Plugins are a great start, but it will be the content on your page that will give you a massive boost in the right direction when it comes to SEO for your WordPress blog.
Here are a few things that you should to do to each post:
Title Tags
I know this is simple stuff, but it is essential to have your keyword or phrase in your post title and throughout your posts (especially in your 'h' tags). This is because Google gives significant weight to title tags.
Permalink
If you are still using the out-of-the-box permalink settings, you miss out BIG TIME. What do I mean by permalinks? All it is is the bit of the page URL that is unique to that page.
But you can change your permalinks so that they are much more search engine friendly (here is how to change them) to something.
Alt Images
If you didn't already know, but Google can read your pictures!
Well, not really, but what they can do is take the file name and 'alt image' (the tag you give your photo) and use read it that way. This also affects the SEO of your blog posts, so it is definitely worth using keywords (where relevant).
Keywords and Content
Many SEO experts will try and tell you that there is an optimal keyword density for the content of a page – but I don't subscribe to that method. I just write for my readers and sprinkle the keyword or phrase in where possible (without lessening my readers' experience). Because there is no point in having a heap of traffic if they see a 'manufactured for Google' unreadable post. When the reader arrives, this may work for Adsense blogs, but if you are serious about your blogging, and I hope you are – then you need to focus on reader experience.
If you put these plugins and tips into place, you won't have to worry about SEO your WordPress blog because you will already be doing it!
Link Building
Links back to your website are like 'virtual thumbs ups' to your site and are essential for search engine optimisation for your website.
However, not all backlinks are of the same value, and in this module, I want to take you through what backlinks are, the different types available and how you can optimise your link building efforts.
Work your way through the modules below:
(Anything that is not linked through is currently still in production)
Module1: What Are Backlinks? (An Overview)
Link building is essential to your website's ranking, but what exactly is a backlink? In this module, I give you a basic introduction to the world of link building to take things more in-depth in the following modules.
Module2: Anchor Text (What It Is & Why Is It Important)
Have you ever been to a website and see a link that says 'click here'? This is exactly what you shouldn't be doing, and in this module, we explain how you should structure your links for maximum impact.
Module3: The Different Types Of Backlinks
Link building needs to be diversified because having all your backlinks coming from the same source looks strange to the search engines. In this module, I show you a wide range of different backlink types and the ones you should focus on. I will also quickly touch on the difference between 'do-follow and 'no-follow backlinks.
Module4: Method 1 – Directory Submission
Just like the Yellow Pages compiles a list of business, many websites do the same online. You can easily submit your business to their directory and get a link back to your website. In this module, I highlight where to find a list of significant free directories to submit to and a couple of paid ones (and whether they are worth the money!)
Module4: Method 2 – Article Submission
Many websites compile articles from all different topics allowing the article's author to link back to their website. I show you the best places to submit your articles and the right way to go about it.
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Module4: Method 3 – Blog Syndication
If you remember my module on 'Article Spinning' from the content creation module, this is where you put them into action. There are blogs all around the web looking for content and websites that allow you to submit your spun articles to their network of blogs. This get's your original article posted up to 60+ times (but with unique content). Very powerful.
Module4: Method 4 – Blog Commenting
There are millions of blogs being created each year, and one of the most significant features of blogs is the ability for readers to leave their comments. This is an ideal opportunity for you get build backlinks and traffic to your website – but there is a right and wrong way to go about it (which I share in this module).
Module4: Method 5 – Guest Posting
While we are still talking about blogs, some of the most powerful links that you can get are on high profile, relevant blogs, and the way to get these is by actually writing for them. While this may seem daunting, bloggers are always looking for fresh content, making your guest post good, and you could have a very powerful backlink to your website.