3 Ways to Transform Blogs with SEO to Drive Results and Rankings
Having a blog and taking the time to write those articles without search engine optimization is like a billboard in the middle of the desert. Sure, technically it’s there and people can see it, but the number of people who are going to see it is next to nothing. It could be a great billboard, stunning design, great wording crafted perfectly, ideal lighting, the whole works! But if it’s not placed where your audience will be at and where they can see it, those great efforts go unseen.
Most businesses know that blogging can help build trust, credibility, demonstrate expertise, and keep their website fresh and appealing to users and search engines. But without some SEO optimization, you’re likely missing out on some huge opportunities. SEO isn’t just for your website pages (home page, services pages, about page, ect.), it can help your entire site. SEO can be laser-focused on each blog post to help draw in more traffic, increase engagement, and even improve conversion rates.
Let’s look at 3 ways to transform blogs with SEO. No advanced degree in writing or computer programming needed, just simple, effective strategies that turn your blog articles into a powerful tool for visibility and growth.
1. Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
One of the easiest ways to transform your blog with SEO is to focus on long-tail keywords.
A long-tail keyword is simply a more specific and usually longer phrase that targets a specific niche audience or search. Long-tail keywords are typically phrases that real people are typing into search engines. For example:
- Instead of “graphic design,” a long-tail version might be “graphic design for real estate flyers”
- Instead of “car engine,” a long-tail keyword might be “car engine for a 1975 Firebird”
- Instead of “dentist,” a long-tail keyword might be “dentist in Scranton PA”
- Instead of “business coach,” a long-tail keyword might be “business coach for marketing company”
Long-tail keywords are great because they often will reflect the exact search term and intent of the person doing the search. When someone searches for a very specific and exact phrase, they’re usually going to be closer to making a decision and taking action. These keywords are most of the time far less competitive, giving your blog a much better chance of showing up in search results – so long as it has great content in it.
At Full Scope Creative, we help businesses and nonprofits find a variety of the right long-tail keywords for their audience and industry, all of which are aimed to bring in more traffic and users to your site. We strategically bring together keyword research and content planning to ensure that blogs don’t just read well but also rank well.
If you want to see what some great long-tail keywords might be for your website and business, reach out to our team. We’d be happy to take a look and share some long-tail keyword ideas.
2. Optimize On-Page Elements
Once you’ve got your long-tail keyword picked out, it’s time to make sure your blog is structured properly so that search engines know what the article is about AND what the keyword is. When doing this, make sure the content is all done in a way that users can easily follow along too.
There are a few basic elements that every blog post should have optimized:
- Title Tag – This is the blue clickable link you see in search results when they search for the targeted phrase.
- Meta Description – A short summary that shows up below the title (link) in search results.
- Heading 1 (H1) – The exact keyword should be used in the H1, this is usually the title of the blog.
- At least one other heading, such as an H2 or H3, that uses or supports your keyword.
Your long-tail keyword in the first paragraph and the last paragraph. - A couple of internal links to other pages on your site.
Those might sound like a lot of moving pieces, but once you get the hang of it, it’s just a checklist you can run through quickly for each post you write. You’re writing them weekly, correct?
In addition to those technical aspects and tags, formatting plays a big role too. Keep paragraphs short and use headings to break up the content. Add bullet points if you have a list. And always be thinking about how to make it easier for your reader to find the value.
And don’t forget the call-to-action (CTA). A great CTA at the end of your blog can help guide your reader to the next step—whether that’s reading another post, checking out your services, or contacting you. Even better? Try to naturally include your keyword in that CTA and link it to another page. That way, you’re helping your users and giving your blog another SEO boost.
3. Refresh Old Blog Content
At Full Scope Creative, we’re BIG fans of reusing and refreshing content. It’s one of the easiest and most overlooked SEO and marketing strategies available to any business. You’ve already invested the time to write a great blog so why not make sure it keeps working for you?
A good blog post can be turned into a social media post, an email newsletter, or even a short video simply filmed on your phone. But even more than that, blog articles themselves can be updated, improved, and tweaked to better match your current SEO goals and any updates in user search trends..
Let’s say you wrote a post two years ago about “marketing tips.” You could go back in, adjust the focus to a long-tail keyword like “marketing tips for nonprofit organizations,” and make a few simple edits:
- Add a new paragraph or section
- Break up a long section into two shorter ones
- Add updated stats, recent links, or current examples
- Add or revise headings to include the keyword
- Rewrite the intro or closing paragraph to better support the new focus
Search engines reward fresh content. That doesn’t always mean writing something brand new—it often means improving what’s already there. By refreshing your old blogs, you get more mileage out of the content you already worked hard on, and you make sure it continues to serve your audience today.
Why These 3 Ways to Transform Blogs with SEO Matter
When it comes to blog writing, it’s easy to fall into the “publish and forget” cycle. But if you want your content to actually bring in traffic, help grow your brand, and show up in search results, SEO has to be part of the equation.
The great news is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. These three strategies—focusing on long-tail keywords, optimizing on-page elements, and refreshing old blog content—are things any business can do with a little bit of effort and the right plan.
Each one builds on the others. The keywords bring in the right people, the formatting helps keep them engaged, and the updates keep your content relevant over time. It’s a simple system that works.
Start Using These 3 Ways to Transform Blogs with SEO Today
No matter what kind of business or nonprofit you run, your blog can be one of your best marketing tools—if it’s optimized to perform. These 3 ways to transform blogs with SEO aren’t about tricking search engines or writing for robots. They’re about writing for people in a way that also makes it easy for Google to connect the dots.
If you’re ready to make your blog work harder for your business or want help figuring out where to begin, reach out to our team. We’d love to take a look at your blog and help make it a more powerful part of your marketing.