In a digital world, a blog is a powerful tool for people and brands to share their ideas, thoughts, and products with the world. If you want your blog to stand out and attract readers, first you’ll need to have people find your blog. 

Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases that people use to search for information on a particular topic. By understanding what your target audience is searching for, you can create content that meets their needs and interests. Effective keyword research can also help improve your blog’s visibility in search engine results, which can increase traffic and engagement.

This post will guide you through the essential steps of conducting effective keyword research for your blog. We’ll cover the tools and techniques you need to identify high-traffic, low-competition keywords and how to incorporate them into your blog content. So, let’s explore how you can make your blog shine with effective keyword research.

What are keywords?

Keywords are specific words or phrases that reflect the main topics and ideas covered in a blog post. These are the terms that people commonly use when searching for information online. By strategically incorporating relevant keywords into blog content, bloggers can improve their chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages. When search engines crawl and index web pages, they analyze the presence and relevance of keywords to determine how well a page matches a user’s search query. By understanding which keywords are most relevant to their target audience and incorporating them naturally into their content, bloggers can enhance their website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic from search engines. Effective keyword usage involves finding a balance between targeting popular search terms and providing valuable, informative, and engaging content that meets the needs of the readers.

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing the words and phrases that people use to find your content. By understanding what your target audience is searching for and how they are searching for it, you can plan and alter your content to match their searches.

Effective keyword research can help improve your search engine ranking, drive more traffic to your website, and increase your conversion rates. It can also help you understand your competitors and identify gaps in the market that you can fill with your content. So when you’re trying to build a strong online presence, keyword research is an essential step that helps you to create content that resonates with your target audience.

Why keyword research is important

Keyword research is important for bloggers because it helps them understand what their target audience is searching for and what topics are most relevant to their niche. By using the right keywords in their blog posts, bloggers can increase the chances of their content showing up in search engine results pages when people search for those terms. This can help drive more traffic to their blog and improve their overall search engine ranking.

It can also help bloggers identify gaps in the market and uncover new content ideas. By analyzing search trends and looking at what their competitors are writing about, bloggers can pick out topics that are not being covered in-depth by other sites and create content that fills that gap. This can help position them as a thought leader in their niche and drive more traffic to their blog.

So if you’re aiming to create strong content that connects you with your target audience, effective keyword research is a must. By understanding what your audience is searching for and using the right keywords, you’ll improve your blog’s search engine ranking, drive more traffic to it, and grow your online presence.

How to start your list of keywords

Starting your list of keywords can feel overwhelming at first, but with the right approach, you can easily identify the most relevant keywords for your blog. The key is to think like your target audience and understand their search intent. These are the essential steps to start your list of keywords and create a strong foundation for your SEO strategy:

Brainstorm a seed list

The first step is to brainstorm a seed list of words and phrases that are relevant to your blog. Think about the topics you want to cover and the questions your target audience might be asking. Jot down any relevant words or phrases that come to mind, even if they seem too broad or too specific. This seed list will serve as the foundation for your keyword research.

Check out competitors

One effective way to expand your seed list is to check out your competitors’ websites and see what keywords they are using. Identify the top blogs in your niche and analyze their content. Look for the words and phrases they are using in their titles, headings, and meta descriptions. These can give you an idea of what topics are popular in your niche and what keywords you should be targeting.

Use keyword research tools

To get more specific with your keyword research, you can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. These tools allow you to see how many people are searching for specific keywords and what related keywords you should consider. 

For example, if you enter “food blog” into Google Keyword Planner, you might see related keywords like “healthy recipes,” “vegan food,” or “meal prep.” These are all potential keywords you could target in your blog posts.

Here’s an example of how you could use Ahrefs to start your list of keywords:

• Go to Ahrefs and enter your blog’s domain.
• Click on “Organic Search” in the left sidebar and then click on “Organic Keywords.”
• Scroll down to the “Top Organic Keywords” section and identify the keywords that are driving the most traffic to your blog.
• Look for related keywords in the “Keyword Ideas” section, and add them to your seed list.
• Use the “Keyword Difficulty” metric to identify low-hanging fruit keywords that you can easily rank for. Add these to your list as well.

By following these steps and using the right tools, you can start your list of keywords and lay the groundwork for a successful SEO strategy.

Analyze and prioritize your keyword list

Once you have a list of potential keywords, it’s time to analyze and prioritize them based on their search volume, difficulty, and relevance to your audience’s intent. This step will help you identify the keywords that are most likely to drive traffic to your blog and improve your search engine ranking.

Search volume

The first factor to consider when analyzing your keyword list is search volume. This refers to the number of people searching for a particular keyword each month. While high search volume keywords may seem like the obvious choice, they are also the most competitive. Look for keywords with a moderate search volume that are still relevant to your niche.

Difficulty 

Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank for a particular keyword. A high difficulty score means that it will be challenging to rank for that keyword, while a low difficulty score means that it will be easier. Try targeting low-difficulty keywords, especially if you are a new blogger and are still building your authority. Though they might be searched less often, those who are searching low-difficulty phrases are more likely to find your content.

Relevance & intent

When analyzing your keyword list, look at the relevance of each keyword to your target audience’s search intent. In other words, think about why someone might be searching for that keyword and what type of content they are looking for. For example, someone searching for “how to start a food blog” is likely looking for a step-by-step guide or tutorial, while someone searching for “best food blogs” may be looking for recommendations or reviews.

Once you have analyzed your keyword list based on these factors, it’s time to prioritize them. Start by identifying the keywords with the highest search volume and the lowest difficulty score. These are your top priority keywords, as they have the potential to drive the most traffic to your blog. Next, consider the relevance of each keyword to your niche and audience’s intent. Finally, create a list of target keywords that you can use in your blog posts and other content to improve your search engine ranking and attract more traffic to your blog.

