Blogs are the most common form of written content on the internet with thousands of blogs covering everything from sports to business to travel to food. But regardless of what kind of blog you want to start, there are a few things that every successful blog has in common. These best practices can help propel your blog into the mainstream and attract waves of organic traffic to your site. But before we get into some tips for starting a blog, let’s cover some of the different kinds of content your blog might feature.
Types of Blog Content
- Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is a type of content that remains relevant and valuable over a long period of time, typically for years. Unlike news articles or trending topics that quickly become outdated, evergreen content provides timeless information and value that can be useful to readers regardless of when they access it. Examples of evergreen content include how-to guides, tutorials, product reviews, and informational articles on a variety of topics. Evergreen content should be well-researched, comprehensive, and informative, providing insights that are not only useful but also timeless. By creating evergreen content, you can attract a steady stream of traffic to your website and establish yourself as a reliable source of information in your topic.
- Seasonal Content
Seasonal content is content that is related to specific events, holidays, or time periods throughout the year. This type of content is typically time-sensitive and relevant for a limited period. Examples of seasonal content include holiday gift guides, summer travel tips, or back-to-school shopping lists. By creating seasonal content, you can tap into the interests and needs of your audience during specific times of the year, and provide them with relevant and timely information that they can use immediately.
Many people confuse seasonal content with evergreen content, but there is an important difference between the two. Both forms of content are relevant year after year, but seasonal content is only relevant during specific points of the year. For example, Christmas themed content is relevant every year, but only for the month of December. Once the holiday passes, it won’t be relevant again until December of the following year.
- Listicles
Listicles are a popular type of content format that presents information in the form of a list. They are typically used to convey information in a fun and engaging way, using catchy headlines, bullet points, and short descriptions. Examples of listicles include “10 Best Tips for Better Sleep” or “7 Easy DIY Projects to Try This Weekend”. Listicles have become a staple in online content, and are often shared widely on social media platforms.
- Local Content
Local blog content refers to articles or posts that are specific to a particular geographical area, such as a city, town, or region. This type of content can provide useful information to local residents, such as events, news, or local business reviews. Local blog content can also be an effective way for businesses to connect with their local community and attract customers. For example, an e-commerce company in New Zealand might write a blog about how to find the best rates from NZ couriers. This blog would serve their readers valuable information and attract potential customers to the business’s website.
Blogging Best Practices
- Consistency is Key
Consistency is key when it comes to blogging. It helps to establish trust and credibility with you audience, which in turn can lead to increased engagement and a loyal following. When you publish content on a regular schedule, it creates a sense of anticipation, as readers come to expect new content from your blog at certain intervals. Consistency also helps with search engine optimization (SEO) by signaling to search engines that your website is active and providing fresh, relevant content. In this way, consistent blogging can help your blog rank highly in search engines and build a strong online presence.
- Write Relevant Content
In addition to being consistent, your blog’s content also needs to be relevant to your audience. For example, a logistics company’s blog is likely geared towards e-commerce brand owners and businesses that ship products to their customers. So a blog post comparing the pros and cons of different shipping options would provide their audience with worthwhile relevant content. Blogs that write content that their audience isn’t interested in run the risk of alienating their readers and losing traffic.
- Inbound & Outbound Links
Inbound and outbound links can play a crucial role in a blog’s success. Inbound links, also known as backlinks, are links from other websites that direct traffic to your blog. Backlinks are essential for SEO and can help to boost your blog’s visibility and search engine rankings. Outbound links, on the other hand, are links from your blog to other websites. These links can provide your readers with additional resources and information, which can enhance their experience and improve engagement. Both inbound and outbound links can help to establish your blog as a reputable source of information and improve its overall authority and credibility in your field.
- Eye-catching Visuals
Visual elements help to break up text and make content more engaging and attractive to readers. Using relevant and high-quality images, infographics, and videos can also help to reinforce the message of your blog post and make it more memorable. Visuals can also increase social shares and backlinks, as people are more likely to share and link to content that is visually appealing. Additionally, optimizing your visuals for search engines can improve your blog’s SEO and drive more organic traffic to your site.
