Blogging has turned into a vast industry these days, as blogs are starting to grow like mushrooms on a rainy day. It is a known fact that with the help of blogging each and every business out there can get a huge boost.
Whether you are selling software of some sort or an e-book, offering amazing cooking insights, the chances are that with a great article on the subject, you can get far more people to see and probably buy what you are offering.
In order to make the whole undertaking to work, knowing a few basic things is required though. Big percentage of the marketers fail, exactly because they don’t have good knowledge on those same basics. With the following article I aim to give you some content related advices, which should be taken into consideration when starting out with blogging.
The Title – User-Friendly vs SEO-Friendly
Trying to please both the search engines and your visitors is of course what you should be striving for when coming up with a title for an article. Unfortunately this is not always possible, since what search engines call a killer title, might turn out a disaster for your visitors’ eyes. Do not fool yourself into thinking that you should completely exclude one of the two. The question is, towards which one should the scales be tipped?
If I were to make a decision, my choice would definitely be to first think of the visitors. In the end you are not writing your content for the search engines. They are nothing more than a mediator between you and your readers. That is why getting 100 really interested people from the search engines is far better than getting 1000 folks, who clicked your blog just because it was the first on the list. Those same folks are fast to hit the ‘Close’ button after few seconds.
Article Length – Short vs Long Articles
Giving an accurate answer to that question is a daunting task. Some claim that short and straight to the point content is what one should be striving for. Others are on the opposite side of the coin, explaining that long posts that dive into the deepest of detail are what visitors are hungry for. Although both of the two approaches have their pros and cons, I would advice novice bloggers to try and go for the first one. Short of course doesn’t mean an article, three or four sentences long. Keeping your thoughts to around 350-400 words is perfect for first time visitors, as they quickly tend to browse away to a different site. If the articles is over a thousand words for instance, they will probably get bored and leave, before reaching the essence of your message.
Do not Disregard the Importance of Comments
Having comments on your articles plays its role when it comes to achieving better conversions. Although you will not directly benefit from the number of comments, they can significantly raise your credibility. And being credible is what can make the difference between success and miserable failure.
Let’s say you are trying to promote some sort of a marketing tool alongside another blogger who is selling similar product, offering similar features for roughly the same price. Your blog is getting around 20 comments per post and the competition a mere 4 or 5. No doubt that for the average Joe, who’s just reading around this might be a small detail. However things would have been far different if that same guy was to make a decision between the two expensive products. I bet that in such a case the smallest details can prove the turning stone.
Exactly for that reason I would advice you to take comments more seriously. The least you can do is encourage readers to leave their feedback. Why not ask a question, related to the topic you have just discussed? Simple yet effective solution!
Your Thoughts
What do you think about the above points? Do they matter for you? Feel free to leave your feedback and criticism below in the comment section.
Image Credit: Qisur