In today's digital landscape, blogging plays a significant role in connecting people, sharing ideas, and building online communities. It empowers writers to express creativity, showcase expertise, and engage with a global audience. Here are 12 actionable blogging tips to use in your blogging journey.
1. Select a suitable niche
Of all the blogging tips, selecting a suitable niche for your blog is probably the most difficult and important step. Your niche should align with your goals and passions, as they fuel your enthusiasm and authenticity in writing.
However, passion alone won't pay the bills. You also need to consider the long-term profitability of your chosen niche.
Niche types
Let's explore some different niche types and the opportunities they offer.
A general niche, like personal finance, attracts a large audience but faces intense competition. It may be too difficult for a newbie blogger or even an experienced person to penetrate.
Community-based niches, such as parenting or gardening, allow for deep connections with a specific group. This targeted approach creates a strong bond and monetization opportunities.
Product-based niches, like tech gadgets or beauty products, can be profitable through affiliate marketing. Just recommend an appropriate product, insert an affiliate link, and earn a commission.
Problem-based niches, like weight loss or stress management, address specific issues and attract an audience actively seeking guidance, increasing conversion rates.
Key factors
Here are some key factors to help you identify a profitable niche for your blog.
High demand
Look for niches that have a significant audience and demonstrate a consistent demand for content. Demand can be determined by keyword search volume on search engines like Google.
To see the monthly search volume on Google, you can use the Keyword Surfer Chrome extension.
When you enter a keyword into Google, the search bar will display monthly search volume and CPC.
The panel on the right will show related keywords with their associated search volumes. You can use this to gather more ideas to pick a niche.
Check Google Trends for seasonality when analyzing niches. High seasonality doesn't mean that you shouldn't pick a topic but it's something to consider before you do.
For example, here is the last 12 months of search demand for "augmented reality."
Low competition
Assess the level of competition within the niche. A profitable niche should have a mixture of strong and smaller sites that are ranking well. This shows that the level of competition is manageable and that there is room for growth.
Monetization potential
Think about ways you can monetize your blog. Potential revenue streams could include:
- Affiliate programs
- Sponsored opportunities
- Adverts
- Products or services
Competitor advertising spend
By analyzing competitor advertising spending and the associated cost-per-click (CPC) values, you can gauge the profitability of a niche. A higher CPC indicates advertiser confidence in return on investment.
For example, the search term "augmented reality apps" has a cost per click of $3.65.
CPC data provides valuable insight into the willingness of the target audience to spend money within the niche.
2. Choose realistic keywords and topics
Choosing realistic keywords and blog topics is pivotal to your blog's success.
The key word being realistic here.
It's essential to select keywords that you can actually rank for and see results from. Let's explore 4 key factors to consider when picking keywords for your blog posts.
Keyword difficulty
Keyword difficulty or relative keyword difficulty shows you how difficult it is to rank for a specific term in organic search results. This metric is based on a few factors, including domain authority, page authority, and the quality of the content.
Keyword tiles inside Surfer's Keyword Research tool can uncover keyword difficulty based on your domain's current authority for that target keyword, along with search volume and associated metrics.
There is no point in trying to rank for a keyword with a high difficulty rating if the SERP is dominated by pages with much higher authority than your own.
Consider long tail keywords instead.
They should have a lower keyword difficulty. Aim for keywords where you can make it to the first page of search results.
Search intent
Understanding the search intent behind a keyword is crucial because it helps you align your content with what users are looking for. There are four main types of search intent: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation.
Surfer's Keyword Research tool automatically categorizes your keyword clusters into different stages of search intent.
You can also look at the SERP articles to see how Google understands your keyword search intent.
If, for example, your keyword is “best no code app builder,” the user is typically looking for a list of app builders to compare.
A quick look at the SERPs will confirm this.
Your new blog post should therefore follow a similar format so that it can compete with the articles already ranking.
Business potential
The keyword you choose should hold value for your company. It's better to rank for a low-volume keyword that is highly suitable for your business than to pursue a high-volume keyword that doesn't truly benefit you.
For example, say you sell slippers for older ladies.
Now the keyword “how diabetes affects walking” will also have business value for your company.
In the article “how diabetes affects walking,” you can explain how slippers minimize diabetic complications and protect the feet. So with this secondary keyword, you can promote your product.
