Have you ever uploaded an image that might have been a tad bigger than the width of your content area? I know I have! So here is a little CSS fix to handle these situations.

.post img {
	max-width: 600px;
	height: auto;
	}

That’s it, really simple huh. Just make sure that you change the .post to the correct body class(which starts with a “.“) or body ID(which starts with a “#“).

Would you like a quick explanation?
The CSS is just telling any image inside the class of .post to not be more than 600px wide. By the way make sure you change it to fit the dimension of your content width. And the height attribute is set to auto to automatically change the height to match the new width. 🙂

See, I really did pull the winner out of a hat, lol. Well In my post “Get a copy of Blog Blazers” I said that two people would win copies. Well I’ve got a third now, so I know only a few people commented so, the chances are far greater that you could win! On with the show.

The three commentors that have won a copy of  Blog Blazers are:

1. aminhers
2. Ralph
3. Peter

Traffic Guide

Looking to boost your search traffic this year? You’re in the right place. This guide uncovers 45 dynamic strategies to elevate your SEO game.

SEO isn’t rocket science; it’s about mastering three core areas:

• Technical SEO
• Content
• Link Building

Let’s dive into how to excel in each area this year.

Download My Exclusive SEO Tool Now

And discover four innovative ways to increase search traffic without relying on backlinks.

How To Use My SEO Checklist

Think of SEO as constructing a robust building. Start with a solid foundation (technical SEO) and then layer on content and link-building strategies. Follow this checklist from top to bottom for the best results.

SEO Basics Checklist

1. Set Up Google Search Console

• Essential for tracking website performance and insights into Google’s view of your site.
• Identify errors, track SERP performance, view traffic-driving keywords, and more.

2. Install Bing Webmaster Tools

• Optimize for Bing’s growing user base and its unique search engine market share.
• Monitor Bing rankings and optimize accordingly.

3. Set Up Google Analytics

• Understand your audience deeply with this powerful tool.
• Analyze leads, conversions, traffic sources, and more.

4. Install An SEO Plugin

• For WordPress users, Rank Math or Yoast SEO is indispensable.
• Rank Math leads with features and user-friendliness.

5. Create & Submit A Sitemap

• Direct Google to all your website pages for optimal indexing.
• Use Google Search Console for sitemap submission.

6. Generate A Robots.txt File

• Control what search engines index.
• Use Rank Math for easy robots.txt generation.

Technical SEO Checklist

7. EAT Signals

• It is crucial for trust and authority, especially for YMYL content.
• Showcase expertise, authority, and trustworthiness throughout your site.

8. Mobile-Friendly Site

• Essential since Google’s mobile-first indexing.
• Use Google’s mobile-friendly test tool for evaluation.

9. Site Speed

• A critical ranking factor after Google’s page experience update.
• Utilize Google’s Page Experience report for insights.

10. Crawling Errors

• Fix them with tools like Semrush and Ahrefs for better indexing.

11. Indexing Errors

• Identify and resolve them via Google Search Console.
• Ensure key website parts are indexed for optimal SERP performance.

12. Use HTTPS

• Secure your site for better ranking and user data protection.
• Check SSL certificate quality with the SSL Labs test.

13. Eliminate Duplicate Content

• Use canonical tags and no index tags to manage duplicate content.

14. Canonical Tags

• Prevent duplicate content issues, especially for home pages.

15. Broken Links

• Fix them for better user experience and SEO health.

16. Structured Data

• Implement schema markup for rich SERP results.
• Utilize Rank Math for easy schema implementation.

17. Fix Orphaned Pages

• Identify and link them for better indexing and navigation.

Keyword Research Checklist

18. Build A Keyword Strategy

• Use intelligent tools and research to formulate a winning strategy.

19. Google Suggest For Long-Tail Keywords

• Utilize Soovle for efficient long-tail keyword discovery.

20. Google Keyword Planner

• Leverage Google’s tool for in-depth keyword insights.

21. Use AnswerThePublic

• Uncover question-based keywords relevant to your audience.

22. Forums & Communities

• Dive into Reddit and Quora for untapped keyword ideas.

Content Checklist

23. Steal Featured Snippets

• Analyze and replicate formats of existing featured snippets.

24. Engaging Questions

• Hook readers with thought-provoking questions.

25. Structured Content with Heading Tags

• Organize content for readability and SEO.

26. Short Sentences & Paragraphs

• Enhance readability and user engagement.

27. Clickable Table of Contents

• Improve navigation and potential for site links in SERPs.

28. Multimedia Usage

• Incorporate images, videos, and GIFs for engagement and ranking.

