Drive traffic to your blog with the right content

You know you need to create relevant content on topics your audience wants to know about.

You understand you need to update your blog regularly to rank better in search engines. You also realize that your content needs to be engaging to motivate people to click on social media.

But the type of content you produce can also impact the potential of your blog to drive traffic. Some content types are simply more marketable and easy to promote.

So, the question is: Are you creating the right type of content on your blog?

Read on to learn about four content types that will boost the traffic-driving potential of your blog.

1. Address popular topics that generate a lot of interest in your niche

These topics should be interesting and relevant to the key target markets you want to reach.

Hot news stories always gain a lot of attention, but you need to be the first to publish them to gain substantial traffic. Try adding your own original insight on hot industry topics to set yourself apart.

My favorite strategy is to create evergreen content: timeless content that retains relevancy and will generate a stream of sustainable traffic over time.

It certainly offers the best return on investment for your time, because the content won’t be out-of-date one month later.

A classic example is a how-to guide to overcome a commonly encountered problem. Differentiate your content by offering a novel perspective or an alternative way of doing things.

Pro tip: Take note of what questions people are asking in your niche by checking comments on popular blogs. Create posts addressing commonly asked questions not yet addressed in other blog posts.

2. Invite influencers in your niche to guest post on your blog

Try asking an industry influencer to guest post on your blog.

The influencer’s name alone will attract attention in your social media feeds and bring a whole new audience to your blog.

But if you are not already well-connected, it can be tough to attract the attention of a renowned global industry influencer.

So why not invite influencers in a more specific niche to guest post on your blog? You’ll get better content due to their experience with the topic, and the influencer will share their guest post with their audience.

Pro tip: Make it easy for influencers to share your content by mentioning them in your social media updates to promote the content.

3. Conduct interviews with well-known influencers and publish them on your blog

Interviews can take a variety of formats.

They can range from written questions and answers, to audio interviews with text summaries of key takeaways.

You could even include full transcripts of the audio content, if you know a large portion of your audience appreciates extended text.

Once published, send the blog post’s link to the contributors so they can share it across their own networks.

In addition to driving traffic back to your site, referencing names of prominent figures will capture people’s attention and boost your authority, too.

Pro tip: Reach out to people who have just published a book, as they are often looking for ways to promote it to a wider audience. An interview is perfect for this.

4. Feature videos in your blog posts

Adding a video to your website can increase the chance of a front page on Google result by up to 53x (Convince & Convert).

Embedding videos in your blog posts will increase your site’s traffic driving potential. But what kind of videos should you include? Your options are limitless…

You could feature a how-to video giving step-by-step instructions on how to carry out a key process mentioned in the post.

You could include a video as the main feature of the post, with supporting copy introducing the subject and what the video is about. You could even add a list of useful resources at the bottom of the video with links to places where people can find out more.

Pro tip: You need to grab the viewer’s attention in the first 10 seconds of the video (or they will click away) (Adam Westbrook). Immediately capture their interest by explaining what you will cover and why they should keep watching.

The type of content you produce can make or break your blog.

In a time of information overload, you need to create content that is worth reading (Hubspot). If your audience is not interested in what you have to say, they will not bother to read it or even click through to find out more.

Content creation is just the first step. You also need a clear promotion plan to give your blog content the attention it deserves. This will help drive traffic to your site from the type of audiences you are looking to reach.

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