Increasing organic traffic to your blog can seem like a daunting task, but with the right strategies, it is entirely achievable. In this article, we will explore seven actionable steps that have been handpicked by experts to help you boost your blog’s visibility and attract more readers. Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or just starting out, these tips will provide you with the insights needed to enhance your blog’s performance.
Key Takeaways
Optimize your on-page SEO to ensure your blog posts are easily discoverable by search engines.
Target keywords that are feasible to rank for, balancing between search volume and competition.
Ensure your content matches the search intent of your audience to improve relevance and engagement.
Publish long-form content that provides in-depth value to your readers and ranks better in search results.
Stay updated with trending topics and cutting-edge developments to attract a broader audience.
1. Get Your Basic On-Page SEO On Track
Getting your basic SEO tasks figured out should be your first step if you want to increase organic traffic to your blog. Here’s a simple outline to follow to get you started.
Make sure each blog post targets a main keyword, and that you’ve structured the post in the correct way to tell Google what it’s all about. At a minimum, I recommend using the target keyword in the following places:
Titles
Headers
Meta descriptions
Content
Additionally, don’t forget about internal linking and URL structure. Both users and search engines should be able to use links to discover other relevant content on your site. Image optimization is also crucial, including image size and compression where needed, and including alt text to help search engines decipher what the image is all about. This is also crucial for accessibility.
Optimizing individual pages of your website is key to ranking higher in search results and attracting more qualified traffic. This includes using relevant keywords, internal linking, and image optimization.
By getting your on-page SEO right, you set a strong foundation to increase your blog traffic using Semrush and other tools. Remember, the goal is to make your content as discoverable and relevant as possible to both users and search engines.
2. Target Feasible Keywords
If you’re chasing super competitive keywords with a relatively new website, then you’re highly unlikely to show up on the first page of Google. Your site needs time to build authority through content, develop its knowledge graph, and attract social proof in the form of external links.
I would also include a filter for the words “how to”, to get a useful list of hyper-specific long tail keywords, which offer an excellent opportunity to educate readers about business-relevant topics (and potentially spark their interest in your paid services).
Keyword research helps you find which keywords are best to target and provides valuable insight into the queries that your target audience is actually searching for. This is crucial for finding long tail keywords that are easier to rank for and have a clear search intent.
Remember, targeting feasible keywords is not just about search volume but also about relevance and competition. Don’t fall into the trap of keyword cannibalization by targeting too many similar keywords across your content.
3. Always Match Search Intent
Getting search intent right is another key factor in increasing traffic to your blog. This means understanding what a user wants to see when they type a certain keyword into the search bar.
Understand the Types of Search Intent
When someone searches a specific term, the search intent is more precise, and you know what they want to find. For instance, when someone searches for “digital marketing,” it’s challenging to know the intent behind the search. Are they looking for digital marketing services, digital marketing courses, or digital marketing videos? The keyword is too brief for a clear identification of the search intent. On the other hand, a keyword like “digital marketing services” is clearer. You know someone’s intent.
How to Identify Search Intent
I always recommend Googling your target keyword before writing a blog post. Check what your competitors in the top 10 are doing, how they’re approaching the article, and use that as a starting point for your own blog post. This helps you understand what kind of content is ranking and what users are expecting to see.
Optimize for Search Intent
Remember before when we were talking about the need for personalization? It works here, too. Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) are built by browsing history. This means keyword rankings matter less, while preferences, searcher location, and intent matter more. For instance, Google doesn’t think you are researching the history of ramen when you search for it. It knows you’re likely looking for a local spot. It can basically read your mind and knows what you mean with just a simple search.
Pro Tip: Don’t always focus on traffic growth as a metric for SEO success. Are your blogging efforts driving relevant new business? That’s the most important metric.
Find Featured Snippet Opportunities
One of the best ways to match search intent is to find featured snippet opportunities. Featured snippets are those little boxes of information that appear at the top of Google’s search results. They provide quick answers to users’ queries and can drive a significant amount of traffic to your blog. To find these opportunities, look for common questions in your niche and create content that answers them concisely and accurately.
4. Publish Long Form Posts
Publishing long form blog posts (usually 1,500 words or longer) is a fantastic way to increase traffic to your blog. Long form content gives you more space to explore a topic in depth, attracting more keywords and resulting in your content showing up more often across the Internet. This naturally leads to more traffic.
But my advice to publish more long form posts comes with a caveat. First off, make sure the keyword you’re targeting actually merits a piece of long form content. Users searching for a quick answer to a simple question won’t appreciate having to read 2,000+ words before they find what they’re looking for.
People still haven’t caught on and are doing 500-word posts. Your beefed up blogs will stand out. Longer posts are good for backlinks and organic leads, giving you lots of evergreen content. You become the go-to on the topic. You did the digging and the research. Your reader can find every single thing they need to know from your post, and they don’t have to go elsewhere to supplement the info. Did I mention evergreen? These posts have staying power and can be repurposed over and over again.
The next tip is to get the length right. Shareable posts are over 1,000 words. Longer content (try 2,500 to 3,000 words!) attracts more shares than short posts. In fact, more words means more opportunities for SEO. This means a higher conversion rate.