29. Schema Markup

• Enhance visibility with structured data on every page.

30. Content-Length

• Tailor the length for each piece based on niche and topic relevance.

31. Keep Content Updated

• Regularly refresh content to maintain rankings.

On-page SEO Checklist

32. Compelling Meta Descriptions

• Craft them as mini-advertisements for higher click-through rates.

33. Keyword in Title, URL, Tags

• Optimize these elements for improved search relevance.

34. Short URLs

• Keep URLs concise for better ranking potential.

35. Internal Links

• Use them strategically for site structure and SEO value.

36. Relevant External Links

• Link to high-authority, trustworthy resources.

37. Optimized Images

• Use descriptive names, alt text, and compression for SEO.

Link Building Checklist

38. Avoid Blacklisted Backlinks

• Use tools to check the quality of your backlinks.

39. Target Pages for Links

• Focus on pages with high commercial relevance.

40. Backlink Quantity Assessment

• Analyze competitors to determine the necessary link quantity.

41. Event Link Building

• Gain exposure and links through event sponsorships.

42. Testimonial Links

• Offer testimonials for high-authority homepage backlinks.

43. Podcast Appearances

• Use podcasts for brand exposure and quality links.

44. Crowdfunded Link Building

• Support startups for backlinks and recognition.

45. High-Quality Guest Posts

• Publish on authoritative sites for natural link acquisition.

45 Ways to Increase Your Search Traffic in 2023

In today’s competitive online landscape, having a strong search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is more important than ever. SEO can help you increase your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to more organic traffic and, ultimately, more sales.

This blog post will outline 45 ways to increase your search traffic in 2023. These tips are based on the latest SEO best practices and are designed to help you improve your website’s rankings and attract more visitors.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. It ensures that your website is technically sound and easy for search engines to crawl and index. Here are a few technical SEO checklist items to address:

• Set up Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you track your website’s performance in the SERPs. It can also identify any technical errors preventing your website from ranking.
• Install Bing Webmaster Tools: Bing Webmaster Tools is similar to Google Search Console but specifically for the Bing search engine.
• Set up Google Analytics: Google Analytics is another free tool that helps you track your website traffic. It can provide valuable insights into your audience, such as their demographics, interests, and behavior.
• Install an SEO plugin: If you use WordPress, you must install an SEO plugin like Rank Math or Yoast SEO. These plugins can help you automate many of your technical SEO tasks.
• Create & submit a sitemap: A sitemap is an XML file that lists all your website’s pages. Submitting your sitemap to Google can help them index your website more quickly.
• Generate a robots.txt file: A robots.txt file tells search engines which pages on your website they should and shouldn’t crawl.

Content SEO

Once you’ve taken care of the technical aspects of your website, you can start to focus on creating high-quality content that will attract and engage visitors. Here are a few content SEO checklist items to address:

• Use EAT Signals: EAT stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Google is increasingly emphasizing EAT signals, so it’s essential to ensure that experts create your content and that your website is a trusted source of information.
• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly: Mobile-friendliness is a major ranking factor, so it’s important to ensure your website is easy to use on mobile devices.
• Ensure your site is fast: Website speed is another important ranking factor. Make sure that your website loads quickly and smoothly.
• Find & fix crawling errors: Crawling errors can prevent search engines from indexing your website. Use a tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs to identify and fix crawling errors.
• Find & fix indexing errors: Indexing errors can also prevent search engines from ranking your website. Use Google Search Console to identify and fix any indexing errors.
• Use HTTPS for more security: HTTPS is a known lightweight ranking factor. Make sure that your website is secure.
• Eliminate duplicate content: Duplicate content can confuse search engines and hurt rankings. Make sure that you have no duplicate content on your website.
• Check for canonical tags: Canonical tags help search engines avoid indexing duplicate content. Make sure that you have canonical tags on all of your pages.
• Fix all broken links: Broken links can hurt your user experience and rankings. Make sure that you fix all of your broken links.
• Add structured data: Structured data can help search engines understand your website content better. Use schema markup to add structured data to your website.
• Fix orphaned pages: Orphaned pages are pages on your website that aren’t linked to any other page. This can make it difficult for search engines to find them. Ensure you link to all of your pages from other pages on your website.

