Blogging is a fantastic way to get found online, share your expertise and build credibility. However, there is more to blogging than putting great ideas down on paper. With this in mind, here are 5 questions you should ask yourself if you’re just getting started with blogging. Spend 6 minutes watching the video or read on for the tips.
What keywords are my website visitors searching?
One important step to take before writing any blog posts is to carry out some keyword research. In other words, what are people typing when looking for the products and services your company offers?
Don’t just assume you know what keywords are best, you need to actually check. See what Google suggests as search terms when you start typing in a phrase related to your business. Going a step further, try conducting some Google searches to see what results your search terms return.
Is there a tool I can use to improve my blog or website’s SEO?
Yes, the Yoast for SEO plug-in is a tool that evaluates your blog posts or even your whole website, providing suggestions for improving search engine optimization and readability. Yoast is very user-friendly, and I insist that all my clients know how to use it.
It should be noted that Yoast won’t give you all the answers, but it will provide you with a framework to follow. Yoast will help ensure that your blogging efforts are not a waste of
time.
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How will I categorize my blog posts?
It’s important to set up appropriate categories to put your blog posts in, because doing this can help you focus your efforts and stick to an editorial calendar. Click here to watch my company’s recent video about blog categories.
When blogging, you should have a maximum of 5 categories that you write about. In order for all of your blog posts to fit into one of these categories, you need to be sure that y
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ou use broad categories. For example, ‘email marketing’ is a good category but ‘open rate’ is not.
How can I make my blog posts reader-friendly?
The best thing you can do for readers of your blog is to simply incorporate a few subheads into each post. Many people will only have the time to quickly scan through your content, and breaking things up with subheads makes it easier to scan for specific information.
It should be noted that a subhead is different from just making the text bold. If you use an actual subhead formatting style (either Heading 2 or Heading 3) it can really benefit your SEO. In fact, Yoast will actually tell you if you’re not using enough subheads.
What can I do to get people engaged with my blog posts?
Keeping your readers engaged can also help with SEO, and one of the keys to doing this is by including a call to action at the end of each blog post. This call to action can be as simple as “Have more questions on this topic? Email us now!” It doesn’t need to be too sales-y, just something basic that will keep people on your site a bit longer.
You can write an even better call to action if you have an ebook or another piece of content to make available to readers. Remember, a more engaged audience means improved search engine results.
Blogging can do wonders for your business so get started now! Download The Small Business Guide to Blogging for more tips.
