Blogging significantly boosts site traffic. HubSpot data shows businesses that blog average 55% more website visitors than those that don’t, while OrbitMedia research shows 77% of blogs receive positive results for their brands.
But the amount of value that businesses receive from blogs depends on the effort they put in and the strategy they use. These savvy marketing and search-optimisation techniques help increase blog traffic and make your blog the hardest-working lead generator on your company’s payroll.
1. Double down on SEO
In a world where people turn to search engines for nearly everything, it can pay serious dividends to put SEO on your side. Using popular SEO research tools like SEMrush, Moz, or Surfer SEO, you can research keywords in your industry, identify top-ranking competitor content and use the results to create SEO-savvy blog posts that bring traffic from people searching for your expertise.
2. Get savvy with keyword choices
It’s tempting to use the top search terms when researching blog keywords. But focusing on more specific search terms may yield better traffic. You may also target keywords or keyword phrases that are similar to the top search terms but more relevant to your target audience.
IF A BLOG POST GOES LIVE IN THE WOODS AND NO ONE'S THERE TO SHARE IT, DOES IT GET TRAFFIC? GENERALLY, NO. THAT'S WHY CREATING A SOCIAL PROMOTION STRATEGY FOR YOUR BLOG IS IMPORTANT.
For instance, say you own a local mortgage brokerage. You could go after the top-tier “mortgage broker” keyword, which could deliver nationwide traffic. Or you could create a post that targets the phrase “mortgage broker near me” and potentially attract more local clients.
3. Answer your customers' burning questions
The reason you see so many articles and blog posts with questions as titles is that they’re anticipating the questions that their target audience will ask. Taking the time to identify and answer them proactively is typically a good way to drive traffic.
To research burning questions, your SEO software likely has a “questions” function in its keyword research tool. Consider looking through the “People also ask” section on Google. It will likely be full of questions that could be answered in a blog post.
4. Super-serve the media
If you’re looking for a way to supersize your blog traffic, create content that serves the number one audience that can amplify your message, such as people in the media who need your expertise.
Whether you create surveys, industry information roundups, or infographics, media professionals always need data. When you invest the time and resources into providing unique data (with a sound methodology), your blog can get a boost from media pros who link to your findings.
5. Learn the "two titles" trick
What the search engines want to see from your blog may not align with your brand voice. That's why it's important to learn the "two titles" trick to help boost your blog traffic.
Your blog post can have two titles – one meta title, which the search engines see, and one on-page title, which your audience sees. For example, for a mortgage broker targeting the keyword phrase "mortgage broker near me," your meta title might be "How to Find a Mortgage Broker Near Me." However, the on-page blog title for your blog might be "The Top 5 Attributes of a Good Mortgage Broker for Sydney Buyers.”
If your blog doesn't have a way to add the meta title for each blog post, you should be able to find an SEO plugin that does.
6. Create a social promotion strategy
If a blog post goes live in the woods and no one's there to share it, does it get traffic? Generally, no. That's why creating a social promotion strategy for your blog is important. Identify the top social networks where your audience lives. Then, create a unique sharing message for each of those outlets.
But not all brands belong on every social channel. You may find that investing in one social network – where you know your target audience lives – helps you build a more meaningful and engaged following.
LinkedIn, for example, offers multiple resources to help build your reputation and blog traffic. Its newsletter feature is a bit like a blog that lives on that site, with subscribers getting a LinkedIn notification and an email when there’s a new instalment.
7. Make subscriptions a breeze
Subscriptions are one of the easiest and most effective ways to maintain blog traffic when done effectively. Your main blog page and individual blogs should both offer a clear way to capture subscriber email addresses to build your list.
To rev up your blog traffic game, many email platforms also let you craft custom opt-in messages and thank-you emails for new subscribers where you can also share social links. The more opportunities fans have to follow your brand, the more likely they are to stick around.
8. Say hello to audio
Blogs are historically a written medium, but what if you could give your fans a way to read on the go? Adding an audio element to your blogs is an easy way to attract readers who want or need your advice via voice.
If you're audio-savvy, consider an audio or speech-to-text blog plugin that lets you add a spoken audio track to your blog. These tools also improve accessibility and – if you upload audio yourself – it may even set the stage for a podcast in the future.
9. Link up your email signature
There's no more fitting way to wrap up this list than talking about your email signature, which could be a great way to get your blog more traffic. Consider adding a section with three of your latest blog posts, using catchy verbiage to encourage a click.
For instance, say you recently wrote a post about a hot topic in your industry and why you support a particular cause. Your signature could have text that reads, "Are you invested in the X vs Y debate? I'm solidly Team X and here’s why," and link to your recent take.
Make it part of your Monday to-do list to review your signature and make updates. By doing so, every email you send becomes a traffic generation tool.
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express, or its products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
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