Mistakes such as neglecting to understand the target audience can reduce a blog's effectiveness. But, the biggest of all mistakes is not having a good keyword strategy. Find out how to be visible on Google.
When it comes to blogging, the goal is to write about things you know something about... and that should be your business, right?
But, even the most experienced writers sometimes have their "moments" where their content simply is not performing.
One major error is creating content without a clear focus, resulting in articles that lack direction and fail to engage readers.
Overloading posts with broad, highly competitive keywords is another frequent misstep, and it makes it nearly impossible for content to stand out in search results.
To avoid these issues, it's essential to develop a solid keyword strategy.
Long-tail keywords, in particular, can significantly boost your blog's visibility.
These more specific phrases face less competition and are more likely to match the precise search queries of your audience.
So, what are the mistakes one usually makes when writing a blog, i.e., how do you write a blog properly?
One of the most significant mistakes in blog writing is overlooking your audience.
If you don't know who your readers are, how can you create content that will speak to them?
Knowing your audience involves more than knowing their age or location; you'll have to look deeper into their preferences, challenges, and what they actually seek from your blog.
True connection with your audience starts by identifying their interests and pain points. Are they looking for in-depth tutorials, quick tips, or industry insights?
Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking to gather data on your readers' behaviours and preferences. Social media interactions and comments can also provide valuable information on what your audience cares about.
Once you have a clear picture of your readers, create content to meet their needs, focusing on topics that interest them or providing solutions to their problems.
Like buyer personas, create reader personas to help you better visualise and understand your audience.
These personas would be fictional characters that represent different segments of your readership. By defining these personas, you can make content that speaks to their needs directly, making your blog more engaging and effective.
Many people underestimate the importance of SEO. Don't be one of them.
Search Engine Optimisation can significantly affect your content's visibility and reach. SEO enhances your content so it rank higher on Google, making it easier for readers to find your blog in the first place. SEO helps Google understand your content's context and relevance so it appears in appropriate search results.
SEO also drives organic traffic to your blog. What does "organic" mean?
Let's say you write a blog about affordable vacation destinations.
The title could be "Top 10 Cheap travel destinations in Europe". You will optimize it with keywords i.e. search terms such as "affordable destinations in Europe" and "cheap holiday destinations Europe".
This will attract readers who search for those terms and want travel tips, so include a list of destinations and even personal experiences or advice on how to travel on a budget. Such content will help the reader, bring you that organic traffic and your blog will rank better.
Without proper SEO, even the most well-written articles can remain undiscovered, limiting your blog's potential audience.
To boost your blog's search engine performance, start with these basic practices:
However, with SEO, be sure to avoid these mistakes:
We’ll keep this short - stop focusing on short-tail keywords.
Relying solely on short, generic keywords can limit your blog's reach and effectiveness.
These keywords often fail to capture the specific intent of search queries, making it harder for your content to stand out.
They do attract a broad audience, but they are not looking for the specific information you provide, resulting in lower engagement.
Why are short keywords so competitive but less effective?
Many websites target short keywords such as "marketing" or "travel, " due to their popularity.
These keywords are also too broad, so your content probably won't rank well in search engine results. They may not match the precise inquires or needs of your audience, leading to fewer conversions.
What does work, then?
Long-tail keywords. Phrases such as "marketing tools you can use for small business" or "budget-friendly travel destinations in Europe" are more specific and less competitive.
They help you attract a specific audience, improving your chances of higher rankings and better engagement.
Long-tail keywords are often misunderstood, but they can have incredible results in driving targeted traffic to your blog, consequently making conversions.
Long-tail keywords are long(er), more specific phrases that visitors will likely use, especially in moments when they're closer to making a purchase or finding exact information.
Unlike short keywords, long-tail keywords usually contain three or more words and focus on niche topics.
These less competitive keywords make it easier for your blogs to rank better (higher) in search results.
The likelihood of engagement and conversions increases as they match precise search intent.
By targeting these specific queries, you connect with people who are genuinely interested in your content, such as:
Many who write blogs make the mistake of skipping keyword research altogether, even though the result is a lack of positioning and a blog that is not read.
You must do thorough keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for.
Not only will you identify the terms and phrases that potential readers use, but you will also be able to create content that resonates with them and has value.
Without keyword research, your content may never reach its intended audience.
There are several tools to help you with keyword research, such as Google Keyword Planner, Keywords Everywhere, Ahrefs or SEMrush, and they provide information on search volume, competition, and related keywords.
identified relevant keywords for your niche, be sure to pay more attention to long-tail keywords and incorporate them into your strategy, i.e., your blogs.
You are writing a blog to achieve your goal, i.e. for it to be read, right?
But you also must monitor how your blogs are doing, i.e. monitor their performance.
If you track the performance of your blogs, it will make your blog writing a lot easier because you will be able to understand what resonates with your audience - what they actually need and read.
Tools like Google Analytics track essential data, such as page views on your website, average time on page, and bounce rates. This information will let you know how readers are interacting with your content.
What are the exact metrics that matter for your SEO and reader engagement?
Organic traffic measures how many people find your blog through search engines. Bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave after viewing just one page on your website, which signals whether your blog’s content is interesting and useful.
Social shares and comments are also valuable information, showing how much your content is being shared and discussed.
Using the information you got, you can adjust your existing blogs and the whole future blog writing strategy, such as:
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What if you are new to blogs or don't know how to write a blog, but already have "several" blogs on your website?
Optimize them, revise them, rewrite them, or whatever you want - but use all of the above as a guide.
If you want your blogs to make a difference, make an effort to get to know your audience and take advantage of all that SEO has to offer.
It is also true that good and thorough keyword research will take you really far.
Also, remember to "fix" your blogs to update information or to ensure they follow the latest SEO trends and “new” rules.
But whatever you do, remember – you're writing a blog for the people who will read the blog, and they should find its content useful.
Want to improve your blog's visibility or simply want guidance on how to do it? Contact us and we will develop a strategy for you.