Writing a blog post can seem daunting for some marketers who have never blogged before and potentially the same for marketers who have in the past. I started out with the same feeling before I started blogging on a regular basis. I found that once I had a topic to write about and began writing, it become much easier than what I originally thought. This post is going to give you 5 critical elements you should include in every post that should help you in your blogging.
1. Keywords
Keywords are unique words or phrases that help your potential buyers find you. The keyword(s) you decide to use for a post should have a direct correlation with the problem you can help someone solve. It’s best to use 1 or 2 keywords in every post and make sure that those keywords are in your title, throughout the copy of the post, and your image alt-tags. It’s important not to force your keywords into your post, but rather use them in a way, which reads naturally.
2. Title / Value Proposition
As mentioned in the keyword section, it’s crucial to have at least 1 keyword in your title. Your title is something that should capture your audience’s attention immediately where they want to click and read on. As well as having a keyword in your title, it’s just as important to incorporate the value someone will gain by reading the post. This is the value proposition. As an example, I’m assuming that you are reading this post because you want to know about critical elements to include in a blog post. The title is clear, concise, and states what someone is going to learn by reading the entire post.
3. Links
Adding links is a great way to increase your SEO. Google loves to see outbound links (linking to another website) on your page. This is also a great way to build relationships with other blogs/websites. There is a good chance that these websites you are linking to will see what you are doing and return the favor for your website.
4. Image
Images can help your post out on multiple levels. Obviously there is the aesthetic appeal. It makes your post look professional, which will in turn build a sense of trust with your readership. Another reason to include an image in your post is from an SEO perspective. When uploading an image, you are able to give the image an “alt-tag.” Google searches the Internet for alt-tags when looking for images. As mentioned in the keyword section, try and use the same keyword you are writing about in the copy of the alt-tag. This will help when someone is searching Google for images.
5. Call-To-Action (CTA)
A call-to-action (CTA) is designed to convert visitors into leads. When done correctly, a CTA will increase the number leads you receive on a regular basis. You should place the CTA at the end of the post, after someone has read the entire post. The key to CTA’s is to have the action be relevant to the content you wrote. You wouldn’t want to have a CTA that is promoting dog food when your topic is “5 Ways to Help Train an Cat Rescue.” It would be better to promote something related to cat care. This will allow for maximum click-through-rates. The more clicks you have, the more leads you will turn up.
So these are the 5 essential elements that are critical to every blog post. Include these 5 elements to see your traffic increase and the number of leads increase as well.
