When it comes to creating epic content for our blogs many of us sit down, spend some time researching keywords, then the topic and finally blasting away at the keyboard until we’ve got a finished product we can publish. Time consuming? Perhaps but necessary for sure if you’re hoping to succeed in the blog posting world we live in.
There is so much more that could and should go into a successful blog post launch. I call it a launch because of all the steps that go into the process it’s kind of like having mini launches on your blog every week, or even every day if you post that often.
Now it can be easy to overlook a few key components or neglect a few steps, possibly because you don’t see the value in them or because by the time you’ve finished the process you’re currently doing you feel like you’ve already invested enough into it.
I thought I’d write out a quick plan for you to use when getting ready to write that next epic piece of content! Feel free to compare your current posting technique against the strategy listed below and if you feel that yours is more comprehensive or delivering superior results then by all means you should stick to it. In fact I’d love to hear about it so I can adopt my own strategy to incorporate those aspects into it that I’m overlooking.
Blog Post Launch
Map it out –You should always map out the process for yourself. Sounds simple enough, but you’d be surprised at the stuff you can miss when you get rolling and in the “groove”. By listing out each step in your process you can create a simple checklist and mark each step off as it gets completed.
Pick a topic – Easy enough, we generally have blogs that are focused on certain niches so we know our subject matter fairly well, and when it comes time to write it’s just a matter of choosing one of the many topics available to us. If you use an editorial calendar it’s even easier because you know what you have scheduled in the near future and can spend your time researching and writing rather than surfing the net looking for ideas.
Keyword research – The difference between the searches currently being done on one phrase may not be the same volume as a one using a slightly different phrasing structure.
Let’s look at an example, and remember these are simply two titles on the same article, nothing has changed except for our title in this example.
Title 1: “Work from home tips”
Title 2: “How to work from home”
Both articles are a list of tips outlining how best to work from home.
Which one should you choose? Well you could always flip a coin; they both look about the same really. The difference will only mean lost/gained traffic depending on which way you go.
- Search term 1 has about 63 searches being done each day for it.
- Search term two has over 91,000 daily searches.
So do you think keyword research might play an important part in how much traffic your next post receives?
Choosing a title – Wait, I thought we already did that? Well actually it still is an important step because at the end of the day we still want all those people who see it via social media channels etc. to be compelled to click through and read our post.
It’s estimated that of the all the individuals exposed to your post only 80% will take the time to read the title, and only 20% will actually continue reading the post itself which is why it is so important to choose a compelling title. Tie in the title choices with your keyword researched options and you’ll have a powerful combination.
SEO Friendly posts – Did you use your keyword you chose within the document? Preferably it’s within the first and last paragraph, and perhaps once in the middle. Are you using the image alt tags? You did use an image right? The image also uses your keyword? You’ve filled in your Meta description for the post, and used an appropriate category? Are you linking internally to another post that is related in some way?
It’s important to keep up to date on what is happening in the SEO world and ensure you’re articles are following the best practices so that they rank as highly as possible. Between a little tweaking here, and some link building there you’ve got a sure recipe for success.
Scannable posts – Try breaking up your post so that it’s easier to read. You can use images or line breaks or bullets and numbering systems to keep readers from staring at an endless flow of text on the screen. People tend to absorb information more efficiently when it’s broken up into manageable chunks.
Blog post checklist – Running your post through a checklist each time will keep the quality level high and make sure you are making an impression on your readers. Below is one you can use in case you don’t already have one of your own.
Blog Post Checklist
- Have I spell checked it?
- Have I reread through it at least once upon completion?
- Have I keyword researched my title?
- Is it compelling enough to get people to click on it? (Remember the 80/20 rule)
- Did I use an enticing image to enhance my post?
- Have I used the “Alt” tags on my image?
- Did I give credit for any images, or references I’ve used?
- Have I inter-linked to another of my blog posts?
- Have I tested all the links within the document?
- Am I scheduling this post to go live at the optimal time for my blog?
Link building – So many people neglect to build links to each of their posts which is good news for you because it typically means you’ll have a much smaller group to compete with for that keyword you chose.
A great way to drive traffic is to locate those blogs that show your most recent post and then head over and leave a comment that invites discussion. As you start interacting either with the blog owner, or his readers, more and more people will click over to see your post which is on the same topic. This can be a great little “secret weapon” that is still highly underused.
Social sharing – I recommend you use a content delivery system like Onlywire.com or Dlvr.it that posts to your favorite networks each time you publish a post.
Don’t be content to leave it at that though, try joining Twitter tribes, or LinkedIn groups where other members are more than willing to share or comment on your posts in exchange for you doing the same. It might seem like more work (and it is) but the added traffic, shares, and comments will drive even more visitors to read and hopefully share your post with their own audiences.
Now speaking of sharing, would you be so kind as to hit one of those share buttons on the left? As you likely know I’m just launching this site, and am busy blog posting and i can use all the help it can get!
