Optimizing Blog Content: Enhancing SEO with FAQs and Glossaries

In general, I will make sure I have optimized each one of the SEO titles and SEO descriptions, I will make sure I have a featured image, and I also tap ChatGPT-4 to add a full Glossary of Terms and a full Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) to the end of each post. What I do is I dump the full text from each blog post into the ChatGPT dialogue chat text box and write something like "go through the below-pasted copy from my blog post and create an extensive FAQ will question and answer pairs and also a full glossary of terms with both glossary terms and full definition. Please attempt to make the blog post as generally understandable as possible and make sure you create at least ten FAQs and 10 or more glossary terms'' or something like that. I sort of make it up every time. 

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Then, I just make sure I carefully format, highlight, emphasize, italicize, and boldface the content as clearly as possible. I do this for three reasons: 1) I write without any concern as to whether anyone is on the same page with me or has any practical experience with SEO or with SEO, Internet, Tech, Nerd, or Geek speak. Or Googlese. 2) Google is always looking for quick definitions that it can offer quickly, inline on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page), and offering prewritten FAQ Qs and As as well as Terms and Definitions, make it much easier when Google is trying to figure out WTH I am talking about as well (always try to feed Google while also trying to meet any readers where they are, offering definitions of terms and remediation). 3) More copy and context that makes an article a) more keyword and context-diverse b) longer form c) reactivated and renewed. With regards to C, even my most popular blog posts are getting a little long in the tooth (long in the teeth) so "reactivating" and updating content that's approaching ARCHIVAL is always a good thing. 

Google diff Spider, Google diff Robot

I am pretty sure that Google is 40% about the diff: when Google checks your sitemap.xml and then spiders your site, it checks to see if your site is captured in amber, stuck in time, not changed or updated at all; or, if your site is dynamic and active and publishing and updating. So, when Google goes back to my top pages and posts and it's been a decade since they've been changed, they pass it by. They might even archive or deprioritize those articles as being anachronistic or obsolete. Updating your evergreen content is an amazing way of making your content from old bread to hot donuts again. It's like sending your old posts to the esthetician, the beautician, or the plastic surgeon. Taking years off its age, making it hot again. make sure that Google checks out your content BBL, so to speak. But be careful: never catfish Google. Be yourself, only better and more vibrant. Bring the excitement back to the marriage between your site and Google Organic Search. 

Don’t Catfish Google; Never Catfish Google Search

But don't catfish Google. Don't rewrite your blog posts or site with a bunch of "I wish I were a doctor, I wish I were over six feet, I wish I had a six-pack." If you aren't a 6'3'' doctor with abs, then don't write that into your site or Google will surely smite you. They hate being catfished more than just about anyone; and Google will hold you accountable. So, if you're going to rejuvenate and update your site content, you might want to update your keywords to more modern, popular, content. For me, being a "full-stack SEO" is the new "on page SEO" or "technical SEO" or "organic SEO" so I needed to make some of those changes to my SEO content. Also, maybe get rid of some old stuff like if you mentioned Google+ or if you mentioned Periscope or some other dead platform. 

Add More Value To Your Already Valuable and Popular Content

I mean, there's a million other little value-added content that you can add to your top-content, best-content, and evergreen content. Don't try to be clever, sneaky, or dodgy. You're not smart enough to outsmart Google anymore. I won't go into internal linking or "related content" additions to the bottom of each page because I want to focus on the FAQs and Glossary of Terms in this article. I am doing this experiment right now. I mean, you really should see an FAQ and a Glossary of terms right here, right now, right below... and let me know if you have any questions. Have a great week!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Q1: What is the purpose of adding FAQs and glossaries to blog posts?
A1: Adding FAQs and glossaries helps clarify content for readers and provides quick, accessible definitions that improve SEO. These elements make it easier for search engines to understand and index the content, improving visibility on SERPs.

Q2: How does updating old blog posts improve SEO?
A2: Updating old blog posts keeps them relevant and dynamic, preventing them from becoming outdated. This shows search engines that the website is actively maintained, which can lead to better rankings and increased traffic.

Q3: What is meant by 'giving a blog post a glow up'?
A3: Giving a blog post a "glow up" involves updating it with fresh content, improved SEO elements like optimized titles and descriptions, and adding visually appealing graphics. It rejuvenates the post, making it more attractive and relevant to current readers.

Q4: Why is it important not to 'catfish' Google?
A4: 'Catfishing' Google refers to presenting misleading information on a website to appear more authoritative or relevant than it actually is. Google penalizes such practices, as it prefers authenticity and accurate representation of content, which ensures trust and reliability in search results.