Focus on keyword relevance and business value rather than just search volume.
Search volume
While it's important to pick keywords with decent search volume to drive traffic to your blog, don't ignore keywords with low volume. These low-volume keywords may have greater conversion potential.
They often represent more specific search queries, indicating that visitors searching for them are more likely to convert into customers.
As you've seen, you can use the Keyword Surfer Chrome extension to find search volume data while browsing in the SERPs.
Long-tail keywords may not have the most volume but are often searched by users with higher purchase intent.
If you rank for many low-volume keywords in a given niche, you will increase the chances of Google recognizing your authority and favoring your posts.
Use Google Search Console's queries tab to find search queries your website is already ranking for. Then pick related keywords to cover.
3. Perform on-page optimization
On-page SEO is one of the most important ways you can boost your blogging success.
Be sure to strategically include keywords in four basic areas to help search engines understand the context and intent of your article. Let's look into each point.
Page title
It's important to include your target keyword within the title to signal what your blog post is about. Craft a catchy and compelling title that accurately reflects the content of your post while incorporating the keyword naturally.
Header tags
Header tags, such as H2, and H3, are like signposts that break down the structure of your content. Including your keywords in these tags helps search engines recognize the main topics you're covering. Use them wisely to organize your content and make it easier to navigate your blog post.
URL structure
A clean URL structure is not only user-friendly but also helps search engines understand the topic of your post. Include your primary keyword in the URL, keeping it concise and relevant. Avoid lengthy URLs with numbers or random characters, as these can be confusing.
Meta data
Meta data consists of the meta title and meta description that appear in search engine results. Craft an engaging meta title that includes your keyword and encourages users to click through.
The meta description should provide a concise summary of your article, enticing readers to delve into the content. Including your keyword in these meta elements helps clarify the relevance of your post.
Optimize your blog post content, page title, header tags, URL structure, and meta data with relevant keywords.
This way, you're giving clear signals about your content's context and intent. It will boost your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Remember to strike a balance and ensure that your keyword usage feels natural and doesn't compromise the readability of your blog post.
When done right, on-page optimization can significantly improve your blog's visibility and attract organic traffic.
4. Peek at the competition
By peeking at the competition, you can identify and leverage keywords that your competitors are successfully ranking for. This way, you can create articles with a higher chance of driving organic search traffic to your blog.
First, analyze a successful blog in your niche and identify the topics they are ranking well for.
Take note of the blog posts that are performing strongly in terms of search engine rankings, social shares, and engagement.
To analyze your competitor's blog post, follow these 4 steps.
- Head to Surfer Audit
- Enter your competitor's URL and target keyword
- Select the country, device preferences and check the Sentiment box
- Click Create Audit
Here's an example for "best protein powder."
Surfer Audit will generate a report with insights into your competitor's keyword usage, linking profiles and technical data that you can learn from.
If your competitor has stronger authority than you, it may be hard to beat them. In that case, look for a long tail variation of the keyword.
Once you have a list of topics that your competitors are succeeding with, it's time to look into how you can improve your article.
Consider the following:
- Do the top articles in the SERP represent what Google is expecting for your article structure?
- Are you answering the search query at the beginning of your article?
- Are you missing important points from your article that the competition has?
- Can you add new information that is not covered by the competition?
- Is your article fully optimized?
Analyzing your competition is one of those blogging tips that is much discussed but rarely practiced.
While it's essential to provide unique and quality content from your perspective, you can use competitor articles as a source of inspiration.
Consider different angles, add your personal insights, or update the information to make it more current and relevant.
By doing this, you can recreate content that appeals to your target audience while leveraging the successful aspects of your competitor's blog post.
5. Satisfy search intent with your blog post
To succeed in SEO driven content marketing that truly resonates with your audience, it's important to understand and align with search intent.
More than a blogging tip, meeting search intent with your content is fundamental to your success.
Search intent refers to the underlying motivation or purpose behind a user's search query. By answering search intent, you can create content that matches what people are looking for, resulting in higher engagement, longer time on page, and increased conversion.
There are four main types of search intent.
Informational intent
Users seek information or answers to their questions. They may be looking for definitions, tutorials, or research material.
Here are some examples:
"What is the latest iPhone model?"
"Best places to visit in Bali"
"What is a Roth IRA?"
