Shopping Links Blog

SEO for Fashion Bloggers

February 15, 2016
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Influencer Marketing - SEO for Bloggers

As a fashion blogger, you may have come across many people and articles telling you what to do and what not to do in terms of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for your blog. I am going to start by declaring that I am not an expert in SEO but I am an avid follower of literally thousands of fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogs! At Shopping Links we visit at least 100 blogs a day, whether we’re reviewing applications to our network, checking suitability for a collaboration or simply getting our daily fix from those we love. In our quest to find the very best blogs, we have uncovered some simple improvements that fashion bloggers can make that will not only please their audience but will also help their SEO efforts.

It’s important to note that Google is constantly changing the rules. I would not recommend that you sit and read every article about how to improve your SEO (although this one by Ramsay at Blog Tyrant is worth a read) as this will take loads of time and the answer to increase your ranking is simple….build a fashion blog that is truly useful and helpful to more people. The goal of Google is to provide searchers with results that best match their query. Your goal is to make your site better than anyone else’s when it comes to fashion or your content topic. Think about why people come to your site and work hard to make it more informative and engaging than other fashion blogs. Give your readers all the links they need to buy products and extra information about sizing, shipping etc. Organise the content so your users can easily find what they’re looking for and they will keep coming back.

If you’re looking for some practical SEO tips to consider in your quest to become the best fashion blog, we have 6 suggestions for you:

1. Get your own domain name

Firstly, I would strongly recommend you get your own domain and web hosting. Not only does it look professional but Google ranks it. It is tempting to just stick with a blogging tool that provides free hosting but it’s definitely worth the small investment, especially if you’re looking to build commercial relationships with brands and actively participate in Influencer Marketing platforms like Shopping Links.

 

2. Make your blog mobile friendly

With more web traffic now coming from mobile than desktop, it’s time to experience your blog as a follower on a mobile device. Can you access all parts of your blog? Can you link to your social media and ‘contact us’ pages? Does your site load quickly on a mobile device? At Shopping Links we review many blog applications each day and one of the most common issues we find is the lack of access to all parts of the blog from a mobile device (especially your link to Instagram!). It’s worth checking this and making the necessary changes so both Google and your followers have a good experience of your blog not only on a desktop but on mobile as well.

 

3. Use affiliate links wisely

At Shopping Links we believe it’s an essential part of your business to monetise your blog using affiliate links, but just don’t overdo it. There’s a great post about adding value to your affiliate pages here. In the quest to make your blog useful to others, include original content with lots of information in addition to your affiliate links. It’s also beneficial to the brands you work with to include a native link to their site with no tracking (it helps heaps with their own SEO efforts), so try where possible to add a native link in your post. Both Google and the Brands you work with will love you for it!

 

4. Seek out opportunities to be a Guest blogger

Guest post for the best bloggers and fashion sites you know! Some bloggers are tempted to put a price on their guest blog post but it is important to weigh this up with the potential SEO benefits you’re likely to receive if you can include a link back to your own site. As you build your own audience look for opportunities to appear on other reputable blogs/sites with a link back to your own blog and content. It will help with your ranking, traffic and in turn the opportunities presented by brands.

 

5. The need for speed

Fast loading of your site is essential for both good user experience and Google ranking. Try not to weigh down your homepage with lots of images that take ages to load. Depending on the technology and structure of your site, consider balancing that bandwidth hogging content with a brief intro and the ability to click through to the detail. However you structure your site and content, it’s worth checking this regularly on different devices. Not only will your followers be thankful but Google will notice.

 

6. Participate in forums and comment on other blogs (back links)

There are loads of opportunities right across the web to participate in various communities and conversations that will have a direct impact on your own blog traffic and SEO. This is a particularly relevant SEO tactic for fashion bloggers. Take the time to read and engage with your fellow bloggers and resource sites. Be genuine, timely and only comment when you have something relevant and valuable to contribute. Make sure your contribution is interesting (don’t just spam their comments to get a link back) and don’t forget to share those sites that have inspired you. It’s also valuable to include links to other blog posts you’ve written in your own content. Be sure to include these links where natural and relevant.

One bonus suggestion is to look for Affiliate Networks that direct shoppers from your social media accounts to your blog page rather than their own websites. Some of the more popular blogger networks tend to use your content to direct shoppers to their own website to make a purchase. Although you may be earning commission, it’s important to consider the experience of your audience and the value of traffic. It impacts on your own Google ranking. Keep the traffic as much as possible!

Above all else, make your site useful and enjoyable for your audience. Be sure to optimise where practical and natural but don’t go building your blog to simply rank higher in Google. Your audience will notice and so will Google. Build your blog for your followers and the ranking, traffic and opportunity to work with your favourite brands will come!

If you’ve found some other really helpful articles on SEO or have some suggestions on what’s worked/not worked for you, please share them in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!


Written by Kim Westwood, Founder and Managing Director of Shopping Links, a cost effective Influencer Marketing platform that connects bloggers with brands for the purpose of collaboration.