A blog without traffic is useless because there is no one to read it. How can you write blog posts that truly drive traffic to your website?

A blog post that will drive traffic needs a topic and an engaging title that your audience identifies with. Niches help narrow down the focus for the reader. Use proper SEO. Promote the post through social media. Give value to your reader. Make the post easy to read and use images to make it more enticing. 

A well-written blog post does not necessarily mean it will get read. To learn more about how to drive traffic to your blog post, read below. 

Writing Great Content to Drive Traffic

Great content begins with proper research. Don’t just write words. Craft a well -thought-out post that adds value to the reader because of the content. Make sure you have enough information to cover the topic thoroughly. Never add filler to get your word count. 

As you research, give credit to information you use from another writer. Not only does that prevent plagiarizing, but it helps add credibility to your writing. 

man listening to music on laptop inside coffee shop

You should always make sure the topic you choose is something your reader is interested in. If not, it will sit there and gather virtual dust. One way to find out if your subject is a good choice is to use a tool like Google Trends. You will be able to see how many people have entered your topic in the search engine research pages or SERPS. 

Google Keyword Planner can help you choose your keywords and long-tail phrases. Look at your website analytics for more information. Note what your posts are getting as far as shares and likes on social media and where most of your traffic is coming from. 

If you have comments read them and see what your readers think about previous posts. What are you doing well, and what can you do better?

Narrow down your topic as much as possible. This will help ensure the right people are being directed to your website. 

Check the competition. How many times does the topic appears in the SERPs? 

Choosing a Blog Title

Make sure your title fits the subject. Always try to include a keyword in the title. You should be as specific as possible and make sure the topic is helpful to your reader. You will also need a title tag, and it also must include a keyword or keyword phrase. Next, write a meta description using at least one keyword in the first part of the description. 

Writing the Introduction and Body Copy

Write your intro next and use keywords in the first hundred words, but do not overdo it. It must sound natural and don’t keyword stuff, or Google may penalize you.  The introduction should let your reader know what to expect in the rest of the article.

The body copy should include original content that is well-written and covers your subject in a relatable, easy-to-read manner. Sprinkle keywords in where they work naturally. 

Keep paragraphs short. Use no longer than four or five short sentences in each section. Use bullet points for lists for easy scannability. 

Keep it easy to read. Try not to use long words that will not be easy for someone with less than a sixth or seventh reading grade level.

Add Keywords to Your SubHeads and Other Strategic Places

Place subheads around every three hundred words. Try to include a keyword in each one to help with ranking and traffic. Use H2’s and when appropriate, use H3’s and H4’s. 

Add alt tags to any images to help with your SEO. Make sure the photos are yours or that you have permission to use them.

Check Spelling and Grammar Before Publishing 

women writing inside notebook in living room

Make sure to check your spelling and grammar before posting. Reading it out loud helps you to check the flow of your words. When possible, ask someone else to go over it. 

Make sure as you read through it that it says what you promised in your title and does not go off topic. 

Does it need a call to action? Some good calls to actions to use in a blog include:

  • Signing up for your email list
  • Sharing your blog on social media platforms
  • Leaving comments
  • Giving a free download in exchange for for an email
  • Asking them to contact you for further questions 

Did you add images? Did you remember to do the SEO? Use keywords in the alt tag title and the descriptions when possible. Obtain permission to use the photos if you need to. 

Publishing Your Blog

Make sure to publish it and share it on social media. Try to share it on social media at peak times to have the best chance of being liked and shared. Interaction with followers on your social media pages helps you connect with your readers and helps drive traffic back to your website. Make sure you have social media buttons on your blog page so readers can easily share it with their pages. Adding quotes from the page that they can tweet out with a link back to the original post will help Twitter users find your blog page. 

Have you shared it through your email lists? Are there any groups you belong to that you should share on social media or in your industry? Do you have clients or customers to whom you could link your blog post through email or messaging? 

Conclusion

Although it may take a while to climb up in the rankings on Google, there are some things you can do that will help. SEO is undoubtedly one way to help, but the most critical is the content itself. As you write excellent content, Google will reward you, and so will your readers.  

Make yourself a blogging checklist to help you remember to do each SEO step before publishing your post.  An optimized blog will help your rankings improve.