Use this 25-point checklist to optimize your blog & page content for SEO before you publish This SEO checklist is 10+ yrs in the making. I've used it for 100s of articles for all of my businesses. It's what we use for our clients at TrioSEO & my portfolio of companies. Proven to work time & again. 1. Compare to the competition Search your target keyword on Google. Read 1st page SERP content. Improve yours to be even better! 2. Use Hub & Spoke method Don't just create blog content for the sake of it. Build Hub & Spokes w/ internal linking. Educate as much as you possibly can 3. Optimize for keyword clusters Don't stop at 1 target keyword Research a keyword cluster of 3-10+. Optimize your blog content to hit on all of them. 4. 3+ external links Link out to tools you mention. Include research studies to back up your claims. Link to terms that your reader may want to learn more about. 5. Make a killer hook You only have 1-3 sec's to capture attention. Custom-write each first line & make it POP. Your 1st line is your hook make it matter. 6. 5+ internal links Internal link like you mean it! Refer readers to useful content on your website. This adds value & builds authority for your site. 7. 4+ Images with alt tags Use images to break up the text. Add an image alt tag. This helps Google understand what the image is when crawling. 8. 1 captivating featured image Don't forget a featured image for the blog. Something that catches the eye and speaks to the content of the blog. Use Unsplash.com 9. Add an infographic At the top, include an infographic. People love visual aids. Infographics bring your content to life in a fun way. 10. Simple, short permalink Make your permalink your target keyword. The simpler, the better! 11. Complementary video Go to Youtube and find a highly reviewed video on the blog topic. Embed it into your blog. Makes the experience better for your readers. 12. Metadata & description Research what's winning on Google 1st page. Optimize your content to be even better. Preview & make sure it's up to par! 13. Optimize for mobile Review the blog on mobile and tablet. Fix any inconsistencies and bad UX 50%+ view on mobile..don't forget them. 14. Use H1s, H2s, H3s, and H4s Create a proper outline for each blog. Use H2s, H3s, and H4s to show topics & subtopics This makes it easier for the reader to skim & browse 15. Write to 1 specific reader Know who your ideal reader is while writing. Speak directly to them & don't vary from it Speak to their problems & desires. 16. Add FAQ for PAA rankings Use AlsoAsked to find FAQs to add in your blog. Answer the FAQs in depth. Add this to every single blog article 17. Target featured snippets Search the keyword on Google & look for featured Snippets. See what's winning. Recreate it in your blog to try to win as well. 18. Insert personal stories In the world of AI, personal stories reign supreme. Share your own experiences and lessons learned. Make it personal! 19. Check for plagiarism Throw your blog content into a plagiarism checker Easy to do & super important. Should only take 1-2 mins. 20. 1k - 2k Total Wordcount Look at what's already winning on Google. Find the avg word count. Use it as a benchmark for writing your own blog article for that keyword. 21. Proper spacing for readability No one wants chunky paragraphs. Limit paragraphs to 3 lines. Add spaces between all paragraphs and text. Make it readable. 22. Simplify & remove long sentences Most times, you can use less words. While editing, simplify & make your content shorter. Be clear and concise! 23. Add exit intent offer Turn your readers into leads for your biz. Add a high value offer w/ an exit intent pop up. Helps them & will help you as well. Win - win. 24. Lead magnet offer Using a side menu, offer a relevant & high-value lead magnet. Again, helps them & you. Put it throughout the blog as well. 25. Include "About Company" at end Lastly, put an "About" section at the very end. Short 2-3 sentences about your business. Great way to build awareness w/ readers. Bonus #1: Run old blogs through this checklist & optimize them for further reach & rankings. Bonus #2: Train an Editor to run through this checklist w/ each blog before it's published. Outcomes: High value content, happy readers, happy Google, impressions, traffic, leads, & sales. Is this Helpful? Comment your opinion
Excellent tips, IMO, In addition to using your target keyword in your title tag and meta description, you should also use it throughout your content. However, please don't overdo it, as keyword stuffing can hurt your rankings.
Agree with bijutoha. This article is pretty interesting but pitfalls are everywhere so every blog owner should be careful.