How do I increase my photoblog audience?
This is one question I receive quite often and my response is always the same. How much do you know about search engine optimization? I have created this post, not as a SEO guru, but rather a web knowledgeable photographer focused on getting my readers headed in the right direction towards improving your site’s relevance on the web.
Find the Best Keywords
Two of the most common mistakes people new to search engine optimization or SEO make is 1) they pay no attention to the power of keywords or 2) waste time optimizing their site for keywords nobody searches for.
There are several free keyword search tools on the market that can help you with this process. I started out using the free trial at WordTracker.com. This is a great tool for getting your feet wet in the research process.
While doing your keyword research, you will want to keep a spreadsheet or notebook handy to capture your results. When looking for effective keywords, look beyond single words. One of the my favorite strategies is discovering “keyword phrases”, typically containing 3 or 4 words. The reason? The competition for these phrases is much lower and the ability to dominate a specific search is much greater.
Since I specialize in photo blog reviews, I make sure to optimize for this phrase. You can check on all the major search engines and you’ll see we rank very well!
IMPORTANT – Once you define your niche it is important to establish who the big players are within this space. A quick Google search can give you a good idea, however, the more information you have on your competitors the better you are able to develop a effective strategy to compete.
The most effective tool I have found for researching my main competitors is SEO Elite. Learn what keywords your competitors focus on, who they link to, who links to them, PageRanks of specific pages and much more. In the beginning I spent a great deal of time using this program to study other sites, however, today I am more focused on tracking my personal progress…the peaks and valleys. If you’re unsure about your ability to use this tool, let me assure the learning curve is very short. In addition, SEO Elite comes with an eight week money back guarantee.
>>>For more great tips on SEO for bloggers