Search Engine Optimization, SEO and the Newburyport Blog
January 24th, 2008One of the things that I have learned over the last 2 years writing the Newburyport Blog, is how to make the Newburyport Blog turn up high, or sometimes #1 on search engines (Search Engine Optimization, SEO), Google in particular, without spending any money on very expensive ad campaigns.
I know many of my readers are in business and have websites, so I thought I would pass on a little of what I have discovered.
Search engines, at this point, seem to love blog software. A blog seems to be much more easily indexed (shows up) on search engines than a regular website.
A blog might not be your ideal landing page (the place where people find you), but if you want to, it’s pretty easy to direct the web surfer to exactly where you want them to go. (Have the link and the information right at the top of the page.)
Also, blog software can be “tweaked” in all sorts of ways, and doesn’t have to look like blog software at all. Take our very own Newburyport Preservation Trust “Events” page.
A great company in Newburyport, MA (I’ve discovered a lot of great small companies in Newburyport, since starting the Newburyport Blog) called iMarc has this to say, “White hat SEO is simple. Write good content. Make it readable for humans. Google will reward you — slowly, but surely.”
Amen to that.
The gentleman who wrote the article does mention that “synthetic blogs” might not be the best way to go. And, yup, I would agree, fake blogs, not a good idea. But a blog software that is connected to your website in an organic way, gives the reader valuable and interesting information on your topic or product, and is updated on a regular basis, can be a huge asset.
And one of the things that I discovered today, is that the Newburyport Blog weirdly (since the Newburyport Blog is not a business) turned up #1 on Google for “Newburyport Business.” Who knew. Not moi.
And very probably the Newburyport Blog might not show up on Google as #1 for “Newburyport Business” tomorrow. Ah, the vagaries of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Mary Eaton
Newburyport