There is no one way to write a good blog post that will help drive traffic to your website. However, there are certain things you can do to make sure that your blog posts are interesting, informative, and valuable and that they provide value to your readers. This article will discuss some of the best tips for writing blog posts that help boost traffic to your website.
12 Steps To Writing A Great Blog Post
Blogging is a fantastic way to get visitors to your website. First, however, you’ll need to create blog entries that lead people to your website to do so. Here are twelve tips for producing successful blog postings to assist you in achieving this marketing objective.
You can buy attention (advertising). You can beg for attention from the media (PR). You can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free.
STEP 1: Identify the goal of your blog post
Before you start writing your new blog post, it’s essential to take a step back and identify your goal. What do you want to occur as a result of writing this blog post?
By being clear about your goal from the outset, you’ll be able to structure your content and stay on track as you write. There are a few different types of goals you might want to set for your blog post. For example, you might want to:
- Drive traffic to your website
- Build relationships with potential customers
- Increase brand awareness
- Generate leads or sales
- Increase engagement with your existing audience
Once you’ve identified your goal, you can start thinking about making it happen.
For example, what kind of content will best achieve your goal?
How can you structure your blog post in a way that will help you achieve your desired outcome?
Keep these questions in mind as you begin writing, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your blog post goals.
STEP 2: Choose a topic that is relevant to your audience
There is no shortage of blog post topics to choose from. However, not all blog topics will be relevant or interesting to your target audience. There are a few things to consider when choosing good blog post topics.
1. Discover Which Topics Are Trending
Think about which topic ideas are trending right now. What is everyone talking about? Then, to discover what subjects are being discussed the most on the internet, consider using Google Trends.
What Is "Google Trends?"
The Google Trends site is a fantastic place to check which subjects are currently being discussed on the internet. In addition, this tool can assist you in generating perfect post ideas, which will be beneficial if you experience writer’s block.
2. What Topics Your Target Market Is Interested In
Consider what topics your target market is interested in. What would they like to learn more about? Then, use Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to see which keywords people are searching for related to your industry.
What Is "Google AdWords Keyword Planner?"
The Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool is a great way to research potential keywords for your blog post ideas. This tool allows you to see how often people search for particular keywords and which keywords are most relevant to your industry.
What Is "Ubersuggest?"
Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that allows you to see which keywords people are searching for on the internet—A great way to find potential blog post topics relevant to your audience.
3. Opt For A Relevant and Under-saturated Topic That You Can Speak On With Authority
Lastly, make sure you choose a topic that is relevant to your audience and that you can write about engagingly.
Consider though whether or not it’s been talked about ad nauseam before. You don’t necessarily want to choose a topic that’s been covered too extensively. However, you also don’t want to choose a topic that’s so niche that nobody is talking about it—and few care to hear about.
So instead, try to find a balance. Choose a relevant and interesting topic that hasn’t been covered too much.
STEP 3: Research your topic and gather information
Researching your topic entails looking into your subject and obtaining information. Doing so will assist you in comprehending the subject and provide you with valuable data that you may incorporate into your post.
There are several ways to research a topic, but some of the most effective methods include using search engines, reading articles and books, and talking to experts.
Once you have collected all of your information, you can start writing your blog post. It is important to provide accurate and up-to-date information to maintain your readers’ trust. With a bit of research, you can write a high-quality blog post that will engage and inform your readers.
STEP 4: Write a Catchy Blog Post Title
Writing a great headline (also referred to as your blog title) is one of the most important aspects of writing blog posts. After all, the headline is what will determine whether or not people actually read your post.
A great post title should be attention-grabbing and use keywords that accurately reflect the article’s content. It’s also important to avoid using clickbait headlines to trick people into clicking on a link. While these types of headlines may increase click-through rates, they will ultimately damage your reputation as a credible source of information.
When writing headlines, focus on quality over quantity. A few well-written, catchy headlines are better than a dozen generic ones. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to write headlines that accurately reflect the content of your blog posts and help increase your readership.
One of our favorite tools for writing a great headline is Headline Studio by CoSchedule—it’s quick, easy, and very effective!
