SEO Tips for Technical Bloggers

If you’re a technical blogger, you may find yourself competing with numerous other posts on the same topic. While top sites like MDN, Google Developers, Smashing Magazine, and Stack Overflow dominate Google’s search results, there is still an opportunity for you to climb the long tail and attract your own audience. In this blog, we will discuss some SEO tips specifically tailored for developers to help enhance the visibility of your blog.

Content is King

As a developer, you know the importance of quality content. Focus on creating valuable and engaging content that your audience will find interesting. Forget about keyword research and keyword density. Instead, write about topics that your users want to read. Over time, your audience will provide feedback on what they find valuable.

For example, as a frontend developer, you can write about popular technologies like React and its ecosystem. Not every post will rank well on Google, but some will attract more visitors than others. By properly linking your articles, posts that rank better can elevate the ranking of other related posts.

Sharing your content can be intimidating, but it’s crucial to get your work seen by a wider audience. Don’t be afraid to post on platforms like Reddit or Hacker News. Even if your post doesn’t gain much traction, you may still receive valuable feedback. Experienced individuals will often correct any inaccuracies in your content.

Additionally, consider publishing your posts in a publication that already has an established audience. Platforms like Medium are great for exposure, but it’s essential to always write and publish posts on your own site under your own domain name. You can then import your posts into Medium for additional visibility.

Play the Long Game

Playing the long game is crucial for success in SEO. Ranking well takes time, especially for new posts. As an experienced blogger, I’ve found that it typically takes at least 6 months for a new post to start ranking well. Patience is key.

For instance, I initially started a technical blog in 2007 that ran for 4 years. However, due to technical errors and other factors, the blog’s traffic declined. In 2012, I restarted my blog under a new domain and focused on writing posts about my experiences with Go programming language. Eventually, my posts about Go started ranking consistently on Google. It took around 5-6 months for them to gain noticeable traction.

Write Evergreen Content

When creating content, consider its long-term relevance. Aim to write evergreen content that remains relevant even after several years. Stay away from news, conference updates, or the latest version of a library. Instead, focus on timeless topics that will stand the test of time. This will ensure your content remains valuable to readers as the years go by.

Have an Optimized Content Structure

While content is king, presentation is also crucial. Utilize your CMS or site generator to apply common techniques that optimize your content for sharing and search engines. For sharing, ensure you have the appropriate og meta properties to generate attractive cards when shared on platforms like Twitter. Optimize for search engines by making your site mobile-first, server-side rendered, and fast. Use schema.org microdata, set the post’s published and updated dates, and include plenty of internal links to other posts on your blog. All these practices will improve your content’s visibility on search engines.

By following these SEO tips, you can enhance the visibility and reach of your technical blog. Remember, it’s a long-term strategy, so be patient and consistent in producing high-quality content.

Tags: SEO, technical blogging, content creation, evergreen content, sharing content, optimized content structure