For bloggers using WordPress, optimizing for search engines can be an interesting undertaking. There really are two parts to the process, and that fact tends to complicate the issue somewhat. Learning both elements can be a very crucial step in the development of a successful WordPress blogger.
Writing With SEO In Mind
A successful WordPress blogger needs to first learn how to write with search engine optimization in mind. The title of each post is crucial for achieving good rankings. Adding keywords to the title can make the post rank a lot better for those keywords, and making the title catchy can help it to get linked to a lot more. Creating a good title can be the difference between being successful with search engine rankings and not getting ranked at all.
Once a catchy title that include keywords has been written, the blogger will move on to the post itself. Headings should be used within the post, and variations of the desired keyword should be used in the headings. The section beneath the heading should accurately describe what the heading is about. This serves a few purposes. First, the description will likely contain additional words that will be searched for, and also people will be more likely to link to the post if it is helpful.
In order to achieve good rankings, the post must be long enough to be helpful. A 50 word post may be difficult to get ranked, while a 500 word post will rank in a much better location. Whether the post is long or short, it will get ranked in a better position if there are enough inbound links pointing to it.
Optimizing Your Theme
The second main aspect of search engine optimization for WordPress is optimizing the theme itself. WordPress blogs tend to have a few critical errors that hurt their search engine rankings. Most of the time, the heading tags are used in the wrong places. Make sure that there aren't any heading tags being used in the sidebar of your theme. Headings should only by used within your posts to describe a specific section. Using excess headings all over will dilute the effectiveness of your real headings.
You should also make sure that the 'heading 1' tag is being used around your most important keyword, and that your most important keyword appears in your HTML title. This will help you to rank better for that keyword. Many bloggers keep the default settings, and this will surely hurt your traffic in the long run. Using these techniques, you should really be able to increase your search engine rankings.
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