Steps to Creating a Great Blog Post or Web Page that can rank on page one of Google:
1.) Determine your topic. Use a site such as Google KeywordPlanner to measure the competition for the topic. A keyword phrase that has lower competition, although not as “popular” is easier to rank for. Example: Writing a blog about the Summerlin foreclosure market (a community in Las Vegas) will be easier to rank for than the Las Vegas foreclosure market becauseSummerlin will be a smaller niche.
2.) Set a “word” goal. No less than 2000 words. It could take you a month to write it and that’s OK. Commit to writing time. Grab your coffee on Saturday Morning and your computer, and make your way to a quiet place. Commit to 500 words per week. Each of these writing sessions should have a subtopic that is part of your overall topic.
Example:
Week 1 – How Foreclosures have affected Summerlin
Week 2 – What the Foreclosure process looks like
Week 3 – How a Summerlin Homeowner can avoid foreclosure
Week 4 – Where we see the Summerlin Home Market in the next 5 years
If you know you can “speak” better than you write, record yourself discussing the topic instead. Send the recording off to a site like Rev.com and have your speech transcribed to written text. It’s much easier to speak 2000 words than to write them for most people.
3.) Add a great copyright free image that suits your post. Use video where applicable.
4.) Add links to your blog post to similar articles, definitions, or other areas of interest related to your post.
5.) Proofread before Publishing (consider a site like Grammarly)
6.) Share on Social. Work this strategy hard. You want your blog post getting shares, likes and comments. Shares should be the ultimate goal. Google reads social signals and a blog post with traffic can rank higher and faster than one without. Backlinks (other relative and authoritive sites linking back to you) are still gold on the web and do play a large factor in rankings. Get your blog post to the influencers and media wherever you can. If your content is good, people will share it.
Don’t just share once and to one network. Get it out there on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus, Pin it on Pinterest and so on. Share more than once. Use hashtags where applicable.
7.) Measure engagement and rankings. Not getting shares on Social? Try a sexier title!!!
Remember this, always write local or for a niche when you can. You will rank higher and generate more interest. This is how you beat Zillow… hyperlocally!! Create unique content that is not readily available on the web. Don’t keyword stuff, write naturally. One blog a month with 2000 words is better than blogging frequently with little content.
Learn more about Content Creation and Blogging at www.TheBallenMethod.com
