This One Is For All Anime Bloggers Looking For Google SEO Tips

Hello everyone and welcome to our shelter!

Today’s topic is going to be a little different than usual. I’ve written some articles before regarding SEO and tips on how to get more views from Google. But, after reading Irina’s post yesterday on this, I just felt that I had to talk about the subject.

First of all, I want to say that no-one, and it’s really no-one knows how Google’s algorithm works. In fact, only the people who work at Google knows and I’m pretty sure that those people have to sign a heavy contract stating they won’t be giving Google’s secrets.

The reason why the algorithm is probably locked in a safe below Google’s CEO bed is so that their competitors cannot copy their algorithm. Let’s face it, there is a reason why we all use Google… There is a reason why Bing ended up as a Meme some time ago due to their results falling the mark completely. It’s because of the algorithm.

So, with that in mind, I want to you take a huge grain of salt every time you look for tips in how to rank in Google, or SEO tips, or how to become a millionaire in one month through Google’s search engine. Or, better yet, in how Google search is a horrible way to gain traffic at the moment and you should just focus on Social Media.

To be completely honest, most of those statements are false!

The Social Media “Gurus”

Many people call themselves gurus (or influencers) nowadays… Well, let me tell you, everyone can call themselves whatever they want you know? It’s not like they work for a company where their job title is given by a superior.

Of course, there are people who are very well established in the social media industry. They have worked for years and specialized themselves in SEO. However, much of what you find on the Internet is just recycled content which people sell you as facts, when truth is, nobody has 100% certain of how Google’s algorithm works.

Why they do this? Well, if they are telling you that you are going to become rich in one month, they are using clickbait and are taking advantage from one of the most searched things in Google (How to make money fast online). If they sell you their opinions/theories as facts, then it’s because they have another agenda for you. It may be to buy their consultancy services or to subscribe to their newsletter which gives you a free PDF with all the tricks you need to have… Let me tell you, most of the times it’s just rubberish.

So, again, always take all these “facts” with a huge grain of salt! Of course, take my opinions also with a grain of salt! So, let’s do an exercise!

Let’s Think Like Google

So, you are now part of Google’s algorithm team. Probably, the main objective you have is to give the best search user experience there is. Strange, right? But, yes, even a huge company like Google takes that into mind. In fact, it’s probably because of that they became so huge.

So, what would you do, first thing if you would be given the task of improving Google’s algorithm? Well, think like someone is doing a search and what they would like to have.

So, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of someone who is doing a Google Search. I put my search, let’s think it’s a question, what do I want to receive? The best answer to that question.

Easy, right? Well, in a logic point of view, yes. In a technical point of view, not so much. The problem is, there are probably millions of articles answering the question you just asked on Google, so, which one is going to be the very best answer? It’s not like Google have the manpower to manually read every single article and choose the best one! That’s why the GoogleBot and Google Algorithm exist.

So, if I were Google Algorithm, What Would I Take Into Account

Keyword Matching

First, let’s browse for the keyword, let’s say it’s the question “Best Anime of Winter Season”

Is the keyword in the title? Titles are the thing people write to catch the readers attention, so if the post is about something, they will write the search query in there for sure.

But, what if they go for a more fun title and some words are not there? Well, let’s also take into account if there are keywords which are related to the theme. For example, Best and Top are used to describe the same thing.

What about the meta description? The meta description is used to give a little more information about the post and make people click it… Does the meta description have anything to do with the title and the search?

Then, what about headings? Headings are normally used to catch the attention from readers, meaning that if they are answering this question, it probably will have the keyword or related words in there.

And what about the text? If their main goal is to answer the question, they probably will use the words sometimes here and there, right? Of course, if they use it 200 times in a 500 words article, they are just spamming. So it has to have the word (or related words) sometimes, but not too many.

By doing this, I’m able to pinpoint an article that is answering the question this person is asking. It clearly is about the subject and not just an article which has a different purpose but refers anime winter season in the middle of it.

So, what’s next?

Freshness

Ok, so someone is looking for Anime of Winter Season… We are in 2019, so should I give them 2016 posts or 2019 posts? Well, probably it’s better to give them the most recent articles… I mean, when people are searching for something in the past, in a specific year, they normally will put the year in the search query.

