If you’ve stumbled upon this post, chances are you run a blog, or your company runs a blog that is under-performing. If that is the case, there are any number of reasons why some of which might not be entirely obvious.
Today, we would like to share nine effective strategies that top bloggers and marketers use to increase the reach and readerships of their blogs. While no one expects anyone is reading this to implement all of these things at once, the most successful blogs do already. If yours, don’t you are missing out on capturing a significant number of readers and sacrificing better returns on investment. Which of these are you doing now? Which still needs to be implemented?
1: Split Test Your Content
Split testing is the smartest, easiest, and most common ways to gauge how well readers consume or engage with the content. What makes it easy is that the written content doesn’t change, but the way it is presented – along with supporting content – does. Here are a few ways to implement split testing:
Split test post titles – See if a more controversial or more neutral title gets better engagement.
Split test blog formats – Present pages in a variety of formats with a variety of ad placement strategies.
Split test different visuals – Try using different images with the same posts and track engagement on each. Do the same with ads and social media posts for the same written content.
2: Use The Right Platform
In today’s online market, mobile reigns. This is a fundamental truth that shows no sign of changing anytime soon. Be sure your blog platform is responsive and always opt for sensitive page formatting. Reputable blog platforms like WordPress offer design templates with responsiveness free.
Be especially careful how ads get placed on responsive pages as they can crowd and detract from the effectiveness of the main content. Ad placement should motivate people to click on them, not contribute to the blog’s bounce rate.
3: Invest In a Proofreader
Your writing may look useful to you and still be rife with errors. Hiring a professional proofreader is a responsible way to gauge just how well you or your writers communicate through blogging. It is also relatively inexpensive and can pay for itself with the resultant increases in ROI.
Writing services like EssayPro provide this service and much more that can make any blog more successful. They can help content creators deliver the kind of unique, high-quality content today’s consumers demand and liberate time to focus on other areas of their businesses. As a professional blogger, use of proofreading and editing services can help save time on content creation. For companies without staff writers, they can write high-quality blog content from scratch based on provided notes, briefs, and style guides. You can visit this paper writing service here.
4: Research Relevant Keywords for Every Post
Far too many bloggers research keywords once and then use them over and over again forever. Over time, the effectiveness of those keywords will diminish. The reason for this is simple: the market places different demands on content at different times.
Keywords have a shelf life, and sometimes that shelf life is very short. Always devote the time necessary to research current effective keywords. It’s not just a good idea, and it’s mandatory for any blog that is intended to rank high in the SERPs. The more current the keywords in the blog, (that includes the main text, H2 headings, and meta descriptions), the higher individual pages will rank.
5: Add A Squeeze Page and Social Media Buttons
One way to nurture blog readership is to remind readers when new content is available. Adding a simple squeeze page to every sidebar facilitates collecting email addresses from interested readers who want to engage with the content. Keeping enthusiastic readers apprised of new posts will boost both blog engagement and site clickthroughs.
Follow up email leads by presenting direct links to all relevant social channels on every blog page. Position the buttons in a way that promotes both seeing them and clicking on them. You can even direct readers to subscribe, follow, or like with a simple request to do so as part of the post. That brings us to our next tip…
6: Use Smart Calls to Action
If you want people to do something specific with the messaging (or as a result of reading the message), they must be told to do it. This is where the concept of calls to action comes into play. Every blog post should have a unique appeal to action relevant to the topic along with a few standardized ones to fill out your squeeze page or join your social media channels, for example.
7: Be Consistent
Sporadic blogging does not hold reader interest or aid in search engine rankings. It’s a detriment to both. Blog content should be published at regular, predictable intervals and announced via email and social media every single time. The more anticipation there is for new content, the better the engagement it will receive. Meet people’s expectations, and they will keep coming back for more. Fail to do so, and they will forget all about the content and the person, company, or entity that posted it almost immediately.
Remember, smart and successful bloggers already know all of these strategies and implement most or all of them into their content creation strategies. If you have any doubts, take the time to follow a few successful bloggers and look for the things mentioned here. The bigger the blog, the more of them you’re likely to see. It’s time to start emulating their success with your content.
This article has been sponsored by Essaypro.com