How to Optimize Your Posts For Search Engines, 12 Ways

SEO positioning.

The one blogger hack that successfully boosts your organic traffic.

Let me share some data that proves the importance of SEO positioning.

The Number 1 position for any keyword in Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) is ten times more likely to receive a click than an article in the Number 10 position for the same keyword.

The study also found the #1 result in Google gets 31.7% of all clicks.

In other words, the data shows getting to Page 1 is not enough. You need to get your posts to the top of Page 1. SEO positioning strategies result in these higher rankings.

If you ever wondered, “Where should keywords be placed?” this guide is for you.

This is where keywords should be placed:

• Focus Keyword Field
• Alt Text Field
• Add New Tag Field
• Headline
• Meta Description
• Blog Post
• Subheads
• Conclusion
• URL (permalink)

SEO positioning is easy when you optimize. This post teaches you how to correctly optimize your blog posts for search engines.

Although many veteran bloggers may be familiar with how to optimize their post with their focus SEO keyword, this guide serves as a valuable tutorial for all levels of experience.

Why is SEO Positioning Important?

SEO positioning hinges on where you put your keyword.

SEO positioning is accomplished by putting your keyword in the correct places.

By the time you are done reading, you will know how to find your keyword and where to put your keyword so your post ranks in the Search Engine Results Pages.

Some content creators mistakenly believe SEO is not important.

Why optimize? Your competition is doing it.

Let’s get started learning about SEO positioning.

SEO positioning is part of search engine optimization. Optimizing your posts for search engines is called on page or on-site optimization.

Is There a Need for Search Engine Optimization?

Consider these comments:

“While paid advertising, social media, and other online platforms can generate traffic to websites, the majority of online traffic is driven by search engines.

Organic search results cover more digital real estate, appear more credible to savvy searchers, and receive way more clicks than paid advertisements.” Source: How to Refresh Your Image as a Business.

What is SEO Positioning?

Optimize your posts so search engines take your keywords into account and show your pages in the search results to its users.

SEO positioning is accomplished by putting your keyword In the correct places.

Your Guide to SEO Positioning

Following these steps correctly can bring you search traffic for years to come.

Step 1: Do Your Keyword Research

Find keywords with high-interest and low competition for readership on the internet.

Many free keyword tools are available for this purpose. I recommend keyword tools like Ubersuggest. Ubersuggest is a great tool to find keywords in large part because the list of keyword and keyword phrase choices is so extensive. There are also many Ubersuggest alternatives.

MozBar is a free tool with a seemingly unlimited amount of keywords— a vast selection. More information about the MozBar can be found here.

This screenshot is from KWFinder. I am planning a post on title builders. Notice the term generates 5,700 searches a month. KWFinder put green in the KD column indicating the term is easy to rank for and I should go ahead and try.

You need different keywords to rank for. If you keep trying to rank for the same keyword, you are, in essence, competing with yourself. Google won’t know which keyword to rank.

This is what not to do:

Look at this post’s URL:
https://www.mostlyblogging.com/stumbleupon-3. Notice there is a 3 at the end.

Note what Yoast SEO explained to me: “You’ve used this focus keyword two times before; it’s probably a good idea to read this post on cornerstone content and improve your keyword strategy.”

Ouch!

This is what you should do:

I get a lot of hits from search engines to my Fotor articles.

Fotor article 1 Keyword: Fotor

Fotor article 2 Keyword: Fotor Photo Editor

Fotor article 3 Keyword: PicMonkey alternative  

Notice, they each have different keywords. In this way, I won’t compete with myself for ranking at Google.  

Clearly, I am doing something right.

Look:

Notice: 73 different keywords bring up my post about how to use an unfollow app.

Step 2: Add the Focus Keyword

Type your focus keyword into the Focus Keyword field after you are done with your keyword research.

Step 3: Use the Categories Tag

Use the Category tag for your umbrella topic. use Add New Category if you’ve never blogged in this category before.

Let Google know you are an expert in these categories by tagging your post with them.

Do not have more than 8-10 categories.

Step 4: Tag Your Image

My focus SEO keyword for this post is SEO Positioning, so I put the keyword in the Alt Text (Alternative Text) field.

This is how you tag your image with your keyword.

When you put the keyword in the graphic’s alt text field, it will get ranked on Google Images.

Step 5: Tag Your Post

Add additional SEO keywords you might want your post to rank for.

