Google + & Search Engine Optimization

What exactly is search engine optimization (SEO)? And where does Google + come into this? We know that we want to be found on the Internet. If our readers can find us, and get to know us, they might even buy our books! Bottom line - SEO is a process that enables search engines to find us, index our website, and rank it on the search engine result pages. 

When we are setting up our sites, and site pages, we have to pay attention to things like page titles, subtitles, and keywords. One of the benchmarks that Google uses to rank a page is the number of links from other sites.  To do us any good, these links have to be quality links. Google + is a new player here ... and an important one.

Google collects user data from Google + the same as other sites, such as Facebook, collect from  their users. I think we are all fairly conversant with this concept ... although we don't always appreciate it. Google + gets information from user profiles, comments on posts, user sharing, and +1'ing. We may not like this, but it does give the Google search engine greater accuracy. Sites are ranked as to how they fit in with the information that Google + gathers.  

Google + can help us as authors to brand ourselves, including Google + authorship. (This is something that I did as soon as I found out about it/ You can find out more about Google + authorship here - Google + Authorship.)

Links that are in Google + profiles are added with something termed "do follow", which means that they are treated as web pages, which allows for increased visibility and page ranking. 

I may not understand SEO or Google + as well as I should, but I was there close to the beginning, an have been able to grow my understanding as Google + grew. This is something that we all need to pay attention to.

(c) 2000 - 2013 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited in all venues without the written permission of the author,  

Keyword Research

It is not enough to find interesting content for our blogs. It is not enough to write our blogs in a cohesive manner. For most of us, our blogs are one part of an overall strategy to get our name and work out into the public eye. What can we do to make our blogs stand out, so that they reach a larger audience, and encourage that audience to come back for more? Make best use of keywords!

Keywords? Okay, most of us recognize that keywords are a part (okay - a large part) of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). So what are they, exactly, and how do we know when we are using the right one, and using them correctly? It's called research! We do what is called keyword research. What we are looking for is the word(S) that an individual types into a search engine (such as Google) to find specific information. Making best use of these keywords in our blogs, and in the titles for our blogs, will place us higher in the search engine ratings, and drive more visitors to our blogs.

There are two groups of thought here: one group holds the position that if you write quality content with a specific audience in mind, you should not need to use keywords - that people will seek you out. The second group holds the position that you need to find the best keywords, and base your article around them. I think that most of us combine these methods - starting with defining our audience, deciding on the content, then writing the content,keeping the keywords in mind. I have written site content where I was required to use certain words a given number of times - not a heck of a lot of fun!

Sigh. Where do we start. Review what you blog is all about, and who your audience is. Make a list of words that are appropriate to your content and your audience. Keywords will change as content and intended audience changes. This will give you a good foundation for your writing.

Now life gets fun (not!). It is time to take your most prominent keywords, your strongest keywords, and run them through a keyword research tool, such as Google Keyword Tool, Keyword Tool, or Keyword Tool, all of which are free. Make a list of your results, so that you don't need to do this very often!

Have fun with this - but take it seriously, too. Make best use of your time - perhaps do this in phases, so that you don't burn yourself out. The results will be that your blog, and your work, will gain a wider audience, and you will be creating opportunities for the growth of your blog and your work!

(c) January 2012 Bonnie Cehovet