The “boring” SEO advice that actually works in 2026

Hi Reader,

Want to know a secret?

The best SEO advice is really boring.

I mean REALLY boring.

But it works!

Good SEO is not a bunch of exciting tricks and hacks.

It’s not about some secret magical formula that no-one else has discovered.

It’s actually about doing the boring, foundational things really well.

The SEO advice that actually works in 2026 comes down to a handful of core principles that most people overlook – but Google absolutely doesn’t:

Pick keywords you can actually rank for (and that bring traffic)
Write lots of high quality blog posts
Give your readers an awesome experience on your website
Show your readers (and Google) that you actually know your stuff
Don’t let old or low-quality content drag you down
Structure your site well
Ensure your website is fast, secure and reliable

Let’s look at each of those in more detail…

1. Pick keywords you can actually rank for (and that bring traffic)

This is where so many bloggers go wrong.

They think keyword research is outdated or it just doesn’t work.

But the truth is keyword research in 2026 works better than ever – if you do it right!

Better still, at it’s core, keyword research is one of THE best time-saving hacks.

Think of it like this…

You could spend 2 hours writing 1 keyword researched post and get 1,000 monthly pageviews on that post.

You could spend 20 hours writing 10 blog posts with no keyword research and get 100 monthly pageviews each – or 1,000 total.

Same result – 10x the amount of effort...

I know which I’d rather!

Good keyword research ensures you are not wasting your time writing blog posts that just don’t rank.

2. Write lots of high quality blog posts

This year’s Blogging Income Survey made one thing very clear:

On average, the more content you write, the more you will earn.

But not just any content.

It needs to be high quality content – content worth clicking to from Google and content your readers actually stay and read.

A strong post in 2026:

solves one clear problem
answers it completely
is easy and enjoyable to read
is well structured
doesn’t bury the key information

3. Give your readers an awesome experience on your website

At the heart of modern SEO is something very simple:

If people enjoy being on your site, Google notices.

A good UX means:

they stay longer
they read more posts
they don’t immediately bounce back to search

All of that tells Google: “This content is helpful.”

And if your content is helpful, Google sends you more traffic.

4. Show your readers (and Google) that you actually know your stuff

This is where SEO has changed a lot in recent years.

It is no longer possible to get away with writing blog posts on topics you know nothing about.

Google wants to see:

Experience
Expertise
Authority
Trustworthiness

And readers want the same thing.

You need to have good E-E-A-T and you need to prove that you have good E-E-A-T.

READ MORE >>> 15 easy ways to improve your E-E-A-T

5. Don’t let old or low-quality content drag you down

This is one too many bloggers ignore.

But it really matters.

And it came through loud and clear in the Blogging Income Survey this year.

Your site is judged as a whole.

Google has been saying this on repeat for years!

If you have:

Poor quality content
Old, outdated content
Thin content
Off-topic content

…it can dilute your overall SEO – meaning even your new, high quality, well written posts will rank lower.

READ MORE >>> Should you delete old blog posts?

6. Structure your site well

Your website shouldn't just be a collection of random posts.

It needs to have a clear, logical site structure – for both your readers and Google!

Good structure means:

categories and tags that actually make sense
optimized archives
logical navigation
breadcrumbs
cornerstone content
good internal linking
no “orphaned” content

Google uses this to understand what your site is about, which pages matter most and how everything connects.

Readers use this to understand what your site is about, navigate your site and find what they are looking for.

7. Ensure your website is fast, secure and reliable

This part of SEO is less visible, but it still matters a lot!

You need to ensure your site:

is fast to load
has a clean, secure setup
doesn’t have any broken links
is well maintained
doesn’t keep going down or breaking

The big picture

SEO in 2026 isn’t really about tricks or hacks.

It’s about building a blog that is:

easy to use
genuinely helpful
well structured
technically solid

Do that consistently…

…and rankings become a natural by-product.

Next week, I’ll show you how this all connects to something many bloggers completely overlook:

How good SEO can actually make you more productive – A LOT more productive!

Until then – happy blogging!

Eb 😊

P.S. Want to avoid getting side-tracked by short-term, sneaky SEO "hacks" that are designed to "trick" Google, and instead focus on the true SEO fundamentals that actually work? That's exactly what I focus on inside SEO Jumpstart! It gets updated every year, so if it’s been a while since you went through the course, it might be worth going through it again to make sure you’re still up-to-date.

P.P.S. Missed my survey write-up? Read it here: How much to bloggers REALLY earn in 2026: Results from the Blogging Income Survey

Productive Blogging