But people have short attention spans, you say. Just trust me on this one. Your posts need to be north of 3,000 words.
Long form content is your ticket to becoming an authority in your niche. It’s not just about quantity but quality too. Make sure your posts are well-researched and provide real value to your readers.
5. Aim For Content Velocity
Content velocity is key when it comes to ranking high in Google and increasing blog traffic. The more high-quality, relevant content you can publish on your blog, the more opportunities you give Google to understand your site’s topical authority and content expertise. This matters because Google wants to serve up websites that offer the most in-depth, up-to-date information on a given topic to best help its users.
Sites that publish content more rapidly on a certain topic area demonstrate greater commitment and authority (obviously this depends on content quality too). Content velocity is especially important if your website is new. Building strong foundations will stand you in good stead to attract organic traffic in the future. Remember, SEO takes time to start working.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
Creating high-quality content is more important than creating a large volume of content. High-quality content is more likely to be shared, linked to, and engaged with by your target audience. This can help you attract more organic traffic and build a loyal following. Prioritize developing content that is informative, engaging, and thoroughly researched.
Repurpose Your Content Across Channels
Repurposing your content across different channels can help you reach a wider audience without having to create new content from scratch. For example, you can turn a blog post into a video, an infographic, or a series of social media posts. This not only saves time but also ensures that your content is seen by as many people as possible.
Building strong foundations will stand you in good stead to attract organic traffic in the future. Remember, SEO takes time to start working.
6. Build Out Topical Clusters
Creating topical clusters on your blog is a fantastic way to boost your organic traffic. Instead of just publishing content targeting isolated keywords, you can group related posts around a central theme. This not only helps with SEO but also provides a more comprehensive resource for your readers.
Why Topical Clusters Work
Topical clusters work because they signal to search engines that your blog is an authority on a particular subject. When you have multiple posts covering different aspects of a core topic, it becomes easier to rank higher in search results. First, find the keyword cluster that best represents your core topic. This contains keywords that you can target on your pillar page.
How to Create a Topical Cluster
Identify your core topic.
Find related subtopics and keywords.
Create high-quality content for each subtopic.
Build Internal Links between your posts to create a network of related content.
Example of a Topical Cluster
For instance, if you run a blog about relocating abroad, you could create a topical cluster for each country you cover. Here’s what a Spain cluster might look like:
Moving to Spain
Renting in Spain
Opening a bank account in Spain
Buying property in Spain
Getting Spanish citizenship
Spanish residency visa
Building topical clusters is not just about SEO; it’s about providing value to your readers by covering all aspects of a topic comprehensively.
7. Go After Trending or Cutting Edge Topics
You can get some great results by going after trending or emerging topics in your niche. Not only does this offer great value for your readers, it also gives you an important first mover advantage in the search results.
By going after an emerging topic in its early days, you benefit from low-competition keywords that not many other people will be writing about – yet.
Maintain a List of Topics
Use tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, and Feedly to maintain a list of topics that are relevant to your industry. This will help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and create content that is informative and engaging.
Always Be on the Lookout for Topic Ideas
Keep an eye out for new trends, news, and events related to your industry. This will help you come up with fresh and relevant content ideas.
For example, let’s say you’re an AI consultant and you publish ‘how-to’ content on the latest AI tools. One easy way to stay ahead of the curve would be by publishing articles about brand-new tools before they become common knowledge.
That way, once the search traffic for them started ticking up, your article would already have had time to mature in the search results.
Bold: Going after trending or emerging topics in your niche can give you a significant advantage.
Italics: Use tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, and Feedly to maintain a list of topics that are relevant to your industry.
Conclusion
Increasing organic traffic to your blog doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By following these 7 actionable steps, you’re setting yourself up for success. Remember, it’s all about consistency, understanding your audience, and optimizing your content. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best for your blog. Keep learning, stay updated with the latest trends, and most importantly, enjoy the process. Happy blogging!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on-page SEO and why is it important?
On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. It involves optimizing content as well as HTML source code. It’s important because it helps search engines understand your content and can lead to higher rankings and more organic traffic.
How can I find feasible keywords to target?
To find feasible keywords, you can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. Look for keywords with a good balance of search volume and competition. Aim for long-tail keywords as they are often less competitive and more specific.
What does matching search intent mean?
Matching search intent means creating content that aligns with what users are actually searching for. This involves understanding the type of content (informational, navigational, transactional) that best answers the user’s query and ensuring your content meets that need.
Why should I publish long-form posts?
Long-form posts are generally more comprehensive and provide more value to the reader. They tend to perform better in search engines because they cover topics in-depth, which can lead to higher engagement, more social shares, and better rankings.
What is content velocity and why is it important?
Content velocity refers to the frequency at which you publish new content. Maintaining a high content velocity can help you build authority in your niche, keep your audience engaged, and improve your chances of ranking well in search engines.
What are topical clusters and how do they help?
Topical clusters involve creating a series of related content pieces that link to a central pillar page. This structure helps search engines understand the depth of your content on a particular topic, which can improve your site’s authority and rankings.
