Most blogs are not a business, but more an extension to an existing business which adds a human element. A diverse social component to their concern, one which adds an opinion or an explanation of their core mission. Information which connects the reader on a peer basis.
What everyone wants is free info, so a blog is a method to inform those customers. Blogging remains the premier method of content marketing, provided its relevant and precisely focused. Blogging keeps your most current and potential readers engaged.
According to various sources, there are now over 150 million blogs online, where just 8% percent makes $100 per month or more, the majority not even a nickle.
So for most, it’s not a business or a job, but more a hobby. Any blog that registers over 1,000,000 on Alexa (www.alexa.com) are not making any money because they’re not getting any traffic. This assuming the “business” or “job” is the primary source of income.
For companies who uses blogs as gateways for their business, receive 91% percent of their leads from their blogging efforts. Customers despise ads, but they love blogs as what they create is a human element to any organization or site.
Blogging Platform
WordPress remains the preferred platform for blogging, as it’s easy, free, and optimizes the best for SEO. It offers themes and plugins for almost anything you want to do, such as sitemap generation, webmaster tools, and meta optimization.
A sitemap allows search engines to find your posts, which helps to improve your search results. Webmaster tools helps in spotting problem areas on your site. Meta/SEO optimization keeps your site relevant, providing more exposure to the masses.
WordPress can make you look extremely good with a just few clicks, this with the proper web design and settings.
Most themes are free so be modern and trendy. Make sure that it’s responsive, meaning it conforms to all devices from smartphones to tablets to desktops. Nothing scares readers away than a tired ugly theme.
Quality Relevant Unique Content
What search engine bots scour the Internet for are sites with authority that has unique content, this in a world of copy and paste.
All of your posts needs to pass the copyscape test (www.copyscape.com). If there are duplicates, then that means you’re copying and pasting someone’s content on your blog, or they’re copying and pasting you.
The content needs to be accepted by your online neighbors, which are other similar sites, businesses, social media influences in your field or area of expertise or interest. If they’re sharing your content, then the search engine bots will take notice.
Know your bounce rate, which is how long your visitors stay on your site. Reasons why they quickly leave is because it’s unattractive, loads too slow, or has too many ads.
Regardless of how relevant your content is, if they don’t want to stick around and read your posts, you need to improve your engagement.
Use easy to read language and be consistent. Your blog needs to flow with from word to sentence, from sentence to well structured paragraphs with appropriate sub-headings. Spelling needs to be corweckt, with passable punctuation and grammar.
Provide Fresh Content
What search engines will score is the freshness factor of a post, this from the date it was first discovered by the bot, or when it was last updated. It needs to be substantial enough for it to take notice.
The content needs to be fresh, unique, and relevant, and not stale, wilted, outdated, or copied. It shouldn’t be content that’s been on the web since 2005. One way to solve the “fresh” test is to repurpose, rewrite your most important content.
Supply a variety of posts, such as articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, news updates, curated information, how-to-guides, case studies, testimonials, white papers, memes. Anything refreshing which engages the short attention span of the online reader.
The Use Of Links
What bloggers know is that a site which has multiple quality links pointing back to them, will gain them recognition from the search engines.
It’s importance has diminished however, as there are certain marketers who attempts to cheat the process by using a variety of linking schemes, this in the attempts to “game” or manipulate the search engine bots, this to improve their rankings.
You need to know where your links are coming from, how valid and genuine they are. Are they from trusted sites, or from questionable seedy neighborhoods, such as the infamous link farms.
How you can build quality links is by guest posting on sites which are considered high authority and trusted, and that they’re in the same niche or industry sector that you are. So if your blog is about knitting, then look for knitting sites and not wildlife or car blogs.
Another method is by building relationships with other bloggers by placing outbound links on your blog posts. You need to make sure that it’s on topic, and that the site you’re providing a link to is similar to your niche.
To Build Online Relationships
What sustainable blogging involves is building quality relationships, this with your readership base, other blogs who are in your online neighborhood, and complying to the search engine bots. Be consistent and commit to the long run.
Your blog will most likely never reach the top of the search engines, so instead, select a targeted audience and build a strategy to increase readership, provide value, which encourages engagement.
The odds are good that most blogs won’t go past the hobby stage. Some of the blog posts won’t be great or pretty, so just make sure that you be an asset to the reader. Your groundwork is increased attainment resulting in more shares, leading to higher rankings.