Incorporate keywords into content 

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, it’s time to incorporate them into your content. It’s important to do this in a way that feels natural and doesn’t come across as spammy or manipulative. Here are some tips for incorporating keywords into your content effectively:

Writing content around target keywords

When creating content for your blog, try to write posts around your target keywords. This will make it easier to incorporate them naturally into your content. Aim to write posts that answer common questions related to your niche, as this can help you target long-tail keywords.

Optimizing meta tags and descriptions

Meta tags and descriptions are the HTML elements that appear in search engine results pages and provide a summary of your content. Including your target keyword in the title tag, meta description, and URL can help improve your click-through rate from search results.

Using keywords in headlines and subheadings

Another way to incorporate keywords into your content is to use them in your headlines and subheadings. This not only helps with SEO but also makes your content more readable and scannable. Just be sure to use keywords in a natural way that fits with the overall tone and topic of your post.

Avoiding keyword stuffing

While it’s important to include keywords in your content, you should avoid “keyword stuffing,” overusing your target keywords to the point that it feels unnatural or as though your blog was written for robots rather than humans. Instead, aim for a keyword density of around 1-2% and focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your audience.

By incorporating your target keywords into your content in a natural and effective way, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more traffic to your blog.

Importance of ongoing keyword research

Even after you’ve conducted your initial keyword research and optimized your content accordingly, it’s important to continue conducting keyword research. Search behavior is constantly evolving, and what people search for today may not be the same as what they search for tomorrow. By staying on top of the latest trends and changes in search behavior, you can ensure that your content remains relevant and traffic continues to be attracted to your blog.

Ongoing keyword research can also help you identify new keyword opportunities that you may have missed in your initial research. This could include long-tail keywords, emerging trends, or new topics that your audience is interested in. And as more people access the internet on mobile devices and voice assistants, the way they search for information is going to keep changing. Continuing your keyword research can help you optimize your content for these new platforms and devices, ensuring that you remain visible and accessible to your audience.

For bloggers who want to stay ahead of the curve and continue attracting traffic to their blog, consistent keyword research is a must. By staying up-to-date with changes in search behavior, identifying new opportunities, and optimizing for new devices and platforms, you can keep growing your blog’s audience and establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche.

Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, connect with like-minded people, and—if you’re lucky—even make a living. But with so many people starting their own blogs, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. 

One way to make sure your blog is successful is to avoid common blogging mistakes that hurt your traffic, engagement, and reputation. Whether you’re a beginner blogger or a seasoned pro, it’s easy to make rookie mistakes that undermine your efforts. From not having a clear niche to poor writing quality, inconsistent posting to ignoring SEO, there are plenty of potential pitfalls. 

Fortunately, with a little knowledge and effort, it’s easy to avoid these common blogging mistakes and achieve success in the blogosphere. Here, we’ll explore some of the most common errors bloggers make and provide tips on how to avoid them. When you’ve finished reading, you’ll also have a better understanding of how to make your blog stand out, attract more traffic, and build a loyal following. 

Mistake #1: Not Having a Clear Niche

Having a clear niche is essential for blogging success because it helps you target a specific audience and differentiate your blog from the competition. By focusing on a particular topic or theme, you can establish yourself as an authority in that area and build a loyal following of readers who are interested in what you have to say. It also makes it easier to come up with content ideas, network with other bloggers, and, eventually, monetize your blog.

To find and define your blog’s niche, start by brainstorming topics that you’re knowledgeable about and interest you. You can also research popular blog topics and see if there are any gaps you could fill with your own unique perspective. Once you have a list of potential topics, narrow it down to the one that you’re most passionate about, and that has the most potential for growth.

When defining your blog’s niche, it’s important to be as specific as possible. For example, instead of writing about “food,” you could focus on “healthy vegan recipes” or “low-carb meal prep.” The more specific your niche, the easier it will be to target your audience and create content that resonates with them. 

An example of a successful blog with a clear niche is The Blonde Abroad, a travel and lifestyle blog run by Kiersten Rich. The blog focuses on solo female travel and encourages women to embrace adventure and explore the world on their own terms.

What makes The Blonde Abroad stand out is its clear and unique subject matter. Kiersten has positioned herself as an expert in the area of solo female travel, providing valuable insights and advice for women who want to travel alone. This has allowed her to build a loyal following of readers who trust her recommendations and look to her for inspiration and guidance.

By focusing on a specific niche and providing high-quality content that speaks directly to her target audience, Kiersten has been able to build a successful brand and turn her blog into a thriving business. She has worked with numerous travel brands and sponsors, launched her own travel products, and even published a book. All of this is a testament to the power of having a clear and unique niche in the world of blogging.

Mistake #2: Inconsistent Posting Schedules

An inconsistent posting schedule can have a negative impact on your blog in several ways. For one, it can make it difficult to build a loyal audience because your readers don’t know when to expect new content. It can also hurt your search engine rankings because search engines prioritize websites that publish fresh and relevant content on a regular basis. Additionally, an inconsistent posting schedule can make it difficult to maintain momentum and achieve your blogging goals.

So, when it comes to running a successful blog, consistency is key. It helps build a loyal audience who know what to expect from your writing. When you have a consistent posting schedule, your readers know when to expect new content and are more likely to regularly return to your blog. This, in turn, can help increase your traffic, engagement, and even revenue.

To create a consistent posting schedule, start by setting realistic goals for how often you want to publish new content. This could be once a week, twice a week, or even daily, depending on your niche and availability. Once you have a goal in mind, create a content calendar that outlines what topics you’ll be covering and when you’ll be publishing them. This can help you stay organized and avoid scrambling to come up with new content at the last minute.

