Blog posts come in many different varieties and their writers also have different writing styles. There are countless of blogs on the web but not all of them do well. The ones that pull in great traffic, however, usually have similar components. And if you want your post to be successful, you must follow the same path too.
First, do the important research – from the ideal length of blog posts to how much blog posts you should be writing. Figure out the best topics that would appeal best to your audience. Before you actually get on with writing, make sure that you know the right elements of an effective blog post so that your website can get optimum exposure.
What Makes a Good Blog Post?
The most effective content for blog posts usually have these elements incorporated in their post:
1. Catchy Headline
The title of your post should match the story or content of your whole post. This is also the first thing your readers are going to see, so it’s important to create a catchy headline to help you stand out from the competition.
2. Relevant Picture
Your featured image and the photos inside your post should also be relevant to your topic. Do not place random photos just for the sake of filling your post with visual graphics. Pictures that have nothing to do with your content will only confuse your readers.
You need to reinforce your topic visually by choosing high-quality images that engage and capture the readers. Do not use copyrighted images if you do not have permission to post them. Violating photo copyright laws will only get you in trouble and bring down your page’s ranking.
3. Author Information
Author information is like a form of identification on the web for your writers. It is best to put a photo, a social media link and a simple bio so that your audience would be able to see the writer as a real person. This makes your posts more relatable and genuine to your readers. Posts with no author information, although still readable, will seem more ‘cold’ or ‘bot-generated’ and less appealing.
4. Blog Categories and Past Posts
Your sidebar should be designed in a way that makes site navigation easier for the visitors. Tag your blog posts with the right categories so that readers can find similar posts. Having all the posts neatly categorized will encourage visitors to read more and more content on your site.
Additionally, your old posts should also be visible on your sidebar. This kind of layout is a form of subtle suggestion, which helps keep past posts active and in rotation.
5. Newsletter and Email Subscription
Newsletter and other email subscriptions must be easily accessible to the readers on your blog. This is typically placed on the sidebar so that visitors can be reminded of your sign-up option. Another more assertive placement is through pop-up windows, which will ensure that your subscription pitch is more visibly seen.
6. Readability
Blog posts that look like a bunch of heavy text put together do not look easy to read, which can turn off visitors. Make sure that your blog posts look easy to read by breaking up the long text and making your content easily digestible. This can be done by incorporating bullet or numbered lists on your paragraphs. Visual aids like photos, graphs and animations also help tell your story better.
7. Links
Internal and external links are essential parts of high-performing blogs. Aside from encouraging your visitors to read and explore more of your content, these also help establish good SEO ranking. External links are helpful in providing sources where you got your information from. This is important when your content cites statistics, number and facts. Just make sure your links are not broken, as these can look unreliable to your readers.
8. Call-to-Action
The call-to-action is one of the most important parts of your blog post. This is your final chance to further engage your reader and turn them into loyal visitors or customers. A strong call-to-action will be enticing enough to convert a random passerby to a potential buyer.
Of course, this is dependent on the value of the information you provide on your content. If your blog post is effective, you will earn your readers’ trust, making it easier for them to subscribe or buy your product. The ultimate goal is to create great content consistently. Eventually, you will draw in more traffic and your blog posts will become a more powerful tools for engagement.
