You’re welcome. For beginners writing SEO-friendly blogs, you need to:
- Choose long-tail keywords with a search volume of 100-1000 (accounting for 70% of total searches)
- Ensure content length is 1500-2500 words (6 times higher ranking probability)
- Optimize the H2/H3 header structure (23% increase in click-through rate)
- Add 3-5 internal links (22% increase in authority/weight)
- Compress images to below 150KB (28% increase in loading speed)
According to Ahrefs research, websites that regularly publish optimized blog content see an average 434% increase in organic search traffic. A well-structured blog post can bring sustained traffic to the website for 18-24 months. HubSpot data shows that businesses publishing 16+ blog posts per month acquire 3.5 times more leads than those publishing 0-4.
Blog Posts Do Help with SEO
Data shows that businesses publishing 11-16 blog posts per month can achieve more than a 3x increase in organic traffic. A well-optimized blog post typically brings a 90% increase in search traffic, and its ranking effect can last for 12-24 months.
Over 75% of blog traffic comes from long-tail keywords, and an article over 2000 words is 6 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google than short content of 500 words.
Blogs Increase Website Indexing
Every new blog post published is equivalent to providing the search engine with a new indexable page. According to Moz data, a website with more than 50 blog posts has an average of 80% more pages indexed by Google than a site with only 10 blog posts.
Continuous blog updates signal “website activity” to search engines, which helps improve the overall Domain Authority.
Taking an e-commerce site as an example, it’s difficult to rank for competitive keywords relying solely on product pages. However, by publishing blog content like “How to choose XX product” or “XX product usage guide,” the site can cover more search demands. Ahrefs research shows that websites embedding internal links (pointing to product or service pages) within their blogs see an average 27% increase in the ranking of their core pages.
Blogs Optimize Long-Tail Keywords
70% of search traffic comes from long-tail keywords (i.e., less frequently searched but more specific keywords), and blogs are the best medium for optimizing these keywords. For example, a fitness equipment company’s homepage might target the highly competitive term “fitness equipment” but struggle to rank; by publishing blog content such as “Recommended compact home treadmills” or “How to choose dumbbells for beginners,” they can precisely match users’ long-tail search needs.
Google Keyword Planner data shows that a blog post optimized for 3-5 related long-tail keywords has a greater than 60% probability of ranking within 6 months.
Blogs can directly match user search habits through question-based titles (e.g., “How to solve XX problem?”). Backlinko analysis indicates that titles containing questions (such as “Why…” or “How to…”) have a 14% higher click-through rate (CTR) in search results than ordinary titles.
An article you might be interested in: How to write a useful blog post using ChatGPT | 5 steps to follow
Blogs Increase User Dwell Time
A detailed blog post (over 1500 words) typically keeps users engaged for more than 3 minutes, while short content (under 500 words) has an average dwell time of only 50 seconds. Search Engine Journal experiments show that pages with a dwell time exceeding 2 minutes have 40% higher ranking stability than pages with low dwell time.
Blogs can improve readability and reduce bounce rate through structured content (such as subheadings, lists, and images). Articles using H2/H3 tags increase the likelihood of users scrolling to read the full content by 30%. If a blog solves a user’s problem (e.g., tutorials, guide content), they are more likely to continue browsing other pages of the site, thereby signaling to Google that “this site provides valuable information.”
How to Choose SEO-Friendly Blog Topics
According to Ahrefs research, about 60% of blog posts fail to gain any organic search traffic, mainly due to poor topic selection. Data shows that mid-to-long-tail keywords with a search volume between 100-1,000 are the best choice, accounting for 70% of all search queries and having relatively low competition. Semrush analysis indicates that content optimized for these keywords has up to a 47% probability of achieving a first-page rank within 3-6 months.
Topic selection needs to consider three core factors: search demand (monthly search volume), competition level (ranking difficulty), and commercial value (conversion potential). Google Trends data shows that the search volume fluctuation for evergreen topics (like “how to learn programming”) usually doesn’t exceed 15%, while time-sensitive topics (like “latest mobile phones in 2024”) may see an 80% drop in search volume within 3 months.
Keyword Research Determines Direction
Analysis using the Google Keyword Planner tool reveals that phrases with clear search intent (such as “how to solve computer blue screen problem”) have 3 times higher conversion rates than broad terms (such as “computer problems”). It is recommended to prioritize keywords with a search volume between 300-2,000, ensuring enough search volume without excessive competition.
Moz data shows that for topics with a Keyword Difficulty (KD) below 30, the average time for a new site to achieve ranking is 4.2 months, while topics with a KD over 50 may require more than 12 months.
In practice, enter a competitor’s domain into Ahrefs and check their high-ranking but low-quality content topics. Articles that supplement and upgrade existing content (increasing content depth by over 30%) have a 65% probability of improving rank.
Regarding keyword research, you might need to read: What tools to use to check Google keyword search volume and popularity | 8 Free + Paid Tools Recommended
Commercial Value of the Topic
While technical guide content in the B2B industry has lower search volume, its conversion rate is 8 times higher than entertainment content. It is recommended to use a simple value assessment formula: Potential Traffic × Conversion Rate × Customer Lifetime Value.
