Ever since I saw the other thread on the OP thinking about closing his blog and others giving advice about SEO, I thought to start my own thread and point out some truths on SEO that your SEO specialist won't tell you:

1. Keyword Optimization is dying: Many 'SEO experts' will disagree with me but this is the plain truth. Say it all you want. Looking for keywords or phrases and inputting those keywords or phrases in your content will only do one thing; Get you blacklisted by Google. Have you wondered why you still don't rank well using the best keywords? That was so 2010.

2. Google Penguin is advanced level of AI ranking: Like I said in the other thread. The guys at Google are not dumb. They've figured out a way to discredit SEO mongers or experts (people who try to beat the SEO system rapidly to rank higher). Now, Google Penguin (Google's new search Algorithm) will deliver different search results to different users searching the same keywords. The criteria for ranking content now is quite dynamic and based on many factors - including previously visited sites and location. So don't take what your SEO expert tells you to heart.

3. Domain Popularity RULES: Ladies and gentlemen, as a 6 year experienced SEO lover, I can tell you for a fact that old domains will still deliver better ranking than newly registered domains. If you have a domain that you registered a long time ago, I'd advise you to dust it up, load your website and content and you'll get better rankings than when you just buy a new domain. You can also buy expired old domain bundles and redirect them to your website and watch your rankings soar. I can show you how.

4. If you start a Blog to be like Linda Ikeji, you'll get frustrated: This is common sense. The golden blogging days are long gone! Google went back to the drawing board and brought back the essence of blogging - which is to talk about the things that you love. Blogs have suffered a dip in rankings over the past 2 - 3 years and it was deliberate. See why all those lazy bloggers are suffering even though they are doing the exact same thing as the popular blogs? When you blog because of passion and not keywords or traffic, Google will identify you and give your blog a boost. it's that simple!

5. Freshness gladdens Google's heart: Keep this at the back your your mind. Google always seeks to bring the best and freshest content to readers searching. Rather than looking for what people are searching and keywords, look for what people aren't searching but will be helpful. Create content consistently that Google rarely sees and watch your domain get popular - even for content that people search for. This is systematic. Your domain popularity can be achieved by posting very fresh content and mixing it up with content that people search for. Your domain rank increases and you perform better in search engines.

6. Social Media is KING but you need to know how to use it: It's not just about posting links from your blogs on social media. Naah, that age is fading quick. Social media - rather than getting you the little 20 visits per day, can rank you higher than your peers on search engines. You need to explore the main social media that always stare directly at us but yet, we never notice. Google+ and Youtube! These sites are capable of shooting your blogs/websites in such a short time. Don't blame the SEO experts, no one wants to do that much of a work.

7. Traffic is SO IMPORTANT, but how you get that traffic matters: Take this honest advice. Getting 20 views per day consistently, is far better than getting 500 views on one day and moving to 0 the next day. What that tells Google is that you were fraudulent in getting that traffic and your site could be blacklisted. This means that you won't rank again. Don't engage in blackhat SEO techniques and generate random backlinks that are not particularly related to the niche that you are providing content on. Google isn't number 1 for fancy. Only make sure you link or are linked to sites that share similar niches to your niche. Sites that provide a flow of content and engagement.

In summary, there's no hard and fast rule to ranking on search engines. Keep doing that blogging but please take away the mindset of making money off it when you could become an authority in your field. Do it because you love it.

If you'd like to be mentored on how to grow ranking on your websites, send me a message. I'll be glad to help

My blog is a month old; how do I get it right with SEO?

I so much agree with the OP but still long tail keyword SEO with little competition still works.

What an invaluable insight into modern SEO and the point on blogging for passion, is certainly a key driver.

RemedyLab:
My blog is a month old; how do I get it right with SEO?

Okay, how much content do you have on your blog? That signifies if search engines qualifies your blog in order to crawl it effectively. I'm sure you understand the way Google works? Google has no content, they only have crawlers. These crawlers go through sites with content and provide them to users searching for similar content. So, the more content you have, the more tools Google has to work with. So if your blog is one month old, I'll concentrate on getting adequate and fresh content as SEO takes time. You are competing with millions of other blogs too. Don't worry about your niche. Focus on your content and when you have up to 50 or more well-written blog posts, then you can start the basic SEO practices:

1. Submit your blog to Google: Search on Google on how to submit your site to Google for crawling.

2. Have Social Media in check: FB, Youtube, Google+ (Google owns Google+ so your guess is as good as mine; they'll promote their own better).

3. When you post a content that you got from somewhere else, provide links: I don't advise that you post another person's content on your blog but if you have to, provide links to the original story. Your blog gets credit in the eyes of Google.

4. Use Nairaland: This is the biggest secret. Whether your blog post reaches the frontpage isn't necessary. Nairaland has a super domain popularity and a backlink from Nairaland will spike your SEO chances.

There are advanced methods but I'll like you to start and grow your blog first. Also these are early days, don't be worried about ranking good on SEO one month to your blog opening. keep it steady and blog for fun!

dgbanj:
I so much agree with the OP but still long tail keyword SEO with little competition still works.

Oh yes they still work, but they are gradually fading away. Little competition means freshness. Google accepts that but the improvement on SEO AI rankings are getting very precise that the rankings are based on different criteria. While some focus on long tail keywords to boost SEO, Google Penguin could rank their sites based on headings, or traffic, or backlinks and that could mean a website with a little better outlook will rank better. Google is changing the game.