Another helpful tip is to batch-create content in advance. This means writing several blog posts at once and scheduling them to publish later. This can help you stay on schedule and ensure you always have new content going live on your blog. 

Finally, don’t be afraid to adjust your posting schedule as needed. Life happens, and it’s okay to take a break or adjust your schedule if necessary. Just make sure to communicate any changes with your audience to avoid confusion. You might even find that the content you post on certain days fails to generate the same engagement, so adjusting your schedule accordingly can help optimize your posting and save you time.

Mistake #3: Poor Quality of Writing and Content

Poor writing quality can be detrimental to your blog’s success for several reasons. Firstly, it can make your content difficult to read and understand, leading to lower engagement and fewer shares. Secondly, it can damage your reputation as a blogger and undermine your authority in your niche. Low-quality writing can also negatively impact your search engine rankings, as search engines prioritize high-quality, well-written content.

Improving your writing takes practice and dedication. Start by focusing on writing in a clear and concise manner. Avoid using overly complicated language and aim to convey your ideas in a way that’s easy for your readers to understand. 

You should also pay attention to your grammar and spelling and use tools like Grammarly to help you catch mistakes and improve your writing. But don’t let these rules make your work sterile: aim to inject your personality into your writing. This will help your content stand out and engage your readers on a deeper level.

Other common mistakes that can be detrimental to how your blog ranks in search engines include too much jargon or industry-specific language, as this can be exclusionary and difficult for people to understand. Similarly, using a passive voice can make your writing feel dull and lifeless. Instead, aim to write in an active voice, which is more engaging and dynamic. 

Mistake #4: Not Promoting Your Blog

Not promoting your blog can have a negative impact on your overall blogging goals. Without promotion, your content may not be seen by your target audience, leading to low engagement and poor results. Lack of promotion can also limit your opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with other bloggers and brands, which can impact your ability to monetize your site. 

Blog promotion is critical when it comes to getting your content in front of the right audience. If you’re not promoting your work, your blog may go unnoticed, even if you have great content. Marketing your blog increases its visibility and reach, which can lead to more traffic, engagement, and, ultimately, revenue.

Effective blog promotion requires a multi-faceted approach. Firstly, make sure your blog is optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords and meta descriptions. Secondly, use social media to promote your content to your followers and engage with other bloggers and readers in your niche. 

Once these basics are covered, you might consider investing in paid advertising, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Google ads, to reach a wider audience. Once your ads have started to bring in higher engagement, you could explore collaborations and guest blogging opportunities with other bloggers in your niche.

There are a few common mistakes to avoid in blog promotion. One is overdoing it and appearing spammy. Instead, focus on providing value and building relationships with your audience. Another mistake is not using the right platforms to reach your target audience. Make sure you research where your audience is most active and use those platforms to promote your content. 

Don’t forget to track your results and adjust your strategy as needed. Using analytics tools to monitor your traffic and engagement makes it easier to tweak your promotion efforts accordingly.

Mistake #5: Ignoring SEO or Not Following SEO Best Practises

Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for blog success. When done correctly, it can help your site rank higher in search engine results pages, which can increase traffic and engagement. By optimizing your content for relevant keywords and implementing other SEO strategies, you can make it easier for your target audience to find your blog and engage with your content.

In turn, if you neglect SEO strategies, you might find that your content doesn’t rank as high in search engine results pages, which can limit your visibility and reach. This will ultimately limit your ability to attract new readers and grow your audience, as potential readers may not be able to find your blog through search engines.

To improve your blog’s SEO, you need to know the relevant keywords and phrases people are searching for. Start by conducting keyword research to identify the topics your audience is interested in. Then, incorporate these keywords into your content, including your blog posts, meta descriptions, and titles. 

You can also optimize your website’s structure and layout to improve user experience and make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content. Search engines prioritize content that includes backlinks that help connect your content to other reputable websites in your niche.

When it comes to implementing SEO best practices, there are a few common mistakes that bloggers should avoid. One is “keyword stuffing,” overusing keywords in your content in an unnatural way. This can result in a penalty from search engines and actually hurt your rankings. So always write for humans rather than robots. Another mistake is neglecting to optimize your website’s technical elements, such as page speed and mobile responsiveness. Finally, don’t forget to monitor your results. Use analytics tools to track your traffic and engagement, so you can make changes to your SEO strategy as popular keywords and phrases evolve.

Mistake #6: Not Engaging With Your Audience

Engagement with your audience allows you to build a community around your content. When your audience feels connected to your blog, they are more likely to return, share your content with others, and even become loyal followers. Audience engagement also helps you to understand their interests and preferences, which can guide your content creation and ultimately increase your blog’s success.

As long as you’re consistently engaging with your audience and doing so respectfully and professionally, it should be easy to avoid any mistakes. Don’t get into arguments or make controversial statements that could offend your readers, and be transparent about any issues or concerns that arise. You should also aim to respond to comments and feedback in a timely manner and avoid spamming or bombarding your audience with too much content.

Here are some tips for how to engage effectively with your audience:

• Respond to comments and feedback: Take the time to respond to comments and feedback from your readers. This shows that you value their input and are interested in building a relationship with them.
• Be authentic and genuine: Show your personality and let your readers get to know you. Doing so builds trust and makes your blog more relatable.
• Use social media: Promote your blog and interact with your audience on social media platforms. This can help to expand your reach and increase engagement.
• Encourage interaction creatively: Consider hosting events or contests to encourage interaction and engagement from your readers. This can be a fun way to build a community around your blog.
• Provide value: Make sure your content provides value to your readers. Establish your blog as a valuable resource and encourage engagement over time.

