If you have been blogging for any amount of time you will know that getting your blog found in the search engines is one way (possibly the best way) of getting the right kind of traffic to your blog; you can gain new readers and ask them to become subscribers and in turn they become part of your blog’s community.
If you read multiple blogs about blogging and SEO as well as dropping by here you will already know that keyword density is recommended at 1-2% per post, 2-3 keywords per post and to add a keyword to your title and all the other little things that help your post get better traction (see also Keywords for bloggers). You will also know I use and recommend a product called Scribe to help me get my posts right and the best possible traffic.
So what is Scribe?
Scribe SEO is a plugin that works with WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and other blogging software. You can easily upload the plugin via the dashboard and then add your activation code ready to start using the software.
What does Scribe Do?
Scribe double checks you. It checks that you have your keywords in the correct places, it tells you what keyword density you have and it tells you what keywords you could be found for. If you find you are keyword rich for jaffa cakes rather than what you actually want to be found for (orange filled chocolate biscuits) then you need to alter your content accordingly.
Click image to enlarge view of Scribe Content Analysis
How does Scribe help me?
As Scribe is built into your content area, it’s a reminder to use the tool and to implement what SEO knowledge you have. You may know you should have a keyword density of 1-2% but do you actually check? Few bloggers do; we rely on our instincts and cross our fingers that we will get found. Scribe does the checking for us and helps keep us on track.
Scribe will also help you with link-building and sourcing influencers for your type of content in order for you to approach them and start building a relationship. Personally I think it’s a great tool for training new bloggers on how to optimise their posts and how to reach out to the right people as well as reminding more experienced bloggers that instinct isn’t always correct.
Updates -
Several times a year Scribe is updated so that it remains a powerful tool for bloggers. Another update is coming soon and Scribe 4.0 looks to be the most powerful version yet. Because it will have more functionality than it currently has, it will be more expensive.
So here’s the deal, the best deal is very often for existing subscribers to the software. They are the people who use it, review it and promote it. You need to be one of those people to get the very best deal. So go and check it out right now.
At the very least grab a copy of the free SEO report and have a good read - Click here to grab your free SEO report
Back to the question-
Why do bloggers need the Scribe SEO Plugin?
They need it because they want to be found for the right reasons, the right search terms and they want the best results possible.
If that sounds like you, then go and check it out.
- From $17
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, it provides fast and reliable source of getting quality backlinks. I guess, they are one of the good investment to have when doing link building.
JohnC recently posted..Toys ‘R Us found liable in wrongful death lawsuit
Twitter: saraharrow
October 20, 2011 at 11:19 am
Hi John, I like the suggestions Scribe makes when promoting your posts, and it’s a reminder that I need to promote the post and engage with people who would like that content. Thanks for stopping by and commenting
Hm, I like Scribe, but think that when you do your SEO naturally (by hand), you can get better results in the long term.
Codeforest recently posted..CakePHP 2.0 released: What’s new?
Twitter: saraharrow
October 20, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Hiya, thanks for dropping by. I don’t see Scribe as a tool that “does it for you” as in write the words, but it does keep you on the right track
When you start blogging it is hard to guess what keyword density you are using and who would be interested in your post. When you get more experienced then the SEO aspect of Scribe will come naturally
Sarah, thanks for the valuable reminders about SEO and for the free download (have taken advantage!)
I find the Yoast SEO plugin very helpful, it does most of the stuff you mention in connection with Scribe and dare I say it, is free!
Twitter: saraharrow
October 20, 2011 at 4:30 pm
It over rides the SEO aspect of Genesis, so I will test it for a few more weeks because beyond keyword density it’s not adding anything that a decent WP Framework doesn’t already have
Sarah Arrow recently posted..The secret to stress free moving
This is a very clear and specific recommendation from you, Sarah, and dare I say it- I’m going to look into Scribe after reading this.
I just noted that my email address was noted as lisa@moreosouth.com which gave me the rather gloomy blue face above… Let’s see if I’ve corrected it?
Twitter: saraharrow
October 21, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Yes, you are smiling now
Thank you Lisa, I find it a very useful tool. This morning I was doing a few keyword searches inside it to gain some inspiration for a post. There is a free trial and the report is well worth reading even if you never look at Scribe again.
