Thursday, March 13, 2014

Relearning SEO

They say the older we get, the faster life goes by.  Now that I'm in my 40's, I'm finding out it's true.  However, life online goes by much faster.  The things that were the norm just a couple years ago, seem to be a thing of the past now.  That means someone like me needs to go back and relearn how to write SEO.

I understand the need for specific keywords and having just the right number of them throughout the article to make it look good to the reader and to the SERPs.  Most of the posts I've read on the matter, however, were written 3 to 5 years ago.  I'd think most of the points made in these posts still hold up, but as fast as things change, you can never be sure.

So, here are a few of the things I'm doing to get back into the game.

1.) Read, read, read
I'm reading everything I can about writing for SEO.  There's a lot of information out there, but as I said, a lot of it was written several years ago.  Some of that information is still relevant, but you'll still want to find newer articles that give you an up-to-date idea on what's going on.  Sites such as BlogEngage are a good place to find this kind of information. 

2.) Find some keywords
I think my biggest issue is in finding something to write about that is SEO compatible.  As a way to help myself find some interesting ideas, I signed up with Wordtracker and use their free keyword search page.  I think of something to write about, add it to the search column, and hit search.  It gives me like 50 ideas on how to find what I'm looking for and even some other ideas on the same idea that might be turned into future articles.

3.) Meet other SEO writers
This is the hardest one for me as I'm not good at asking for help.  But there are a ton of sites out there where other like-minded SEO writers hang out and offer their expertise in the field.  One of my favorites is Guest Crew.  They are a blogging forum designed specifically for those who write guest posts for other peoples sites.  If you want information, this is the place to go.

4.) Just Write
No matter how much information you might have, it doesn't mean anything if you don't dig in and write.  Even if it's not exactly done correctly at first, you still need to write.  It will get easier as you go along, but you have to take that first step.

5.) Believe in yourself
This is the one I have to keep telling myself.  The problem with being a writer of any kind is that you have an inner critic who will do everything it can to keep you from being the most you can be.  Rather than letting that inner critic derail you, let it guide you.  You can't expect anyone else to believe in you, if you don't believe in yourself.

Writing SEO is a tricky business, but it can be done.  No matter how old you are, it is possible to relearn SEO.  As in any endeavor, the first step is always the hardest.

4 comments:

  1. When it comes to what is happening online, things happen pretty fast. I could not have agreed with you more on this. However, it is amazing how time flies when we are busy.
    Learning new things online is essential, at least, if we have to keep with the happenings online.

    The steps you are taking to get back to the "game" are thought-provoking as they can give some online entrepreneurs ideas on how to tackle or accept changes.

    I have shared this comment in kingged.com - the blogging community for content marketers and bloggers where this post was shared.

    Sunday - kingged.com contributor

    http://kingged.com/relearning-seo/

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  2. Thanks Sunday. That means a lot to me. I'm having a good time over at the Kingged.com and will be adding an update post about the site in a few days. I'm very impressed with the way it's going over there so far.

    Thanks again honey

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  3. Hey Ms. Graves, it's nice to be here on your blog and more nice to have stumbled upon a post such as this one. I must say you are indeed spot on!

    All of the tips you shared are great and I must add that to be an SEO King you've got to be an omnivorous reader.

    I for one don't really do SEO but I make sure I'm in the know when I see any new post about SEO. I read just about anything though and all that in my quest of learning new things every day.

    Thanks for sharing this and yes...I've just leaned a new thing.

    I followed this post from Ahmed's blog and also to Sunday's link on your blog to the Kingged network to leave my comment.

    Best regards,
    Sam

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  4. Thank you Sam, I really appreciate it. I'm thrilled to know that I helped you learn something today. That means more to me than you'll ever know.

    :)

    ReplyDelete