An Experiment in SEO

So, for a while, I was doing some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) writing on a very part-time basis. It was basically just re-writing articles for a company that would be published somewhere and would increase the likelihood that their site would come up first if someone would type certain search terms into Google. I actually don't understand exactly how it works, to be honest. I ended up just having a good time writing and getting paid for it for the first time ever, even though it wasn't all that creative. I used some of the money to buy things on Ebay and now have a ton of cheap, jade jewelery in all colors. Totally worth it.

In any case, I was thinking, how can I get people to read my blog without sending out a desperate plea on Facebook to my friends and family? It's kind of sad to ask people to read your blog (unless you're doing something really interesting like studying abroad or doing a stint in the Peace Corps, which I am not), but it's another thing altogether if someone just searches for something on the Internet and stumbles upon your blog.

I have this idea that if I start writing about controversial news stories in my blog, maybe it will come up when people search for information. This idea really took shape when, a few months ago, Chris was telling me that Piers Morgan was really the father of Prince Harry. I was stunned and immediately searched the Internet for more information. It turns out that, no, Piers Morgan is not rumored to be his father, but that someone named James Hewitt is. I was thinking, what if I wrote 'Piers Morgan is Prince Harry's real father' in my blog? Would someone else Google that and come across my blog? And through the magic of my SEO writing experience, I have managed to pepper those terms into this very paragraph three times. Sneaky, right? We'll see if that works!

The idea took shape further when Chris read a post I wrote last week that mentioned Michele Bachmann's husband running a clinic, which reportedly tries to counsel people out of being gay. He said, "Wow, I wonder if your blog will get any more readers because you wrote about Michele Bachmann and her anti-gay husband." Now, I'm not an expert on how the Internet works, but I would think that I would have to do more than make just a passing reference to Michele Bachmann's husband running an anti-gay therapy office in order for my little blog to show up in a Google search. But maybe it will work. Let's see!

I am going to judge my SEO success based on how many times this blog is viewed in the next week, and if I can find my blog by typing "Piers Morgan real father of Prince Harry" or "Michele Bachmann's husband runs anti-gay clinic" into Google. I think my readership usually averages out to about 10 per week, which amazes me to no end. Ten times a week, someone clicks over to this blog, thinking, "Hey, I'm going to see what that girl wrote, if anything." And I'm that girl! Incredible! I'll keep you posted about any success I notice.

Hope you're having a good day.
xo