Readers who have been following the Build a Better Blog series will notice that steps 1-3 focused a lot on the importance of building a credible and authentic voice. Guess what? Those very same attributes are just as important when it comes to making blogs more appealing for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Remember the good ‘ol days of larding down the blog headline and first paragraph with buzzwords in order to “game the system” and trick Google into ranking your content higher? Those days are over. Google is hot on the trail of disingenuous content creators by releasing new patches and algorithms to ensure it is providing readers with the best content.
There are numerous online articles that cover this sea change in search. My favorite happens to be “The Death of SEO: The Rise of Social, PR And Real Content.” It’s definitely worth a read because it provides a very holistic view of what the current and future search landscape looks like. Here’s a key takeaway:
But what does Google want? They want relevant, real content on the internet that people want to read and tell other people about. If Google doesn’t bring you the most relevant content when you search they aren’t doing their job.
Tag, you’re it!
Tagging your content with appropriate keywords is critically important, especially on the SAP Community Network (SCN). Not only does it help Google and other search engines identify the key subjects of your content – it also alerts other SCN spaces covering similar topics. Be sure to add appropriate tags (i.e. Big_Data, Mobile, Analytics, Business_Trends, etc.) before you hit the publish button.
Posting for productivity
Notice how I added a hyperlink to the Business_Trends tag example? The hyperlink not only takes you back to the SAP Business Trends space on the SCN, a teaser for this blog also appears in the Recent Activity stream on the SAP Business Trends space. So if your blog is published on the Mobile space, but also covers topics like Gamification, Business Intelligence or TechEd, be sure to hyperlink back to those spaces to earn yourself additional exposure.
Content is No Longer King
Clearly, the SEO rules have changed. Think of your audience first, not search engines. Remember, content is no longer king. Your audience is.
Stay tuned for the next installment: Timing and Promotion.
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