Q5: What changes should be considered when updating SEO terms in blog posts?
A5: Consider integrating modern, relevant keywords, phasing out outdated terms (like references to defunct platforms), and ensuring that all SEO practices align with current Google algorithms and user search behaviors.

Q6: Can updating images and multimedia on a blog post affect its SEO?
A6: Yes, updating images and adding multimedia can significantly enhance a post's SEO by increasing engagement, reducing bounce rates, and providing more content for search engines to index.

Q7: What is the best practice for writing SEO titles and descriptions?
A7: SEO titles and descriptions should be concise, include key phrases, and directly address the content's focus. They should entice users to click while accurately reflecting the post’s content.

Q8: How often should blog content be reviewed and updated?
A8: Blog content should be reviewed at least annually, but more frequently if it covers rapidly changing topics. Regular updates ensure content remains accurate, relevant, and SEO-optimized.

Q9: What are some risks of not updating blog content regularly?
A9: Neglecting to update blog content can lead to decreased traffic, lower search rankings, and outdated information that could mislead readers or diminish brand credibility.

Q10: How can one measure the impact of updated blog posts on SEO?
A10: The impact can be measured by monitoring changes in traffic, bounce rates, search rankings, and engagement metrics before and after updates are made.

Q11: What does 'catfishing Google' mean in SEO terms?
A11: In SEO terms, 'catfishing Google' refers to the practice of presenting misleading information on a website to make it appear more authoritative, relevant, or up-to-date than it actually is. This could involve exaggerating qualifications, using outdated successful metrics to claim current relevance, or fabricating content to attract higher rankings. Google penalizes such tactics as they undermine the accuracy and trustworthiness of search results, potentially leading to lower rankings or even deindexing of the site.

Glossary of Terms:

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

SERP (Search Engine Results Page): The page displayed by search engines in response to a user's query, where results are listed.

Featured Image: An image that represents the content of a post, often used to capture attention and convey themes visually.

GSC (Google Search Console): A tool provided by Google that helps users measure their site's traffic, performance, and resolve issues.

GA4 (Google Analytics 4): The latest generation of Google Analytics, offering new insights and integration capabilities for tracking website and app usage.

Evergreen Content: Content that remains relevant and useful over a long period, without requiring frequent updates.

Sitemap.xml: A file where all website pages are listed to inform search engines about the site structure.

Organic Search: Unpaid search results based on the relevance to the user's query, as opposed to paid advertisements.

Catfishing (SEO Context): The act of deceiving Google and its algorithms by presenting a website in a misleading manner that exaggerates its relevance, authority, or content quality. This unethical SEO practice can include using outdated information as if it's current, displaying credentials the site or its authors do not have, or creating content that promises one thing but delivers another. Such tactics are aimed at improving search rankings under false pretenses, which can result in penalties from Google, including lowered rankings or removal from search results altogether.

TL;DR:

The author revitalizes popular blog posts by optimizing SEO elements such as titles, descriptions, and incorporating new visuals, while also adding detailed FAQs and glossaries with ChatGPT-4's help. This refresh enhances understandability and SEO performance by providing rich, keyword-diverse content and updated information, keeping the posts relevant and appealing to both Google and readers. Regular updates signal to search engines that the content is actively maintained, improving search rankings. The strategy avoids misleading tactics ("catfishing" Google) to ensure authenticity and relevance, updating old content to make it as fresh and engaging as "hot donuts," leveraging modern SEO practices and removing outdated references.

Google Catfishing, Catfishing Google: Don't Do It!

The term "catfishing Google" in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to the practice of attempting to deceive Google's search algorithms into ranking a website or page higher than it deserves. This can involve various manipulative tactics that are generally against Google's guidelines. These might include using misleading or irrelevant keywords, creating fake backlinks, or other methods that aim to artificially boost the site's visibility and search ranking.

This term is derived from the broader concept of "catfishing," where someone creates a fictional persona or scenario online, often to deceive others. In the context of SEO, it similarly involves creating a deceptive or misleading representation of a website's content to influence search engine rankings favorably. This practice is risky as it can lead to penalties from Google, including lowered rankings or removal from search results entirely once the deception is identified. Catfishing Google in SEO involves creating deceptive content or manipulating search algorithms to make a website appear more relevant than it actually is. 

• Keyword stuffing: Filling a website with irrelevant keywords in an attempt to rank higher for those terms.
• Cloaking: Serving different content to search engines and human visitors.
• Black hat SEO techniques: Unethical practices that violate search engine guidelines.

These tactics might result in a temporary rise in search rankings, but they're not sustainable and can ultimately get a website penalized by search engines.  For SEO success, it's important to focus on creating high-quality, informative content that genuinely attracts users.