The First Page Challenge!
I have seen many people on ActiveRain get a bit clueless when it comes to writing their content. People wonder why their blogs on AR aren't showing up on the top of google results. Well there are several reasons, the first would be they aren't a Rainmaker. But for all of you Rainmakers out there, if your content isn't giving you the results you want, try some of these guidelines with your next blog to give it some extra Google juice!
Everyone wants to be on the first page of google. The last handful of people that I trained followed these guidelines to the tee and had their blog content show up on the first page the same day or within 24 hours. If you are a Rainmaker, then these Tips are a MUST!
1. Make sure your blog is between 300-500 words in length. (too short, not enough content, too long, Google and people lose interest.)
2. REPEAT YOUR KEYWORDS! Keyword density is a major player in your content's SEO. 1-4% of your content should be your keyword or key phrase.
3. Have 2 pictures in your blog content. Click on the insert/edit image button on the toolbar to upload images. People like having visual stimulation! We are like 3rd graders with ADD when we are surfing the web, if we don't see pictures, we usually back out and go on to the next website. Your potential audience will too! Make your Blog stand out!
4. Have at least 2 links to your website. Doing this will naturally raise your websites ranking, as well as your blog.
5. Bold and Underline your Keywords or Key phrases. This will help with your ranking.
6. Make sure your Title is Geographically Specific (if possible), Short, Concise, and State your Keywords.
7. Make sure your Title and Content compliment each other. (i.e. Your keywords in your title are maplewood condos, repeat and re-enforce maplewood condos throughout your blog. Stay on topic, and keep it local.)
8. Write Hyper-Local Content! Not your city, your neighborhoods and communities! A good example would be instead of Seattle, write about Ballard. Google Ballard, you will see it's a neighborhood area in the greater Seattle area. Read this recent blog Bob wrote to get a better idea of Hyper-local content.
Following these guidelines will give your blog content the boost it needs to shoot to the top!
Read this blog for some more info!
If you have a success story of having your Blog on Page one after following these tips, I want to see a comment with the search term! We love hearing about your Success!
Until Next Time,
Active Joel
Awesome! I try to follow these rules... here is an example from yesterday's hyper local post. mcarthur ranch littleton (comes up in other similar terms too) the 1st two are the post from AR LAST NIGHT - that's right. The next two are from our website which google has really taken a liking to - hey I'm not complaining. :) ~Rita
Joel - This is awesome stuff ... you made it seem so easy and understandable! Thanks for the very good post!
Just finished the first challenge and trying to fill up a glass full of Google Juice! Thanks for the detailed tips..Bookmarking your post to refer back to.
Many Thanks
Dick and Dixie Sells
HI Joel, I did the hyper localism posts and realized many first page on Google positions. I have tried to follow Active Brads suggestions. Your post simplifies it even more, thank you for the
POSTING FOR DUMMIES... :)
Great advice. Your post makes it all very simple. I'm going to bookmark it. Thanks!
Joel - Great tips for getting some Google juice. I think hyper-local content is the way to go.
I love Google juice, but lately I am been enjoying the benefits of BING, they seem to really like us!
Joel, I've bookmarked and printed your post and it's daily reading along with Brad's. I participated in the Hyper local content challenge and saw my Google presence rise. I'm not going to stop with it. Most of my clients have come from the Internet but until last week, my Google presence was hit or miss. Now I have the tools and I'm getting to work!
Thanks for adding to my tool kit.
Alot of people here on AR don't get the power in it. Posting for Dummies is an excellent name for it. Blog for business!
good stuff, Joel.
A picture is worth 1000 words, Joel. My AR profile is #1, Outside Blog multiple spots, me at Localism.
And just yesterday, I got a call from an investor considering purchasing SEVERAL ski condos... All from doing what is in Brad's post to which you linked and taking Bob's hyper-local challenge
Thanks Joel for breaking this down in easy to follow 3rd graders with ADD speak, I appreciate it!
I've been hitting page 1 with my neighborhood specific posts (profiles and market reports) for a while now...but now that I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, I'll need to see how that pans out for my suburb market reports....
Examples: East Mountain Waterbury CT,
Bunker Hill Waterbury CT,
Bucks Hill Waterbury CT
Joel - I'm gonna Kruse on google with these tips! thanks for great tips in an easy to understand format!
Joel - Thanks for the tips and for the info over the phone yesterday... I really appreciate the support AR provides.
this is great advice... Thanks so much!
Joel - excellent advice, and coupled with Brad and Bob's posts everyone is well armed to move up the Google page. It's amazing, sometimes, how quickly a well-written artcile can show up on top of Google. But of course one has to write those types of artciles and not just focus on stuff for the AR membership.
Jeff
You have provided some great tips! I will use these tips on my blog!
Nothing like that high octane goggle juice....Thanks for the tips!!!
