A lot of bloggers assume that once they switch from Blogger or other platforms to WordPress, their site is going to show up higher on Google’s search engine result pages. There was a time when some experts actually gave WordPress a big edge over its competitors as far as SEO was concerned. But these days, if you want to show up at the top of the search engines, you’ve got to work at it. Choosing the right keyword and writing magnetic content goes a long way towards helping you get better rankings on Google and other search engines but having a long-term SEO strategy always pay in the long run.
Search Engine Optimization for Dummies is a wonderful book by Bruce Clay, a SEO legend, that shows you how to optimize any website for search engines. The books starts from zero and shows you how to take your website to the next level by optimizing all aspects that are deemed to be important by search engines. The book starts with an overview of how search engines work, and what they deem to be important when ranking a website. So you won’t have to follow instructions that others give you without understanding why they are important.
The keyword research section is rich and a must read for everyone. A lot of people tend to go overboard with their keyword research and target too many keywords per page. Bruce discusses what you need to look out for when conducting your keyword research. The author doesn’t just show you how to research keywords. He also discusses how you can develop a real keyword strategy for your website. Your keyword research process never stops. You always have to be on the top of things and find new ways to get ranked high on Google. But having a long-term strategy, you can keep targeting popular terms and grab more traffic share in your niche.
The on page optimization chapters are a must read for anyone running a WordPress website. You are going to realize how to optimize your server settings and improve your code to get ranked higher on Google. You will also learn what you need to know about CSS, Javascript, and HTML to get more traffic to your website. Finally, Bruce discusses what on page elements you should improve upon to rank higher on major search engines.
I personally loved the international SEO chapter. If you have a global website, it always pays to know what it takes to get more traffic from other countries than the U.S. Whether you want to build your brand or just get more global traffic, the international SEO chapter has you covered.
Overall, Search Engine Optimization All in One for Dummies is a killer SEO book that goes beyond WordPress and shows you how to optimize any site for search engines. Whether you are interested in doing your SEO work yourself or know enough to be dangerous about this topic, this book is a must read. It’s easy to read and follow and helps you get the job done.
Rating: 9/10