Crafting in-depth, informative articles that address these queries establishes you as a reliable informative source and can drive organic traffic to your blog.
Navigational intent
Users search for a specific website or page. They are already familiar with a brand or organization and want to find their website quickly.
Here are some examples:
"Facebook login"
"Amazon website"
"Surfer blog"
While this intent is less important for bloggers, it's advisable to ensure your website is easily navigable and optimized for branded searches.
Transactional intent
Users are ready to make a purchase or engage in a specific action. They seek product reviews, comparisons, or pricing information.
Examples of transactional intent are:
"Buy Nike Air Max shoes online"
"New York to Los Angeles flight"
"home smart thermostat"
Creating content that highlights your products or services, includes strong calls to action, and showcases your expertise can help convert these users into customers.
Commercial investigation intent
Users are in the research phase before making a purchase decision. They want to compare different options, read reviews, and explore alternatives.
Commercial investigation intent examples include:
"Best digital cameras under $500"
"anti-aging creams for sensitive skin"
"cheapest laptops for gaming"
By providing comprehensive and unbiased content that addresses their concerns and offers valuable insights, you can position yourself as a trusted resource and guide them toward a purchase.
Understanding user intent is vital for SEO because search engines aim to provide the most appropriate results for each query.
When you align your content with the intent behind the keywords you target, it makes your blog posts more relevant to users.
6. Build content hubs
Rather than writing a single blog post on a topic, content hubs allow you to create comprehensive resources that cover various aspects of a subject.
Content hubs are like centralized knowledge bases that dive deeply into a specific topic.
By creating a hub, you can showcase your expertise and become the go-to resource for your readers.
Content hubs are essential for establishing topical authority — one of the key points considered by search engine algorithms. In addition they:
- Improve site architecture
- Optimize internal linking
- Increase organic traffic
- Improve rankings
Think of it as creating a hub/spoke or pillar page model, where the hub acts as the main page, and the spokes or subtopics branch out from it.
To generate a list of keyword clusters grouped by subtopics in your niche, follow these steps:
- Open Surfer Keyword Research Tool
- Enter your target keyword and country
- Click Create Keyword Research
You will be presented with a list of subtopics and related clusters that you can create for your own blog.The search intent, monthly search volume, and keyword difficulty are displayed for each cluster.
For example, there are 65 clusters for "augmented reality."
Using AI generative blogging tools like Surfer AI can help you create first version drafts of articles at scale.
Doing so can allow you to focus more on the strategic aspects of content creation and ensures that your hubs consistently deliver high-quality, valuable content.
Neglecting content hubs is one of the most common blogging mistakes that beginners make. Think of your blog as a book, that needs to demonstrate its value by covering every chapter in sufficient detail.
7. Engage your target audience
To captivate readers, regularly create exceptional content that grabs their attention and fosters loyalty.
Maintain your content velocity to keep readers (and Google) interested.
Content freshness is considered to be a ranking factor. Thus you will have better chances at ranking with consistent content production that is up-to-date.
- Monitor Google Trends to identify current topics that interest people in your niche. Incorporating these subjects can ensure that your blog remains relevant and attracts a wider audience.
- Offer a unique perspective by exploring fresh viewpoints, unconventional approaches, or untapped sub-niches. This distinguishes your content from others, making it more appealing to readers.
- Case studies are highly effective in engaging your audience. Share real-life examples and success stories to add credibility and help readers relate to the information.
Practical insights and demonstrating your expertise through case studies are valuable.
- Personal experiences and expert input hold great power. Sharing your own stories establishes a deeper connection with your audience.
Conducting interviews or seeking industry experts' opinions adds valuable insights and enhances your content's authority and engagement.
- Lastly, encourage interaction and conversation with readers. Include call-to-action prompts, inviting them to share their thoughts and experiences in the comments section.
Respond to their comments and engage in meaningful discussions. This fosters a sense of community, keeping your audience engaged and returning for more.
Tools like Google Analytics can help you track engagement with metrics such as session duration, average page on time and scroll depth.
Adopt an effective writing style and presentation
- To keep your readers engaged, embrace a conversational writing style that connects with them personally.
- Write in a friendly and relatable tone, using everyday language and avoiding jargon.
- Ensure readability by using digestible paragraphs and concise sentences. Avoid complex structures, allowing readers to scan and understand your post easily.
