If you’re using the blog page of your website to draw attention to your business, increase profits, and build a loyal following, there are certain steps you need to take. Even if you have great content and a strong brand backing you up, you could go unnoticed by the wider world if search engines don’t boost your ranking. Small tweaks to your web content can make a major difference when it comes to search engine rankings, while neglecting seemingly minor details could do untold damage. Try incorporating these 8 changes to your blog content to ensure that your website gains the recognition it deserves.

1. Include the right keywords. When incorporating proper SEO practice into your content strategy, keywords are, unsurprisingly, key. There’s no need to go overboard when it comes to keywords – less is often more, but proper placement will ensure that your article generates a positive result when Google’s ‘spiders’ come sneaking through your site.

2. Do your research. Using keywords is of no real use if you don’t know which ones to use for the best possible results. There are tools available online to help you narrow down which search terms could lead customers to your website, so use them frequently and try to get a good sense of what keywords will suit your purposes.

3. Consider your images. Search engines reward websites for having plenty of original content, so using original images for your blog articles is usually a great strategy. Regardless of your image’s provenance, remember to fill in the alternative text field in the back end of your website and incorporate keywords into the description. Search engines don’t just look at your copy – they check your images, too.

4. Incorporate links when appropriate. Don’t flood your articles with links, but do include them whenever you reference other articles, websites or sources. This should also encourage other blogs to return the favour by linking back to your website, all of which encourages Google to rank your site more positively.

5. Fix any broken links. Broken links will damage your rating, as will coding that isn’t running properly. Do regular check-ups on your website with a developer to ensure that all of the code is correct and that any links provided go exactly where they should.

6. Check your speed. A website that loads slowly will frustrate visitors, turn off potential customers, and lead search engines to assume that your website provides a poor user experience, affecting your ranking. Check the speed of your theme on a regular basis, and consider installing speed-up plug-ins if you’re having difficulty with loading speeds.

7. Get mobile-friendly. The majority of visitors to your website will be using a smartphone to access your page, so make sure that the site is mobile-friendly. Google automatically punishes websites that don’t adapt easily to mobile, so this is a key area to focus on.

8. Keep your content original. While it may be tempting to get content up quickly rather than focusing on quality, this could damage your search engine ranking. Make sure all of your tech content is completely unique, original, and fresh. This will pull readers in and attract new customers while improving your ranking.