5 Things to Remember When Writing Winning Blog Posts
Of course, we recommend having professionals write your blogs so you can focus on growing your business. However, if you do decide to go it alone or do one guest post now and then, here are a few tips to make your blogs brilliant, with a focus on content.
1. Make it SEO-friendly.
Nowadays, it’s not okay to keep repeating key words to help you rank higher in search engines. Google is too smart for that. What’s most important is writing copy that flows naturally, organically, and at the same time includes relevant keywords that will help your rankings. These keywords are also known as longtail keywords, which are more specific phrases that may include your company’s location. This helps to narrow down the search so that customers in your specific region can find you more easily. Be sure to include a keyword phrase in your header, as well as sub-heads that will stand out.
2. Give them a countdown.
Nothing attracts readers like “5 tips for cleaning your hardwood floors,” or “3 must-do’s before you get a pet.” This is because in our time-starved world, everyone is so busy and getting their eyeballs on your page is a pretty big challenge. If you stuff as many words in your blog as Gone with the Wind, you can be sure no one is going to have time to read it. Numbers suggest a quick, succinct experience, and also provide you with a helpful outline of your material. It’s a win-win.
3. Solve a problem.
Most readers will arrive at your blog because they’re looking to know how to do something, or how to do it better. Depending on your industry, you can take a common problem that your consumers face and suggest various solutions. This helpful information will prompt some readers to bookmark your page, because they’ll want to see what other advice you’ll be offering in the future. It’s a great way to guarantee return visitors, while positioning yourself as an authority on the subject. If you sell furniture, you could do a post about how to choose which color and fabric to fit a certain décor. Or tips on how to clean that leather couch so it looks like new. These are common issues people have, and you can bet they’ll be interested in the information you offer.
4. Take what they’d expect, then say the opposite.
Going with the tip above, you’ll often see some of the same answers to certain problems. Or you’ll find a similar narrative about a topic. If you can put a fresh spin on a common theme, you’ll definitely attract more attention. For instance, if you offer pest control services, you might see other companies talking about all kinds of repellents, etc. One website suggested allowing stray cats on your property because they deter mice. That’s an idea you don’t hear every day. Or, instead of showering them with the wonderful amenities at your lovely hotel, you could lead in with a shocking statistic about how half of Americans didn’t take a vacation last year. The idea is to take a common way of promoting something and look for another angle, or turn it upside-down. The unexpected, the surprising. . .this is what readers remember.
5. Include personal stories.
When businesses list their awards and facts about how long they’ve been in business, these are all very positive things. And of course you’d want to let your potential customers know these things. However, the result will be a very dry, dare we say boring, blog if you stick to facts about how great you are. It’s much more interesting to learn about real-life customers and their experiences with your product—or a problem they had and how YOU solved it. This will engage readers more because they have no doubt been in a similar situation. It gives them a story they can relate to. And everyone loves a good story. For example, if you sell carpeting, maybe one of your customers had a major problem with her dogs and the carpet. Maybe her cat refused to go in the litterbox. What could she do? Do you sell special carpet cleaner for pets? Or carpeting that is immune to pet stains and odors? This would be a great way to lead in to that topic.
All of these suggestions are merely the tip of the iceberg—and there are many more you can think of as well. At Your Page Today, we specialize in crafting engaging, informative, SEO-friendly blogs that relate to your industry and help to promote your company—weekly, bi-weekly and monthly. Contact us today to get started!
Your Page Today is a full-service web development and blog writing company serving central Massachusetts and Connecticut
