Blogging Basics 101 » SEO/Search Engines

Helpful Blogging Links: Learning Tech, SEO Plug-in & Advice, Blogrolls

Melanie Nelson — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:30:19 +0000

Every day I share links to all the tech articles I love on the Blogging Basics 101 Tumblr blog! Subscribe to the Tumblr blog and never miss another article.

One Year Ago Today — Learning to Embrace the Tech Community via Girl with a Computer. I really needed to read this yesterday. I’ve had a hard week of learning and frustration. I’ve been blogging a long time and I understand the mechanics of it, but when I try to reach beyond it, sometimes the learning is tough. I know I can do it because 15 years I ago it was my job to do it. And if you’re just starting, you can do it too. Go read this article and let Ashley remind you that you can do this.

User’s Guide for All in One SEO Pack via WP Beginner. The All in One SEO Pack is one of the must-have plug-ins for your WordPress.org blog and now you’ll know how to use it to its full potential!

What it Looks Like When Brands Don’t Get Social Media via Incslingers. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don’t. And when you don’t, you usually are working with a traditional marketing or journalism team that is resisting the changes social media is demanding. Don’t make that mistake. Bring in people who understand what people expect online.

SEO Copywriting Checklist for WordPress Blogs via Web Success Diva. The method suggested here requires some preparation and work on your part (hello, editorial calendar!), but I think you may be happy with the results. If you try it out, let us know how it worked. I’m betting you’ll have more results than just great SEO — an editorial calendar really helps with the overall organization of your blog.

TypePad for Dummies Interview & Questions Answered via Build a Better Blog. Shannon and I spent the other day fielding blogging questions (some about TypePad, some not) and the discussion was really interesting. Check it out and let me know what you think.

How to Blog (Better) via BlogHer. BlogHer has a new forum up where you can ask questions and get answers. I’ve been in there a few times and there’s some good info to be had. Stop by, join the group, and jump in!

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Blissdom Recap: SEO & Counting What Counts (Pt. 2)

Melanie Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:00:24 +0000

Yesterday I shared some of the main tips from the Blissdom Wisdom Workshop SEO & Counting What Counts presented by Kelby Carr and Angela England. Today I want to give you the rest of the tips they shared, but it won’t be quite as detailed as yesterday’s recap. I love bulleted lists and this is just the time to share a few.

The Quick & Dirty List of SEO Tips

Blog Posts

Use a good, clear title that tells reader what the post is about.
Use bold subheads for clarity (header tags have more authority than bold).
Focus your post(s) instead of writing about several topics at once.
Make sure your link text includes keywords, and not just “click here”.
Update your blog frequently — Google comes if you’re updating regularly.
Instead of using a weekly generic post title (e.g., Works for Me Wednesday), use a descriptive title w/a dash (e.g., SEO Training in Two Minutes – Works for Me Wednesday).
Make sure your popular posts have a call to action (ask your readers to answer a question, link to another related article, etc.)

Pictures

Use captions for photos w/your keywords.
Rename your pictures to reflect your keywords or what the pictures show (Google image search can drive a lot of traffic!).
Use dashes, not underlines, when you name your pictures.
image captions can be the same as your Alt info.

Meta information

Use tags as a navigational tool and to help w/SEO for posts that have SEO-unfriendly titles.
You don’t need to use META keywords in your or tags because search engines ignore them completely.
Google dislikes text link ads so make sure they are NoFollow.

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Blissdom Recap: SEO & Counting What Counts (Pt. 1)

Melanie Nelson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:00:50 +0000

Panel Name: SEO & Counting What Counts by Kelby Carr & Angela England

I attended Blissdom ’10 in early February and loved that the event offered Wisdom Workshops a day before the real conference began. These workshops were offered in four tracks: Business, Writing, Creative, and Geek. As you can imagine, I stayed in the Geek room. One of the best sessions I attended was the SEO panel. I’m a technical writer by trade and things like usability and findability were drilled into my consciousness for four years so by now SEO comes naturally to me. But I just knew you all would appreciate my notes from this panel. If you’re going to learn SEO, Kelby Carr and Angela England are two women who can teach it to you. What follows are my notes and thoughts on the panel. I’ve integrated my own thoughts throughout this recap.

Are Your Keywords the Right Ones?