Sarah Arrow recently posted..The secret to stress free moving
Sarah love the free report. Being a newbie to this way of working, I checked out my key words on Google Adwords. So useful. I never knew about that before. Thanks again for opening my eyes. It’s amazing what you can do.
Lisa recently posted..What is your body telling you? Try this simple effortless way to better health
Twitter: saraharrow
October 21, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Sarah Arrow recently posted..The secret to stress free moving
While Scribe is a good plugin and offers some nice tips for non-SEO bloggers, it has a major flaw – it charges you for every single use of it, which seems kind of counter-productive.
For example, let’s say I write a post, and run the plugin to check my post. After the check, I might get a B- score, so I want to improve that. To do so, I make the recommended changes, and then need to run the analysis again to see how I’ve improved. Which uses another credit.
So, if I blog daily or very frequently, the Scribe plugin will soon use up my allocated credits, all because I want to check how the recommendations have changed my SEO score.
To me, that seems a wee bitty unfair.
Twitter: saraharrow
October 24, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Hey Boss, good to see you over here.
I can understand where you are coming from, but I don’t mind paying for every use as I get value from it. If I didn’t I’d resent it and throw it in the bin
I have the 300 checks a month option and I struggle to use 150 “uses” a month across 12 or so blogs. I will concede I don’t check everything twice but I did when I first started using it (around a year ago).
Haha, “Boss” my arse!
Yeah, the 300 Credits option definitely covers most bloggers. I’m just curious if the “smaller guys” would see as many benefits from the repeat charge?
Twitter: saraharrow
October 24, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Just saw your email btw, and I cracked up laughing
I am a smaller guy / well girl
and transport is fiercely competitive. I am all for using something and then binning it when it ceases to work, much to my husband’s annoyance. I am not a person to keep something just for the sake of giving them money.
Twitter: thinkclickrich
January 19, 2012 at 9:22 pm
I agree it does seem a little unfair when you first start using Scribe but you have to take into account that the more you use it for feedback, the less you will need the feedback so your usage of credits will naturally decrease as you become more proficient in making SEO posts.
After a while you should be making posts that are close to perfect before you even make a first check. When that’s happening regularly it’s probably time to leave Scribe behind.
Hi Sarah,
Great post on Scribe and the benefits of the features it provides. I learned a lot my self just from the comments here. At Compendium, our Account Managers encourage the same kind of advice around using a tool rather than intuition when it comes to key word density. Our Compendium, business blogging platform has some similarities around suggested key phrases, a message meter that measures density, etc. , with a slightly different approach. But I just wanted to chime in and support the advice you’re giving here. Really glad I found you!
Great post. Will definitely check Scribe out. Is there a free trial version?
Twitter: saraharrow
October 29, 2011 at 9:56 am
Hi Darren, thanks for dropping by. You can try Scribe out 5 times (10 if you click the link on the page, I think) and see if it is of use to you. I recommend getting the free report, it’s very useful.
Twitter: lilachbullock
December 29, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Thanks Sarah for introducing me to this fabulous SEO tool. I’m now in love with it and would highly recommend it to anyone who blogs and wants their blog to get found:)
Lilach Bullock recently posted..14 Ideas To Find Great And Inspiring Blog Topics
Twitter: kidnapcustomers
February 22, 2012 at 4:07 am
Hi Sarah,
I tried Scribe and didn’t think it was worth the price.
I think it’s useful for beginners (for 1 month) and for people who are really short on time.
This is my first time visiting your blog and there’s some great content here. Will be following you on Twitter.
Amit recently posted..Scribe SEO Review – It’s Not Worth The Price
Twitter: saraharrow
February 22, 2012 at 8:23 am
Hi Amit, thanks for stopping by
I have had it two years or is it three? and I still use it, not as often as I once did but still enough times to justify the cost.
What do you use instead of Scribe?
Twitter: kidnapcustomers
February 22, 2012 at 8:32 am
For the keyword research part, I do a quick search in Micro Niche Finder.
And for the On-page SEO, I just keep the main things I need to do in mind.
Amit recently posted..Linkbuilding – Strategies, Ethics & Tools
Twitter: saraharrow
February 22, 2012 at 4:33 pm
I haven’t heard of Micro Niche Finder, I’ll have to look out for it