Did you know there were an astounding 570 million+ blogs online in 2021? But that doesn’t mean they all attracted the same amount of eyeballs. The old saying that “if you build it, they will come” doesn’t apply to blogging. And this is especially the case if you’re making some common mistakes…mistakes that even some of the most experienced bloggers make.
Why is this important to you? Your company’s blogging strategy can affect how your corporate website ranks in search engine results. When people enter queries in search engines, will your company’s URL be near the top of the first page of results? Page one of Google results accounts for 71% of search traffic clicks. But page two accounts for south of 6%.
Avoid these five common errors if your company has a blog and wants to maximize its performance.
- Choosing Topics That Don’t Resonate With Readers
You can use your blog content to drive more people to your website and social media pages. But if your content doesn’t resonate with your target demographic, you won’t attract as many eyeballs as you want. Focus on writing articles that offer helpful information.
If your company focuses on the insurance space, for instance, you’ll want to cover topics that will pique readers’ interest. Articles about getting the best insurance premiums, finding temporary car insurance, and avoiding common errors people make when looking for insurance will help.
- Writing and Publishing Inconsistently
This is a big one. To create a blog that drives traffic back to your website, you need to write and publish consistently. Create an editorial schedule where you list topics to write about and publication dates. You can’t merely blog whenever you feel like it. It needs to be consistent.
- Running Afoul of SEO Best Practices
When it comes to search engine rankings, you need to consider the mighty Google algorithm. You can make the algorithm happy by following SEO best practices like the following:
- Write strong meta descriptions to boost click-through rates for your organic search results.
- Conduct keyword research before writing to see what search terms people in your demographic groups use.
- Produce SEO-friendly headlines that compel readers to read the blog. Headlines should include keywords, be no more than eight words, and be catchy.
- Use internal links that direct readers to other pages on your website and external links that direct them to authoritative third-party websites that don’t belong to direct competitors.
Unless you have the in-house talent to tackle the SEO responsibilities, it might be worth your while to consult a company specializing in helping small businesses with their SEO strategies.
- Failing to Use Social Media to Promote Your Blog
Does your business have a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account? If so, promote your blog and website through your social media presence–and vice versa. According to one source, the average person spends almost two and a half hours on social media daily. Depending on your target demographic, that number could be higher or lower. So, don’t forget to leverage social media.
- Failing to Monitor Progress
It’s also essential that you monitor progress. Keeping track of your blog’s performance will give you insight into what changes are needed to increase effectiveness. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track vital information like web traffic, where your readers come from, what pages they accessed, and how much time they spent on those pages.
Conclusion
When you’re strategizing how to increase traffic to your website, don’t forget your blog. You can use your blog to provide helpful information, build trust, and ultimately drive sales. But you’ll want to avoid the mistakes mentioned above if you wish to make the most of your blog strategy.
