SEO blogging tips: the biggest difference I’ve made as a blogger

This month marks a huge milestone–my 14th blogiversary! 14 years ago I started my blog kind of on a whim so I would have a creative outlet. It was “the dark days of blogging” and I didn’t really know what I was doing. So, I had no way of knowing that today I’d be here celebrating 14 years of storytelling, connecting, and growing. As I reflect on how much my blog has evolved, it’s clear that embracing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been the single most impactful change I’ve made. Yep, not growing on social media, wink wink. To celebrate my 14 years of blogging, I want to share some SEO blogging tips that have made a difference for me. I also have some practical advice on how you can use SEO to grow your own blog.

SEO blogging tips–what is SEO?

why SEO has been so important

When I first started blogging, SEO wasn’t really on my radar. Like many bloggers in the early days, my focus was on sharing what was on my heart and hoping that readers would find my content organically. Because that’s how it happens, right? You hit “publish” on a blog post and the crowds of adoring fans will find you–right? It wasn’t until several years into my blogging journey that I realized I was missing out on a powerful tool that could help my blog reach new audiences. Since then, I’ve seen firsthand how SEO makes a difference.

Good SEO brings traffic to your site from search engines like Google, making your posts easier for readers to find. The beauty of SEO is that it’s always working for you. Instead of spending time sharing every post on social media or chasing the latest trend, I can trust that well-optimized content will attract readers long after it’s been published. It allows my blog to keep working for me in the background, freeing up time to focus on creating more content and engaging with my readers.

still confused about SEO?

I don’t blame you if you’re sitting there scratching your head. Search Engine Optimization can seem really overwhelming and intimidating. In a nutshell, SEO is the formula that makes your blog content more visible on search engines. You can think of it as an algorithm (because, technically it is), but it is actually a lot easier to understand than social media algorithms! It’s about optimizing your site so that search engines can understand and prioritize your content when people search for topics you cover. However, although the basics of SEO stay the same, there are tiny tweaks (Google calls them “core updates”) that happen a few times a year that can throw you for a loop.

John Mueller, Search Advocate for Google, said in a statement after Google’s August 2024 core update:

“Today, we launched our August 2024 core update to Google Search. This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.

This latest update takes into account the feedback we’ve heard from some creators and others over the past few months. As always, we aim to connect people with a range of high quality sites, including small or independent sites that are creating useful, original content, when relevant to users’ searches. This is an area we’ll continue to address in future updates. This update also aims to better capture improvements that sites may have made, so we can continue to show the best of the web.”

What does this tell me? Now, more than ever, creating useful content is the key to good SEO. The basics of that are still the same, even if some of the “tricks” for improving SEO aren’t yielding results they used to.

The foundation of good SEO still remains:

Keywords: Keywords are specific words and phrases that describe the topic of your blog post. The right keywords and long-tail keywords make your post more discoverable, helping it show up when people search for similar topics. This is key (non pun intended) when it comes to creating content that is considered helpful by Google.
On-Page Optimization: This includes optimizing elements on each page, like titles, meta descriptions, headers, and alt text for images. On-page SEO helps search engines quickly understand your content. Big blocks of text, long MLA-style college writing, and zero images won’t cut it. You need to rewire your brain to think in terms of SEO.
Quality Content: Search engines prioritize valuable, high-quality content that offers real answers to what readers are looking for. SEO and content creation go hand in hand. Are you throwing content up just for the sake of getting some text online? I admit, I’ve been guilty of this in the past!
Backlinks: When other reputable sites link to your content, it builds credibility with search engines. These inbound links act like votes of confidence, signaling to search engines that your blog is a trusted resource. And yes, links are still an important factor after the core update that Google takes into account.

Mastering SEO doesn’t happen overnight, trust me, I know. I’m about to share my own journey with improving my website SEO. But investing time to learn and apply its principles makes an undeniable impact. SEO doesn’t just bring in more traffic; it brings in readers who are genuinely interested in the content you’re offering.

SEO blogging tips–my experience

how SEO has changed my blog

Before I embraced SEO, my traffic was unpredictable. Some posts did well, but many others seemed to get lost. For years my primary traffic source for the blog was Pinterest. Don’t get me wrong–I’m still a big fan of Pinterest and think it’s such a valuable marketing tool! However, by focusing on SEO, I was able to take more control of my website and create a more consistent flow of visitors. SEO has allowed my blog to reach readers who otherwise may never have found my posts.

