Are you struggling to get your blog post to rank higher in search engine results? You’re not alone. Even with quality content, it can be challenging to get noticed by search engines. But fear not, there are steps you can take to improve your search engine rankings and get the visibility your content deserves.

Why is my blog post not ranking?

The blog post not ranking is a common issue that bloggers and website owners face. Even with quality content, it can be challenging to rank higher in search engines. However, there are several steps you can take to improve your blog post’s search engine rankings. In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive checklist to help you determine why your content isn’t ranking and how you can fix it. Follow these steps to ensure that your blog post is optimised for search engines and has a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results pages.

According to a recent study by Semrush, the top-ranking articles with 3,000+ words generate the most organic traffic. This means that if you want your blog post to rank higher in search engine results, it’s important to ensure that your content is comprehensive and covers the topic in detail.

In addition, the same study found that top-ranking articles tend to have more referring domains, or backlinks, than lower-ranking articles. This highlights the importance of building a strong backlink profile to improve your search engine rankings.

Understanding Search Intent and How to Ensure Your Blog Post Matches the Keyword

First, you should make sure that your blog post matches the search intent behind the keyword you are trying to rank for. To achieve this, you need to think about what the person searching for that keyword is looking for and ensure that your article covers that topic in a detailed and informative way.

How to Outrank Top-Ranking Articles by Improving Your Content Quality

Once you have determined that your blog post matches the search intent behind the keyword you’re targeting, it’s important to compare it to the top-ranking articles on that topic. This will give you an idea of what you’re up against and how you can make your content stand out.

Here are some key factors to consider when comparing your blog post to the top-ranking articles:

1. Comprehensiveness: Your blog post should be more comprehensive than the top-ranking articles. Make sure you cover all the necessary information on the topic and aim for the same word count as your competition. If you can write an even more comprehensive article, go for it! However, be careful not to make your post too long if the search intent is for a brief, simple answer.
2. Formatting: Formatting plays a crucial role in how readable your content is. Make sure your article is well-formatted, with headings, subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs. Avoid using long blocks of text as it can be overwhelming for readers.
3. Relevant graphics and images: Including relevant graphics and images can make your content more engaging and visually appealing. However, it’s important to use images that add value to your content and avoid using generic stock photos.
4. Simple and fluent English: Make sure your article is written in simple and fluent English that’s easy for anyone to understand. Use tools like the Hemingway app to check your readability level and aim for a sixth-grade reading level. Additionally, make sure your article is free of spelling and grammar mistakes as it can negatively impact the user experience.

How to Build High-Quality Backlinks to Improve Your SEO

Building high-quality backlinks is crucial for improving your search engine rankings. Google rewards websites that have a strong backlink profile, as it indicates that other authoritative websites view your content as valuable and relevant.

To build high-quality backlinks, focus on creating content that provides value to your target audience and promotes your expertise in your niche. You can also reach out to other websites and offer to guest post or collaborate on content. Building relationships with other websites in your niche can also help you earn backlinks over time.

It’s important to focus on one topic cluster and finish articles for every keyword in that cluster before moving on to other categories. This can help establish your website as an authority in your niche, making it more likely that other websites will link to your content. By following these strategies, you can build a strong backlink profile that improves your search engine rankings and drives more traffic to your website.

Don’t Forget Internal Links

Interlinking is also essential for SEO, as it helps Google understand which pages are more important than others, spreads link juice from your top pages to the rest, and improves traffic retention. Proper interlinking can also help you obtain a featured snippet for your content.

Your website should also follow technical SEO best practices, such as having a mobile-friendly website, ensuring fast loading speeds, and maintaining a crawl depth of 4 or less for all pages. Following on-page SEO best practices, including maintaining a keyword density of 0.5%-1%, including internal and external links, and having a meta description for all web pages, can also help you rank better.

Examples of Effective Content Strategies to Boost Your Search Engine Rankings

1. Example of matching search intent: Let’s say you’re writing a blog post about “best coffee makers” and you want to rank for that keyword. To match the search intent behind that keyword, you need to ensure that your article covers the topic in a detailed and informative way. You could include product reviews, comparisons, and buying guides to provide value to your readers.
2. Example of comprehensive content: If you’re writing an article on “how to start a blog”, you’ll want to make sure that your content is more comprehensive than your competition. You could cover everything from choosing a niche to monetizing your blog, providing a step-by-step guide for beginners.
3. Example of using data: Let’s say you’re writing an article on “social media trends”. To make your content more credible, you could include data and statistics to back up your claims. For instance, you could include a graph showing the increase in social media usage over the past decade or a survey of top social media trends.
4. Example of actionable advice: If you’re writing an article on “how to write a great blog post”, you could provide actionable advice that readers can implement immediately. For instance, you could provide a checklist of things to consider before publishing a post, such as optimizing for SEO, including visual content, and formatting your post for readability.
5. Example of different formats: If you’re writing an article on “the benefits of meditation”, you could consider converting your blog post into different formats, such as a video or infographic. A video could show viewers how to meditate, while an infographic could provide a visual summary of the benefits of meditation.

Last But Not Least

Lastly, it is essential to have patience when it comes to SEO. It may take several months to a year to see results, so keep publishing content and implementing these strategies to improve your rankings over time.