Everything is connected; Blog and SEO

Before posting new content, I had to customize my blog style first. Sometimes, to customize one's blog might be hard and need more time than just writing a new post. This might be because layouts, main pictures and titles of blogs can represent the identity or concept of those blogs. Also while I was writing my new post, I had many worries about how I can optimize it. From now on, I will talk about my blog experience from customizing to optimizing my post.

• To think about my blog concept (or a goal)

This question could be abstract, but to draw a proper answer might be easy than thinking. From my second assignment, I remembered one point. That was 'write what you know'. In my case, I always have been interested in introducing and promoting Korean culture to international people. Thus, I decided to make a Korean culture blog for many international internet users. I believe that I can introduce new Korea trend, culture and fashion with detailed information throughout my blog.

If one is so knowledgeable in computer game field, for example, then his blog could be for games. If one has really distinctive skill or knowledge, this point might be helpful to make a unique blog since there are many blogs which have same concepts such as beauty, trip, health or electronics. However, I think people do not have to pay sharp attentions on finding distinctive subjects only. This is because design, color, navigation are all important aspects of a good blog (website) (M.Scott, P.  310) and those things could be helpful to develop one's blog concept also. 

• To organize blog menu

Then, I created new categories. I think categories can narrow down my blog concepts. For example, visitors can expect news, beauty trend or review of some cosmetic products by checking beauty category of my blog. Also I organized my blog menu for an instance, I deleted the 'sample page menu' and add google analytics to my blog; because to reduce complexity and make my blog much cleaner could provide good impressions. 

• Post title and Pictures

Unique title can draw people's attention is quite a well known fact. Of course, the title has to be related content and make visitors anticipate the post content. In addition to the point, there are some reasons why I added some pictures for my post. First, pictures can help visitors' understanding. Since my post was about makeup products and I had some difficulties when I tried to explain about their color. I took some pictures and uploaded them to my blog because thousand hearing and writing are not worth one seeing. Second, to brighten up my post I use some pictures because a piece of writing without a picture could give boredom sometimes. 

• Links and Tags

Even though I attatched some pictures and created catchy title, my post cannot be the perfect and faultless post. Thus, I linked some reliable websites such as beauty magazine's web articles or blog which can provide additional information. My visitors might gain useful information by reading both my post and linked sites. Also, I used some tags. Tags not only indicate what my post is about, but also are helpful to find related posts. For example, if I want to find posts about lipstick, just to click 'lipstick' tag is helpful; because the tag system finds articles about lipstick only for me. 

Although SNS (FaceBook, Twitter) has been invigorated, still the influx of a blog starts from search engine. Thus, to know how search engine optimization works and to exposure one's blog with a proper keyword and title might be the most essential part to bloggers. However, this point can make blggers put in a dilemma; whether they have to contain the most popular keywords or whether they have to use catchy titles to be chosen by visitors. Actually, this is not an either/or decision since both two issues are all equally important. Most of all, bloggers should remember that those two issues have to be based on good contents always. A blog without well contents cannot exist and would be completely forgotten. Power bloggers might be great strategists who have been paying deep concentrations on the relationship between their blogs and SEO for a long time. It does not happen overnight of course.