Search Engine Optimization for Blogger Blogs

I often design blogs for new bloggers who are just getting started, and with them in mind, I wanted to share some must-know tips to get started on the right foot. This is the first post in my "Blogger Basics" series. If you have blogger questions, be sure to leave them in the comments, email me, or leave them on my Facebook page. I'll try to answer as many as I can during this series!

We'll start with setting up your blog for optimum Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short). These are some things your designer won't do, but you really should. These simple steps will help make your blog easier to find in search engines. You can find all of these options under the Settings in your blog.

1. Add your blog title

This seems obvious, but if  your blog uses an image as your header (which most will), you need to double check that your blog name is listed here. Google search doesn't pick up the title in your image. Instead it looks at what you have entered right here! (Don't worry if Blogger changes your & symbol to "&" - it's just a little HTML code, and will show up perfectly normal.)

2. Add a description of your blog

You get 500 characters, so try to write a few sentences that describe the content of your blog. Be sure to work in key words that people might use when searching for you!

3. Be sure your blog is searchable

Beside "privacy" you want to see -. If you see something else, click "edit" and select those two options.

4. Add a Meta Tag description

This is what appears on Google when people search for your blog, so you want it to be good! You only get 150 characters, so think short & sweet, but try to include search terms as much as possible. What you don't want to do is just list a bunch of search terms in random order. ("teacher blogger tech tips custom blog design classroom resources teaching elementary upper elementary fifth grade" might have a lot of search terms, but it doesn't make me sound very professional!) Choose wisely! I used a shortened version of the description I wrote in step 2.

There you go! You have set your new blog up for search engine success!

Coming up next in my "Blogger Basics" series: Blog Post Basics & Formatting tips