SEO: A Novice Blogger Asks Sir Google

There seems to be a great deal of information on the net about SEO and what it can do to help your blog be “found”. I call myself a Novice Blogger (when can we stop learning??) and I will call Google “Sir” – since he surely does oversee plenty of organic search transactions in our information age. I will play Sir Google’s parts as I imagine he might possibly answer my SEO questions.

Me:  Sir Google I found an article this year that said opposite to what I had previously heard and that you will still push users my way in organic search even if my blog site is slow. Is this true? I mean I heard it said – on the grapevine – that you sort of penalise sites for being slow!

Sir Google: I can’t answer that – you know since I can’t let out all my secrets.  Sometimes though good content sites means people are willing to wait patiently for sites to open up. Take Telecommunication sites for instance. Not that it is good content – but it may have on it the account they want to pay! (Lol a high Account is bad content to them!) Plus remember you are dealing with patience in this day and age. Maybe people should just slow it down a bit and do less but do it well. Works for me!

Me: Well Sir Google how about the penalties you are likely to inflict on sites for covering a multitude of topics. That it is said to confuse you?! or rather your audience. And you don’t want them confused?  Is this possible? That as a course of action you don’t send people to those websites??

Sir Google: Well you think they are confused??  Well if they update me with 500 to 600 algorithms changes per year is it any wonder that I might be?  But – I wonder — what do you think that I may not have the brains to work out a no niche or a lifestyle blog? People change and as they say about me with all those changes in a year!  so do I! But I do pay attention to those with content in niches so to speak – they become quite a bit of authority. Plus – I like my users to be happy – not impatient with me.

Me Sir Google after having a blog for 12 months I suddenly discovered you and organic search. People really did targeted searches for what they were looking for. They are meant to be the people Sir, that spend the longest time on your site. Is this true?

Sir Google: Well this makes sense – even a novice can work that out!. If you do a search it’s because you are looking for the answer to a problem or a solution; some information. Naturally, you are going to put in search words that give me an idea of what you are after. If I come up with keywords or phrases that best suit what you want and send you to the right place – both of us are going to do a happy dance!  Me because it’s one less problem – you because they found your website. And – they are going to spend longer at your site because they are highly likely to have found a good match for their problem.

Me: I’m getting bored now. I might just go and do some searches and find out more later. Too much to think about all at once does my head in!

Sir Google: Okay with me. I never get bored! Too much to find out, too many problems to solve!

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Me: I’m back. I now want to tell you what happened when I did a couple of things that changed the percentage of how many people you sent my way., Sir Google I couldn’t believe it!

January 2019  – Very, Very low (not divulged here because of how low it was. Was scary). Sir Google it was rather like you didn’t like me! So Sir Google I set to work educating myself on all the things I could do.

• I changed a majority of my keywords and had them become keyphrases that I had searched for suggestions on either Ubersuggest, Keywords Everywhere (I downloaded this and works like a charm when you do Google search). I also used what was typed into Google search bar (with topics suggested by you dear Sir!).
• The Keyword phrase I heard it best to put as a Grade 3 or Grade 4 would type in a search. Basic
• Having only the unpaid version of Yoast I didn’t take as much notice of it.
• I made sure Alt images had a proper description without stuffing the keyword/s in there. Sir Google – I knew you had brains to work out the different words!
• I compressed the majority of my images.
• I made sure the excerpt was interesting, worth reading and a tad exciting even
• I updated some posts I thought were a bit poorly written (more to be done here – but I heard Sir Google that you re-crawl and you like updated content)
• From January I increased my contents quality and/or length of content
• I put in No Follow in a few links that had the possibility of me earning or where a gift was given (ie a Free stock photo subscription). I have heard Sir Google you don’t like that since it is against your Terms & Conditions. I don’t want you Sir to be unhappy – I could be in hot water!
• Sir Google you don’t like broken links – so I do a link checker – at least every 3 to 4 weeks – but your might even be happier at 2 weeks. I use https://www.brokenlinkcheck.com which is free
• I became very aware that my headlines included the topic ie the keyword but were crafted in such a way to gain interest with the audience too.
• I had heard many differing views from quite a few authorities that over 2000 words per post were what Sir Google was after. I have worked towards that in many instances – even getting my first 3000-word article up. But I have also heard that if it’s quality content – but only 500 words you would be very happy with that. Who knows?

After working on my SEO tactics February showed marked improvement culminating

in April’s overall improvement over January which was 245%. You can understand I was very pleased!

Me: So – Sir Google I’m doing some things that are pleasing you

Sir Google: Ho Hum – yes you are getting the picture. To answer your question – some people can have quality content on shorter articles, some have quality content on longer articles. One never really knows what factors come into play.

Me: I don’t know if that’s really given me an answer – it is pretty much what I hear other people saying or not! I am after all a novice blogger

Sir Google: I can oppose or do the opposite to my own rules if for example where there are bigger brands than novice bloggers. But it seems mostly I want basic SEO rules followed (if you can follow that!)  You better go and do another blog post – I need more content to answer people’s problems!. Plus don’t forget to keep educated and up to date on the continuing changes for SEO!

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