I have been focusing on SEO as it pertains to blog post writing however I do not start there when I plan and write my posts.
Instead I like to think big picture when writing my blog posts.
In order to help you improve your blogging, I pulled together 10 tips to help you out in this article.
This will help you keep track of what really works when writing articles for your blog. I particularly like tip #8 – Get Your Content Noticed and Shared. I do this all the time for my clients and I see the results reflected as a marked increase in their website traffic. The other day I spent some time reviewing their key metrics to really see if this works and it does! When my team posts my client’s content out on say twitter on a regular ongoing basis it really does drive traffic back to their websites. If your article writing is of value and interest to your target market, they will click and read more.
Sharing on social media does more than just get traffic to your site, good content informs/reaches people and helps to increase your expert status.
10 tips to help you improve your blogging
I like to think of this as a big picture, more holistic approach to blogging. I want you to consider each of these tips equally meaning that they are all equally important when writing a great blog post that will attract and inspire your readers.
So let’s dive into this top 10 blogging list here…
1. Share your real life experiences!
If you want content that is relevant and relatable for your audience, look at the results you create for your clients!
Either use your personal business or your clients to write case study posts.
Use that information to write blog posts that show how you or your clients overcame a particular challenge or implemented one of your services or tactics. Tell it like a story illustrating the before and after. Where ever you can, use numbers, statistics and screen shots.
And if you want to 10x your results, do a video interview with your client and add it to your case study posts.
2. Write In Short, Concise Paragraphs
Keep your paragraphs short and to the point at all times.
Be sure to leave of “white space” through out your blog post. I advise my blogging students to not to go longer than 3 sentences without leaving a paragraph break… you want to make your content easy to scan.
Long paragraphs of text are very hard to read. So when ever possible break up those paragraphs with sub headings, bullet points and images.
3. Check out the Top Influencers
Use Twitter lists and your favorite RSS reader such as to keep track of blogs from big names in your niche.
Look at what they are blogging about, what’s getting the most traffic and comments. Then take their topic ideas and make them your own on your blog,
If you are looking to find some of the top blogs in your niche, I suggest that you use BuzzSumo to help you research and find the top influencers.
Then head on over to the site and see what they are blogging about.
4. Make Use of Sub headers
I always say make your blog posts scannable. Your readers want scan your blog posts while getting value from them.
Make it easy by adding sub headings to your blog posts. Doing this gives you the opportunity to call out the topic you are writing about in a particular section of your blog post.
5. Write More than One Title
You want to spend more time brainstorming titles for you blog posts. Along with your blog image, your title is what’s responsible for getting people to read your content.
I recommend brainstorming a list of at least 5-10 title ideas. Make a swipe file of title ideas to draw on for inspiration. Your title or headline is the most important part of your entire blog post.
Check out these helpful resources on crafting the perfect title:
6. Add Video
I see a huge spike in reader engagement after incorporating more videos into blog posts.
Aim to create a video blog each month and track your results.
Take a look at your traffic numbers and see if they spike when you video blog. And also look reader engagement by checking the amount of time they spend on each blog post in google analytics.
Put your videos on YouTube and link to your blog along with your social media platforms in your copy.
7. Be Current
Current means be relevant so be aware of trends in your niche.
Try to be one of the first ones to release content helping people leverage new tools or information in your niche.
I do this by paying attention to what the top influencers are writing about in my niche. I also look at top trends in the news as well and then incorporate that into my content if it makes sense.
8. Lead Your Readers
Lead your readers by having a goal in mind when planning and writing blog posts.
What problem are you addressing, how can you help them solve it and can you create a resource that will help them get a result with the topic you are writing about.
You also want to think hard about SEO when selecting keywords for your blog post. Aim to optimize for keywords people are searching for.
After you write your blog post spend some time researching using the Google Keyword Tool. Then go back and in and spend time optimizing your blog post for your keyword.
If you want to learn more about how to properly SEO your blog posts check out this article: SEO Basics: How to Optimize Your Blog Post in 10 Minutes or Less
9. Don’t Be A Slave To SEO
I know I said it was important to spend time on your SEO but you do not want to be a slave to those keywords.
You want to start by researching and writing about topics that your target audience cares about. That’s why I always recommend starting with researching and writing your blog posts first and then doing the SEO.
Content that is relevant to your “perfect” or ideal client is the key to getting more blog traffic, building a list and and selling your products and services. Try these 10 Simple SEO Tips to Get More Traffic
10. Write list Style Blog Posts
List-style blog posts are a classic format that won’t go out of style anytime soon. I suggest to write a list style or round up post at least once a month. I’ve got the entire formula for those list style posts here: The List Post: Your Guide to Writing a Blog Post That’s #1 In Popularity
I also want to mention that Case Study Posts here too. Case Studies are a good way to showcase your expertise: Create Powerful Case Studies And Attract More Clients
Bonus Tip: Share Your Blog Posts.
While it is great to write blog posts every week, you want to make sure that you properly market your blog posts to get the most traffic back to your blog.
