Without content, a website or a blog is nothing. Because if you have nothing to read, no one is going to come. But, it takes more than just slapping words up and hoping for the best.
It all really boils down to search intent.
What is someone looking for, and can you provide those answers? What does your target audience want to read most? Who are you trying to write for and why?
All of these are questions you must answer if you expect to pull in traffic to your website.
Why Does This Post Exist?
Take this post, for example. It’s not meant as anything more than just a way to test website performance. I don’t really expect a lot of people to read this article.
Although the website is connected to Search Console complete with a sitemap, it’s kind of a defunct blog. That’s because it’s sat for nearly 9 years without really having much in terms of content.
Essentially, I kept the domain alive simply because I use its email addresses created back in 2008. Still, I figured I would start using this site again as a way to test WordPress features, functions, and settings.
At any rate, content is vital to the success of any website. That is unless you’re using it as a way to simply log experiments or create reminders for yourself.
Even then, I’m sure this post will probably get seen a few times by people researching specifics in Google.
Using the Site as a Journal of Sorts
Even if you create a blog as more of an online journal for yourself, there is a good chance it may pique someone’s interest. In this case, it’s merely a journal to record all of my WordPress dealings.
Because the future content will focus on specific information, it may help others who are having similar issues.
For example, if I was to create an experiment regarding different caching plugins, people will get to read about all the steps I took to reach a certain outcome.
This may be of great interest for those who want to learn more about caching plugins and how to make their own modifications.
Length Matters…Sometimes
There are a lot of experts out there who say that you should have at least 2,200 words if you want to get seen on the first page of Google. However, this is somewhat misleading.
Sure, longer blog posts tend to do well in terms of search visibility. But, it’s not always the size that matters. In fact, I’ve seen articles in the number one spot of a Google search result that had just over 300.
A lot of my articles that are in the top positions have fewer than 1500.
In reality, it all comes down to your audience and the topic. Some topics just don’t do well when you try to draw them out too long. Sometimes, a quick answer is all someone really needs.
The best length for your own articles depends on the content itself and your target audience. Take a look at the data of your blog through Google analytics. From here, look at page views, on-page time, and bounce rates. Then, compare the best performing articles to their length.
What if You Are Suffering from Writer’s Block?
Perhaps the worst thing a blogger can go through is writer’s block. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat at my desk for nearly a half hour trying to think of what to write next.
Ways I get around this issue include:
- Using listicles to give me ideas about blogs posts. Each point could be its own piece of content.
- Using AnswerThePublic.com to see what people are searching for regarding a keyphrase.
- Looking through the People Also Ask section of Google to get ideas.
- Getting inspiration from blog and video comment sections.
There are actually a lot of different ways you can combat writer’s block. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to sit down and just start writing.
What if Someone Already Covered Your Topic?
Because the Internet is such a massive monster, the odds of someone already covering your preferred topic are high. Think about this, a new blog is created every 0.5 seconds!
However, 80% of those blogs will fail and disappear within the first 18 months.
At any rate, there’s nothing wrong with covering a topic that someone has already covered. Success of your post comes down to whether or not you can write the content better than someone else.
Using your own point of view, opinions, experiences, or methods of research, you could easily take over a position held by someone else.
Can you answer the question better than the other guy? Is there something in his or her content that is missing that you can add to enlighten your own audience?
While it will take a bit of practice, you can eventually get to a point where almost everything you write is gold for those who follow your blog.
So, don’t worry too much about what someone else wrote. Focus more on what you can write to engage your own audience.
Every Topic You Cover Is Another Chance
Every blog post you create that covers another topic regarding your niche is another chance to generate traffic. Don’t just write one blog post and cross your fingers.
For instance, what if I wrote one blog post about installing a caching plugin in WordPress? Someone looking for a way to install a contact form wouldn’t visit my website.
That is until I wrote a tutorial about installing a contact form as well. Now, I have two blog posts that are targeting specific needs.
This is where having a lot of blog posts makes the biggest difference. Because you’re covering a wide scope of needs, you can pull in an audience for those specific searches.
Think of it like buying several sets of lottery numbers rather than just the one. The more tickets you have, the better are your chances of winning the lottery.
Let’s Wrap This Up
So, now I have enough words in this post for future tests. And that’s really what this was all about. Though, I did add quite a bit of useful information about content.
The next time you wonder if you should blog, the answer is always a resounding, “yes.” Well, unless you want the blog to fail.
Without content, you won’t have the visitors to make money from AdSense, affiliates, or any other method of monetization.