Creating blog content is both an art form and a science. And if you are looking for the best ways to increase traffic, you need these blog writing tips.
Yes, we are aware there are many tactics you can take to increase blog traffic, but today we are going to focus on specific writing tips that will speak to your audiences — as well as the Google ranking factor — to allow for your blog to receive the traffic you want and provide your audience the content they seek.
Before you get started, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is it about your words that will bring people to your content?
- What is it about your words that will make people want to share your content?
- What is it about your words that will invite people to come back?
These are the questions we intend to answer. By the time you finish this article, you will have a more solid understanding of your blog architecture, why it’s paramount to focus on specific audience segments, and how developing long-form content can be an excellent addition to your marketing strategies.
Blog Writing Tips that Increase Traffic
Let’s jump into these seven blog writing tips that will make your blog posts gain both traffic and traction.
Write blog content that people are interested in
How well do you know your audience? Seriously, do you know anything beyond age, gender, and geography? How about psychographics? Before you write a word, you first need to really know the group you are trying to attract to your blog — and then you need to create content for them. If you don’t know what to create, ask your audience. Your audience can be your best blog topics generator — if you listen.
If you focus first on developing blog niche ideas that your target audience values, blog ideas that make money will come. Conversely, if you focus first on making money, you likely will not produce content your audience wants to consume.
Use SEO in natural ways in your blog articles
The days of keyword-stuffing articles are gone (thankfully). But SEO is as important as ever when writing blog articles.
Keep in mind the following blog writing tips when writing your blog content for search engine algorithms:
- Write content in ways that Google can include in featured snippets
- Developing content for conversational search queries
- Insert your keywords into your meta descriptions
- Use alt text to identify images in the blog
- Include FAQs in your blog posts and related questions that people ask in your blog content.
- When considering the internal & external links to include, make sure they are helpful and are from reputable sources.
Write your blog content for humans, and improved search engine rankings will be a natural result.
Create blog headlines that attract and invite readers
Just like your readers love headers and subheads to guide them through a blog post, so do search engines. Create headers and subheads in your articles and you’re likely to see increased traffic.
Here are a few blog writing tips to keep in mind:
- Place keywords in the headlines and subheadlines (H1, H2, and H3s).
- Create accurate headlines. No clickbait. Give your readers what they came for.
- Include numbers. Odd numbers tend to stand out more than even numbers.
- Keep your headlines concise.
Grab your blog reader’s attention
This is one of the blog writing tips that apply to all topics. Every blog article you write should grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning. You can accomplish this in a few different ways. For example, a quick, short, impactful sentence is a great tool for inviting readers to read more. Another way is to start your post with a story or an anecdote.
Additionally, asking a thought-provoking question will make the reader stop and will intrigue them to read on and learn the answer.
You also can take the opportunity to invite readers to think outside the box by evoking their imagination. For example, consider starting an article with “Picture this . . .” or “Do you remember the last time you . . .” or “Pretend that you . . .” This forces the reader to become more personally involved in the content.
Keep blog writing simple
The best blogs have engaging content that is easy to consume. Don’t artificially increase the word count of your blog posts for the sake of SEO. First, seek to make your blog enjoyable to read. The other issues will fall into place afterward. After writing your blog, read through it carefully. Can you say it in fewer paragraphs? Fewer words? Shorter words? If yes, do it.
Consider reading your blog content aloud. How does it sound when you speak the words? Does it flow? Is it easy to understand? If not, adjust it until it is. Don’t increase word count unless the content you are developing warrants additional words.
Make your blog text aesthetically pleasing
Remember that the aesthetics of your text layout is just as important as the text itself. If your blog is full of long paragraphs and long sentences, only the people who are 100 percent invested are going to stay with the blog to consume the content.
Use short paragraphs.
Use white space.
Develop sentences that vary in length.
A good blog should have a good flow and ample white space. Find opportunities to use bulleted lists, numbers, subheads, and other visual elements that help break up the monotony of the text on the screen.
Inspire the reader and evoke emotion
Writing with emotion also makes your blog content easier to consume. Yes, your readers want to be informed — but they also want to laugh, smile, and feel inspired to take action. Your words have the power to make this happen for your readers.
The freshness and frequency of content should be an important element in your creation process. Track recent events or hot topics and consider how they relate to your blog. Curate content that is performing well in other places and put your own spin on it. Repurposing content allows you to reframe existing conversations in ways that might be more relevant to your readers.
Get rid of fluff in your writing
Consider this writing advice from Mark Twain:
“I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English — it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill most of them — then the rest will be valuable.”
There is a reason why people consider Mark Twain’s writing timeless. He knew how to write in the ways people wanted to read. Now consider your own blog writing. Are adjectives a major element in your content? Do you deliberately look for opportunities to include vivid verbs and concrete nouns? Do you abhor cliches and keep them out of your blog?
Blog Writing Takeaways to Increase Your Traffic
Writing a blog that increases traffic requires diligence, deliberation, and devotion to the craft of writing. As you build and adapt your blog, analyze it for traffic and conversions. Continue to make minor tweaks or significant adjustments as you learn. Your blog should be a living, breathing content channel. Internalize the blog writing tips listed above, and you will get closer to your content goals.
We hope these blog writing tips help you create content that engages your target audience, keeps them around for longer, and leads them to conversion. If you need help creating high-performing content, talk to a content specialist at ClearVoice today. Our team can create ready-to-publish content for your blog, website, and much more.
