A blog post
that attracts clicks, likes, and shares. A blog post that gets read all the way
through – and has a real effect on readers, whether that means driving
conversions or establishing you as an industry thought leader.
1. The Title
We know, we
know, you’ve heard this one a thousand times before. But that’s because it’s so
vitally important to any blog post’s success. It doesn’t matter how much time
and effort you put into the writing of your blog post – if no one clicks on it
because your headline is boring, you might as well not have written one at all.
Your blog
title must be interesting. It doesn’t have to be funny or mysterious – of
course, it sure helps if it is. But developing your title based on a few simple
tips can make all the difference in the world.
For example,
research has shown that including numbers in a title has the power to draw eyes
and clicks. Explanations abound – some say it’s because numbers are more
eye-catching than words. Others say that it’s because the reader knows exactly
what to expect, timewise. (There will be 5 tips in this blog, no more, and no
less – I’ve got time to read that!)
Whatever the reason, numbers work – which is why list posts are so
popular.
2. The Hook
Once you’ve
persuaded people to click on your blog post, the next step is hooking their
interest right from the first sentence. That first paragraph is all-important
in determining whether readers will leave the page within seconds, or stick
around to read the whole thing. You’ve
got to have a hook.
What exactly
constitutes a hook? Try a question – they draw people in because once a
question has been posed, our natural response is to look for an answer. Another
approach is to tell a story. Nothing grabs people’s attention more quickly and
more thoroughly than a story. Experiment with various hooks to see what works
best with your particular audience.
3. Visual Appeal
Reading the
text on a screen is different from reading it on paper. There’s just something
about the internet that has conditioned us to gravitate towards shorter blocks
of text, and avoid long, dense ones, when online. Whereas a magazine article
can have long paragraphs and complex sentences, blogs need to be visually
broken up in some way, to create plenty of reassuring white space around and
between the lines.
One way to
accomplish this is to use bullet points. Numbered lists are also effective, as
are subheaders. Short sentences and short paragraphs are necessary to keep
readers’ attention. The ideal length for a blog post itself is a matter still
under debate – some say shorter is better, as in 250 words or less, while
others maintain that long, 1500 to 2000-word posts are more effective. 500-600
words is a common standard. But no matter how long the post, as long as it’s
broken up into manageable chunks, it will look approachable to visitors.
4. Solid Writing
Sorry to
break it to you, but your high school English teacher was right – good, solid
writing skills really are important in the business world. Even if you have an
awesome blog topic, and do everything else right, the instant your grammar
falters or your style becomes awkward, you lose all credibility with your
reader. Think about it – how many sites have you visited, only to suddenly
become distrustful and leave, because their writing was simply unprofessional?
Informal,
conversational writing is one thing – it’s fine to break conventions now and
again for the sake of sounding real. But demonstrating a lack of basic English
language skills makes people nervous – if you can’t even be trusted to write a
sentence correctly, how professionally will you really handle their business?
5. Personality
Nobody likes
to read boring writing. That’s why textbooks never make it to bestseller lists.
People like to read content that has style and flair – content through which
you can see the personality of the writer. They want to feel like they have a
personal connection with the writer, like they know a little more about them
after they’ve read their post. And you don’t get to know someone through a dry
recitation of facts or advice.
Add your own
personal style to your writing, whether that’s humor, emotion, or even just a
conversational tone. Make your writing sounds like you. Don’t be afraid of
sounding unprofessional – on the contrary, giving readers a glimpse into your
real personality will go a long way towards establishing your credibility with
them.
6. Keywords
Now here’s a
more controversial subject. With Google’s constant algorithm changes, best
practices change often in this area. But luckily, they seem to be changing for
the better. The use of keywords in your blog post is necessary if you want
people to be able to find you via search engines. But the days of stuffing your
post full of the same two or three words or phrases over and over again is long
gone – and in fact, was never the way keywords were meant to be used in the
first place.
The key to
keyword use today is to be natural. Write for humans, not for search engines.
Do include four to eight keywords in your post, but only if and when they fit
naturally in your content – never try to force one, and never repeat a keyword
endlessly. That will only mark you as spammy in Google’s eyes. Keywords used in
titles and subheaders are especially helpful, as Google sees those as more
important. But here too, good writing comes first, and keywords come second.
7. Interlinking
Another
controversial topic, interlinking is meant, at its heart, to provide the reader
with a better experience on your site. We’ve all seen those blog posts where it
seems like every other word or phrase is hyperlinked to another page – that is
not what we want to emulate. Instead, a 500-word blog post should include only
about 4-5 links to relevant content that will give readers a more in-depth look
at a related topic. One link per every hundred words or so is a good rule of
thumb.
But the real
key here is relevancy. Link to something that is unrelated to the anchor text
(the blog text you hyperlinked to the new page) and Google gets mad. On the
other end of the spectrum, if you get too matchy-matchy, Google gets grumpy,
too. Avoid “exact match” links as well, where your anchor text says “buy
goldfish” and it’s linked to “yourwebsite.com/buy-goldfish.” Instead, try
linking that page to “thinking of purchasing a goldfish?” or something similar.
8. The Image
Humans have
always been visual creatures, but the internet has made us even more so. Think
of your own experience. Links to blog posts that appear in your Facebook feed
without an image just don’t draw the eye, do they? But add a large, vibrant
image that catches your attention, and suddenly, you notice the post, and are
exponentially more likely to click on it.
Web pages
with images are more appealing to us, as well, and make us more likely to stick
around to read what they have to say. Including a great image is vital to your
blog’s success.
9. The Call To Action
Finally, the
way to achieve results from your blog post – the call to action. You need to
end your post with a request. Tell your readers what you’d like them to do
next. Visit your Facebook page? Check out your sale? Set up an appointment?
Share their thoughts in the comments section? They won’t do it unless you ask.
BONUS ELEMENT: Valuable Content
This may
actually be the most important point of all. Sure, fluff pieces can be fun, but
if you’re not providing your audience with valuable information, they won’t be
back. Your blog is not the place to be salesy, or pushy, or braggy. It’s the
place to share your expertise generously, build up your credibility, and gain a
loyal following. Keep that in mind, and you’ll be golden!
