Blog content is big business in 2022. (If you’re reading this in 2023, I’ll bet it’s even more of a big deal.)

Yep, despite what you’ve heard about blogging being dead (hands up, who started that rumour?) publishing blog content is one of the most valuable things a brand can do to make itself more discoverable. (More on that here.)

But not all blogs are created equal. How many times have you landed on a blog page that was mostly waffle or added no real value to your day? Perhaps it was poorly written (a pet peeve of mine) or was full of grammatical mistakes that made the brand look bad. Really, really bad.

The internet is full of blogs just like these – and chances are you, you don’t want yours to be one of them. So how can you avoid this fate?

Drawing on my ten years of experience as a content writer and journalist – yeah, I’ve been doing this for a while –  I’ve rounded up some of the best ways to avoid the common blogging pitfalls.

Not only will these tips ensure your content is perfectly polished, they’ll help you rank higher on search engines too.

 

Hire a professional

Okay, let’s cut straight to the chase. Hiring a professional content writer is the most effective way to improve your blog content.

Not only will they save you loads of time (do you really have three hours to craft that perfect blog post yourself?) they’ll ensure your content is a cut above the rest.

Content writers are experts in writing engaging posts that keep your readers on the page. They know how to seamlessly promote your products and services within a piece and many also have SEO expertise. Add to that, professional content writers have developed top-notch research skills and know exactly how to take your content from ‘meh’ to masterpiece. 

 

Look at the layout

Nobody likes large, clunky blocks of text. They aren’t visually appealing and they’re intimidating to read.

Fortunately, there’s a whole host of ways you can make your blogs easier on the eye, and in turn, more likely to be read from start to finish. You could:

•       Add optimised headings
•       Include bullet-pointed lists (Yep, like I’ve done right here) 
•       Break up large blocks of text with images
•       Embed relevant videos and social media content
•       Turn important sentences into pull quotes
•       Include an infographic

 

Need content support? Boost your online presence and attract new clients with these done-for-you content packages that are a cut above the rest. 

 

Cut the jargon

Jargon: it ain’t big and it ain’t clever. And yet, so many brands use it

All jargon really does is mystify your readers. It turns them off and makes them turn away.

If you really want to connect with your audience, stop trying to sound smart and get that conversational tone down pat. You want to talk to your audience at their level.

That means using the language of a human being, not a robot.

Optimise… but don’t be obvious about it

Google is incredibly smart. It knows when you’re simply trying to stuff as many keywords into a blog post as possible, and it will penalise you for doing so.

Add to that, blogs that are keyword-stuffed don’t read very well and aren’t likely to keep your visitors on the page.

Want to strike the right balance and stay on Google’s good side? Ensure your keyword – or a variation of it – accounts for no more than 1 to 2 per cent of the text. That means, it should appear a maximum of 10 to 20 times in a 1,000-word blog post. 

You’ll want to include long-tail and short-tail keywords as well.

As a rule of thumb, if your blog sounds super repetitive, you’ve probably committed SEO overload. Soz.  

Focus on the key takeaways

Everyone is trying to learn something. Whether they’ve landed on your page after searching for money management tips or a beginner’s guide to meditation. We’re all trying to figure out how to do stuff in as little time as possible.

So, what are readers learning when they come to your page, and crucially are you giving them a reason to come back? The most popular blogs are those that provide practical, actionable, and relatable advice that readers haven’t seen before.

Before hitting publish, ask yourself: am I providing something of real value that my audience can implement into their lives or am I simply repeating the same, old tired advice? Back to the drawing board if it’s the latter.

 

So there you have it: hire a content writer, rejig your layout, cut the jargon, be less obvious about optimisation, and include actionable advice. Five easy ways you can improve your blog content today.

Want to take the stress of copy and content creation off your already over-flowing plate and win back some of your free time and peace of mind?