Blog SEO Basics: Titles, URLs, Headings, Sitemaps & GSC
A practical walkthrough to make every post discoverable research keywords, optimize titles/URLs, structure content, add sitemaps, and monitor in Search Console.
Overview
This video shows how to set up blog posts that rank: research the right keywords, craft search-friendly titles and slugs, structure with headings, optimize media and links, submit sitemaps, and track performance in Google Search Console.
- Research keywords and map them to search intent
- Include target terms in titles, URLs, and headings (naturally)
- Optimize copy, image alt text, and internal/external links
- Publish and index faster with XML sitemaps
- Monitor queries, clicks, and issues in Search Console
Read transcript / key moments
Blogging is a great way to share ideas—if posts are optimized for search so they can rank on SERPs. Research keywords Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant phrases for your topic. Apply them in the title, URL, and content. Optimize your title and URL Search engines rely on these to understand your post. Include your target keyword in both. Use headings and subheadings Improve scanability and clarify structure for readers and search engines. Include keywords naturally. Optimize your content • Use target keywords naturally throughout. • Add descriptive alt text to images. • Link internally and externally to relevant resources. • Use structured data where appropriate. Use a sitemap Create and maintain an XML sitemap (e.g., with Yoast SEO or XML Sitemaps) so search engines can discover all posts. Use Google Search Console Verify your site, inspect URLs, submit sitemaps, and monitor queries, clicks, and indexing. Conclusion By combining research, on-page optimization, sitemaps, and GSC monitoring, you increase the odds your posts rank and drive traffic. Halyard Consulting can help you implement a scalable blog SEO process.