- Incorporate multimedia elements like suitable images, videos, or infographics to enhance your content's appeal and convey information effectively.
- Craft captivating headlines that use power words, intriguing questions, or create a sense of urgency. Optimize headlines for click-through rates on SERPs.
- Make them clear, concise, and specific, including a benefit or promise that entices readers to click and learn more.
8. Promote your content
It's not enough to create fantastic blog posts; you also need to ensure that they reach a wider audience. This is one of the often-overlooked mistakes in blogging.
If you had to pick just 3 blogging tips, content promotion should be on that list.
In fact, it's good practice to have a promotion schedule on your editorial calendar as well.
Content promotion is important, as simply publishing a blog post won't automatically attract readers. With the abundance of online content, you need to actively promote your posts to stand out. It helps to:
- Increase visibility
- Drive traffic
- Grow your audience
Let's explore some effective content promotion strategies to implement.
One strategy is to create content roundups and reach out to individuals or brands mentioned in your posts. This can foster connections, encourage sharing, and expands your reach as they share your content with their audience.
Seek opportunities to acquire high-quality backlinks by reaching out to related websites or blogs. Offering your content as a resource drives referral traffic and improves search engine rankings, as backlinks signal credibility and authority.
Additionally, consider guest blogging. Write high-quality guest posts for other blogs in your niche, including a link back to your blog. This exposes your content to a new audience and builds backlinks for SEO benefits.
Partnerships play a significant role in content promotion. Collaborate with influencers, bloggers in your niche, or complementary brands.
Create joint content or cross-promote each other's posts. By tapping into each other's audiences, you can greatly increase reach and attract new readers.
Leverage social media accounts to promote your content. Share snippets, quotes, or visuals from your blog posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Engage with followers, participate in related communities, and use relevant hashtags to expand reach and generate interest.
And don’t neglect email marketing.
Build an email list and regularly send newsletters or updates featuring your latest blog posts.
9. Establish an email list
A list of email subscribers gives you a direct line of communication with your audience.
Unlike social media algorithms that can hide your posts from your followers, emails land straight into your subscribers' inboxes.
This means you have a better chance of reaching them and grabbing their attention.
Building an effective email list starts with offering something valuable in exchange for your readers' email addresses.
This is called a lead magnet.
It could be a free e-book, a printable resource, or even an exclusive discount. The key is to provide something that your audience finds useful and relevant.
Even though building an email list is a new skill for most content marketing folks to acquire, it can kickstart your blog content.
Once you've got people on your list, it's important to nurture your subscribers. Send them regular updates, exclusive content, and personalized messages.
Show appreciation for their support. Building a relationship with your subscribers will keep them engaged and eager to hear from you.
Maintaining engagement is critical for the success of your email list. Make sure to send out regular newsletters or updates, but don't overload your subscribers with too many emails.
Strike a balance and keep your content interesting, informative, and valuable.
10. Revisit old blog post content
We all know by now that Google loves fresh content, right? So why not revisit older blog posts to maintain their relevance and accuracy?
As time goes by, things change. Information gets updated, trends shift, and new insights emerge.
By revisiting your old posts, you have the opportunity to ensure that your content remains up-to-date and valuable for your readers.
So, how do you refresh your older posts?
The first step is to periodically review your content and identify any outdated information or references. Look for statistics, facts, or examples that might have changed over time.
Update them with the most current and accurate information available. This will not only improve the quality of your content but also boost your credibility as a reliable source.
Feedback is key when it comes to improving your content.
Take the time to listen to your readers and pay attention to their comments and suggestions.
They might point out areas where your older posts need improvement or clarification.
Additionally, dive into your analytics using a tool like Google Analytics and Search Console to see which posts are performing well and which ones could use a little boost. This data will guide you in deciding which posts to prioritize for a refresh.
Another strategy is to enhance your older content by adding new insights, examples, or case studies. This will provide a fresh perspective and make your posts more valuable to your readers.
And consider optimizing your posts by incorporating relevant keywords and updating your meta tags. Surfer’s Audit Report will help you with that.
This will increase the chances of your refreshed content ranking higher in the SERPs.
11. Pick a catchy domain
Picking the right domain name is essential for brand recognition in the crowded digital space. A catchy domain name helps you stand out from the crowd.
What makes a domain name catchy?
First, it should be easy to recall.
