well, if these users love it so much, Google users may also like it’. 

Get sharing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Reddit to give your posts an audience.

 

In Conclusion

These points do not guarantee SEO success. They do however, make it easy for Google, and your customer, to understand the blog post and gives it the best chance to be found on search engines. Try not to over think it: simply focus on your existing audience and the topic, while following these basic rules, you will not need to think about the SEO – the SEO will take care of itself. 

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Cowboy’s and Aliens

Bad practice is rife in website link building services. With anything that takes lots of time & is hard, it is easy to take shortcuts to match client expectations or for quick wins. Unfortunately, if you put bad fuel in your shuttle, you are going to explode at some point. In the ‘good old days’ of 2000’s SEO, webmasters could employ or create networks of websites and domains which had the sole purpose of providing a tone of links to their own, or a client’s website. Google is catching and cracking down on the ‘cheating’ but SEO’s are also getting smarter…or more despite. Take your pick.

PBNs

Funnily enough, I grabbed this picture from ‘blackhatlinks.com’.

 

Private Blog Networks (PBN’s) are a common strategy for link building with ‘grey hat’ SEOs. PBN’s are a collection of websites that you own (or are owned by somebody else/a collection of people) that only really exist as a tool to provide links for SEO. If I owned ten websites selling SEO services, I would point them at this site, and Google will think I am really authoritative and that my site has lots of friends; in reality, you are linking to yourself. If you are a pro/know what you are doing, a PBN could be very effective at fooling the Google algorithm. Although, it does take a tone of time, can cost a bomb (with your domains, separate hosting systems etc… all designed to avoid Google’s punishing eye) it may help you rank a client website, or make you a tone of money from affiliate or eCommerce websites.

Sounds amazing, right? Up front hard work to get easy links that you can control? You’re right. It is amazing. The big issue is that it is a direct contradiction to the rules of Google’s game & can land you a manual penalty or for your websites to be deindexed. If Google catches you ‘cheating’,  your website/websites could be wiped from Google and ruin all the hard work you have put in. Playing with a PBN with your own website is a pain for white-hat SEOs but long as the risk is worth it, the technique is fair-game. It is, however, unforgivable if an SEO or agency use a PBN for a client because it could extinguish their livelihood. It isn’t really fair to risk somebody else’s business like that.

 A couple of the most visible SEO’s in Scotland have bragging the rights to say they are either top, or first page of the ‘SEO Scotland’, ‘SEO Edinburgh/ Glasgow” terms and it is fairly obvious that they have to use a network of PBNs between them (being top for SEO terms serves as an example of how good you do your work).

There was an article openly endorsing the use of the technique published recently with an associate of SEMrush, and there are some good points made but we would prefer to make solid foundations and a start with a robust long-term approach. You know what happens to castles made on sand.

Paid Links

Webmasters have jumped on a business opportunity because they know how exclusive and beneficial a good link can be. If they have a quality, niche and authoritative website, they could earn a penny or two for some links. We know that a lot of agencies foot the bill because it is more cost/time effective to do so. Personally, I don’t have a huge issue with paid links. My concern would be, if the website is selling links, the website is not operating in a ‘natural’ or authentic way. It could mean that the website is part of a PBN, they are more likely to be low authority and could already be penalised by search engines. These links would just be a waste of money. Basically, paid links are generally riskier and less effective than white-hat links… generally that is. If you know what to look for, a paid link is a fair corner to cut.

If you’re considering it, you also have to be a little bit clever with buying links. You have to think of the timing, pace, quantity and quality of the links. If Google thinks that the links do not look natural it could put you in line for a penalty. If the website is trash, you’ve wasted your money. All that effort could be put into creating quality content and being innovative about how you approach white-hat link building.

Web linking & SEO Outreach Fife & Edinburgh

In case you haven’t guessed. Part of our SEO strategy is to build links to your website to improve your overall visibility on search engines. If you found this informative and wish to ask a few questions, get your self in touch.

Get in touch if you think we can help you with your SEO outreach & Web link building in Fife & Edinburgh.

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Who Stuart Cormack Was To SEOFife

SEOFife was founded just after University – We had both fallen into the, largely ignored gap, of getting used to a full time, meaningless and not so graduate employment. The years in University are defiantly the best days of your life and we knew it – we knew it was over. The previous year was the best of all too; we stayed up late, drunk beer in the flat or at the Curly Coo, played too many video games, all in the company of our 3 other brothers- Jack, Panashe and Stuart. We had known each other for nearly four years at this point.

‘I met Stuart in my very first Freshers week at a Drama society meeting. From the moment I met him he showed a unique kindness to me and a genuine sense to want to get to know who I was and what my story was about and I will always appreciate him for that. During our time at university, I would get to know him better and beneath each layer would reveal a man with a beautiful soul.

I thank God for the times that we shared’ – Panashe Bopoto, (Longtime friend and Flatmate in 4th year)

From day one, Stuart Hugh Cormack was hard to miss. He was 6ft5, made everybody laugh and fit right into the big, little brother suit. Sam, was instantly the closest to Stuart (apart from both being well over 6ft) and already acquaintances from high school in North Berwick but we all learned to love his gentle soul, absolutely hilarious and sometimes absurd sense of humour. Stuart was the guy who introduced everyone in the flat to their new favourite series, film, album, comedian, author, artist, play, comic… you name it. He knew it and knew something you would like.  (He and Sam made me watch ‘The Room’- it sums up Stu’s sense of humour to a T).

Stuart was a one-off. One of those special edition’s that fit their own box.