Running a successful blog

From having a clear niche and consistent posting schedule to high-quality writing and effective promotion, there are several key elements to consider when building and maintaining a blog. And don’t forget: focusing on SEO can help you attract more readers and increase engagement with your content. 

By implementing these tips and avoiding rookie mistakes, you can create a thriving blog that resonates with your target audience and helps you achieve your goals. So keep these lessons in mind, and watch your blog thrive.

Guest blogging is when brands or individuals contribute content to a blog hosted by another brand or individual.  The aim is to develop stronger relations with potential partners in your industry or complementary sectors. And in return, you can benefit from the backlinks to your site, boosting in SEO, and increasing traffic.

Here are the seven key benefits of guest blogging.

1. Building High-Value Backlinks

Link-building is one of the hardest parts of SEO for brands, since you have little to no control over who links to your content. You might find that brands you don’t want to be associated with will mention and link to your website, while those that you do want to connect with mention you, but fail to include valuable links. Writing guest blogs for others increases your chances of securing backlinks from relevant websites. In turn, your “domain authority,” or reputation within search engines will improve. 

2. Increasing Organic Traffic

As your domain authority improves, so will your site’s SEO ranking for target keywords. And the higher up your blog is in search engine results, the more organic traffic it will receive. 

The guest post itself can also result in referral traffic heading back to your blog. If you produce content that helps someone else’s audience, they’ll be more inclined to click on your backlink to see what else you do.

“High-quality” traffic doesn’t just mean generating clicks from popular blogs. Guest blogging for a smaller site with themes or readers similar to yours is just as, if not more, valuable in terms of attracting a relevant audience. Focus on guest blogging opportunities with brands that share a similar (although not competitive) target audience to attract potential new readers to your blog.

3. Improving Your Industry Authority

It’s tempting to treat guest blogging as a chance to promote your product or services. However, customers are pretty advert-savvy nowadays. Studies have found that 96% of customers don’t trust advertisements, and they’re pretty good at detecting sales pitches baked in blogs. To inspire trust, your content must help your audience solve their problem first—before you mention your brand.

If you succeed in capturing the interest of your target audience, you’ll grow your personal authority as a credible source of expertise in your area. Readers will be more likely to appreciate your insights and remember your name when they need similar information in the future.

When you write guest posts, make sure your content is valuable to the reader and doesn’t just sell your product or brand. Instead, focus on sharing your knowledge and supporting claims with facts and stats. Aligning yourself with reputable websites will increase trust in your brand.

4. Boosting Brand Mentions on Social Media

Another great aspect of guest blogging is that it allows you to reach new people through social media. When your article is shared by the blog you’ve written for, it will be seen by their followers, who may be discovering you and your brand for the first time.

To increase the chance of your post being shared on their social media, maintain a good relationship with the other blog’s owner, and reciprocate the favor by sharing the content yourself. It can help to negotiate social sharing agreements during the early stages of discussion about your guest post.

5. Raising Awareness of Your Brand

Guest posting is a great way to raise awareness of your brand and reach new audiences. By writing a post for another website, you get the chance to reach an entirely different audience than people who regularly visit your blog. 

If your content resonates with this audience, it can help increase visitors to your site or at least increase the visibility of you and your content. 

6. Establishing Thought Leadership‍

Establishing yourself as a thought leader requires creating insightful and expert content on important topics in your industry. Neil Patel compares guest blogging to opening acts for headliner bands—you’re leveraging an established platform to build your name in front of an audience that should like what you do.

Sometimes, the same re-hashed content might not be as helpful as providing your own take on the state of your industry. Focus on sharing unique content based on your knowledge, and highlight your previous work. As you establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, business opportunities will start to trickle in as your opinions are sought out.

Image source: Animalz

7. Expanding Your Portfolio

Another advantage of guest blogging is that it increases the range of your portfolio. Potential collaborators will want evidence of the quality of your content before they accept your guest post, and the more examples you have, the better. That’s also why you should write new content as opposed to recycling work that’s already been published. 

Brands want to feel like the insights they’re sharing with their audience are fresh, unique, and valuable – not something that they could already find elsewhere or may have read before. It’s not just bad for their brand, but it’s bad for your brand too. Instead, consider sharing case studies based on exclusive data your brand has access to or specific experiences from your career. 

Getting Started with Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a valuable tool that can expand your brand’s reach and increase your website’s organic traffic. By delivering unique and insightful content that positions you as a thought leader for other sites, you can increase your chances of expanding your own audience as well.

Nordic Domain Days (NDD.blog) is back for 2023, and as official sponsors, .blog has had May 7th – 9th marked on its calendar for months. 

This much-anticipated event celebrates the people and companies within the domain community, with a particular focus on those based in the Nordic region.

What is Nordic Domain Days?

In its 8th year, NDD is a conference in Stockholm, Sweden for people from the domain name industry as well as others who just want to learn more about what we do. It offers improved opportunities to network, attend social events, and keynote talks, learn from one another, and forge new business partnerships. 

NDD Founder LG Forsberg, an expert in the domain industry and CTO of both iQ Global and NameBlock, is a gracious host who also runs this event each year.  Kudos LG!

The industry conference runs across two full days, bringing together registries, registrars, resellers, service providers, and investors for networking and learning centered around the domain name industry. 

This year’s topics are yet to be revealed, but we’re excited to hear that Hilary Osborne, Membership Director of the i2Coalition, will be a stage host alongside established domain investor Braden Pollock.

How .blog is involved

As official event sponsors, .blog is thrilled to be a part of this ever-evolving event that highlights what’s new and what’s working in the world of Nordic domain names. 

Check out NDD.blog for regular updates and information about the Nordic Domain Days event.

