The Giveaway Bloggers Guide to SEO: The fictitious memoir of a giveaway blogger by Leslie Mayorga
For most Review and Giveaway Bloggers, the computer is their second career. I’m a Registered Nurse and Sign Language Interpreter for the DEAF. Blogging for me came as a second job later in life and I had to learn it, on my own. I’ve had no classes in Search Engine Optimization. No one taught me HTML coding and I didn’t have a seminar on WordPress for dumdums. I flubbed this up all on my own thank you very much. 
I blog because it makes me happy! This shouldn’t be rocket science, no matter what the lovely folks at Google say. While I realize that there needs to be guidelines in place to keep the Internet from running amok, it’s become such a maze of ever-changing rules and regulations even the most ardent blogger can’t keep up.
PageRank Does Matter
PageRank Matters! Anyone who says it doesn’t is a big fat liar or is living in LaLa land! PageRank is what companies look at when they decide who will receive the coveted appliance to review, the trips to attend and the huge ticket items to review and giveaway. PageRank isn’t the end all and be all but it matters! Trust me and feel free to check mine.
What You Need To Know
Do you monitor your Webmaster Tools? No? You need to! Be sure you’ve added your email so Webmaster Tools can notify you if any changes occur. Have you submitted a sitemap to Webmaster Tools? Check it and make sure it’s working. Mine wasn’t. Be sure to link your Google Analytics while your poking around in there.
Google your website name in quotes “www. Domainname.com” you’ll be shocked at the stuff that pops up. Do yourself a whopping favor and set your RSS feed settings to summary. Scrappers have a field day when they find whole posts! Why make it easy for unscrupulous crappers (yes I said a dirty word) to steal your copyrighted material!
Backlinks are good! Tons of backlinks can kill your blog
Bloggers write a review, they post a giveaway and then what? Well, the good Giveaway Bloggers then get busy and link that giveaway on contest sites to give the company they are working for lots of exposure. That creates backlinks, lots of them. And Google doesn’t like that. We walk a virtual tightrope folks. The solution is simple. Be very selective in the sites you list your giveaways on.
If you’ve worked like a dog and can’t remove the backlinks to low quality sites that are keeping you from becoming a Blogging superstar then you may want to consider using the Google disavow tool.
Leslie Loves Veggies is my online home, welcome!
I use Rafflecopter for setting up contests on my site. It’s makes entering giveaways easy, allows me to moderate quickly and has almost eliminated cheating. I love to read your comments! It makes my day when you leave tidbits about your lives and what’ve been up to. But I can no longer allow comments such as “I want to win” to remain on my site. They are regarded as spam by the powers that be and are wrecking havoc on my site. If you want to leave a comment, and I hope you do please make it a good one!
I’m not an SEO expert. I just want to dish the dirt about products I love and host the most awesome product reviews and giveaways on the planet! I’m not an affiliate blogger. (What’s an affiliate blogger?) I’m just me, lovin’ veggies and being real!
This is not a paid or sponsored post!
If you would like me to do a review or giveaway, I'd love to share your product with my readers. All family friendly pitches welcome. 
You are really taunting the “Tiger” aren’t you now. Expert advice for tons of prevention.
You should teach this material!
Teach it? I lived live thought it. If I was such a master at it I wouldn’t have had to endure the pain of the big G. Let’s not poke the lion too much!
Leslie
I’m just sayin’ Leslie Loves Veggies is the jam! I know how hard my auntie has worked to get where she is! And she is sweet, humble and appreciative AND generous! Just a brag comment!
Well Thank you Miss Caitlin! I think you kinda rock too! I LOVE YOU Tin Pan!
ox
Aunt Leslie
Thank you for posting this. I am a new blogger. Like you, I have a full time job and just do this because I love it. I don’t want to be considered a spam blog. You posted some very good info.
Thank you Stacey,
Good luck to you!!!
Leslie
I’ve been around for a long time and I’m DEFINITELY no expert! Like for instance, I can say the only thing I knew in your article was Page Rank. LOL Everything else is new to me, especially the tip about being picky and choosey with the sights you advertise your giveaways with (I thought the more you advertised the better off you were!).
I’ll definitely have to look into these great tips! Thanks so much for sharing your expertise ^.^
Hi Kayla,
I thought the same thing about linking everywhere!!! NOT so! Not so! Linking on low quality sites leads to low quality back links. So be cautious were you link.
Leslie
Thanks for posting this info.. I am looking into starting my own blog in the very near future.. Every1 says its so easy but it seems a little complicated.. Any new info i can get is very helpful! So glad to find this read!
My pleasure Jess,
It’s not hard but it does take a little dedication. Good luck and have fun!
Leslie
Love this post! Great job Leslie.
Thank you Amanda,
Leslie
Good article, however I take issue with bloggers using random.org or rafflecopter (same company). Both have winner selection drawings that are patternistic. I have been following wins on both for over 1 1/2 years. When I see the same names repeatedly drawn for 3 weeks straight on twitter parties by random.org or see repeated names come up from one rafflecopter drawing to the next, and can pretty well guarantee you a win if your name is Jennifer, Jessica, Kelly, Brian, Amy, Amber, Heather, a K name or an L name, that covers a large portion of the winners. There isn’t room here to cover all letter combos that are popular draws. I saw one lady win every single month from the same blogger for several months…and I mean several months. If only I could change my IP address I would miraculously become “Jennifer”.
Hi Shiela,
I beg to differ with you Shiela
I have very loyal Readers who enter my giveaways and tweet daily. I did the same I when I was entering giveaways. And I won like a banshee! I don’t think it matters whether your name is Alma or Zacharia. If you enter the giveaway, do all the bonus entries and tweet daily you’ll win more often. That’s if you followed the rules of the giveaway in the first place. I’ve been doing this for quite while, it’s fair and square kiddo. 
Leslie