My advice to anyone who wants to make sure they’re doing SEO right is to use the same terms within your article that you’d search for if you wanted to find that information. Think about which search terms you would type into Google to find your topic. Can you incorporate those terms into your post’s title or as some of the links within your article? Kelby and Angela agree and they suggest you even go to Google and type in your search terms to see what’s popping up. Try a few different combinations of terms to see what yields the most relevant results — those are probably the words you want to try to use in your post. Beware though: You don’t want to overuse the terms in a single article. If you do, your post will read like an SEO vehicle rather than a blog post. Try to find that happy medium where you’re still writing in your voice, but incorporating some important key words as well.

Kelby and Angela also suggest using the Google Keyword Tool to see how particular keywords rank with other, similar keywords. For example, they suggest typing in “mom blog” and “mommy blogger”. Then look at the Global Monthly Search Volume to see which words or phrases are being used the most.

Take Away Tips:

It’s important to point out that, while you want to be sure people are searching for the terms you’re using, you don’t always have to use the top-ranked keywords.
Type in variations of a theme. For example, search for picture, photo, image, etc. to see how each keyword ranks.

Fix Your Blog’s Title Bar

The screenshot below shows you where the title bar is, your blog’s title banner, and the post’s title.

The default for most blogs is to have the name of the blog (e.g., Blogging Basics 101) in the title bar of the browser. To encourage search engine bots to “see” your articles individually, rather than as a single blog site, change this to reflect the post title – blog name (e.g., Blissdom Recap: SEO & Counting What Count — Blogging Basics 101).

Take Away Tip:

If you want search engine bots to register each of your pages separately (and you do), ensure that your blog’s page title shows the name of the article, then the name of your blog.

Google Analytics

If you aren’t running Google Analytics, you should be. It offers so many ways to track how readers are using your blog and gives you an overview of your blog’s trends.

Kelby and Angela suggest looking at

what keywords are working for your blog (and continue to use them)
which posts are most popular (then make sure they’re linked to other articles within your blog to encourage people to stay longer)
the top referring sites and see what campaigns are working (e.g., did that ad you bought really bring in some extra traffic?)

Take Away Tips:

If you’re not using Google Analytics, start. If you are using GA, pay attention to how your readers are using your site.
Make sure you have plenty of internal links to more of your writing goodness to encourage people to stick around longer.

Tomorrow I’ll have a few more SEO tips from this useful panel for you. In the mean time, make sure you’re following Kelby Carr and Angela England on Twitter.

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SEO: What Are NoFollow and DoFollow Links?

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:00:25 +0000

Linking, whether you’re linking to another site or your site is being linked to, is an important part of SEO (search engine optimization). How a site treats links is important because it can determine how search engines treat those links as well. Specifically, I’m talking about whether a site uses NoFollow tagging within its links.

What do NoFollow and DoFollow mean?

When you create a link within your blog, whether it’s on your sidebar, within your article content, or in a comment, a regular link will be coded similar to this (obviously the URL and link text will be your own):

Blogging Basics 101

If a link is tagged as NoFollow, it will look similar to this (again with your own information):

Blogging Basics 101

The part that defines the link as NoFollow is the rel=”nofollow”. If you take that out, your link becomes DoFollow. There is no actual DoFollow tag. The absence of the NoFollow tag makes the link DoFollow.

If a blog or web site doesn’t use the NoFollow tag, the search engines acknowledge the link; if a site does use the NoFollow tag, the search engines do not acknowledge the link. Why does this matter? In a previous article, I explained Google pagerank. Basically, if a site with a high pagerank links to you, Google increases your authority, and in turn, your pagerank. Those links can be links directly to something you wrote or links left in comments (since most commenting forms allow you to include your URL). But what if that site with the higher pagerank is using the NoFollow tag and not sharing the love? Well, Google ignores the fact that the site links to you and you don’t get the increased authority or pagerank. It is therefore desirable to interact with DoFollow blogs or web sites.

Is Your Blog DoFollow?

Most web sites have the NoFollow tag automatically enabled. Check out these article for tips on figuring out whether your blog is DoFollow or NoFollow:

How to Tell If Your Blog Is Do Follow via Newru
How to Tell if a Link is NoFollowed via Search Engine Guide
How Do I Know if a Blog Is Do Follow? via DoFollow Blog Information

Should You Use the DoFollow Tag?

Your readers will appreciate it if you don’t use NoFollow tagging. After all, you’ll be building their authority. It’s a way to give back to your community. Like everything, though, there’s a downside to being a DoFollow site: spammers may inundate a DoFollow blog with comments and links. If you choose to become a DoFollow site, be aware that you may experience an increase in spam comments and it may take more time to filter out the spammy stuff.

If you decide ditching the NoFollow tags is worth it, here are some links to help you change your blog to DoFollow:

Self-hosted WordPress
TypePad (you’ll need to have Advanced Templates enabled)
Blogger

When should you consider using the NoFollow tag?

