The success of your blog is dependent on how many people are not only visiting it, but actually reading what you write, learning from you and engaging with your content. How well your blog delivers on the promise of providing solutions for your audience's questions relies on the type and quality of information you offer.
Know Your Audience
Who are you talking to? What are their interests, and what challenges do they face? It’s imperative that you know the answer to these questions before you type a word.
Part of that is as simple as knowing your niche and topic well enough that you already have insight into what problems need solutions. That’s why it is a good idea to have some sense of passion for what you are writing and talking about.
If you are an active experienced baker, you already know what challenges arise and how to address them. You are involved in keeping up with the techniques, tricks and tips for being a great baker.
This is inherently part of you – and why you chose the niche that you did.
Also being active with that crowd through social media and other engaging opportunities keeps you in tune with what your target is looking for.
When you understand the problems, pains and questions of the people within your niche, you will know how to “speak their language”.
It’s not something you can fake. If you try to talk to a group of amateur magicians without being familiar with their lingo, they won’t perceive you as one of them.
Simple Research
By using tools like the Google Search bar auto-complete, you can find out which keywords and phrases your target audience is searching for.
This is the cheap and easy way to do keyword research.
There are lots of resources on how to do this, but here’s a quick cheat sheet:
- Open your browser in incognito mode and go to Google. (incognito mode will keep the search results unbiased toward recent searches you may have made.)
- Type in an incomplete keyword phrase within your niche. For example: “Do German Shepherds”
You’ll notice that Google fills in the phrase with suggested questions that people are asking.
In my screenshot above, there’s even some search volume data showing. That is due to a free Chrome Extension I have installed called Keywords Everywhere. That is optional – but it’s free and helpful.
But even without that extension, you will get a plethora of ideas for article topics and YouTube video ideas.
And that’s just one phrase.
Try it again with other variations:
“Can German Shepherds”
“Why German Shepherds”
“What do German Shepherds”
“Where do German Shepherds”
And if you really want to dig deep start adding one letter to the search phrase to see what Google does.
Here I added the letter “A to the search so Google will show me only answers that begin with that letter:
Again I try it with “B”:
You can imagine the thousands of combinations possible.
Just using this method alone will provide you with endless topic ideas in your niche.
Note that these are just ideas. Some of these topics may have too little search volume, indicating a small audience for that question.
Some may be too big and therefore too competitive. This is where using more sophisticated keyword research tools will come into play. Of course, they will cost you, but they will also help you find phrases with enough of an audience but not too much competition. Those key phrases will be gold.
But you don’t have to start there. If you can’t invest in the fancy-pants (that's the technical term for expensive) research tools yet, just follow the steps above and do a lot of writing. It’s better to fill your blog with more information – especially when you are just getting started.
Write Long Articles
Google's algorithm prefers longer, comprehensive content that provides a complete solution to a user's query. Therefore, creating in-depth, informative content is an effective way to increase your blog's search rankings and traffic.
Don’t be too repetitious for the sake of length. But break your post into sub-headings that are sensible and easy to digest. But more information is better than less.
Side note: A good example of a long article is the one you are reading now. Of course, I'm biased 🙂
Use Visuals
Images and screenshots can make your blog posts more engaging and help your audience understand your message better.
Use images, videos, infographics, and other visual aids to break up long blocks of text and illustrate your points more clearly.
Here's one now...
Be Authentic
In a world full of clickbait and sensationalized headlines, authenticity is essential. People want to connect with real stories, real experiences, and real people.
Share your own experiences, opinions, and insights to make your content relatable. This can’t be faked very easily, so don’t do it.
People who are passionate about your topic will recognize anything that is contrived. Try and incorporate your own experiences and anecdotes. That will also help make your content unique and interesting.
Offer Value
Have you ever looked for an answer online only to find an overly simplified checklist of things you already knew?
For example, I Googled this phrase:
“how to change the headlamp on a 2008 scion xb”
There were plenty of helpful results (mostly video for something like this). But one blog article offered me these less than helpful steps:
- Turn off your car.
- Take the keys out of the ignition.
- Pop Your hood.
- Disconnect the wires.
- Remove the old lamp.
- Install the new one.
No kidding?!
While those steps are accurate, they are far from helpful. I still have questions.
Disconnect WHICH wires?
What do they look like?
What tool do I need to do that?
How should it feel when I twist the housing?
These kinds of details are what I want to know.
As a searcher, I really don’t like that – and the Internet is full of fluffy, surface answers to common questions that are just not helpful. The websites that get the most ranking juice from Google are in-depth, helpful and actionable steps that really do help people.
Don’t write filler content. People hate it and so does Google – so it is a waste of your time.
When you are creating content, think about what you would want to know and how you would want it presented. When your blog content offers real tips, specific advice, and clear step-by-step information that can be used to improve someone’s day, they will be more likely to share your information with others and return to you for more.
Promote Your Stuff
Creating great content is only half the battle. You also need to promote it effectively. Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to reach your target audience and drive traffic to your blog.
Post a link to your article on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Have a video with a similar topic? Add the link to your blog post in the video description. Have another blog post with a related topic? Link it to this one (and vice versa).
It’s okay to brag about your content when it is helpful. Now help people find it wherever you can.
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