There are so many reasons for businesses to have a blog, but one that really stands out is increasing your organic search traffic. I mean, who doesn’t want that, right?
More indexed pages mean more opportunities for rankings. Once you’ve created all of your web pages (Services, Products, About, etc.) it’s time to really think about your blog.
While posting articles is a great way to nurture & educate your audience, blogging is also an essential practice for SEO and traffic building. The difference between a 50-page website and a 400-page website is usually due to a blog.
If you don’t know what to write about, think about your keywords.
Know who your target audience is
Knowing your audience is key to creating content that they want. Create a buyer persona, if you haven’t already. A buyer persona is a representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.
Identify Keywords
Long-tail keyword phrases help boost search engine rankings. Most people search for keyword phrases rather than one word. If you were to do keyword research to compare “blog” and “how to use a blog,” you’d find that “blog” is more difficult to rank.
When selecting which keywords to use, consider the search volume, keyword difficulty, and intent.
For a clear indication of how many people enter your keyword into a search engine, evaluate the search volume (this is usually referred to as the Monthly Search Volume (MSV).
Keyword research tools, like HubSpot’s Keyword Grader, will tell you keyword difficulty, or how hard it is to rank on the first page.
Understanding the reason, or intent, behind a search helps you decide which keywords to use.
Optimize your post
When you have your target keyword, you’ll need to optimize your post around it. Your keyword should appear in:
- SEO Title Tag
- URL
- Meta Description
- Article Title
- Subheadings
- Image Titles & Alt Text
- Body Content
Know the proper use of links
The proper use of links can boost your content and credibility as a resource. When you’re creating content, be sure to pay attention to interlinks and backlinks.
Interlinking is the process where your article has links to other articles on your site.
Links on websites other than your own that go back to a page on your website are backlinks.
When you’re creating your content, it’s like drawing a map. Direct your readers to where they should go next by directing them with interlinks. This helps to keep your visitors on your website longer and can boost your content quality by providing readers with extra resources.
Backlinks help boost your website’s credibility. The more backlinks you have, the more credible your website seems to others as well as search engines. To prime your content for backlinks, be sure you provide quality content with things like blog posts, infographics, videos, and surveys.
Publish on a regular basis
When you start to update your site regularly, Google notices and will start scanning your site more regularly, so when you publish quality blog posts more frequently, your rankings will improve.
Keep in mind that blog posts won’t usually increase organic growth overnight. Be consistent and repeat the formula that works for you using the tips above, and you’ll strengthen your relationship with your target audience while boosting your credibility as an online resource.
Tags:
MarketingNovember 15, 2021