We’re excited to spend time with our European partners and resellers at this top industry event. .blog is also a proud co-sponsor of the Grand Social. We’d love to see you there.

The beauty of blogging is that it can be about whatever you choose. Unlike exercise, travel, or other brain-boosting activities, writing doesn’t require training, finances, or physical abilities. All you have to do is pick your subject—or lack thereof!

Here are some of the top reasons blogging is good for your brain:

1. It can help clear the mind

Sometimes, writing can take a minute to settle into. Like leaving the house to go for a run, the simple act of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and getting started can be the hardest part. 

But you can easily get lost in the flow once you’re going. In this way, writing gives you a break from anything else that’s weighing on your mind and helps you focus on the single task at hand.

2. It’s a great creative outlet

Whether you’re writing down your own thoughts or coming up with a work of fiction, writing can be a brilliant way to get your creative juices flowing. Applying yourself to creative tasks activates different parts of your brain that might be underutilized—especially if you don’t work in a creative field or have another outlet.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a creative person, you might be surprised by the joy you find in undertaking a little creativity for your own benefit. You don’t need to invent something entirely new or special. Simply writing in your own way about the things that spring to mind can be a great way to let off steam and release endorphins.

3. It can help you make sense of issues you’re working through

If you start writing about a subject that you’re struggling with, you may find that the process of getting the thoughts out of your mind and onto the page actually helps you see the matter in a new light, find clarity, and come to new conclusions.

4. It’s a recognized tool for the management of depression and anxiety

Mental health experts often recommend journaling as a tool for the management of depression and anxiety. There are a few reasons for this.

Firstly, writing can help you increase your self-awareness and discover new viewpoints and perspectives on your personal issues and situations. And blogging, in particular, is a positive hobby for people suffering from depression and anxiety because these illnesses can withdraw us from our friends, families, and communities. 

Through blogging, you can connect with others—who may not know you or your experiences—without even leaving the house. And, if you decide to be open about what you’re going through, blogging is also a great way to find communities of people who have similar life experiences or challenges—something that many people lack in their real-life social circles.

 5. It gives you dedicated time to yourself

The world can feel busy and stressful, especially if your mental health isn’t at its best. So taking the time to write can offer valuable and much-needed “me time.” This is especially important for people with high-stress jobs or dependent families, who can often fall into the trap of neglecting themselves in favor of others. 

Even writing for 10 minutes each day can be enough to help you feel like you’ve really taken some time to do something just for yourself.

6. The process of writing is soothing

Keeping a journal is known to bring a sense of order and routine to your life. Since the world can often feel chaotic, even for those who aren’t struggling with their mental health, finding hobbies that soothe us is useful for everyone.

Letting the thoughts flow freely from your mind onto the page offers a sense of release without judgment or pressure. Of course, if you choose to publish your work, you can always go back and edit it afterward. But the feeling of letting everything out is the real endorphin-boosting element of blogging.

7. It can help you tune into and better understand your emotions

It can be easy to suppress or ignore our emotions and go into a kind of survival mode. But minimizing our issues and pushing them to one side rarely makes them go away. So, if you’re struggling to confront your emotions, writing might be the answer.

Sitting down to write encourages us to take focused time to reflect on how we’re feeling. And once the thoughts are flowing, it’s much easier to fully process those emotions. It might be difficult. You might even need to take breaks. But one thing is for sure: you’ll feel a weight lifted once you’re done.

8. It gives you something to do each day

For people struggling with mental health issues, it can be hard to follow routines or get things done. Sometimes just getting out of bed, let alone leaving the house, can feel challenging.

Dedicating yourself to writing each day can improve your mental health by promoting a sense of purpose. It doesn’t have to be for long—though you might find that once you’re started, you don’t want to stop.

9. It can help improve your productivity in other areas

Sometimes, getting on with your first job of the day—however simple it is—can feel like an overwhelming challenge. But, once we’ve done it, we realize it wasn’t so bad after all and are able to crack on with the rest of our duties. 

Once you’ve been able to achieve one thing, it makes it easier to get on with other tasks too. So starting your day by blogging can be a great way to inspire you.

You can even do it in the Notes app on your phone: just write down how you feel in the moment or what you can remember from your dreams. You might find that the rush of endorphins you’ll get from completing that small task will drive you to tick more off your to-do list.

Once you’ve established the routine, you can decide whether you want to publish what you’re writing or keep it private. Some bloggers find that making their work public gives them more of a drive to produce content, while others prefer to keep their private thoughts and feelings that way. Either way, your brain is sure to feel the benefit.

The Benefits of Working with a Blogging Coach

Hiring a coach is common for entrepreneurs who want to break deadlocks in their progress. In fact, 92% of small business owners have said that coaching has positively impacted on their business.

So, what exactly can a blogging coach help you with? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to blogging, and it depends on your current experience.

Blogging newbies can benefit from learning how to develop a content strategy, increase traffic, and begin to monetize your blog.

If you’re more experienced, you might need someone with skin in the game to teach you how to break writer’s block or get a second pair of eyes on your content strategy.

The key is finding the right blogging coach who can work with you to save time and money. When you procrastinate or don’t know where to begin, you’re wasting energy and resources and can often end up not starting at all. A blogging coach can help you understand which tasks need more time and how to prioritize them.

But before you hire a coach, let’s talk about whether you’re ready for one.

5 Signs You’re Ready to Hire a Blogging Coach

A blogging coach can be a valuable investment, but you might be unsure if you really need one. If these situations seem familiar, there’s a good chance that it’s time to hire a blogging coach.

1. You’ve set goals but aren’t sure how to achieve them.

It’s great having goals like starting a blog and getting 50,000 monthly views, but knowing how to get there is a different story. 

When you work with a coach, you can learn from their experience of what works and discover how to emulate those practices to achieve success for your business. 

