Lowering the (Boss)Tone

When I started this blog, some 5 or 6 years ago, it seemed a great way to share my take on the world, do some writing and gain work experience, all in one. (It still is.) Remembering the title of one of my favourite songs, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' 'The Impression That I Get' felt perfect for my blog too.

Problem is, when you type "the impression that I get" into Google your query is more likely to bring up results for the song - either lyrics, guitar chords, video and other 'impression that I get'-related searches - by these one-hit-wonders of ska than for my blog. 

So today I've set myself the challenge of knocking the Mighty Mighty Bosstones off the top spot on Google (sorry, guys, love the song but SEO is a serious business!).

So how do you topple the Bosstones?

First I've gotta go with keyword phrases such as 'Bosstones', 'Mighty Mighty Bosstones' and 'the impression that I get'. 'Bosstones' receives the most searches, so I'd best try to optimise with this. By slipping each term into the headers and into the copy where possible there's a chance that when people type them into Google my blog pops up in the search results too. 

Weaving keyphrases into texts is an art form in itself, however. Writing '"The Impression That I Get" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones"' at the start of every single sentence would be about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Instead, you should blend your keywords or keyword phrases (in this case 'the impression that I get') into the copy naturally. 

Write for the reader first, then write for Google second.

How Else?

Hey, why not include a Mighty Mighty Bosstones music video? Preferably of 'The Impression That I Get'. Then you can see why I like it so much.

 Source: You Tube /Vevo

Of course, there is something of an ulterior motive here as well. While sharing the song with you for your listening pleasure, I'm also optimising the blog. Popping this Mighty Mighty Bosstones video in my post is a chance to provde good content; good content attracts more traffic to a blog (visitors and visits to the website); and more visitors means a higher Google ranking. 

More importantly, of course, it also increases the chances of my blog appearing when you type in 'Bosstones', 'Mighty Mighty Bosstones' or 'The Impression That I Get'. Yippety bippety!

What do you think?

Another angle I can attack the Bosstones from is to simply ask my readers what they think of the content. Interacting with the reader... engaging them... is one of several ways to optimise your site. 'How to'-type articles are a great way to do this, since they give readers the chance to offer tips and recommendations on different topics and share related content.

Smart approach two is to take part in discussions on other people's blogs. Then I can link my post on their blog back to my own. If Lady Googleluck is on my side, they'll take a peek, enjoy the content and comment. Go on, you know wanna!

How the Mighty have fallen

These are just a few ways I can try to optimise my blog and hopefully knock the Mighty Mighty Bosstones off their firm Google perch. Hopefully, thanks to some nifty SEO, I'll be uttering these immortal words some day!

And of course, these tips don't just apply to my site. You can implement them to slay your own particular Goliath. Not literally though, please!

Let me know how you go.