For example, a topic with 1,000 monthly searches, assuming a 2% conversion rate and an average order value of 500 RMB, has an annual potential value of 120,000 RMB.
Backlinko’s analysis indicates that the annual traffic decay rate for evergreen topics is only 5-8%, while news-related content often sees a traffic drop of over 70% after 3 months. When selecting topics, consider the scalability of the content. For instance, “Python Getting Started Tutorial” can be extended into dozens of related sub-topics, forming a content cluster that can boost overall ranking by 20-30%.
Content quality is what you need to focus on: Create useful content that is rewarded by Google | 10 Method Guide
Content Creation
Google Search Console data shows that about 40% of blogs fail because they choose topics with high search volume but excessively high professionalism, leading to substandard content quality. Beginners are advised to start with topics with a KD value below 15 and search volume between 300-800.
SEMrush case studies show that new sites have a 55% success rate in ranking for these types of topics.
Practical operation requires establishing a topic scorecard, based on:
- Search Volume (30% weight)
- Competition Level (30%)
- Difficulty of Creation (20%)
- Commercial Value (20%)
Prioritize topics scoring 80 points or higher. Content length is recommended to be controlled between 1,500-2,500 words, as articles in this range have the optimal average ranking position in the SERP.
Also, pay attention to the novel angle of the topic. For example, “Latest WordPress Optimization Tips in 2024” has a 22% higher click-through rate than the ordinary “WordPress Optimization Tips.”
Regarding SEO title tips, this article is recommended for you: How to make your title more attractive | Everyone is using these 9 templates
Basic Structure for Writing SEO-Friendly Blogs
Articles adopting a standard SEO structure rank 58% higher than those written randomly. Data shows that articles containing H2/H3 headers see a 23% increase in click-through rate in search results, and content with paragraph lengths controlled at 2-4 sentences sees a 41% increase in user reading completion rate. Well-structured articles increase the probability of appearing in the “Featured Snippet” by 35%.
SEMrush analysis indicates that pages featuring the main keyword within the first 100 words of the article see an average rank increase of 12 positions. Furthermore, content using bullet points or numbered lists sees a 27% extension in dwell time on mobile devices.
Title and Introduction
When the title length is 50-60 characters, its complete display rate in search results reaches 92%. It is recommended to place the main keyword at the beginning of the title, as titles doing so have a 17% higher click-through rate than those with the keyword at the end. According to Ahrefs research, question-based titles (e.g., “How to…?”) have a 14% higher CTR than declarative titles, and titles containing numbers (e.g., “5 Tips…”) see a 22% increase in shareability.
For the introductory paragraph, pages with the main keyword appearing within the first 150 words see a 31% increase in ranking stability. In practice, you can start with data or a question, such as “According to the latest survey, 78% of websites are affected by SEO issues due to structural problems,” which increases the possibility of users continuing to read by 40%.
Body Content
Using a clear hierarchical header structure (H2/H3) is the core of content organization. Articles inserting a subheading every 300-500 words see a 53% increase in user scroll depth. H2 headers should contain secondary keywords, while H3 headers are used to elaborate on specific details. Moz data indicates that pages appropriately using header tags see an average 48-second extension in reading time on mobile devices.
Ideal paragraphs contain 2-4 sentences (about 40-80 words), which makes these paragraphs 36% less difficult to understand than long paragraphs.
It is best for each paragraph to express only one core idea and use transition sentences to maintain logical flow.
For complex concepts, it is recommended to use bullet points (•) or numbered lists, as this type of content is shared 29% more on social media than plain text. Additionally, inserting a relevant image every 800-1000 words can extend page dwell time by 32%.
Conclusion
Data shows that blog posts containing a clear conclusion reduce the probability of users returning to search results by 25%. It is recommended to summarize 3-5 core takeaways in the conclusion, which increases content memorability by 41%. You can include a call to action (such as “Try these tips”), and such conclusions increase the conversion rate by 18%.
Articles containing 3-5 internal links see a 22% increase in overall website authority. External links should be chosen from authoritative sources (DA>1). The FAQ section is a practical supplement, as content in a question-and-answer format increases the probability of appearing in voice search results by 37%.
Ensure the meta description is controlled within 155 characters, includes the main keyword, and is attractive, as such descriptions increase CTR by 15%.
Technical Details for Optimizing Blog Posts
Google PageSpeed Insights data shows that as loading time increases from 1 second to 3 seconds, the bounce rate rises by 32%. Pages controlling LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) within 2.5 seconds see an average rank improvement of 15 positions. For image optimization, the WebP format saves 30% file size compared to JPEG, and using appropriately compressed images can increase page loading speed by 28%.
For speed optimization, you can deeply read this article: How important is page speed for SEO | Google Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS) passing standards
The use of structured data markup can expand the display area of content in search results by 40%. According to Search Engine Land testing, pages using Schema markup see a 25% increase in click-through rate.
URL and Page Speed
The URL structure should be concise and contain keywords. URLs under 50 characters have a 23% higher click-through rate than long URLs. It is recommended to adopt the “domain/main-keyword” format, avoiding irrelevant parameters like dates or sequence numbers.