2. Having trouble with a consistent publishing schedule.

Writing is difficult, and it might not come naturally to you. Whether it’s because of a lack of inspiration or writer’s block, one of the biggest signs that you’re struggling to write is inconsistency or large gaps between published articles.

Sticking to a regular publishing schedule is crucial to achieving the goals related to your blog. A coach can help you develop a system to publish content habitually, from finding topics to scheduling article publication dates.

If you consistently meet roadblocks, a coach will show you how to overcome them and stick to your publishing schedule.

3. You want to learn how to improve.

When developing any skill, it’s common to plateau or hit a wall in your progress. If you recognize you’re stagnating, you can work with a coach to reach the next level of your blogging journey.

How they can help depends on what you want to learn. The right coach can teach you new skills to add to your blogging arsenal or refine your abilities in certain areas.

4. You’re not getting the expected results.

Seeing very few views and impressions after you publish articles can be seriously demoralizing. This happens to many bloggers, and 90.63% of all pages on the internet get zero views.

Without experienced help, it’s hard to know how to improve when you think you’ve tried everything. If you’re losing confidence due to low views, this could be a sign that you should speak with a blogging coach.

5. You’re unsure where to begin.

When you’re just starting out, you might have a million ideas about what you should write. A common problem that rears its ugly head is uncertainty about which, to begin with, and feeling overwhelmed, meaning your blog never gets off the ground.

This is often because new bloggers don’t have a system in place to find valuable ideas that matter to their audience and don’t create consistent content schedules. A coach can help at any stage of your blogging journey, from getting you going to keeping you on track. 

How to Find the Right Coach for You

The right blogging coach brings invaluable experience to the table. They can help you launch your blog from the ground up or teach you new skills to help you grow as a writer.

However, pairing with the wrong coach who isn’t a good fit for your experience level or doesn’t deliver what they promise will leave you with sub-optimal results.

To set yourself up for success, you should know what to look for in a blogging coach who will help you achieve your goals.

They’re clear in what they offer

Run for the hills if you ever meet a blogging coach that promises you the world.

A good blogging coach should be upfront with what they’re offering and what you’ll get when working with them. A couple of red flags to look for include vague information on the type of coaching they provide and a lack of interest in your situation and what you hope to get from coaching.

For some people, being bombarded with many questions during the prospecting phase can be off-putting, but we’d argue that it’s a great way to start. A good blogging coach will want to know about your goals in as much detail as possible so they can create a bespoke plan.

A coach has proven success in their method

Talk is cheap, as they say. While anyone can call themselves a blogging coach who has taken zeroes to heroes overnight, it’s concerning if they can’t show anything to back that up. An experienced blogging coach will have a portfolio they can share of who they’ve worked with.

Along with a portfolio, they should be able to describe their process and how they achieved success with former clients. This will give you an idea of their approach and how it might align with your goals.

Look out for testimonials, which will give you an idea of what it’s like to work with a coach, as well as the types of clients they take on.

Their fundamentals are solid

If you’re still unsure after checking a blogging coach’s portfolio and speaking with them, you can check their writing samples.

While everyone expresses their creativity through writing differently, it’s concerning if the blogging coach claims one thing but shows they don’t have the basics down. For example, you might spot consistent grammar mistakes, or their content could leave you confused, even after reading it a few times.

Looking through a coach’s writing portfolio gives you an idea of how well they write but also gives you a chance to see if they practice what they preach.

Final thoughts

Whether you’re just beginning your blogging journey or have been doing it for a while, you could benefit enormously from hiring a blogging coach.

To ensure you benefit from their experience and external point of view, it’s worth checking that you’re ready to hire a coach. It can be time intensive, not to mention the expense, and you might not get the most out of it if the situation isn’t right for you.

With the right person, if you need to break a plateau or improve your blogging progress, hiring a blogging coach could be the best investment you make in yourself this year.

Though they might sound like almost the same thing, there are key differences between blogging and microblogging. Let’s dive in and take a look at how to incorporate both formats into your content strategy and how the two can complement each other.  

What Is Blogging?

Blogging takes its name from the original phrase ‘web log,’ referring to websites as online journals. This practice has evolved, and now almost all businesses have a ‘blog’ section on their website where experts share industry insights, business or personal news, and other updates relevant to the brand. 

The biggest advantage of blogging is that you can own and have complete control over your content. This gives the bloggers the freedom to design the website however they like and host it at their own personalized domain name, for example, my.blog. 

Blogs tend to be longer-format content, with more space to go into detail on your topic. They can also contribute to a website’s SEO performance. 

What Is Microblogging?

Blogging can come in many forms of content creation, and one example of content that you may not typically think of as blogging is microblogging. Microblogging is a content form, you might have guessed, that is much shorter than a regular blog. Usually, it takes place on a dedicated platform such as Tumblr, a platform where users post short-form content, including links, quotes, GIFs, text, and other multimedia. 

This allows users to express their thoughts and opinions quickly and concisely and update their feeds in real-time as they respond to news, other posters, and current topics. Some microbloggers update their feeds daily or even multiple times per hour. 

The topics they discuss might be confined to their area of expertise, or they could be completely random as they respond to world events, share memes, or comment on their own daily lives.

Microblogging usually takes place on specific, dedicated platforms where users create a profile to share content.

What Is The Difference Between Blogging And Microblogging?

While the two practices are similar, these are the main differences between microblogging and blogging:

Character limits

Microblogs can be as short as the user wants them to be and are often limited to something between 250-1,000 characters. Blogs do not have a character limit.

Definitions

Blogs are written, designed, and often follow a specifically developed content or marketing strategy. Microblog posts can refer to any topic the user feels like commenting on and are not always focused on one specific industry or niche.

