Having a blog is an excellent way for your business to direct more traffic to its website (therefore gaining more customers) while establishing itself as a thought leader in the field. When it comes to SEO, generally speaking, websites with blogs outperform those without blogs in the search results. But what if your blog isn’t performing as it should be? What can you do to change this? Below are five pro tips on how to increase your blog traffic and make this important element of your website start working for you.
1. Post better content
It seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? If you want people to visit your blog, give them a reason to do so! Tempt them with trendy, timely topics and attention-grabbing headlines that’ll capture their interests. Ask yourself what your visitors want—what are they looking for? Cater to your target demographic by writing topical, engaging posts that’ll be helpful to them. For instance, if your audience is comprised mostly of married people in their 30s and 40s, develop your posts through a lens of what they would likely find beneficial, such as blog posts written with family in mind. Additionally, ensure your blogs are professionally written. They should flow nicely, be structured appropriately, and be free of spelling and grammar mistakes.
It’s also important to ensure your content can be read on mobile as well as desktop. Ensure your blog is responsive. More than 50% of online traffic is generated via mobile devices, so your website needs to be responsive, and optimized for viewing on any device.
2. Use quality graphics
People are visual beings, and this means that visitors to your blog will want to see graphics that coincide with your posts. Not only will these graphics serve to break up the content, they will also help readers interpret the information you’re providing. However, all graphics are not created equally. In order to give your blog the boost in “production value” it needs, you’ll want to insert illustrations/photos/infographics that are relevant and professional-looking. There are plenty of free graphic softwares that will allow you to create quality designs with ease. When posting visual content (or any content for that matter!), be sure to follow the copyright laws in place.
In addition to quality graphics, insert other media such as audio and video whenever possible. People often prefer watching and listening to reading themselves, so these options will be further draws to your blog.
3. Use keywords/key phrases in your headlines and body
Blogs are great for many reasons, including the fact that they give you yet another platform from which to incorporate SEO-minded content, the RIGHT way. This means no keyword-stuffing or other cheap tricks that will end up not only looking nonsensical, but getting you penalized in the SERPS. When devising your blog posts, use search engines to find out which topics and keywords people are searching for at the moment. This can be done by simply using the search box and seeing what pops up, and also by viewing the related suggestions towards the bottom of the page. Take advantage of long-tail keywords (or phrases containing three or more words), which are much easier to rank for due to generally lower competition.
4. Harness the power of social media
Ah, social media— what can’t it do? In addition to helping you keep in touch with your friends (and providing you with plenty of memes to make you smile), social media is an excellent place to push your blog posts. Use your company accounts— be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Snapchat— to market your blog posts as they’re published. Include the direct link where possible, and make your social media posts stand out with a preview of some of the compelling content found within the blog, and a sharp graphic to further capture their attention. Make use of relevant hashtags when possible. Also, be sure to include links to blog posts in your newsletters or email blasts! These outlets provide valuable opportunities to reach the right people on a more personal level, and offer them content they’ll find appealing.
5. Blog consistently
In order to have a successful blog, it should be updated regularly. A neglected blog is not something you want on your site. Plus, the more you blog, the more you can use those blogs across social media. Aim to post at least once a week, or every other week at the very minimum. Of course, the more the merrier— and if you have the time and resources to blog more frequently, that’s great! Often time blogging may get pushed to the wayside if more pressing matters arise, but you should remind yourself of the value of a healthy blog and set aside time during your week to create a compelling post (or posts!).
If time is tight, perhaps you can assign each member of your team x amount of blog posts per month, or create a bank of blog posts during the slower months that you can post strategically and intermittently when times get busier. Make blogging a priority, and remind yourself of the benefits that good blogging can offer your reputation in the field as well as your ranking in the search results. Frequent, effective blogging can seem daunting, but can be quite enjoyable and enriching once you get into the swing of things.
Your blog is an extremely valuable business commodity, and as such it should be given the care and attention it needs in order to flourish. The above tips will start you in the right direction when it comes to increasing your blog traffic.
Michelle is the Marketing Associate at Design Wizard. She spent four years studying Media Studies in Dublin Institute of Technology before completing her Master’s Degree in Marketing and Management in University College Cork. She’s delighted to work with such an exciting design software company and is eager to help Design Wizard continue to grow. Michelle is a dog lover. She enjoys going on hikes with her four-legged friend, traveling and going to the cinema (mainly for the treats).
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