I was impressed with my Fourth of July page - That hit Google in hours & I was ranked at the top of pg 1.
Joel, Thank you so much. I'm going to use your post as a checklist and will post on the results. Right now I have one AR Localism blog post on Page 1 of Google for the key words BLACK ROCK CT REAL ESTATE
Hi Joel, Thanks for the reminder on the blogging basics. Off to do a little practise.
Joel - that's awesome!! Thank you so much for the info!
Hi Joel~ I guess I am going to have to go back and look at some of my blogs. Thanks for the tips!
Hi Joel !
This is one of the easiest to follow - and implement - SEO tutorials I've seen in a while.
Excellent !
Cheers :o)
Sheldon
Joel,
I believe we are on to something here.
Results 1 - 10 of about 70,200 for dyersburg lakewood. (0.30 seconds)
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Welcome to the relaxed living at LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY. This is a beautiful residential area. It is one of, if not the most, desirable place to ...
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Dyersburg Lakewood-Community w/ 5 lakes just north of Dyersburg,Tn 38024 By: Mike Frazier, Dyersburg Tn Real Estate (Carousel Realty of Dyer County) ...
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Photos and links to different features of Lakewood, Jere T Kirk, Real Estate.
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Dyersburg's Lakewood is a great place to live and enjoy the outdoors. My secretary and her husband(my best friend) live in Lakewood and have my family over ...
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Find local information on Dyersburg's Lakewood including articles, pictures, videos, blogs, listings and other real estate information provided by local ...
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Chicago family looking to relocate to Lakewood near Dyersburg,Tn. ... Dyersburg Tn lakefront rental coming up in Lakewood ...
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Feb 23, 2009 ... New listing at Lakewood near Dyersburg,Tn. Here is a new listing at Lakewood that is a 4 bedroom 2.5 baths home located at 20 Juniper Circle ...
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This blog discusses the current real estate market conditions in Dyersburg Tennessee area for lakefront and lake access properties mainly in Lakewood ...
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Look here for all your Dyersburg real estate needs, Realtor, Agent, ... Lakewood Update! (Near Dyersburg, TN) · Search for homes at "The Farms" Golf and ...
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Historic Lenox Bridge. State Road 182, Lakewood Subdivision Dyersburg, TN 38024. The Library of Congress Record http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.tn0215 ...
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Real Estate Blog - The Lakewood Community near Dyersburg,Tennessee ...
activerain.com/.../the-lakewood-community-near-dyersburg-tennessee-38024 - Cached - Similar
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I knew most of this, but I did not know to keep it to 300-500 words. I also have generally been using only 1 picture. I will try to pick it up to two.
Joel: Thanks for this post and for yesterday's call. You were great !
Cories shadow
ACTIVE JOEL, while I do want to say thank you for the reinforcement! I REALLY just wanted to say love your picture!!! :D *Warrior Style!*
Joel, for those interested in Localism, that hyper-local tip that Bob mentioned seems to be very effective.
What a critical error to not have the links in the blog. And the description for the link. I see this often, HUGE mistake...
Thanks for the great tips. I'm always looking for simple ways to improve my Google rankings.
And if you have a post with a lot of good information and it is not showing up on Google, go back and edit it using Bob and Brad's techniques, add and rearrange your keywords and links and pictures. (even old ones)
Thanks for the post, Joel, I am going to check and make sure my hyper local posts have more than just one picture.
Hi Joel:
Thanks for the advice. I plan to implement the suggestions.
will be in touch in a month or so after returning from vacation, can't wait to start and do it right
You are all very welcome! Thanks everyone! I'm glad that my tips can help everyone be successful here on AR. It is a delight in my job to be able to help people achieve their goals!
Rita - Love hearing about the success!
Virginia - We love using you as an example to follow when showing new members around. Keep it up!
Irene - You are a incredibly fast learner! You are truely becoming a blogging Guru! I'm so happy for your success!
Mike - You are definately on to something there! lol This is why everyone should be blogging publically!
Corie - I'm looking forward to hearing your success stories here on AR! Once you start this journey of blogging, you will never go back! :)
Celeste - Thanks for the photo comment! I like to think of myself as a modern day rambo what can I say. lol
Great on point suggestions, several I didn't know about. Thanks!
Joel...
We loaded a mess of content on our outside blogs. Within 30 minutes we were where we needed to be. Guess we're doing it right :)
TLW...ROAR!
hi Joel ~ I wrote this post last night and after reading your post, edited it this morning and then checked Google ... great results @ #1 and #2 following your expert tips! The search term used was "home staging heroes in Portland Oregon" ...
Real Estate Blog - These A/R Home Stagers are Super Heroes ~ the ...
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Maureen - That is awesome! Now for you to turn that Google Juice into more business! Great Job!