Ownership

Blogs can be launched and owned by a single user (or group of users), while microblogging takes place on a designated platform like Twitter or Tumblr. People running their own blogs can choose their own domain name and website policies, unlike microblogging sites, where users must adhere to the policies of the parent website.

Interactions

Though blogs can enable comments and gain followers, microblogs offer a more effective platform for gaining subscribers and interacting with followers and other users.

Timing

While there is no limit on how often you can blog or microblog, the time it takes to write and publish a blog means that most websites don’t publish more than a couple per week. Microblogs, on the other hand, can easily be updated however often the user chooses.

In Summary

So, are you ready to launch your blog and/or microblog? Now you know the difference, it should be easy to understand how each discipline can work for you. If you’re launching a blog to share news and information about your business or industry, be sure to launch a microblogging account too. There, you can share your blog and become part of a bigger conversation that will benefit your brand.

You probably hear it all the time…SEO. To some those letters may mean nothing other than a typo for CEO, but almost every blogger knows what they stand for. Search Engine Optimization is a familiar concept—whether they like it or not.

Not all bloggers care about SEO or Google rankings equally. To businesses or people blogging as part of a career, these measures matter greatly; to the teenager blogging about their college application process, they may not matter at all. Whether you are blogging as a hobby or professionally, and whether or not you’re regularly monitoring SEO, it feels good to be acknowledged. And we’re here to tell you that regardless of your niche, you can rank on the first page in your area of expertise.

This article will highlight some of our bloggers who have found success ranking on the top page for certain keywords. We will take a peek at their blogs, see how they’ve found SEO success, and learn what we can take away from their experience.

SEO Without the Gluten

Blog: The Sightseeing Coeliac, Eating Gluten-Free Around the World 

Top Ranking Keyword: “Gluten-free Dublin”

This blog is the ultimate resource for gluten-free eating around the world. Rachel takes her readers around the world, sharing how a Coeliac diagnosis doesn’t have to be the end of eating out and adventuring.

Rachel didn’t want her medical need for a gluten-free diet to hinder her love of travel and eating, and her blog is a way to share how this is possible. Now, not only is she helping others who have a gluten-free diet, she is ranking on the top page of Google for the keyword “Gluten-free Dublin.”

What we can learn:

If we haven’t heard it enough already, a clearly defined niche is key to SEO success. This blog is not simply dedicated to travel or food, it specializes in the intersection of a specific diet and international travel. The more specific and detailed your niche, the greater the chances of ranking.

Suited for SEO

Blog: https://davidjones.blog/

Top Ranking Keyword: Suit ideas

David Jones is an in-person and online department store that shares a wide range of guidance through their blog. It’s an excellent reminder of why all businesses need a blog and demonstrates how good SEO understanding can increase sales and revenue.

By ranking on the top page of Google for “suit ideas,” David Jones can gain new customers who are searching for fashion advice and then stumble upon their brand. 

What we can learn:

Blogging and business go hand in hand. Good SEO practices, like strategic keyword use, can get your brand in the eyes of a larger audience. By providing useful content and focusing on well-searched keywords, businesses can bring new customers to their brand.

Sweet Sweet SEO

Blog: https://thissweetlife.blog/

Top Ranking Keyword: Palm Springs Bedroom

This lifestyle blog directed at moms is the equivalent of a virtual hug from your best friend. Blogger Natalie created This Sweet Life to provide entertainment, support, and advice for mothers. On her journey to create an online motherhood community and a place to discuss travel, style, and decorating, she hit the SEO sweet spot by ranking for “Palm Springs Bedroom.”

Even though her blog is not dedicated specifically to Palm Springs or even interior design, using a longer, more specific keyword resulted in her top-page ranking, which will help new readers find her blog.

What we can learn:

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific keywords that are searched less often but have a higher conversion rate. By targeting these, a blog can rank higher because there is less competition. Using long-tail keywords can be especially helpful for bloggers in very saturated niches.

The Mother of All SEO

Blog: https://www.theorganisedmum.blog/

Top Ranking Keyword: The Organized Mum Method

Developed by a mom who was looking to organize her own home and life, the Organised Mum Method (TOMM) teaches moms how to keep their homes clean without spending all their time and energy doing it. Creator Gemma took her personal plan, made it public, and became a best-selling author and businesswoman in the process.

TOMM is featured on multiple sites and social media platforms. Because the same phrase, “The Organized Mum Method,” appears on so many sites, the blog easily ranks highly for the keyword that describes her top-selling method.

What we can learn:

Building a personal brand can help streamline your blog and lead to business success. Using the same terms on multiple channels increases the odds of your blog being discovered in a search. When building your brand, in addition to focusing on cohesive visual themes, utilize the same language to help SEO ranking.

SEO Success

SEO success isn’t just for a select few. Any blog in any niche can achieve it. The good news is that one niche isn’t better than another, so you can write about what you love and know and still achieve a top-page ranking. As always, the key to success is knowing your audience, being educated on SEO, sticking to your niche, and getting your social media and blog working together.

Remember, even for the most highly-ranked blogs, SEO success doesn’t happen overnight. Consistency, dedication, and persistence are a blogger’s best friends. Keep writing and trust that your hard work will pay off.

Believe it or not, the end of 2022 is upon us and we are about to enter another new year. Looking at blogs of today, who would have predicted this blogging trajectory back in the 90s? We are grateful for how far they’ve come and that we get to play a role in the blogging journey of so many.

While we can never predict the future, we can look back and learn from the past and make educated guesses about where we are going, and that’s what this article is all about. Join us as we journey through 2022 and take a look ahead to 2023.