WordPress users can achieve this through permalink settings. Data shows that an optimized URL structure can increase page authority by 11%.
Compressing CSS and JavaScript files can reduce loading time by 30%, and enabling browser caching can increase loading speed for returning users by 50%. Specific actions include: using GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to detect issues, limiting above-the-fold content to less than 1MB, and lazy-loading non-critical resources.
Cloudflare data indicates that after enabling CDN, the global average loading time drops from 4.2 seconds to 2.1 seconds, which is especially important for international traffic. The HTML document should be controlled within 100KB; excessively large HTML files can increase parsing time by 40%.
Multimedia and Structured Data
Correctly named images (e.g., “seo-strategies.jpg” instead of “IMG12345.jpg”) see an 18% increase in ranking relevance. Every image should have an alt attribute, containing 1-2 keywords but not exceeding 125 characters, which increases image search exposure by 35%. It is recommended to control image width within 1200px and file size under 150KB. Using the WebP format can save an additional 25% space.
Structured data markup enhances the presentation of search results. Blog posts using Article Schema have a 60% higher chance of obtaining rich media snippets in search results.
The most commonly used markups include:
- Article Title
- Publication Date
- Author Information
- Main Image
For tutorial content, HowTo markup increases the probability of the content appearing in voice search results by 42%. Implementation requires using Google’s structured data testing tool to validate the code; markups with an error rate exceeding 5% may be ignored.
Mobile Adaptability and HTTPS
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test shows that pages with text sizes smaller than 16px see a 47% increase in user zooming, directly leading to a rise in bounce rate. It is recommended to use responsive design, ensure button spacing is at least 48px, and completely eliminate horizontal scrolling. Data shows that AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) can reduce loading time to 0.5 seconds, but implementation requires caution, as functional limitations may affect 30% of the interactive experience.
HTTPS encrypted pages rank 12% higher on average than HTTP pages, and the SSL certificate should be valid for more than 1 year.
Post-Publication SEO Work
Data shows that articles submitted immediately to Google Search Console are indexed 3-5 days faster than natural waiting, with 72% being indexed within 24 hours. Social media sharing increases the initial click-through rate of new content by 45%, and the traffic data from the first two weeks will determine Google’s algorithm’s initial assessment of content quality.
Articles updated within the first month after publication have 37% higher ranking stability than those not updated. Ahrefs research shows that blog posts gaining 3-5 high-quality external links see an average rank increase of 11 positions after 6 months.
Simultaneously, regularly checking the “Coverage Report” in Search Console can find and resolve 25% of potential indexing issues.
Content Indexing and Traffic
Proactively submitting new articles to search engines accelerates the indexing process. Google Search Console tests show that pages with manually submitted URLs see their average indexing time reduced from 5.8 days to 1.2 days. It is recommended to submit a sitemap simultaneously, which can boost the website’s overall indexing rate by 18%.
Data shows that articles receiving 200+ visits in the first two weeks have a 63% higher probability of subsequent rank improvement compared to low-traffic articles.
Articles shared on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn receive an average of 55% more traffic in the first month, but attention should be paid to the best publishing times for different platforms: LinkedIn’s click-through rate at 10 AM on weekdays is 32% higher than on weekends.
A content push list can be established, with subscriber open rates usually between 24-28%. Appropriate use of paid promotion (such as Facebook ads) also helps; a budget of $5 per day can increase first-month traffic by 120-150 people.
Link Building and Content Update Strategy
Backlinko’s research found that articles with at least 500 external links with DA>1 have a 41% higher chance of ranking in the top 10. Effective methods for obtaining external links include:
- Creating visual data reports (67% higher citation rate than ordinary articles)
- Writing annual industry summaries (55% higher chance of acquiring links from news websites)
- Independent website external links ($50-$80 per link)
Articles updated once every 6 months have a 60% slower rate of traffic decay than those not updated. Updates should focus on:
- Supplementing the latest data (improves content timeliness score by 22%)
- Expanding chapter depth (adding 30% more content can increase ranking by 17%)
- Fixing broken links (reducing 404 errors can restore page authority by 15%)
Google’s algorithm particularly favors continuously maintained content. Data shows that articles updated 3-4 times per year have 43% less ranking volatility than those not updated.
Data Analysis
Key metrics to monitor include:
- Page Dwell Time (Ideal value > 2 minutes 30 seconds)
- Bounce Rate (Should be controlled below 50%)
- Scroll Depth (70% or more is good)
Search Console’s Query Report is particularly valuable. Analyzing keywords ranked 3-10 and optimizing accordingly can push 42% of them into the top 3 positions.
Data shows that index issues fixed promptly (such as “Submitted and indexed” status resolved within 48 hours) have a 78% probability of rank recovery. Common issues that need fixing include:
- Mobile usability errors (affecting 15% of traffic)
- Core Web Vitals failing to meet standards (increases bounce rate by 27%)
- Structured data errors (causes 30% of rich media snippets to disappear)
Conducting a comprehensive SEO health check monthly can prevent 85% of potential ranking drop risks.