TLW - You are already a superb blogger. But the incredible thing about blogging is we can all get better and better! Are you seeing the business increase?
Joel, after taking the challenge and reading Bob and Brad's posts, my hyper local posts are showing up on page 1 within minutes to an hour of posting! These tips help refine the process!
Sharon
I am doing this now and it is working!!! I am so thrilled. Now that I am hyper localizing my blog, I am getting the placement I want! Thanks for the add on and advice!!!
Joel,
This is why I love AR -- eveyone is willing to help and coach! Thanks so much for giving us these awesome tips!
Of course we have Joel...
We actually use our sites as part of our marketing. Over the years I think we've probably answered just about any question a Seller might have :)
P.S. We only work with Seller's and Investors. All Buyer leads are passed down to our agents.
TLW...ROAR!
Joel,
I love AR ar people like you! Fantastic information, this was the most consice informaion I've seen yet on this topic.
Jill Nelson nailed it on the head.... Your post was concise , they should nickname you the Surgeon!
Thanks for the ideas. I have been blogging for a while on ActiveRain and usually include at least one photo in my blog and always two links. I'd like more information on how to make my blog more visually appealing by adding different fonts and things like that to it.
With the last AR contest, I got some great google juice and several posts ended up on the first page of google. i am just bummed the contest ended on central time, because i was posting my last one at 11:40pm last night, and missed it because I was picking up friends from the airport!
Sometimes I feel like I am one of those clueless bloggers!
I love the post! Super easy to understand and will apply immediately!
Thank.
Joel this is another much needed blog for me-Thanks. Lately I just haven't been writing like I use to. Hopefully next month-Tomorrow with your help,I can get back to writing blogs that will not land me on first page on Google but also help generate great leads that will close. Have a great weekend. Great post.
Thanks for the advice Joel. I'm working on it and getting better at the long tail stuff.
But I do have a question: Why am I not seeing my outside blog results for the same search terms?
Bookmarked!
Joel,
That hyper-local market concept is something that needs more scrutiny. Good thing you brought it up here and made me think about it.
"Westside Costa Mesa Homes" leads to three spots for me on page 1 of Google. Depending on how recently I've blogged, sometimes it four.
Joel - Thanks for the additional information to help with getting hyper local posts to the top of Google.
Joel,
Can you recommend some sites where I can down load pictures and images for my blog...thanks.
Joel ... thank you for taking the time to share these great tips. I will have to work on using this method
I didn't have to wait for my market reports....I just posted my local business post, and a localism post on events and activities in my hometown a little over an hour ago, and look at my results:
Great advice! I am going to bookmark this page for reference. I am still learning how to add pictures to my blogs. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for the tips. I am curious why linking to one's site twice? If two is good, why not three? And so on. I forget who I was talking with, I think it was about press releases. They recommended repeating the entire title or intro phrase. Do you think that plays well on google also?
WOW! Ineeded to read your blog!
My webmaster is working on my placement and is so glad I blog with ActiveRain but I have been frustrated lately as to waht to write about and how to write it! I LOVE living in San Diego but need to scurry around an look for the less known areas within the San Diego!
Thank You for your post!
Clear and concise!
Thanks 300-500 words suggestion helped a lot. I can improve.
gee and I try NOT to add images because another Ohio real estate blogger was ridiculing my image dependence...
Oh well...
Great advice. Can always use seo advice! Thanks.
I am one of the clueless ones. Thanks for the reminders!
Great info, and this formula really does work for blog! Thanks for sharing it :)
I thought I knew most of this, but there are several things I have not been doing, so thank you thank you thank you!
Great advise, Joel. You're "bookmarked" for future reference and continued reinforcement!
Hi Joel!
I just stumbled up on your blog...man, what an eye opener!
You are my hero!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
This is why I LOVE Active Rain!!
If I have a question, I just turn here for the BEST INFORMATION available. :^)
Thanks for all the tips!
The hyerlocal challenges have really been a learning experience for me. I'm writing more often and following the rules from Brad's post. I just don't really know who might be searching on any of those terms and actually reading the posts!
Joel, I don't know how I missed this the other day. This is just the sprinkles on the cake that Brad baked. I'm seeing results with the blogs, though not my website.
Great blog - I found this one through a comment you wrote on someone else's.
An, thank you for the compliment! If it helps you at all with your SEO and google then I have accomplished my mission! :)
All great tips! I'll be sure to implement all of your suggestions in my next post! Thanks!
Fantastic! Thank you so very much! Already up to #3 on Google! This is a golden nugget!
Thank you everyone for your great comments! I am looking forward to having some new content out here soon!
Thank you for the reminders. Although being quite simple, I am always surprised how so few people really understand and apply those points.
Thanks so much Joel for the tips I can't wait to try to improve my blogging. This was written so even I can understand. lol...