Just in case you are a novice, I'll explain Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in simple terms:
Part of your traffic will come from search engines such as google. Search Engine Optimization means designing your website so that: 1) search engines easily “find” your website 2) your website is highly ranked when certain terms are searched.
Let me clarify a few things before I get into my SEO tips:
*SEO does not seem to be an exact science—multiple factors influence your search engine ranking.
*There are thousands of other websites where you can get more detailed SEO advice. My list isn’t exhaustive--I just want to give a few simple, easy-to-follow steps. To be honest, I've found many SEO articles to be too long, technical, and hard to understand. That's why I'm writing my own.
*High Quality Content is still the most important factor to a successful blog. SEO can help people find your website, but content keeps them there.
OK, here are a few SEO techniques that I use here on my blog.
1. Carefully choose the title of your articles/posts.
The title of your post, especially the first few words, becomes the permalink—the url address of that specific post. To see how this works, simply point your mouse at the title of this blog article. You’ll see this article's address at the bottom of your browser.
The title/permalink seems to be one of the most important factors in SEO. Look up “romantic martyr,” for example, and my article ranks #1 on google (article from KuyaKevin.com). The title of my article is one of the reasons it is ranked so highly.
Be sure to give your post/article a title which is catchy and has keywords that accurately reflects post’s content.
2. Name your pictures (image files).
This, in my opinion, is one of the most overlooked aspects of SEO. Digital cameras give your images a generic file name. Many bloggers simply post such images without renaming them. The image’s name, however, can help people find your website (from google image search). I get regular visits from those searching for “faces of meth” pictures.
Warning: do not give your pictures misleading names for the sake of SEO. You will not keep visitors this way, and it may get you blocked from the search engine.
3. Consider the name/description of your blog.
If you already know what you plan to write about (your theme), give your blog a name and description that relate to the content.
4. Create backlinks.
Backlinks are simply links to your website posted on other sites. The more there are, the higher your website will rank. You can create backlinks by trading links with other bloggers, mentioning your blog when you comment on other blogs, etc.
There you have it—SEO in four simple steps!