Not every link is created equal. Every site has links that are less important or link to pages that don’t change (e.g., a site map or your About Me page). Use the NoFollow tag for those links. In addition to low priority links, Google suggests using the NoFollow tag for untrusted content and paid links. If you have text link ads on your site, make sure they’re tagged as NoFollow.

Further Reading

Debate: DoFollow vs. NoFollow Links via Blogussion
DoFollow FAQ via PageRush
Nofollow Links – The Good Side and The Bad Side via All Blogging Tips
NoFollow vs. DoFollow: Who Wins? via Free Blog Help
Understanding What the “No Follow” Tag Can Do For You via eVisibility

A version of this article was also posted at BlogHer.com.

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How to set up a Google Alert (and why it’s a good idea)

Melanie Nelson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:14 +0000

Google Alerts is one of the most versatile online tools. It allows you to listen to conversations you may not be aware of. Conversations that involve you or your brand (and maybe even your competitors). As you manage your online presence, it’s important to listen to what people are saying and how they are saying it. You want to know if other sites are linking to you, quoting you, supporting you, or complaining about you. You want to know what your competition is up to and how they are faring. Enter Google Alerts, the free online tool that lets you track keywords and phrases effortlessly so you never miss another important conversation.

What is Google Alerts?

In Get Started with Google Alerts, Rebecca Leaman explains what Google Alerts is: “You can think of Google Alerts as a customized Google Search — on-going — that delivers the search results to you automatically. You can set up any number of Alerts (up to 1000 per email address) to help you monitor online activity for the search terms of your choice.”

How can I use Google Alerts?

Using Google Alerts for Blogging Ideas suggests using Google Alerts as a sort of writing prompt: “By using Google Alerts for your keywords and key phrases, you can find a lot of ideas for future blog posts. You’ll be led to other websites and blogs with ideas you can continue on with. And you’ll receive news and press releases on brand new items coming out that you can alert your readers to.”

How do I set up Google Alerts?

Setting up Google Alerts is a simple process–you don’t even have to have a Gmail account to use Google Alerts.

Go to http://www.google.com/alerts/ where you’ll see this page:
Sign in if you have a Gmail account. If you don’t have a Gmail account, you can just start filling out the Google Alert form.
Enter the search terms you want to track, separated by commas. You can edit this later if you find you have too many or too few terms. If you’re not sure what to track, start with your name and your blog’s name. You may also want to include keywords related to your brand and your niche.
Choose the Type of search you want Google Alerts to create. Rebecca Leaman’s article on setting up Google Alerts explains each type of search and what you can expect:
- News (includes the latest news articles that mention your terms and “appear in the top ten results of your Google News search.”)
- Blogs (includes blog articles that mention your terms and “appear in the top ten results of your Google Blog search.”)
- Web (includes web pages that mention your terms and “appear in the top twenty results of your Google Web search.”)
- Comprehensive (includes results from News, Blogs, and Web, etc. that mention your terms. It’s, um, comprehensive.)
- Video (includes videos that mention your terms and “appear in the top ten results of your Google Video search.”)
- Groups (includes posts that mention your search terms and “appear in the top fifty results of your Google Groups search.”)
Choose how often you’d like to receive your Google Alerts. I like to receive mine once a day simply because I’m trying to cut down on the time I spend checking e-mail. However, if you’re tracking a timely project or news story, you may want to choose as-it-happens. Likewise, if you’re just keeping tabs on something that mildly interests you, but isn’t critical, you can choose once a week.
Choose where you’d like the Google Alerts delivered. If you have a Gmail account, you can receive them via gmail. If you’d rather, you can receive them via RSS or another e-mail account.
Click the Create Alert button and finish.

That’s it. Easy and free. Honestly, does it get better than that?

This article is cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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Helpful Blogging Links: August 28, 2009

Melanie Nelson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:00:43 +0000

Biz Ladies ’09: Advertising 101 for Bloggers via Design*Sponge

9 SEO Firefox Plugins I Can’t Live Without via Search Engine Journal

Authority Rules: The 10 Rock Solid Elements of Effective Online Marketing via copyblogger

June Walker: Tax & Financial Advisor to the Self-employed

7 Deadly Sins of Blogging via copyblogger

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What Are Blog Metrics?

