Creating a quality blog post in the world dominated by social media quickies requires something extra beyond good content. Five or 10 years ago, writing any article that had the right keywords would rank your site higher in the search engines and attract readers as well. While good search engine optimization practices are still necessary, people want more if they are going to return to your site again and again.
Use keywords
Keyword stuffing is as out of date and unattractive as plaid polyester bellbottoms. Don’t even think about percentages when you are writing a blog post. Of course, you should still focus on a keyword phrase or two, but they need to be included naturally in an informative article.
Give the reader something new
No matter what niche or topic you are involved in, there are hundreds of thousands of other websites on the web that probably give the same basic information as you do. Any person interested in your niche has probably found all the general information already. Go out on a limb, get current and deliver something surprising.
Entertainment is as important as information
Even the driest subject can be spiced up with an anecdote or humor. Unless your blog niche tends towards the ridiculous, this can be subtle. Readers like a story. It is what convinces them to come back and read more another day. An excellent way to make blog posts extra sticky is to introduce a series that extends the entertainment for a longer period of time.
Build relationships with your blog
Despite the downward trend in blogging overall, there are still many people who follow favorite bloggers and get quick information from the posts. If you want your blog to be that kind of resource, your posts need to have a personal touch.
This is what makes social media so popular these days. The public wants to feel connected with company they may buy from or someone they consider a teacher or news source. How do you build a relationship with a simple blog post? Say something about yourself. Ask questions about your readers.
Use all the current tools
Now that almost half of all the internet usage is done on smart phones and tablets, blog posts need to be mobile friendly, quick to load and eye-catching. Video blogging, or vlogging, is one way to engage site visitors more. Options are ideal. This way the log fan can read quietly on the train to work, watch a video on their lunch hour or plug-in to an audio post at home on the couch. The best blog posts intermingle with social media with the use of site plug-ins and external tools.
Today is blogging landscape is much different than it was a decade ago. Some sources say that blogging is obsolete, but many others insist it is still a viable strategy for building a community and making money. The ability to create an engaging blog post is as necessary to this business model as it has ever been. The methods may have changed, but the importance hasn’t.