STEP 5: Write your blog post using an easy-to-read style
If you’re looking to write a great post that people want to read, you need to know how to write in an easy-to-read style. Use short sentences, straightforward language, and an active voice. It also means writing about topics that people are interested in.
Before you begin writing, consider creating an outline of your post. A great post outline will assist you in chunking down your writing into more manageable parts. Also, consider whether you will be using one of the popular frameworks for your post, such as AIDA or PAS.
The AIDA Framework
The AIDA framework can be a helpful tool for coming up with blog post ideas. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. To write a successful blog post, you need to grab the reader’s attention, interest them in the topic, create a desire for what you’re offering, and prompt them to take action.
The PAS framework
The PAS Framework is another helpful tool for writing persuasive blog posts. PAS stands for Problem, Agitation, and Solution. You start by identifying a problem that your readers are likely facing, agitating that problem so that they really feel it, and then provide a solution in the form of your product or service.
If you keep these frameworks in mind when you write a blog post, you’ll be well on your way to writing something that people will actually want to read!
STEP 6: Make your blog posts scannable by using lists and headings
When writing for the web, it’s essential to make your content as scannable as possible. People tend to skim online content rather than read it word for word, so breaking up your text using headlines and subheadlines is crucial.
Using H1, H2, and H3 headings can help readers quickly find the information they’re looking for. In addition, headings will make your content more readable and help improve your on-page SEO (search engine optimization).
So next time you sit down to write a great post, take some time to structure your headlines and make your post more scannable. Your readers will thank you for it!
Using bullet points and numbered lists also breaks up your content and make it more scannable and less intimidating. If you want people to read your blog posts, use lists!
STEP 7: Use visuals to break up the text
In addition to using lists and headings, another great way to make your blog posts more scannable is to use visuals. Some typical visuals include:
- images
- screenshots
- infographics
- charts & graphs
- quotations
- videos
- etc.
These visuals can help break up your text, make your content more engaging, and keep readers interested.
When choosing visuals, try to find ones relevant to your blog post’s topic, which will add value to your readers. Make sure all visuals are high quality and informative as a rule of thumb.
If you use visuals in your blogging efforts, you’re more likely to keep people’s attention and get them to stick around until the end. So next time you’re writing a post, add some relevant images, infographics, videos, and more to break up your text and keep your readers engaged.
One of our favorite tools for creating visuals is Canva—it’s quick, easy, and very effective!
STEP 8: Link to other relevant blog posts and websites
An essential part of any blog post is linking to other relevant content. This linking strategy serves several purposes.
First, it helps keep readers on your site by providing them with additional information that they may be interested in.
Second, it helps boost your site’s search engine ranking by showing Google that your blog content is high quality and informative.
Finally, it helps to build relationships with other bloggers and website owners. When you link to their blog content, they are more likely to link back to your own blog in the future.
Two Type Of Links
There are two types of links that you can use in your blog posts: internal links and external links.
- Internal links are links to other pages on your website. For example, if you are writing a blog post about gardening, you might link to other articles on your website that sell gardening tools.
- External links are links to external websites. For example, you might link to a website that provides information about planting schedules.
It is crucial to use outbound links when linking to external websites sparingly. For example, too many outbound links can make your blog post appear spammy and cause Google to lower your search engine ranking.
Instead, focus on linking to high-quality websites relevant to your topic. If you do this, you’ll not only improve the quality of your blog post, but you’ll also improve your chances of getting backlinks in the future.
STEP 9: Use keywords throughout your blog post
You’ve written a great blog post, and you’re almost finished. But before you hit “publish,” there are still a few steps to go—patience! The first is to optimize your post for the search engines: including keywords throughout the text.
When readers search for information on the internet, they typically use keywords or phrases. By including these keywords in your blog post, you increase your post’s chances of appearing in their search engine results. And when people find your post, they’re more likely to read it and share it with others.
So how do you choose the right keywords?
Start by thinking about what someone would search for if looking for information on your topic. Then, include those keywords throughout your post, using them naturally and avoiding keyword stuffing (when you cram too many keywords into your text, making it difficult to read).
If you’re not sure which keywords to use, several SEO tools, such as the two we mentioned earlier, Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest, can help you research keywords for your blog post.