But, there’s more… Things are always changing. Information is always changing, so normally a more recent article will have more accurate information, right?

So, yeah, the most recent the best! However, there are way too many posts… I mean, thousands and thousands of posts! So, which one should go to the front page?

Website Analytics

So, from all the websites talking about this, which ones seem to post the most and be more active?

Which ones do people already like and visit more often?

Which ones have the best information to the point of being referred on other websites?

By the way, since this has Anime on the search query, then if the site has Anime in the domain it’s because it specializes in this subject, right?

But, I still have some many articles… How can I pinpoint even better the best answer?

Oh, I know! Let’s see how actual readers work their own way along the website! Do they actually spend time on the website? In other words, do people actually read the content? Do they click on the links and browse the website before getting out? Does the site take too long to load? Do their articles normally get shared on Social Media?

The more, the better!

But wait, and what if they are using bought accounts to share their things on social media? *Gulp* I need to take that into account as well.

Others Things That Matter That I Don’t Believe Google Is Actually Taking Into Account

One important thing when you write for the Internet, especially in a blogging kind of way, is that you need to take into account the readability of your article.

Depending on where and what for you are writing, your writing structure should change. For example, an article answering a simple question should not be written in the same way as a thesis.

I’m not saying that you are a bad writer or some of the sorts if you can only write in a thesis-type. But, as one should behave and talk in different ways depending on the situation (I mean you won’t be the same way in a board meeting as you are when you are in your pyjamas with your SO while watching a show, right?), writing is the same way.

If you are writing a thesis for a masters degree, you will write in one way, which will be different from how you write a shopping list… Which is going to be different than the way you write a love letter, which should be different from how you write an article post.

There is no “right” way to write on the Internet. As many different things, there is also an audience for everything. However, there are some points that you can get as common sense.

Nobody will just read a massive bulk of text with no images/headings. Think about an article with 9000 words in just one paragraph? Will anyone read that? I mean, besides when you are obliged to at school? (Let me tell you, economic books were a pain to read!)

Now, think about when you find an article when you google search something? Not an article from someone you actually follow, but for some random fact, you wanted to know real quick? Did you read the full article, or did you went right where they talked about what you were searching? What would happen if you found an article for an easy question with 10.000 words, ugly and tiny text?

You would just click backwards and see the next link right? So, what would that mean for Google Algorithm? That the subject was not interesting. I mean, readers are just getting out the moment they open the article without even reading them!

So, although I don’t believe Google is looking in how “pretty” your writing is, they don’t really need to!

So, What Can We, Fellow Anime Bloggers, Do?

Well, let me just be straight with you! If you are writing about an industry that it’s completely saturated, such as SEO (oh the irony!) then, probably you won’t be able to get much Search results! So yeah, Google is dead… To a certain extent! However, reading Social Media “Gurus” saying that it’s like a fact for every industry, just makes me mad!

Well, we don’t have that problem, we are in the Anime industry! Since it’s a niche of its own, it’s not as saturated as other different subjects. However, it is still difficult to rank in Google Search, don’t make me wrong! You don’t need just one or two articles to get on the first page to have your blog seen as a powerful place to go right away! It takes time and a lot (and I mean a LOT) of work to get there!

I mean, my domain is animeshelter and if you search Anime Shelter on Google I don’t appear on the first page! As you all know, there is a popular Anime short called Anime Shelter, and the results will be those ones! Why? Because it’s more popular than our shelter! However, with time and a lot of effort, there will be a time that if you write Anime Shelter it will be there!

So, the best advice I have to give you is, always take into account the reader! Design your website so that it’s easy for readers to read your posts, find interesting articles related to what they are reading. Make sure it’s fast for them to go to where they want to be inside your site.

Also, take into mind what are people searching for the themes you want to talk about. Marry what you want to write with what people are actually looking for! Moreover, if you want to have faster results, always take into account that if you are going to review a popular Anime which came out 5 years ago, there are already thousands of people who got there first and are seen as trustworthy articles to answer the searchers’ needs.

That is all! If you want to read my technical tips to increase Google Search results, you can do it here 😉

Happy Anime Blogging!