When I decided to write my first blog, I was excited about sharing my thoughts and ideas with the world.I had picked a topic I was passionate about, spent hours writing the content, and hit the “publish” button. But there was just one problem—almost no one saw it.

That’s when I stumbled upon SEO—Search Engine Optimization. I had heard the term before, but never truly understood how powerful it was until I realized that SEO could help my content actually reach people through search engines like Google.

I’ll explain the fundamental SEO techniques I employed to optimise my first blog in this post, along with the lessons I discovered and how you, even if you’re just starting out, can do the same.

1. Being Aware of What SEO Is and Is Not

I had to grasp the true meaning of SEO before I could get started. To put it simply, SEO is the process of making your content or website better so that it appears higher in search engine results. The objective? Your content shows up on Google’s first page when someone searches for a topic you’ve written about.

Stuffing your page with keywords and playing tricks on the system are not the goals of SEO. It all comes down to delivering pertinent, helpful content in a manner that search engines and people can comprehend.

2. Researching Keywords: Selecting Appropriate Words to Focus on

Researching keywords was the first and most crucial step in my blog optimisation process. This is how I found out what my audience was really looking for.

I made use of free resources such as

Planner for Google Keywords

Ubersuggest

RespondThePublic

Suppose I was writing a blog post about “healthy breakfast recipes.” Rather than merely utilising that broad term, I searched for long-tail keywords such as:

“Healthy breakfast ideas that are easy to make”

“breakfasts high in protein for weight loss”

“quick vegan breakfast recipes”

Because they are less competitive and more specific, these longer phrases are perfect for beginners.

After deciding on my primary keyword (in this example, “easy healthy breakfast ideas”), I made sure it showed up organically in the

Title of the blog

URL

The opening paragraph

Subheadings (where applicable)

Alt text for the image

3. Creating an Eye-Catching Title and Meta Description

Your title and meta description are what show up in search results.It serves as the initial impression of your blog, so it must be good.

I made use of this framework:

Title: Simple, Healthful Breakfast Recipes That Only Take Ten Minutes

Meta Description: Searching for a healthy and quick breakfast? Find simple, healthful breakfast recipes that you can prepare in ten minutes or less!

Both provided a reason for readers to click and contained my target keyword.

4. Blog Organisation for SEO and Readability

Both readers and search engines appreciate well-structured content. Using headings (H1, H2, and H3), I separated my blog into discrete sections.

My structure looked like this:

H1: Blog Title

H2: Summary

H2: The Value of a Nutritious Breakfast

H2: 5 Easy, Nutritious Breakfast Ideas

H3:Original Concept: Fruit and Nuts with Greek Yoghurt

H3: Idea #2: Avocado Toast with Eggs

etc.

H2: Easy Breakfast Preparation Tips

H2: Synopsis

This kept my blog organised and made it easier for Google to crawl.

5. Image Optimisation

I had added pictures to my blog to illustrate the dishes, but I was unaware that they also needed to be optimised. What I did was as follows:

Using programs like TinyPNG, compress images to increase page loading speed.

image files with new names (for example, “avocado-toast-breakfast.jpg” rather than “IMG123.jpg”).

When appropriate, keywords were included in the alt text that described the images.

This improved my blog’s SEO and accessibility.

6. Linking Internally and Externally

I then included links:

internal connections to my website’s other blogs or pages.

external connections to reliable sources (e.g., nutritional studies or health websites).

In addition to enhancing credibility, this aids search engines in comprehending the connections between content.

7. Page speed and mobile friendliness

Websites that load quickly and function well on mobile devices are given preference by Google. I tested my blog using PageSpeed Insights and Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.

I discovered how to:

Make use of a responsive theme.

Stay away from big media files.

Reduce the number of superfluous scripts or plugins

Even minor adjustments had a significant impact on how quickly my blog loaded.

8. Using Google and Monitoring the Outcomes

I wanted Google to find my blog as soon as possible after I had published and optimised it. I used Google Search Console to do the following:

Send the URL to my blog so it can be indexed.

Track performance (average position, impressions, and clicks).

Seeing my blog gradually begin to appear in search results was thrilling!

9. Consistency and Patience Are Important

I quickly discovered that SEO takes time. Weeks or even months may pass before your content starts to move up the rankings. However, I started to see results by consistently implementing the fundamentals—increased traffic, improved engagement, and even a few social media shares.

Concluding remarks

My first blog’s SEO optimisation was an educational experience that made me realise the full potential of digital content.It was not just about writing; it was about making that writing discoverable.

Don’t be scared if you’re new to SEO or blogging. Begin modestly:

Research your keywords.

Clearly organise your content