Original version of this post was written for and published in Scope newsletter, for Fellowship of Australian Writers Queensland.
Many people hold the misconception that blogging is simply recording what happens in an average day, on any topic. This may be a good way to keep your family and friends updated on your life, but most online bloggers want to gather a following and get regular traffic.
There are two main sources of traffic to blogs, and neither of them will visit your blog if you simply update about your breakfast, as both sources revolve mainly around your most critical audience – complete strangers.
The first source is social media. Not just sharing your own posts, but writing good enough posts that other people want to share them with their own social circles.
The second source is Google (and to a lesser extent, other search engines). Although the idea of being found easily in Google may appear difficult, it’s actually relatively easy if you learn how to write on topics that not many other people are writing on – often it’s as simple as searching the topic you plan to write on and scoping out the competition.
So how do you encourage traffic from both these sources, so you can both attract new readers and encourage regular visitors to return again and again?
Choose a Niche Topic – When writing for Google traffic, it’s important to be clear in what your site is about. Writing on a dozen different topics is a sure way to cut down your traffic. Google works on keywords and topics and if you repeat the same topics on your blog, you’ll slowly build up authority on that topic in Google’s eyes. Not to mention that if a person finds your post on classic literature and then discovers the rest of your site talks about donkeys, it’ll be harder to hold their interest. Broader subjects have more competition, so go for smaller subjects which less people have written about.
It’s All in the Title – The title is one of THE most important parts of your website, your posts and your pages. Not only does it summarise for Google exactly what you’re writing about, it also attracts people who see the link shared on social media to click through and read. Use simple words (if it sounds fancy, you don’t need it) and state precisely what your post is about. Unlike writing a creative piece, you don’t want a title that’s elaborate or contrived; you want a title that summarises your whole topic in just a few words.
Assume This Is The Only Post Your Audience Will Ever Read – Don’t write a series, don’t write an extract. Be precise. Say everything you want to say on that topic in your post, even if it’s a complete story or chapter in a related series.
Make It Interesting – People love to read something that makes them think, inspires them, teaches them something new or answers a question.
The Art of the Teaser – Adding teasers both in your titles and in your blog posts is a great way to keep readers guessing. Titles such as “Ten Secrets You Don’t Know About Editing” and “Why I never want to buy a cheap DVD again” both promise the reader that they’re about to be let in on privy information, or piques their curiosity.
Don’t Be Afraid To Promote – Link between your blog posts and encourage readers to visit other parts of your blog. Link to your books or other products. Add social media buttons and ask them to follow your Facebook page or Twitter account.
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