Back to Basics: Content Marketing 101.

We all want to increase traffic to our corporate blogs. After all, that’s where we keep our clients informed and coming back to learn more about our industry and products. In this post, we’ll take a look at ten basic but effective ways to increase traffic to your company’s blog.

1. Be a Human

It’s as simple as that. Write posts that are interesting and topical. Avoid over-using keywords. Not only does Google not like that, but neither will your audience, who will smell a rat from a thousand miles away. Sometimes it can be hard to avoid using the same terms over and over again, but consider using synonyms instead. While not every person will use your exact keywords, a common synonym can come in hand. And what does it mean to be a human? Tell a story and be real — convey useful information without focusing too hard on what the search engines will think and how they will reward you with traffic.

2. Use Keywords Well

While you don’t want to overuse your keywords, you do want to pepper them through the article. First, include them in the title and the first paragraph. Then, use the main words from the title in a single sentence somewhere in the body of the post. Finally, include them in the conclusion – again, all in the same sentence, if possible. And if you are unsure about the overuse of keywords (commonly known as “keyword stuffing”) then you can always check an online tool for keyword density before publishing your post.

3. Use Accurate Titles

When users search the Internet, they are looking for specific items, so make sure that your titles match the content. Google will look for matches between your title and your content, so be sure that your title is in-line with the content of a blog post. Really, when you think about it — you want to be as direct as possible, and to avoid misleading the search engine spiders AND your audience.

4. Social Media Counts

As soon as you create a blog post, make it a habit to post a link to Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, and Reddit, and consider your Google+ and Linked In accounts, too. Your audience will be happy to discover new content and information, so be sure to share. You may also wish to post other items to your social media accounts, too. When you find relevant items in the news, post those. This will tell your potential customers that you are a person, and not just a sales machine with an eye on the business’s bottom line. Of course, keep the focus on your blog content, but referencing other sources will go a long way, too.

5. Time Your Social Media Posts

Life moves very fast on Facebook, and even faster on Twitter. So try to post on social media at peak times. Often, traffic goes up over the weekends and when people get home from work. You might also try to time posts for the morning commute. People love to use social media on their train ride into the city.

6. Timely Posts Attract Searchers

Always keep your eye on the news. When there is an item in the news that is relevant to your company and industry, put out a blog post on that topic as soon as possible, and be creative about how that news item ties back to your business. What does this do? Well, in a nutshell, consistent actions like these work to establish your business as a credible resource for industry-specific information, and with some analysis, you’ll quickly come to be known as a thought leader in your space.

7. Post Regularly

Keep your blog posts churning out at a completely consistent and regular pace. The more content you can create, the better off you will be. Google likes to see an active website and blog that is regularly maintained and updated — one that is alive, if you will. Try hard to always post something at least once a week, but find your sweet spot based on your personality, your business’s resources, your industry, and your tastes. We recommend posting twice per week, no matter what — and try to post at the same time, on the same days for the sake of building an audience through consistency.

8. Maintain a Standard Blog Post Length

Blog posts should be around 400-500 words each. If this is a daunting task for your staff, then seek out professional blog writers. Note that longer posts may be even better, especially if you are not completing the mission of the blog post at the point when you hit 500 words. Google likes substantive posts, and people have found great success with posts over 1,000 words. See if you can generate one 1,000 word post per month to give your traffic a serious bump.

9. Use META Data With Care

On each page of your website, use unique descriptions and keywords to let Google know that each page is individual, created by a human, and relevant to specific needs. Always try to give each page and post a single keyword phrase as the focus, and never more than two.

10. Use Readable URLS

Remember the article you read at myblog.com/articles/1245575766? Well, neither will Google. When you set up your blog, make sure it generates URLs that reflect the content of the piece. For example, a URL might read: myblog.com/articles/My-Surfing-Safari. When users go searching for articles about surfing safaris, they will ultimately find your post.

Above all, remember Rule #1: Be a Human. Not only is is a good idea for SEO writing, marketing, and for business, but it’s a also handy guideline for life. Happy Blog Posting!

[Photo Via: Houston Agent Magazine]

Published by Matty Byloos

Matty Byloos is the founder of NOVEL Creative Agency. Fiction writer, editor, content development specialist, lover of the written word and more, Byloos has worked in SEO and web development since 2006. He's written about every kind of subject under the sun, for clients both large and small. Together with his partner Carrie Seitzinger, he publishes NAILED Magazine from Portland.