[Mr. Ken Russell]

Are you familar with SEO?

As I was listening to a colleague having a long debate over search engine optimization, they got on the subject of how to rank number one on Google’s page.

A few years back, SEO was new to me. I had no idea what it would take to rank on the first page.

Why wasn’t my blog ranking #1 on Google? As the conversation progressed, I learned a few insights that changed my perspective about Google & ranking… forever.

I started by learning the principles of SEO, what it takes to build quality back links, and how to structure my networks of blogs.

The Principles of SEO

How can you notice real SEO results, quickly, when it takes months for the search engines to update their algorithm?

1. Google is more concerned with your inner content pages than your actual homepage. This should be your focal point.
   
2. Tip #2 Build quality archives, there is a gold mine of content in your previous posts! Do not neglect your archives.
   
3. Tip #3 Keep your content fresh. Old posts are more important than new posts.

Bloggers had to make changes with the release of the Panda and Penguin updates. Go back and revamp your old blog content!

Create great content from the beginning. Do not start with poorly written or copied content in hopes of improving your writing. You will be wasting your time, and Google may penalize you for building a poor foundation.

SEO In 2014

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, is the study of your audience. You will need to learn what the target audience is looking for, then using your content, market a solution to their problem.

First, you will do market research on your niche. Next, build exclusive content. Now you are ready to use marketing to reach your audience.

SEO is also about the placement of words. It’s about the way you type, your sentence structure, and how well you are able to use words. Your goal is to make your readers life more enjoyable.

Add your own personality, use your voice, and share targetted stories with your audience. Google will appreciate the anecdote, and you will be rewarded with a better rank!

If you understand your niche in and out, keyword targetting may not be your biggest concern. Google will pick up interest in your blog if the content is good, bottom line. Write as you normally would write, don’t try to write according to the search engine algorithm. In 2014, I predict Google’s biggest change will be how it ranks websites who specifically target old school SEO methods.

Add Value To Your Product

Everything you do that adds value to your users life, will make them more inclined to share the post. You will need your content to get shared in order to gain healthy backlinks.

By adding value, be informative, entertaining, educative, and most of all mind blowing. My favorite strategy is to intrigue your audience with emotional triggers.

Your content needs to stand out. With over 200,000 new blogs being created every day – what makes yours stand out from the rest?

Once you understand your competition, you will be able to better understand search engine rankings. People are lazy, and chances are they do not have the passion to research and write quality content. Here you come into play, the self proclaimed proclaimed expert. Did you know the rates for search engine optimization can be thousands of dollars?

I bet you didn’t know you could do it all yourself, did you?

Utilize your < header > tags, h1, h2, and h3.

Engage your audience, then improve your ranking

Follow my guide and I promise your blog will start ranking higher on Google. Google won’t notice you until you are engaging your readers.

Encourage your readers to leave comments, and partake in active discussions daily! Be sure to blog everyday

In 2014, it’s not all about keywords. If your blog engages people, then you deserve the higher ranking that comes with a boat load of free traffic.

So, have you learned what SEO is?

Great! Now go out there and build a brand using guest blogging and social media marketing.