The path to your business success is paved in content marketing, and one of the foundational elements of an effective content marketing strategy is your blog. It is one of several pillars that will hold up your overall brand and marketing vision.
A blog that lives on your website does several things for your business and your brand:
It generates organic traffic to your site from search engines like Google, Bing and Safari.
It provides value to your readers in the form of informational content and resources.
It positions you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you establish trust with your audience.
It creates a repository of content you can share and promote on social media.
Yes, a blog is important, but how do you go about effectively crafting one so it does all these things we’ve just mentioned?
Breaking Down the Blog
There are several components of a well-written blog post. Not only does the topic need to be on-point and written in a way that resonates with your audience, but you must also do some behind-the-scenes sleuthing to ensure it contains keywords that match what your readers are searching for.
Here are a few things you can do to up your blog game and nail the art of science of crafting the perfect post.
Know your readers - Who are they, and what are they looking for? Your blog should provide answers to their problems. If your business is walking dogs, speak directly to the busy pet parents who don’t have time to give their hounds the daily walks they need. Blog topics could include “Should You Hire a Dog Walker?” or “5 Reasons to Hire a Dog Walker.”
Organize your post - How well you write your blog post will directly impact how well it performs for you. The writing must be free of any grammatical errors, and it must also be organized logically. Additionally, you should include several paragraph breaks, headers, bullet points, images, and other ways to break up the text on the page. No one wants to scroll an endless span of copy.
A few common blog formats include the following:
A list (a.k.a. listicle) - 5 ways to revive your ailing lawn
A definition-based post - What is content marketing?
A how-to post - How do I get started with content marketing?
A curated collection of ideas or trends - 8 landscaping looks to boost your curb appeal
Optimize your post for SEO - Once you’ve written your post and included several keywords and keyword phrases into the content, you have to do some back-end work when you’re ready to publish the post. Don't simply copy, paste and publish your content without adding tags to each post and inputting metadata. Your metadata should include a title and short description of the article as well as keywords. Adding metadata helps boost your post in search rankings.
A well-written blog post answers your readers’ questions and provides value for the sake of providing value. The more you give, the more you will - in time - get.
Moreover, when you consistently add content to your blog, the better your credibility both in terms of readers’ trust in you and your overall favorability in search results.
If you have questions about content marketing or what it takes to craft the perfect blog post, get in touch with me for help.