How To Optimize Your WordPress Blog For The Search Engines



by Don Stanford


It takes only a few minutes to Install WordPress and start posting on it; but when it comes down to traffic, SEO should be your main focus. It's true that search engines have a tendency to rank WordPress blogs well but it takes a little more than putting it out there to get their attention.

Be sure to take advantage of Google Sitemap so that your site will be recognized by Google much faster. Even the technologically challenged can add this handy tool to your WordPress blog. The beauty of this tool is that it makes it as easy as possible for the Google spiders to navigate your website. This allows the search engines to have a shorter version of the volumes of information on your site.

The Right XHTML code: This step not be overlooked when creating an effective WordPress site will give you results in the future. There are many reasons why your website should be certified based upon the standards of the online world. Even if you are unfamiliar with HTML basics, you will have difficulty in the beginning stages. Go to the W3C Validator and type the name of your site. If you find out that your website is not validating, then go through the instructions until you find the issue and correct it.

XHTML Code Validation: This cannot be ignored when starting a credible WordPress site that is effective. There are plenty of reasons why your site should receive certification within the online industry. Even if you do not understand the basics of HTML, you will not find it too hard at first. Go to the W3C Validator and type the name of your site. If it does not validate, then walk through the directions until find the problem and fix it.

Don't Overdo it on the Keywords: The goal is to forget about the search engines when writing your content and focus on your readers. It is imperative for your readers to understand that you can offer them great content. But at the same time, you shouldn't forget the importance of SEO - therefore, injecting your keywords into your content in the right places is something you can't ignore. So, place your keywords in your text but do it so it looks natural and not disjointed.

File Your Content: WordPress is a program that was developed with the PHP program that usually tends to create pages very quickly. In other words, every page is created there and then, and doesn't exist unless someone tries to load it. WordPress then sorts through all of the sidebar widgets, your articles and post titles. Then, compiling them into a page and then delivering the end result based on the settings that you've given in the control panel. When you use the WP super cache plug-in, you have the ability to store a true static page. So when someone is ready to view it, it will already be available. This will shorten the amount of time that readers have to wait, thus increasing the amount of time they remain on the website.

This might seem like simple advice but they will have a significant impact on the ranking of your blog, as long as you apply the knowledge. The only way to maintain your ranking in the SERPs, is by constantly making sure you are improving your site and tweaking it to take full advantage of WordPress.




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