Posting regularly to a blog on your website is a great way to increase visits, and it’s also an excellent opportunity to establish yourself as a leader in your field. A well-written, informative blog article can help you stand out from the crowd, and it can do wonders for search engine optimization, because the more you add original content to your website, the higher it tends to rank.
Before you start writing your next (or maybe your first) blog article, take a look at our tips below on how to write a great blog article. Remember, you don’t have to be Hemingway to write an article people will read. As a leader in your field, you’re already more than qualified to share what you know.
Start by doing keyword research. A little keyword research before you write your blog article can help you optimize your story for the web so that it appears in searches, thus ensuring that more people will read it. Once you pinpoint the best keywords to use in your article, you can view relevant keywords that can give you great ideas for other blog articles.
Keyword research isn’t difficult to do. If you’re new to SEO, take a look at https://keywordtool.io/ and Google Keyword Planner.
Know your audience. Before you start writing your blog article, it’s important to make sure you know who your readers are and what types of articles they are interested in. If you’re a home builder, for example, you may want to feature articles about the benefits of investing in a custom built home, or about the communities where your homes are built.
Blogs written by others in your industry can provide a wealth of information. Not only will they give you great ideas for blog topics, but an idea about the kind of tone your article should take so your audience can relate to what you’re saying.
Write a captivating headline and first paragraph. Headlines are extremely important, especially if you’re sharing your blog article on Facebook. The popular social media platform no longer allows you to change the headlines of articles that you post. Instead, Facebook will use the one that’s on your website. So you want to make sure the headline is creative, clear, and motivates people to click to read the full story.
Additionally, while 80% of people will read past your headline, a lot less stick around to read past the first paragraph. So, make sure that first paragraph gives readers a reason to dive deeper into your blog article.
Use images and video. Your blog article should be visually captivating. Make sure you use high quality images throughout the article, as well as video, where possible. In fact, articles that use video tend to generate more clicks on Facebook and rank higher in search engines. If you do use video, position it high in the article, preferably after the first paragraph.
Keep the layout simple and clean. You’ll want to make sure to use subheadlines to separate ideas or long paragraphs. And don’t be afraid to use bulleted or numbered lists.
Position yourself as an expert. One of the most important things to remember about your blog article is that it’s the perfect way to show that you’re a leader and an expert in your field. Never attempt to sell anything or convince someone to use your products in an article. Instead, write an informative, educational article.
Repurpose your blog content. Once you post your article on your website, consider sharing via email with your customers or clients. You can also include blog content in newsletters and marketing materials. They’re also great to share internally with your team so they can be better informed about their industry. Some articles can even be made into press releases and shared with journalists who cover news in your field.
One last thing: Be consistent. Once you start posting blog articles, you’ll generate a following and people are going to want to learn more.
Ready to start sharing your expertise with your community? A blog is a perfect place to do it. All it requires is a little time, creativity, and knowledge.