Blogging is an essential part of any content marketing strategy because it is the page you will most frequently update with new posts and information to keep readers engaged.
It is often through blog content that you first entice people to your site and start to build your brand's audience.
Pick Your Topic Wisely
There are millions of blogs on the internet on every subject you can imagine, so the key is to stand out. You can do this by focusing on your brand identity and writing with specific audiences in mind.
If you have existing subscribers or followers, do some research or think about what they would like to read about on your site.
Once you find your niche or the topic you are authoritative on, stick to it. Target specific keywords throughout your blog writing and build a collection of blog posts on that topic.
Creating a scroll-stopping title
Titles set out what your blog is going to be about, and will also usually appear as the meta title on Google search results.
Blog posts should be descriptive, eye-catching and engaging. Often, titles that include long-tail keywords or answer ’how’ questions have higher click-through rates.
Try to keep blog titles around 60 characters.
A long-tail keyword is a short phrase of three to five words, written to reflect the way people ask questions in search engines.
Always try to keep keywords at the beginning of your title. Use | or : to separate points or keywords.
Structure is key
The structure of a blog post is how it is laid out and will always depend on the writer, reader and topic. A good indicator of success is publishing blogs and articles that score highly for the same keywords.
In some cases, blogs will also include a contents section or a list of headers, or a video at the top of the blog. Check similar blog posts to see what is ranking highly on Google.
In general, a good structure is:
- Title
- Subtitle (if used)
- H1
- Intro
- Copy with H2 and H3 tags used
- Conclusion
- CTA
Some blogs may do well with bullet-pointed lists at the beginning or for each section.
What is an H1 tag?
An H1 tag, also known as a heading tag, is a markup element used in HTML to define the most important heading on a webpage.
The "H" stands for "heading," and the number represents the level of importance or hierarchy of the heading, with H1 being the highest level.
The H1 tag is typically used to mark the main title or heading of a webpage, conveying the primary topic or subject of the content.
It helps users and search engines understand the context and structure of the page.
Search engines also consider the text within the H1 tag as a strong indication of the page's main topic.
The most important part – the body
Blogs should always be written for humans, not computers, but there are techniques to make your blogs more SEO friendly.
Your target keywords should appear in the first 100-200 words of your blog post.
Avoid keyword stuffing, where keywords are overused and placed in off-putting places.
Longer blog posts tend to do better on Google, however, paragraphs should be kept short for easy readability.
Use H2 and H3 as headers to draw readers’ eyes to topics and make the post more readable.
How to use links within your blog post
Internal Links
Internal links are links from your blog post to other parts of your website. A good example of this is when you talk about one of your products in a blog and there is a link that takes you directly to where they can buy that product. In general, it’s good to put some context around the link and use keywords.
You can also link readers to other blogs/articles and pages on your site for more information. It’s good practice to highlight and link the title of your blog/article/page.
Some examples might be:
- In last month's blog post we talked about...
- NB have worked with many jewellery brands over the years, and we have learned...
External Links
External links are links that take you away from your blog to another website. When stating facts or statistics it is important to link the text to the source. This gives you more authority and builds trust with your reader.
Calls to action
CTAs are calls to action, where you’re asking or telling the reader to do something. In general, you make an offering along with the CTA, such as ’if you want more information, call our team today.’ The offering is more information and the CTA is “call our team today”. Avoid using exclamation marks within your CTA as it can feel too salesy.
If your blog post is on a specific product, use your CTA to direct readers to the product or a page they can get more information. If the blog post is more general, use your CTA to ask customers to get in touch, or direct them elsewhere on the site.
What does a good blog schedule look like?
If you’re looking to invest time into content marketing you need to have a frequent and sustainable blog posting schedule. However, updating your content is as important as posting new articles.
Updating your old content is a great way to refresh your blog when you have a library full of engaging blog posts. That may mean adding new data, more depth, and any other updates to make it more relevant.
The key to scheduling is being realistic about your time. Don’t commit to one blog a week when you know you won’t have the resources to follow through. Start with one a month and gauge whether that is working for you, or if you could post more. If you would like to post more but don’t have the time, consider investing in a copywriter with the skills and knowledge to manage a more involved schedule.
Should you still be promoting your blog post?
If you’re using social media, remember to promote your new uploads there. Use snippets from the blog post to draw people in, or “did you know” statements that relate to your blog post.
Facebook and Twitter create links with images automatically if you have an image attached to your blog post. For Instagram, you may want to come up with a template for promoting your blog through an image.
About NB Communication
Websites have the power to communicate your message, tell your story and connect you with the people you want to reach. We can help create that connection by designing a beautiful site that engages your audience and developing a digital strategy that’s integrated into everything you do. Our content marketing services – including copywriting and digital marketing – will help you attract an audience online and convert them into customers.
Want to do more with contact marketing?Contact us today to find out how NB communications can help.