Also, put in consideration that when competition blogs/websites are under-performing, the best out of a bad bunch is put on the first page of Google - with relation to geo-location. It gets so bad that sometimes when you make a search in Nigeria, foreign websites are ranked on the frontpage before Nigerian websites. That's extremely criminal. So when few websites start to get it right, the others begin to drop in ranking

Thanks! my blog has over 30 post for now. I'll do as you've said.

good tip @op!

hmm. good tips

All the above tips are true....especially number one...have always been suspicious of that. Checkout www.fabinfos.com today and support a LEGIT lad.

lucarella:


In summary, there's no hard and fast rule to ranking on search engines. Keep doing that blogging but please take away the mindset of making money off it when you could become an authority in your field. Do it because you love it.

If you'd like to be mentored on how to grow ranking on your websites, send me a message. I'll be glad to help

OP where do you blog?

nice, i hope my blog will be ranked high in the search engine?

This is the best article on SEO that has ever come to nairaland, and not some copy and paste stuff other bloggers do.

Thank you so much for this

Op is on point, ranking on Google is not a day. One of the best way to make your blog lively is to have good content and quality traffic. Forget all these shortcut or blackhat method and eraze your mind off making money quickly with your blog. Blog and have side house with but as time goes on you will definitely make some buck with it.

In other news, we are starting business training on our blog do visit www.yesloaded.con everyday to stay up to date with each teachings. We also post latest job vacancy on our blog as well

Does anyone even understand Google? I doubt it. You'd see another lecture saying the exact opposites of what the OP just said. Seems Google don't want to be understood.

But unique content is good. After six months I now notice daily Search Engine traffic on www.mortalpoet.com. It shows dude is doing something right.

wat da f**k is SEO

95% of nigerians bloggers have no business blogging. Unemploymentvnd ikeji wannabe at wrk. I still dey pity my friend who quit his well paying job for blogging

yeyerolling:
95% of nigerians bloggers have no business blogging. Unemploymentvnd ikeji wannabe at wrk. I still dey pity my friend who quit his well paying job for blogging

well, blogging is a choice but as regard your friend who quit is well paying job for blogging I don't think he made the right step except that he has side hustle. Blogging is not money ritual but avenue to air your voice & market yourself, a blog that solve peoples problem will definitely generate income for the publisher. 4-5hours work a day is OK to make your blog lively if you know your way. 2 - 3 post per week is OK but must be a post that solve peoples problem.

Just go to Steemit and make money. This conventional blogging is long dead

Include site design
My design brought my seo http://frizzyhub.com

Good points and salient truths

Enouwem:
Just go to Steemit and make money. This conventional blogging is long dead

I disagree with you, there's limit to what you cab do in your blog. if steemit has the same mentality like yours there will be nothing like steemit.

lucarella:
Ever since I saw the other thread on the OP thinking about closing his blog and others giving advice about SEO, I thought to start my own thread and point out some truths on SEO that your SEO specialist won't tell you:

1. Keyword Optimization is dying: Many 'SEO experts' will disagree with me but this is the plain truth. Say it all you want. Looking for keywords or phrases and inputting those keywords or phrases in your content will only do one thing; Get you blacklisted by Google. Have you wondered why you still don't rank well using the best keywords? That was so 2010.

2. Google Penguin is advanced level of AI ranking: Like I said in the other thread. The guys at Google are not dumb. They've figured out a way to discredit SEO mongers or experts (people who try to beat the SEO system rapidly to rank higher). Now, Google Penguin (Google's new search Algorithm) will deliver different search results to different users searching the same keywords. The criteria for ranking content now is quite dynamic and based on many factors - including previously visited sites and location. So don't take what your SEO expert tells you to heart.

3. Domain Popularity RULES: Ladies and gentlemen, as a 6 year experienced SEO lover, I can tell you for a fact that old domains will still deliver better ranking than newly registered domains. If you have a domain that you registered a long time ago, I'd advise you to dust it up, load your website and content and you'll get better rankings than when you just buy a new domain. You can also buy expired old domain bundles and redirect them to your website and watch your rankings soar. I can show you how.

4. If you start a Blog to be like Linda Ikeji, you'll get frustrated: This is common sense. The golden blogging days are long gone! Google went back to the drawing board and brought back the essence of blogging - which is to talk about the things that you love. Blogs have suffered a dip in rankings over the past 2 - 3 years and it was deliberate. See why all those lazy bloggers are suffering even though they are doing the exact same thing as the popular blogs? When you blog because of passion and not keywords or traffic, Google will identify you and give your blog a boost. it's that )

I lost Admins right to my blog and couldn't link it to adsense. Any remedy?

I can only laugh at the first point. I wonder why people write like authorities about things they've not practically tested.

Without keywords, there's no way search engines will know what a page is all about. So, saying keyword research and optimization are dying is plain false.

My biggest successes in online business can be attributed to keyword research and optimization. So, you want me to believe that sh.it when I have practical experience and proof that indicates otherwise?

As far as SEO is concerned, nothing works except what works for you. And nothing sucks except what you've personally confirmed to be crap! Only testing can reveal SEO realities to you because the whole system is so fluid, and what works for someone else may not work for you and vice versa - - due to some underlying stuff that majority don't know jack about.

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