Keyword Research

Good keyword research is the foundation of your SEO strategy. Here are a few keyword research checklist items to address:

• Build a keyword strategy:  Before delving into the world of keyword research, it’s crucial to establish a well-defined strategy. This involves understanding your target audience, their search behavior, and the overall goals of your SEO campaign. Randomly selecting keywords without a strategic plan can lead to wasted effort and ineffective optimization.
• Use ‘Google Suggest’ to find long-tail keywords:  Google Suggest, the drop-down menu that appears as you type your search query, is a treasure trove of long-tail keywords. These keywords are more specific and less competitive, making them ideal for niche websites or targeting specific audiences. You can uncover valuable keyword opportunities that align with your target audience’s search intent by analyzing Google Suggest.
• Find solid keywords with Google Keyword Planner:  Google Keyword Planner, a free tool offered by Google Ads, is an invaluable resource for keyword research. It provides comprehensive data on search volume, competition, and related keywords, allowing you to make informed decisions about your keyword selection. By utilizing Google Keyword Planner, you can identify high-quality keywords relevant to your content and potentially drive organic traffic to your website.
• AnswerThePublic: Uncovering User Search IntentAnswerThePublic is a unique and powerful tool that helps uncover the questions and queries people are searching for. Analyzing search patterns and autocomplete data visualizes these search terms in a user-friendly format. AnswerThePublic provides valuable insights into your target audience’s language and phrasing, allowing you to tailor your content to match their search intent and improve your chances of appearing in relevant search results.
• Additional Keyword Research Considerations

• As you delve deeper into keyword research, consider these additional factors to enhance your strategy:
  • Search Intent: Understand the intent behind user searches, whether informational, navigational, or transactional.Keyword Difficulty: Assess the level of competition for specific keywords, targeting those with a balance of search volume and achievable ranking potential.Keyword Relevance: Ensure that your chosen keywords align with your website’s content and target audience to attract relevant traffic.Keyword Frequency: Strategically incorporate keywords throughout your content, but avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your website’s credibility.Keyword Updates: Regularly monitor and update your keyword list to reflect search trends and user behavior changes.
  Keyword Research – A Continuous Process Keyword research is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and adaptation. By staying up-to-date with search algorithm updates, understanding emerging trends, and analyzing your website’s performance, you can continuously refine your keyword strategy and maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of SEO.

Link Building

Link building is another vital part of your SEO strategy. It involves getting other websites to link to your website. This helps improve your website’s authority and credibility, leading to higher rankings in the SERPs. Here are a few link-building checklist items to address:

• Guest blogging: Guest blogging is a great way to get backlinks to your website. It involves writing blog posts for other websites and including a link to your website in your author bio.
• Broken link building: Broken link building involves finding broken links on other websites and then contacting the website owner to inform them about the broken link. You can then offer to replace the broken link with a link to your website.
• Resource page link building: Resource pages are pages on other websites that list a collection of useful resources. You can contact the website owner to inform them about your website and ask them to include a link to it on their resource page.
• Social media promotion: Social media promotion can help you get more exposure for your website and attract more visitors. This can lead to more backlinks to your website.
• Infographic creation: Infographics are a great way to represent information visually. Creating infographics and then sharing them on social media can help you get more backlinks to your website.

Local SEO

You’ll need to optimize your website for local search if you have a local business. This involves ensuring that your website appears in the search results when people search for businesses in your area. Here are a few local SEO checklist items to address:

• Create a Google My Business listing: Google My Business is a free tool that helps you manage your business’s online presence. Make sure that you have a complete and accurate Google My Business listing.
• Get your business listed in local directories: You can get your business listed in several local directories. This can help you get more exposure for your business.
• Use local keywords: Make sure that you use local keywords throughout your website. This will help your website appear in the search results when people search for businesses in your area.
• Build citations: Citations mention your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) online. Building citations can help you improve your local rankings.
• Encourage customer reviews: Customer reviews can help you improve your local rankings. Encourage your customers to leave positive reviews of your business online.

Following these tips can improve your website’s search traffic and attract more visitors.

Backlinks

What are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?

Backlinks are links from other websites pointing back to your site. They act like votes of confidence. The more quality sites link to you, the more trusted your content is in the eyes of Google. So, sites with more relevant backlinks tend to rank higher in search engines.

How Can I Get Backlinks?

There are a few common ways a website can earn backlinks:

• Create helpful, authoritative content that sites want to link to
• Reach out to relevant sites to contribute guest posts with a link back to your website
• Interact and engage with online communities like forums and let your expertise shine through
• Look for opportunities to sponsor niche events, resources, or podcasts that will feature your site

Start by cleaning up any issues that might deter backlinks, like broken pages or thin content. Then, build relationships, provide value for others, and watch new links trickle in over time!

What Makes a Good Backlink?

Focus on getting links from established sites closely related to your industry or topic. Avoid low-quality links from obscure, unrelated, or questionable sites, as these can hurt your rankings. Slowly build a diverse network of relevant, reputable backlinks over time. Quality over quantity is key!