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:00:01 +0000

Blog metrics are a way to measure the success (or at least the popularity) of a blog. In this article I will introduce you to several of the sites that are most popular for determining a blog’s success: Google PageRank, Technorati, Digg, and Alexa. Whether you put any stock into them is your call. (wink)

What is Google PageRank?
From Google:

PageRank is the measure of the importance of a page based on the incoming links from other pages. In simple terms, each link to a page on your site from another site adds to your site’s PageRank. Not all links are equal: Google works hard to improve the user experience by identifying spam links and other practices that negatively impact search results. The best types of links are those that are given based on the quality of your content.

In other words, it’s about the incoming links. However, if Aunt Laurie is linking to you it’s nice but it doesn’t count as much as it would if ProBlogger were linking to you.

Are you curious about your own Google PageRank? You can find your own PageRank without installing the toolbar. The higher the number, the more popular the site.

What is Technorati?
From Technorati:

The leading blog search engine, Technorati.com indexes millions of blog posts in real time and surfaces them in seconds. . .Technorati.com tracks not only the authority and influence of blogs, but also the most comprehensive and current index of who and what is most popular in the Blogosphere.

Pajama Mommy explains how she improved her Technorati ranking in Want PR? Technorati? Visitors?

Michelle at Scribbit lets you in on The Biggest Technorati Tip in the World.

Allen Weiss questions the definition of ‘authority’ in The Meaning of Numbers: Does an ‘Authority Index Equal Authority?.

What is Digg?
From Digg:

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. From the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg surfaces the best stuff as voted on by our users. You won’t find editors at Digg — we’re here to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content and we’re changing the way people consume information online.

ProBlogger questions whether StumbleUpon Sends More Traffic Than Digg. (I can help you get started using StumbleUpon!)

What is Alexa?
From Wikipedia:

Alexa Internet, Inc. is a California-based subsidiary company of Amazon.com that is best known for operating a website that provides information on web traffic to other websites. . .Alexa ranks sites based on tracking information of users of its Alexa Toolbar for Internet Explorer and from integrated sidebars in Mozilla and Netscape.

Mark8t.com offers some insight on how Alexa works in Alexa Ranking: Does It Matter?

(This article is cross-posted at BlogHer.com.)

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Helpful Blogging Links

Melanie Nelson — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:00:38 +0000

How to make columns of equal height in Blogger via Blogger Buster
My Favorite WordPress Themes & Resources via Jim Kukral

Make Money Online with your Business Blog: Search Engine Optimized Blogging via Business Blogging Guide
What I learned at Search Engine Bootcamp via Problogger

How to Understand Your Audience: Data Collection & Analysis via DoshDosh

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Helpful Blogging Links: More SEO

Melanie Nelson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:00:27 +0000

This is a holiday week here in the United States. I’m busy preparing turkey and stuffing and various pies. I won’t be posting again until Monday, December 1. In the mean time, here’s a special SEO Helpful Blogging Links.

Get More Search Traffic with Keywords Optimization via Blogthority

How to Become and SEO Ninja via copyblogger

How to Create a Blog That Is Both Visitor and SEO Friendly via crazeegeekchick

How to Pick Keywords for Your Website via Webgrrls

Beginner’s Guide to SEO via SEOmoz

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Do you know the difference between tags and categories?

Melanie Nelson — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:04 +0000

Tags are usually one- or two-word (three at the most) descriptions (or keywords) of a blog post. For example, I might tag this article “define tags” and “define categories”. The tags you choose are used by sites like Technorati (the blog search engine) to find your site and group it according to tags (e.g., putting all the posts with “define tags” into one link).

Lorelle at Lorelle on WordPress says:

Think of tags as a form of interactive yellow pages. The tag link takes you to a collection of posts tagged with that tag category name.

For instance, instead of going to a search engine and typing in the keywords for Nature Photography, you would click on the Nature Photography tag on the site you are visiting, which would then display a categorized listing of posts about Nature Photography.

Tags on your site can have two functions.

Tags can link to related tag categories on Technorati or other tag sites, showing a collection of offsite posts from around the web all related to the tag category, such as Nature Photography.

Tags can link to a generated page such as your searches do, listing all of the posts on your site related to that specific tag.

Categories are a way for you to group your posts on your own blog. You can name categories anything you like and those categories may be unique to your blog (e.g., I have a friend who has a category called I think it’s funny. You probably won’t find that in a tag-related site or on another blog for the most part.)

Please read the rest of Lorelle’s article on Categories versus Tags – What’s the Difference and Which One? She provides information about the differences between tags and categories as well as when to use each.

Additional articles of interest on tags and categories:

What Every Blogger Needs to Know About Categories via Pearsonified
How to Choose Categories for Your Blog via Problogger

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