In the last few years, I’ve focused on optimizing older posts, targeting long-tail keywords, and honing in on topics that provide high value. The difference in traffic and engagement has been incredible. Thanks to SEO, my blog is no longer just a collection of posts but a well-organized resource that serves both new and loyal readers.

What are some of the things that I’ve gone back and updated on hundreds of old blog posts?

Adding keywords or long-tail keywords: I started blogging in 2010 but didn’t start using keywords in my blog posts until about 2017. That means I had hundreds of old blog posts without one! The first thing I do is pick the keywords I want for that post and plug it into the free Yoast plugin.
Adding the correct headings and subheadings: For good SEO your blog post must be broken up into smaller bits. Most of my original blog posts were just long paragraphs of text with some pictures spaced in.
Updating old images: Sometimes I take new pictures, sometimes I just update the ALT text and make new pinnable images. It depends on my time or ability to take new images for an old blog post.
Editing the text: I run through it quickly and am sometimes shocked by the spelling and grammatical errors that I missed years ago when I hit “publish”. I also will take out irrelevant parts (like, if there was a sale running that’s not anymore), or add in more copy if the blog post is too short.
Check outgoing links: Are my affiliate links still valid? Are the links in my sponsored posts still directing where they should? Dead links on your blog will weigh down your SEO and you don’t want that!

Yes, this is a time-consuming process, but it’s worth it. A couple years ago when I started updating old posts, 53% of my blog posts had poor SEO. Today that number is down to 32%. And every time I improve an old post (or post a new post) that number goes down. I believe that’s why my pageviews passed their previous record for the year several months ago–with a few months still to go until the year ends.

Looking at the mobile page of a website.

SEO blogging tips: current practices

If you’re looking to grow your blog, there’s no better time to invest in SEO. If you’ve been blogging for a long time don’t be discouraged by all you have to do–just start! Here are some of the most effective strategies I’ve found to help boost your blog’s visibility:

1. Focus on Keyword Research

Find out what your audience is searching for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help you discover high-volume keywords relevant to your niche. Honestly though? I prefer to use Pinterest Trends. After all, Pinterest is a search engine too! Look for long-tail keywords (phrases of three or more words) that are less competitive but highly specific. Long-tail keywords can drive more qualified traffic, as they cater to specific search intents.

2. Write High-Quality, Long-Form Content

While short posts can be helpful, long-form content tends to rank better on search engines because it covers topics more thoroughly. Best SEO practices often say to aim for at least 1,000 words. However, I personally call it a win if I get over 800. Most importantly remember that quality matters more than word count. Google rewards posts that offer comprehensive insights, practical advice, or unique perspectives.

3. Update Your Older Posts

If you’ve been blogging for a while, updating older posts can be a “quick” win for SEO. I say “quick” with air quotes because I recognize that most bloggers don’t have hundreds of old blog posts to update. Refresh outdated information, clean up the layout, and ensure your keywords and meta descriptions are optimized. Like I already mentioned, I’ve seen significant boosts in traffic by revisiting old posts and making sure they’re aligned with current SEO best practices.

4. Optimize Your Meta Descriptions and Titles

Your meta title and description are like a first impression for readers. Titles should be clear, concise, and include your main keyword. The meta description, on the other hand, provides a short summary that entices readers to click through. Both of these things should convey value to the reader while integrating relevant keywords.

5. Use Alt Text on Images

Adding alt text to your images improves accessibility and helps search engines understand the context of your visuals. Make sure the alt text is descriptive and includes relevant keywords where possible. I know ALT text confuses some people, read more about that by clicking here.

6. Improve Your Site’s Load Speed and Mobile Friendliness

Google has emphasized the importance of a fast-loading, mobile-friendly website. Many readers now browse on mobile devices, so ensure your blog is responsive and loads quickly. I’ve been working on this lately, especially where image quality is concerned. Compress large images, reduce redirects, and use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to see where improvements can be made.

7. Build Backlinks Naturally

While it can be challenging, gaining backlinks from reputable websites gives your blog a boost in authority. Write guest posts, go on podcasts, collaborate with other bloggers, or create unique, shareable resources that others will want to link to. Again, this goes back to one of the first SEO blogging tips I shared–ultimately Google wants content to be useful!

8. Don’t Give Up–Stay Consistent

SEO isn’t a one-time task; it’s a continuous process. Consistently publishing valuable, optimized content will help you stay relevant in search results and keep your audience engaged over time. Slow and steady wins the SEO race!

Thank you for being part of this blogging journey. If no one every read, commented, or pinned my posts this online world would be awfully lonely. After 14 years of blogging It will be interesting to see where the coming years take me–and how many more SEO blogging tips I have to share!

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