Blogging, today, is quickly becoming the number one source of organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) traffic for many businesses. Therefore, being successful at it is a much needed tool for the majority of online brands. But getting there is a time consuming process – which, let’s admit, can be a frustrating pursuit. Hence, let’s go over some best practices for changing your strategy when it comes to blogging.
#1: It takes time.
It takes a minimum of three months’ time. And that’s not just for the work entailed, but, rather, to allow the search engines to start crawling your website. This process ensures you develop authority and respect. Look, respect can’t be bought, okay? It has to be earned.
#2 Patience.
This obviously is point number one’s sister, right?
Imagine you’re going to be creating all this incredible content, but there is no interaction. No traffic coming to you.
Listen, blogging has really evolved. What allows your site to be found is site authority. This particular authority is determined by many different factors, but a really important one is credibility. That requires time, which, in turn, requires lots and lots of patience.
#3 Headlines, subtitles, and keywords.
You need to understand how to find the right key terms and words you want to use in your content AND in your headlines. Then, make sure you’re not reproducing the very same headline, content, and keywords in multiple articles.
#4 Go back through old content.
Don’t delete your old posts, but enhance them. Add more photos and links. Make the blogging stronger with updated content. Also, this will assist in raising your site’s authority. Depending on your blogging history, this update project may certainly take time, but scroll up to see #1 and #2.
Google cares about the user’s experience. See, if they’re sending Jackie to a website that doesn’t serve her needs, isn’t what she was looking for, Jackie is going to give up, get distracted, and do something else.
Because of which, you want to help Google out by making sure that when Jackie visits your site – after searching for a term – she’s having a really great experience and STAYS there. By extension, this includes no outdated content. Got it?
This doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. Just set aside designated hours, weekly, for updating previous blog content. Check them off your list, one by one. And before you know it, all of your blogging appears fresh, new, and relevant!
#5 You don’t need to have a set schedule.
In fact, you can back load content – up to 300 posts. That’s a ridiculous number, but you could hypothetically upload 300 posts on one day and it’s not going to hurt or hinder or help your SEO. Well, actually, it could help because now you’ve got more content!
But it definitely won’t hurt you. So, don’t feel like,
“Oh gosh, I’ve got all this awesome blogging in the can and I wish I could just start producing it! But, ugh, I’ve got to wait because I’ve always been on this regular schedule of once a week.”
Yeah, that sort of strategy might work for YouTube, but blogs are a different story.
For a whole bunch more on blogging…
Including, everything you wanted to know about images, links, layout, and target audience. And, not to mention, a much more in-depth look at site authority, Google, algorithms, headlines, keywords, etc. PLUS! My own personal – and very recent – story about how I used blogging to establish our new leading health program…
Then, you must check out my trending podcast, Blogs Matter More Than Social This Year, on Build Your Tribe! Listen, execute, and thank me later!
2 responses to “Blogging: How To Be Successful At Blogging”
Thanks Chalene. This really encouraged me to continue blogging. I was going to change platforms and start fresh since I have more experience, but a Blog REFRESH just might do it! Thanks for all the awesome content you share!
Hi Chalene. I first started blogging before it was called blogging, in the late 90s. I took a break from it a few years ago and have started blogging on a new blog a year ago. It’s taking a while to build traction, but it’s at the point where I’m starting to thank my former self for deciding to get back into blogging, as I’m not answering the same questions over and over again. I can just point people to solutions on my blog.
I’ve found the blogosphere that was around pre-social-media is not there any more, but I have a strong sense that blogging will come back in a big way over the next couple of years as people tire of quantitative content and start to seek out qualitative content.