5 Content SEO Tips

Search Engine Optimization is something we should always be thinking of whenever we're creating content that will end up online. After all, what's the point of posting it if it can't be found?

Here are 5 tips for making your content a bit more friendly to search engines.

1. Use relational linking. If you have a story that can be linked to a big brand or name, you'll get extra points from Google if you do it. That said, if you link to a page without any context to your content, Google will punish you.

2. Use Alt tags. Every image that you use should not only have a descriptive title, but an alt tag as well. That's the extra tag that provides further info as to what the image is all about that usually only a search engine can read. That way, you can be extra sure that the search engine will list the picture higher and add it to the correct search. For instance, the name of the image to the left is "SEO" while the Alt tag is "SEO image from Bobby Owsinski's Music 3.0 blog."

3. Use Header tags. HTML uses a series of header tags (H1 to H6) that work as a page, category or paragraph heading. The problem is that many WYSIWYG web design programs allow you to just make a font larger or smaller without regard to these tags. Search engines use the header tags to distinguish between copy lines, and lend some weight than others depending upon the tag. That's why it's a good reason to all use them if you can.

4. Use bold text for key terms. Bolding key terms and phrases can make them more searchable because a search engine reads the HTML and sees them as more important.

5. Use full names. Search engines like it better if you use a full name. Kanye West is better than just Kanye, and Adam Levine is better just plain Adam, even if we all know who you're talking about.

These five tips are extremely easy to implement, and while they won't guarantee a high search ranking by themselves, they'll help to improve it. For a real eye opener as to your page's SEO, go to this SEO site checker.

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