By including keywords in your blog post, you can help ensure that your post reaches its intended audience and has a more significant impact.
STEP 10: End with a strong call-to-action
If you want people to do something after reading your blog post, you need to include a call to action. A call to action is simply an instruction telling the reader what they should do next.
For example, if you want people to sign up for your email list, you would include a call to action at the end of your blog post telling them to sign up. Or, if you want people to download a free ebook, you would include a call to action telling them to click the link to download it.
Calls to action are important because they help to encourage reader engagement.
After reading your blog post, if you don’t tell people what you want them to do, they’re likely to move on and forget all about it. So make sure you include calls to action if you want people to do something as a result of consuming your content!
Effective Call To Action Types
There are a few different types of calls to action that you can use, but some of the most effective ones are buttons, links, and forms.
- Buttons are eye-catching and can help to encourage people to take action. They stand out on the page and make it easy for readers to see what they need to do.
- Links are also effective, especially when using text calls to action. By linking to the page where people can sign up for your email list or download your free ebook, you make it easy for them to take action.
- Forms are a great way to collect information from readers, such as their names and email addresses. You can then use this information to follow up with them later or add them to your email list.
No matter what type of call to action you use, make sure it’s easy to understand—You want people to know precisely what they need to do, and you don’t want to leave them guessing. So be direct and use actionable language, such as “click here,” “download now,” or “sign up.”
STEP 11: Edit and proofread your blog post
What Is "Grammarly?"
Grammarly is a phenomenal AI-powered proofreading tool for any content creation endeavor—especially blogging. It helps you remove unnecessary words and catch any mistakes you may have missed—ultimately improving your writing skills and reducing the time you spend writing.
As a bonus, Grammarly will even identify your writing style, thus helping you find your ‘writing voice.’
What Is The "Hemingway Editor?"
On the other hand, Hemingway is an excellent tool for making your writing concise and easy to read. Simply paste your blog post into the Hemingway app, and it will highlight any areas that need improvement.
Whether you use Grammarly, Hemingway, or both, taking the time to proofread and edit your blog post will help ensure that it’s error-free and ready to publish.
STEP 12: Publish your blog post and share it with your audience
Once you’ve written and published a great blog post, it’s time to promote it! One of the best ways to promote your blog posts is social media. When you share your content on social media, you’re more likely to get traffic back to your website.
There are a few things to keep in mind when promoting your blog post on social media:
- Share your content multiple times: Don’t just share your blog post once and then forget about it. Instead, share it multiple times over the course of a few days or weeks to make sure that your audience sees it.
- Use social media groups: Joining relevant social media groups is a great way to get your blog post in front of a new audience. When you share your content in a group, make sure to follow the group’s rules so that you don’t get banned.
- Use hashtags: Hashtags are a great way to make your content more discoverable on social media. When you use hashtags, be sure to use ones relevant to your topic and that aren’t too competitive.
Another great way to share your content is with your email list. Send it out as part of your newsletter or simply do a broadcast email and send it to the right segment of your mailing list as appropriate.
You can promote your blog post and get more traffic back to your website by following these tips.
BONUS STEP: Monitor your results
Once you’ve published and promoted your perfect blog post, it’s essential to monitor your results—an insightful step many bloggers overlook. This will help you see what’s working and what’s not so that you can adjust your content marketing strategy in the future.
There are a few key metrics that you should keep an eye on:
- Traffic: How much traffic is your blog post getting? You can track this in Google Analytics.
- Engagement: How many people are engaging with your blog post? Are they reading it all the way through? Are they commenting on it? Again, you can track this in Google Analytics.
- Shares: How many people are sharing your blog post on social media? Once again, you can track this in Google Analytics.
By monitoring these metrics, you can better understand how your blog post is performing and make changes accordingly.
Final Thoughts On Writing Blog Posts That Drive Traffic
By following these tips, you can write blog posts that will help drive traffic to your website. Remember to focus on your readers, make your content scannable, and include calls to action to encourage reader engagement. If you do these things, you’re sure to see an increase in traffic and engagement on your blog.
So what are you waiting for? Start writing!
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Happy blogging!