A Review of 2022

2022 was another exciting year for bloggers. Here are the lessons this year taught us:

Content marketing leads the way

Content marketing is here and here to stay. Blogs provide the perfect home for articles, videos and ebooks, and both readers and bloggers benefit from this content. Readers appreciate free gifts in exchange for signing up for email newsletters, and for bloggers, content marketing draws audiences to their site, converts sales, and helps build trust.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is always changing

Just in the last few months, we’ve seen evidence that SEO is constantly changing–read about Google’s most recent update here if you haven’t already. Google is constantly trying to improve its user experience and, as a result, bloggers have been asked to prioritize the reader and to further hone in on a specific niche.

Video content gets more popular

2022 has seen a continued rise in video content production and demand. Many consumers even report that they prefer video content to written content. YouTube and TikTok are huge and bloggers who regularly embed videos into their blogs [link to article on fantastic hip-hop blog] are successfully appealing to this modern-day audience.

Build your brand

Unlike in the early days of blogging, having a stand-alone blog is no longer the goal for most bloggers. Rather, a blog is one part of a greater brand. Bloggers must know their niche and their brand, being intentional about pairing their blog, social media, and other marketing into a cohesive brand image.

Getting Excited for 2023

2023 will continue to build upon the trends and lessons of this year; here are themes we predict will make their mark in the new year:

Quality over quantity

While regular posting is always worthwhile and desirable, especially in niches with quickly changing news, blogs will see an increased emphasis on quality over quantity. Prioritizing the reader means giving clear, detailed, informative, and interesting posts. Writing such thoughtful posts takes more time which may mean fewer total posts. Well-researched posts published once a month are better than shallow daily posts–unless, of course, the mission of your blog relies on daily posting.

Unique content wins

Blogging is no longer in its infancy. Most of what can be blogged about probably has been blogged about. But that doesn’t mean there is no room for more; it just means that blogs need to add something new and valuable. Remember that not all blogs have to look the same. Take a look at some of our featured dotbloggers to see how many amazing and creative blogs already exist. Emphasize what makes you unique and remember to take advantage of adding video content to your site.

Cater to shortened attention spans

Whether we think it is a good or bad thing that attention spans are decreasing, as bloggers, we must keep this fact in mind. When formatting your posts, remember that your readers are used to receiving information quickly. Make it easy for them by utilizing headers, having engaging visual content, and providing summaries. Lists are also a user-friendly way to share information with your readers.

Remember the world outside the Internet

Even though bloggers live online, there is a whole other outside world that is easy to forget. As the peak of Covid continues to become more of a memory than a day-to-day reality, many are eager to meet in person again. Actively look at networking opportunities so that you can connect with and learn from others in person in addition to virtually. Remember that just because your job is online, you too can benefit from the community.

We’re Here Through the Years

The end of the year is always an exciting time to review how you and your blog have grown. It is also a good time to take note of blogging trends that rose or decreased in popularity throughout the past year. In addition to reflecting, we love looking ahead to another year. It’s a time for bloggers to build anticipation and excitement about the new year, set goals and plan for another year of blogging. As we ring in 2023 together, we will continue to be here to support you and are grateful to experience another year of blogging together.

Subject matter experts (SMEs) are people with high levels of experience and a deep understanding in a specific area. SMEs aren’t always bloggers, but knowing what you are blogging about and positioning yourself as an expert in your field is key to having success as a blogger. Often, businesses will bring on SMEs to increase the authority of their blogs.

Maybe you’re an SME with your own blog, or maybe you’ve been asked to guest post. Either way, this article will give tips on successfully blogging as an SME.

Write from an outline

When you are knowledgeable and passionate about a subject, it’s sometimes hard to discuss it concisely. An outline can help you organize your thoughts and keep you on track. 

Before you begin writing, make a note of all the ideas you want to address. Write down the points you plan to cover, then expand upon them. You can write them in simple bullet points or break them up into headers with additional information under each one. Writing from an outline ensures you cover everything you set out to address and makes your writing process more organized and streamlined.

Read other articles

Experienced bloggers know how important it is to learn from other bloggers within their niche. The same goes for SMEs. Reading content in your field can inform you of what readers want to learn about.

When you read other blogs, pay attention to the tone of voice, common themes, and popular content. These markers will guide you as you formulate your own posts. Remember that the questions that fellow SMEs in your field discuss are not always the same questions that the general population is curious about. The more research you do ahead of writing, the more impactful your article will be.

Speak to your audience

When writing as an SME, it is important to remember that you are the expert, and your audience probably isn’t. Strive to give your knowledge in an accessible way. Use language that makes your article more approachable and easy to read. When using acronyms, even ones commonly used in your field, be sure to spell them out first so your knowledge can be understood across all levels of expertise.

Stay up to date

If you’re running your own blog, regularly updating your posts can help keep your site relevant. Over time, information changes and even small tweaks to potentially outdated posts help keep your blog up to date. Ensuring the continuing accuracy of your blog also positions it as a trustworthy source.

Even if you are guest posting, you can ask the host blogger if they would like edits on your past articles. Most importantly, it is essential to stay well-researched and educated to maintain your status as an SME.

Be yourself

No matter how long you have been an SME, you might feel pressure to prove your expert status. Try to remember that you have earned your position, and be authentic—this is how you earn credibility.

You have specific knowledge, experience, and skills. Trust your authority and don’t shy away from your uniqueness. Just like your background, your uniqueness is a strength, and your personal journey within your field of expertise contributes something valuable and is worthy of sharing.

From SME to Blogging Expert

Knowing your field and finding success as a SME doesn’t always translate to successful blogging. Blogging is a craft that takes experience and thought. Whether you are a regular blogger or an SME who has never blogged before, following these simple tips will help you find success and feel confident sharing your knowledge on any blog.