Short, snappy names like "Fitbit" or "Doordash" stick in people's minds effortlessly. Your domain name should be instantly memorable, prompting visitors to effortlessly find and revisit your blog.
A catchy domain name also aids brand recognition.
As people encounter your domain repeatedly, it becomes associated with your content, values, and style.
This fosters trust and loyalty among your audience.
Consider including your primary keyword in your domain name for SEO advantage.
While any direct SEO impact has diminished, having a suitable keyword can indirectly benefit your search rankings. A search engine can grasp your blog's focus, potentially improving rankings for that specific keyword.
For instance, if your niche is healthy recipes, a domain name with "recipes" can signal relevance. Your domain name could be “myveganrecipes.com.”
When brainstorming, aim for uniqueness. Strive for a name that stands out from generic alternatives. You can also use free domain name generators from companies like Shopify or GoDaddy.
Be creative, play with words, and seek originality. Avoid long, complex names that are challenging to type or remember. Opt for simplicity and conciseness.
12. Use an easy-to-use CMS
If you're looking to create and maintain your own website, choose an easy-to-use content management system (CMS) like WordPress.
Choosing the best blogging platform may seem like an obvious point but is often overlooked by content marketing professionals.
The amount of time you will spend editing and optimizing your blog's content makes this a crucial decision in your blogging journey.
Trust me, it'll make your blog design and management so much easier! Then you can focus on what really matters—creating amazing content.
When choosing a blogging platform, simplicity is key. You don't want to get bogged down by the technical aspects of website management.
Look for the following characteristics:
SEO friendliness: Search engine optimization is key for driving organic search traffic to your blog. You'll need a CMS with built-in tools and features that help optimize your content, such as customizable meta tags, clean URLs, and XML sitemaps.
These will give your blog a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results, ultimately increasing your visibility and readership.
Availability of plugins: To extend the functionality of your website, CMS platforms like WordPress offer a vast library of plugins, allowing you to add features like social media integration, contact forms, e-commerce capabilities, and much more.
You can easily enhance your WordPress blog functionality without having to write any code.
A thriving support community: Whether you have questions about customizing your theme, troubleshooting an issue, or simply need advice on improving your blog, there are countless online forums, tutorials, and communities dedicated to helping WordPress users.
When it comes to choosing a theme to use, be sure that it is light and fast so that it will not negatively impact your website speed.
Key takeaways
- Niche - Choose a niche that aligns with your passions and goals while taking into account profitability, growth potential, and monetization opportunities.
Select a catchy domain name to enhance brand recall and establish a strong online presence. Use an SEO-friendly CMS like WordPress. It has a huge range of plugins for enhancing functionality and an active support community. - Keywords - When choosing keywords and topics you can rank for in your blog posts, consider these four factors: keyword difficulty, search intent, business potential, and search volume.
Identify your competitors’ successful topics and put your own spin on them. - Content - Create content that matches users' search intent, whether it's providing information, assisting with navigation, facilitating transactions, or aiding in the research process.
Build content hubs that cover all associated aspects of a topic. This will establish your topical authority and provide comprehensive resources for your readers.
And remember, AI can be a valuable ally in scaling your content production. - Engagement - Use Google Trends, provide a unique perspective, employ case studies, share personal experiences, and encourage interaction to create engaging content and build a loyal audience.
Adopt a conversational writing style to make your posts easy to read, and craft compelling headlines to make your blog more appealing. - Promotion - Content promotion is just as important as content creation. Actively promote your content through various channels to enhance visibility, attract new readers, and foster the long-term growth of your blog.
Build an email list to establish a direct line of communication with your audience, nurture relationships, and maintain engagement. - Revisit - Periodically revisit old content to keep your blog optimized, relevant, and accurate. On-page optimization of your page title, header tags, URL structure, and meta data will give search engines a better understanding of the context of your content.
This can help to improve visibility and increase organic traffic. In particular, work on articles that you can push from the second page to the first page.
Conclusion
And there you have it—12 valuable blogging tips for content writers like you!
We've covered a lot of ground, from finding your profitable niche to crafting compelling headlines and engaging your audience.
Remember, blogging is all about creating exceptional and engaging content that captivates your readers.
Always stay open to experimenting, learning, and refining your approach as you progress on your blogging journey. Now, go out there and start writing!