This screenshot from Spyfu.com shows I am in Position 17, Google’s SERPs Page 2 for the keyword term free backlink builder which was a tag on my post. The focus SEO keyword was off-page SEO techniques.

I include my focus SEO keyword in my tags as well to further enhance the SEO positioning of my focus keyword.

Step 6: Put Your Keyword in Your Headline

Put your keyword in your headline preferably near the front.

The screenshot shows my Top Posts. Half of them have the keyword at the front of the headline before a colon.

Step 7: Put Your Keyword in Your Meta Description

My keyword was “advantages and disadvantages of Instagram.”

Step 8: Make Sure You Have the Right Amount of Keywords

You need to put your focus keyword in your post. How often?

Use the RankMath or the Yoast plugin so you can ensure you have the right amount of keywords in your post.

This involves SEO Copywriting.

The ideal keyword density should be between 1 and 3 percent.

Step 9: Put Your Focus Keyword in Your Subheads

Wrapping Up: SEO Positioning

Step 10: Put Your Focus Keyword in the Conclusion

Step 11: Put Your Focus Keyword in the URL.

Step 12: After Publication, use a SERP Checker

Use a tool to see if you rank. I recommend SERPRobot. Update your post after publication so you rank higher. Here is a SERPRobot tutorial.

Consider these comments from a reader:

More On-Page SEO Positioning Techniques

To optimize you should do the following strategies:

1. Put your keyword at the beginning and end of the post.
2. Use internal links to older, successful, relevant articles.
3. Use external links to relevant authority articles.
4. After publishing, link to your article by promoting the post on social media sites (off-site optimization).

Put the Keyword in the Headline Before the Colon

Consider these comments:

“I think on-page optimization is the first key to rank a website on SERPs.

Keyword optimization is the act of strategically placing your keywords in an article, trying to let Google believe your article is best and should be ranked on top of the SERPs for the searcher using the keyword.” Source: SEO Traffic Generator/.

More Effective SEO Tips

Put your keyword in the first 100 words of the post, at least twice, at the beginning and end of your introduction.

Put your keyword in at least one subhead. 

Use an SEO tool like RankMath to ensure you have the correct ratio of keyword insertion to the rest of your post. (More information about RankMath.)

Optimizing your article for the right keywords is critical. After publishing, it’s important to track your organic keywords as well. Some of the best SEO automation software allows you to do that easily.

Link to older posts on a similar topic. This helps Google’s bots know what your post is about.

Use relevant anchor text when linking to older posts. This link network also helps Google’s bots also know what your post is about.

Link to authority sites that have written on this topic. This tells Google you want your readers to have the best information.

End your post with your keyword. 

SEO Positioning FAQ

Where should SEO keywords be placed?

Focus Keyword Field, Alt Text, Add New Text Field, Headline, Meta Description, Post, Subheads, Conclusion, Permalink

How is SEO used in marketing?

SEO is used in marketing to boost your website content to the top of the Search Engine Results Pages. This is done through optimized SEO positioning. This boost in visibility results in a boost in sales.

Wrapping Up: SEO Positioning

In closing, SEO is getting even more competitive and I predict will continue to do so.

Recently, I read someone’s observation that content creators on the web are all competing for the same piece of the pie. 

For that reason, online content creators need to be more meticulous than ever with their search engine optimization.

For example, we need to make sure we put our focus keyword where it should be. This guide explained how to put your focus SEO keyword in optimal places to boost your keyword rankings.

Clearly, SEO Positioning is important in order to boost your search rankings.

Let this post serve as an action plan. Bookmark this guide. Pull it out when you are optimizing for search engines.

Follow all these SEO positioning tips and your SEO will improve.

Note: You do not have to follow these steps in order. For instance, I mentioned tagging your image pretty early in this guide. However, you might not make your dominant image until the end of the post.

That’s fine. You can tag your post when you’re done with these other steps.

To recap:

Optimize your post with that keyword or keyword phrase. Put your phrase in your SEO title, your image tag, the post’s alternative text, the meta description, and the other places mentioned in this post.

Readers, please share this guide to SEO positioning so new bloggers learn how to optimize their posts and veteran bloggers get a review.

I look forward to your views in the comment section. Do you have any tips for SEO Positioning?

Related: If you need more intensive help with search engine optimization, the Mostly Blogging Academy can help.