Blogging has moved from hobby to profession with many experts launching successful careers as full-time bloggers. Now you may be asking yourself, am I an advanced blogger? Is that truly the category I fall into? If you have some basic SEO tactics under your belt and you’ve learned to adjust your approach in an effort to improve your content, then you are likely what we classify as an advanced blogger.?
When it comes to writing and blogging, there are some hard and fast rules. Others have more flexibility. For instance, bloggers need a firm grip on grammar rules and SEO practices but can use creative authority when it comes to voice and tone. As you continue down your blogging journey there are some ways you can continue to improve. It is important to remember that there is no magical formula that works for every industry or field. You have to see what works best for you and your readers.
Once you have established an audience and you’re ready to level up your blog, you’ll want to engage in more advanced strategies. Yes, there is still more work to be done. Since online content answers to the almighty search engines, you’ll want to become a pro at SEO.?
- Semantic keyword targeting: It’s time to move beyond basic keywords and focus on LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords. LSI are related terms and synonyms search engines use to understand the context of your content. Use tools like Google’s “People Also Ask” and keyword research platforms to delve into what these terms may be and use them in your content for better search results. Learn more from the SEO masters themselves, Semrush.
- Match search intent: Ensure your content aligns with the searcher’s intent (informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial investigation). For example, when someone searches for “small business insurance,” that is most likely a search for an insurance provider which would be commercial intent. You want to make sure your piece actually satisfies what the user is looking for. Find out more about search intent from seo.co.
- Organize blogs into pillar content and content clusters: You need a broad wealth of content to establish yourself as an authority. Pillar content is that which is central to your brand and cluster pages are articles that address specific subtopics. For example, “What is content marketing” would be pillar content, while “Building a blogging content strategy” and “Finding your blogging niche” would both be cluster pages. Make sure your internal links are not only abundant but also strategically placed within your content to pass link equity,or the implied value of that link, from high-authority pages (your pillar content) to other posts within your site. Think of link equity like expert input. If an expert has an extensive background of published works, along with research that can be credited to them and various testimonials from others extolling their greatness, that gives their opinion credibility. If an expert has little research or work to demonstrate their experience, their opinion holds less weight. This is how link equity works. If a company’s content is often used for link building and is frequently referenced by others, they have built greater link equity. Check out this guide to learn more about content clusters.
- Use schema markup and structured data: Structured data is organized in a consistent format that helps search engines understand your content. Use specific schema markup for your blog posts, such as ‘article,’ ‘FAQ,’ ‘what is’ and ‘how to.’ Schema markup is the code you supply your content to communicate its intent and format which you select by adding tags. Because search engines aren’t human, they have to read the code on your pages to learn what is contained within your content. Imagine that schema markup is like a translator app that speaks the language of Google and other search engines, helping them make sense of your content. This article provides more details about schema markup and how to apply it.?
- Prepare content for featured snippets: Google features snippets as part of their search results which are pulled from content across the web. You can improve your chances of being featured by structuring your content in ways that match how Google displays snippets. Use short answers, bullet points, numbered lists, or tables within your content to up your chances of being featured. Find out more about featured snippets from Semrush.?
- Improve load time: Load times directly impact your site’s rankings. Slow-loading sites will quickly be moved further down on Google’s page results. Make sure you have used appropriately sized images, minimized the usage of CSS and JavaScript, and utilize browser caching. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you identify any bottlenecks. Hubspot provides insight on how to improve load times.
- Use EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Everyone wants to know the magic formula for ranking with Google. Unfortunately, there is no tried-and-true method for guaranteeing your content will rank, but you definitely want to make sure your content adheres to the EEAT rule. Google evaluates content quality using the EEAT standard, especially in niches like finance, law, or health. Ensure each blog post has a clear author bio that demonstrates your expertise. Adding details such as credentials, degrees, certifications and specific qualifying experience can help establish your authority. Find out more details about EEAT in this article.
- Perform content audits and updates: People want the latest and greatest in content. That’s why Google evaluates content based on its relevancy. For this reason, it’s a good idea to regularly update old content to ensure it’s current, factually accurate, and still relevant based on search trends. Google rewards content freshness, especially in industries that evolve and change over time, such as technology and law.. If you find your content is no longer relevant, you can repurpose it to suit a different purpose or update it with relevant data. Learn more about content audits.
- Improve your reader’s dwell time: Dwell time involves the amount of time people stay on your page. To increase dwell time, you’ll want to create engaging, high-quality content that keeps users on your page for longer. Consider using multimedia elements like videos, infographics, downloadables and charts to enhance the user experience. Use this in-depth guide to increase dwell time.
- Create linkable assets: Most users want real information with research or statistics to back it up. Focus on producing content such as research reports, in-depth guides or case studies that provide evidentiary value and that other websites will want to link to. Content with original data or comprehensive guides is more likely to attract backlinks. Quick Sprout outlines which types of content perform best and why.?
