We’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again:
Blogging is not just an art; it’s a science.
Businesses that make a strategic effort to optimize their blogs for conversions are more likely to see the results and ROI they’re looking for.
The guys at Kissmetrics say you’re twice as likely to see an increase in sales when you focus on conversion optimization.
In this blog post, we’re going to look at eight blogs that are doing it right, and we’ll share some key takeaways from each that you can apply to your own blogging strategy.
8 Blogs We Can All Learn From
1. Neil Patel
When brainstorming high converting blogs, Neil Patel is one of the first that comes to mind. Take a look at what you’re led to after clicking on the “Blog” tab from the navigation bar.
His CTA is front and center, and more importantly, it’s an incredibly enticing CTA. Before you even see any blog posts, you’re introduced to Patel’s unique value proposition. Patel makes it so easy to sign up for his webinar, your grandma could do it.
To optimize your blog for conversions, you should be experimenting with CTA placement and design, while running A/B tests to see what is the most effective for your business. You can also test other aspects of your blog page, such as headings and page layout.
2. Backlinko
This blog is proof that (long form) content is king.
One of Backlinko’s most well known articles on SEO is over 5,000 words long. It took me four minutes just to click-and-drag through the entire post to get that total.
For some of us, this blog is the equivalent of two eBooks combined, but long form content like this should be the new standard. Long form content gets more backlinks, ranks better on search engines, and increases conversion rates.
3. Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics does an excellent job of creating comprehensive content for all stages of the buyer’s journey.
On each of their blog posts, Kissmetrics encourages visitors who are simply seeking information to sign up for helpful content, while at the same time, they appeal to those who are a little further down the funnel to sign up for a webinar.
Producing a variety of targeted content such as newsletters and webinars makes sure all your bases are covered and is a great way to capture new leads.
4. Copy Hackers
In order for a long form blog post to keep visitors from bouncing, it needs to be easily scannable. Copy Hackers has this tactic down to a T.
In this example of one of their posts, they use bolded phrases, italics, different font sizes, bullet point lists, and short sentences (instead of dreadfully long paragraphs). Variations like these make your blogs a lot more visually appealing.
The truth is, most visitors to your site are only reading about 20% of the words on a page. Since more people are scanning through blog posts, it’s essential to make sure your content is easy on the eyes.
5. Content Marketing Institute
The thing I love most about Content Marketing Institute’s blog is that it consistently provides valuable content their audience will actually find useful.
This takes knowing as much as you can about your site’s visitors. If you have to interview your customers to get this information, don’t be afraid to do it. Ask where else they go for information online, and what they find helpful about those sites.
Getting answers to these types of questions will provide a wealth of information that will successfully guide your content strategy. Your blog’s content should speak directly to your readers’ needs, educate them, and provide a solution to their pain points.
SEE ALSO- Copywriting: The Simple Secret to Marketing Success
6. HubSpot
HubSpot does a lot of things right, but the one we’ll focus on in this blog post is that they update their old content often. In fact, they wrote a whole blog on how to do this for yourself.
Updating your archived content frequently with new information, and re-optimizing it based on fresh insights, will increase your chance of getting found by search engines.
Don’t just publish your content and forget about it; check to see how it’s performing on a regular basis. You may find you have an older blog post that’s getting a good amount of traffic but not a lot of leads, and this is where conversion optimization comes into play.
7. Neil Patel… Again
Neil Patel’s blog is so good at converting, we just had to list it again. On the blog’s home page, rather than having a publish date or author, you’re shown how many comments each post received and how many times it was shared.
This is a simple but very strategic move. Here, Patel is giving his readers a compelling reason to read and share his content. He generates buzz around a blog post before you even click on it.
This strategy encourages even more shares, which in turn leads to more people viewing your website. Of course, this method is more effective if you already have a decent following.
8. Smart Blogger
Jon Morrow at Smart Blogger is a wizard at crafting eye-catching titles that have a way of forcing you to keep reading.
When you see this title, for instance, you almost have to click on it, because you don’t want to be that mediocre blogger. Titles that tell a reader why they should care generate more clicks and views.
Readers are asking themselves the question, “What’s in it for me?” If a blog title doesn’t answer that question, it won’t attract their attention.
Each of these blogs represents a good example for you to follow in your own content strategy. Not sure how to put these tactics into practice? Are you not getting any leads or conversions from your blog?
Contact EYEMAGINE today and we’ll share how our team of content experts can help optimize your blog to start achieving your business goals.
