Can Blog Posts Really Rank on Google? (The Changes I’m Testing Right Now)

A few weeks ago, I noticed something exciting: my homepage hit the Top 3 on Google and Bing. Even my logo and website name showed up in the AI mode section at that point.

That made me curious. If my homepage can rank, why aren’t my blog posts showing up too?

So I’ve started experimenting not with a polished system, but with small shifts inspired by Reddit threads, a podcast episode, advice from a friend with a YouTube channel, and even an accident I made with WordPress. This post isn’t a “how-to” guide. It’s more of a snapshot of what I’m testing to see if it actually works.

Lesson One: Titles vs. URLs

This all started with what looked like a mistake.

I updated the title (H1 header) of one of my posts to make it more search friendly. But when I checked the post, the URL (slug) hadn’t changed. At first, I thought something was wrong.

After a little digging, I realized it wasn’t an error instead it was a lesson. Titles and slugs are two completely different things. And that difference is actually a good thing for SEO.

Here’s what I learned:

Titles (H1): These should match what people actually type into Google. Instead of long, creative titles that no one searches for, I now write headers that answer common questions but still with my personal twist.
URLs (slugs): These should be clean and simple. My original slugs were way too long (since they matched my old unique titles). Now I strip them down to the essentials so Google can read them easily.

This balance gives me the best of both worlds: titles that attract clicks and slugs that help me show up in search results. My creativity isn’t lost it just lives inside the post, while the slug is direct and Google-friendly.

Lesson Two: Bringing My Pillars Into the Posts

When I searched ‘Self-Care Portfolio’ on Google, the AI overview highlighted clear frameworks or ‘pillars,’ along with a few other related sites.

That’s when it hit me. My blog is called Self-Care Portfolio and I always write through the lens of my four cornerstones (Community & Connection, Physical Well-Being, Creativity & Expression, and Skill Development). But I wasn’t explicitly pointing back to them in my posts.

So maybe readers expected a framework but landed on something that felt more like a journal. Now, I’m weaving in Self-Care Takeaways in each post, and mentioning the pillars they connect to. It keeps the “personal-me” voice while also delivering the structure readers (and search engines) expect.

Lesson Three: Adding FAQs to Solve Problems

The last change came after listening to a podcast where the speaker said: “Lifestyle blogs are out. Solving problems is in.”

That stuck. My blog is somewhat based on lifestyle through my own lived lens. What would it look like if I turned my reflections into direct problem-solving tools?

That’s where FAQs come in. I’ve started pulling common “People Also Ask” questions from Google and Reddit regarding the topic I am discussing and adding them at the end of posts. That way, my writing doesn’t just tell a story but it also answers the exact questions people are searching.

🌱 Self-Care Takeaways

Titles and URLs do different jobs one attracts clicks, the other keeps Google happy. (Skill Development)
Frameworks (pillars) help readers know what to expect when they land on my site. (Community & Connection)
FAQs are a bridge between storytelling and problem-solving. (Skill Development + Creativity)
Testing new strategies is its own form of self-care it keeps you curious and growing without pressure. (Well-Being)

FAQ

Is it possible to rank only with blog posts?
Yes, but it takes structure. Searchable titles, clean URLs, FAQs for AI snippets, and content that solves real problems. I’m currently testing this approach on my own posts.

How do you write a blog post and get an easy rank in Google?
I’m still figuring this out, but the advice I’m trying is: use what people actually search for in your titles, add FAQs, and break things into scannable sections. To stay consistent, I even wrote down these rules and had ChatGPT help me structure and edit my posts around them. I call it my Personal-Me + Problem-Solving Strategy a blend of storytelling, self-care takeaways, and SEO.

Does updating old blog posts help SEO?
From what I’ve read (and seen recommended on Reddit and forums), yes and I’ve started seeing a small glimpse of it myself. After updating the slug, H1 title, and the entire post of my very first blog post, it now shows up on the first page of Google when you search “self-care portfolio.” The intro post’s featured image started showing up in Google Images as well. I’m still waiting to see the results of the others but excited to see what happens.

📝 Journal Prompt

What’s one strategy you’ll use (or test) to help your blog posts move up on Google whether it’s editing titles, cleaning up slugs, or adding FAQs?

📬 Subscribe

Want to follow along as I test these changes (and share what does and doesn’t work)? Subscribe below to get updates when new posts go live.

How to Find Your Niche (My Story of Turning the Messy Middle Into a Brand) – selfcareportfolio

What If I Took My Own Advice: A Self-Care Foundation – selfcareportfolio