‘I mean, Stuart wasn’t just a person- he was an experience. He never did have a great deal of time for the mundanities of life, instead doing things his way…. because tasting pasta to see if it was cooked was just too boring for Stuart, he had to fling it at the wall and basically redecorate the kitchen with spaghetti’ – Conor Healy (Flatmate for 1st, Second and Third Year of University)

Stuart’s Story

Stuart died on Wednesday the 6th of July 2016 after a short battle with predominately Liver cancer. – he had spent 22 years, 364 days on this planet and passed away only 5 weeks after his diagnosis.

He reported to have been feeling unwell around March time this year- there was nothing serious but he knew something wasn’t quite right. He said he didn’t feel like eating something and his stomach was a bit bloated. After a couple of weeks Sam met up with Stuart for a couple of drinks and he was looking rather thin; it was completely normal with him feeling off. His stomach was enlarged but he thought it was to do with drinking gassy fluids- so he avoided beer.

Two weeks later Stuart was admitted to Hospital. He had gone in for a further check up to get to the bottom of his stomach problems as he was feeling significantly more unwell. Fearing an infection (which the medical staff later confirmed) they found his bloods to be off and decided to send him to hospital – what they found was multiple tumours on his Appendix, Liver and Peritoneum.

Teenage Cancer Unit- Western General Hospital Edinburgh

(Click the link above to support the Teenage Cancer Unit)

Stuart was then admitted to the Teenage Cancer Unit in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. He had now been diagnosed with cancer he was set about to fighting the raging infection that had started in his body. The action plan was to fight the infection and then look at Chemo Therapy to deal with the cancer. Although, the ward was full of other very sick people the doctors and nurse’s worked endlessly and tirelessly to help not just Stuart but also his family- they were also incredibly supportive of any visitors, even if they were more than slightly outside the designated hours. Words cannot express how grateful Stuart and his family were for their expertise, support and extra million miles they went every day, for them and for each and every patient under their care. Their calm reassurance, expert advice and genuine level of understanding is a credit to the Hospital and to the NHS itself.

It was here that Stuart and his family were given the news that Stuart was not going to be strong enough for Chemo and that his cancer was terminal.

‘Stuart had nothing but good things to say about [The Teenage Cancer Unit] (even if he did talk about his balls and his bowels more than is considered polite!) and I don’t think I would’ve been able to deal with the news without your wonderful unit’ – Isla MacLean (Stuarts Wife)

Please have a look at the Units donation page and help a little so they can further their support of young, people suffering from cancer of all forms.

The St Columbus Hospice

(Click the link above to support the Teenage Cancer Unit)

Not too long after Stuart’s bad news, he was moved to the St Columbus Hospice in Edinburgh. To tell the truth, the Hospice is beautiful – very calm, tranquil and picturesque. It was a hard transition for Stuart to make however, they made everything so welcoming and so much easier to deal with. The hospice was so, so accommodating and did everything in their power to help Stuart achieve his final wishes; they hosted and orchestrated Stuart’s and Isla’s wedding and helped bring together family and friends to celebrate the occasion. As Isla perfectly sums it up; ‘No one plans to die at 22, but of all places he could have gone, I’m thankful he went there’.

The St Columbus Hospice didn’t simply help Stuart in his final days, but maybe hundreds of people a year. They support, counsel, advise, comfort and accommodate everything the can in their power – with a profound level of thought care and compassion. To die is a strangely abstract, scary and surreal concept, but when you are facing that reality, it is something special to have that guiding hand, with friends surrounded and guided until the end.

The Hospice put Stuarts family up, in beds so that they were closer to him and supplied free tea and coffee to visitors. The St Columbus hospice in Edinburgh has become very close to my heart.

Once again the St Columbus Hospice operates from the kindness of donations– if you can spare a little it would be a fantastic gift to send somebody away in peace and tranquillity of mind.

He ‘left a Stuart shaped hole in our lives’ (Words of His father) and he is somebody who will be so very hard to forget.

Please help us contribute to The Teen Cancer Trust and St Coulombs, two wonderful charities that made Stuart’s treatment the best possible, and help them provide the same care to others!

We later found out, after analysis, that Stuart had a particularly rare form of cancer called ‘Linitis Plastica’ which is more common in the Far East but growing more common amongst Europeans. People Under 40 and those as young as 20-25 are slightly more affected. What is striking about this form of cancer is that it is currently almost always fatal, even before there are any noticeable symptoms, as it invades the deep layers of the stomach lining and quickly spreads to the vital organs. As a diffuse cancer there is no solid mass to see which makes it very hard to detect, almost invisible to an endoscopy. Even if detected early and the stomach is removed, it just keeps coming back. As it was described to us- ‘Its a completely hopeless, aggressive cancer’.

In Memory of Stuco- Stuart Cormack

When Stuart passed away, I think everyone looked inwards. If there is one thing, I certainly learned was that it drew attention to how I was living my life. Stuart managed to fulfil one dream- to ride the Transserbian railway line. It is a trip he had spoken about for the whole time we knew him and he had finally booked it for a little later this year; he sadly didn’t make the trip.

‘I’ve been sitting here for ages thinking – I’m rubbish with words and nothing I can think feels good enough for him. All of his bad traits were completely overshadowed when you laugh. The amount of people that turned up to his funeral shows how many people really love and miss him’ – Tara Copic (Flatmate, first second and third year of University)

It was made abundantly clear at Stuart’s funeral by all speakers that nobody plans to die, never mind at nearly twenty-three years of age. So if there is something that you are waiting to do, go and do it! If you can’t because you have work, or have don’t have the time- make the time and go. Enjoy the life that we have been given and spend it doing the things you want to do – spare no effort in making your dreams come true.

Stuart was a fantastic artist and story writer – he had developed a collection of drawing and storyboards for it but never had the confidence to put his work out there. The final dream that Stuart fulfilled was to see his comic compiled together, completed and published by two of his long-term friends. He is said to have beamed with happiness and he passed away later that evening.

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