“Blog” is a scary word for many business owners; time and time again we hear concerns from savvy, talented entrepreneurs who fear their writing abilities aren’t up to par. We’re here to help! Not only can we provide blog-writing services for you, but we will also share the basics of what you need to know in this article. First thing’s first: SEO keywords.
The main reason you should want consistent, frequent blogs on your website is that they’re such a natural place for SEO keywords to exist. SEO keywords are the search phrases you want your site to appear for when people Google or use a search engine. So, when your target customer asks Google a question, your website appears with the answer! Blog posts are natural habitats for the best SEO keywords for your business; it’s easy to create the content strategy around the keywords that you want your site to rank for. And, filling your website with knowledgeable blogs provides value to your customers along with reliability about your business. With that in mind, here are a few tips to get started with writing high-quality, SEO friendly blogs.
- Topic
- Outline
- Optimize
Consider the Topic
This may seem obvious, but figuring out what you want to write about is often the hardest part of writing! When you want to write SEO blogs, you’ll need to put those SEO keywords in front of you and start brainstorming the questions that potential customers would type into Google. Or, if you’re an established business, then just think about the most-asked questions that pop up in conversations with your customers.
Also, consider what’s happening in the world that is relevant to your brand. For example, if you are an online retailer, you should already be creating your SEO strategy for Black Friday! We recommend having a dedicated content ideation session in which you list a specific number of potential blog topics for your site, instead of trying to think of a new topic each week. If your goal is to post one blog per week, for example, try to think of 10 potential topics in each of your brainstorming sessions.
Create an Outline
Unless you just have a natural knack for writing and can sit down and pump out a blog post, you’ll need to have an outline. Use this basic formula: engage, inform, convert. You want to capture your reader’s attention via the title and introduction paragraph. Then, provide value by giving them the information they’re looking for (and don’t forget to lace in those SEO keywords!) in the body of the blog.
Finally, end each of your blog posts with a call to action in the conclusion. What’s the next step you want the customer to take? Is it as simple as signing up for your email list? Is it getting them to a sales page on your site? Always write the CTA in your outline so you know the end purpose of the blog as you write it.
Write and Optimize
After you’ve created your outline, you’re ready to write. Follow the outline and create engaging copy, using your SEO keywords at a 1-2% density rate. Hyperlink to outside sources (for credibility) and internal pages (for more views/potential conversions). Make sure your hyperlinks are prominently distinguishable in a different color to increase your chances of click-through on the call to action and write clear, direct calls to action. And of course — make sure your titles and metas are optimized for SEO!
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