Photo by Melinda Pack on Unsplash
Blogging is still, and will continue to be, a key tool in getting traffic to your website. The blogosphere is rapidly changing and, as the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new,” is something every blogger should take very seriously. We are over three-quarters through 2016 and here are ten statistics about blogging that are vital to your future success.
- SEO. There is nothing that drives people to your website faster than SEO (search engine optimization). Installing Yoast or Moz are two ways to make sure your site stays at the top. Utilizing the proper SEO tools is crucial to your website success. (source)
- Long-tail keywords. Half of all search queries contain four or more words. (source) For example, if someone is searching for where to buy antique love seats, they will not search for “furniture.” Therefore, if you sell antique love seats, your keywords should be exactly that (antique love seats). Competition is fierce when it comes to broad keywords such as furniture. Narrow it down by using long-tail keywords and your site is likely to be at the top of its category in SEO.
- Images. A picture is worth a thousand words or, in this case, a thousand or more followers. An image that captures someone’s attention makes them more interested in reading the content. Vibrant, well-photographed images are attention-getters. Putting a poorly lit image or a blurry image on your blog will not attract followers to your site. Blog articles with relevant images get 94% more views. (source).
- Post frequently. Keep it fresh and current. Up-to-date content is mandatory if you want your blog, or business, to succeed. Followers do not want to return to your site to see the same content over and over again. Posting frequently will keep your followers coming back for more. (source)
- Write useful content. Keeping your content interesting and useful is what will drive others to share it. 94% of people who share posts do so because they think it might be helpful to others. (source)
- Have a fast load time. Your site needs to load and respond quickly. People will move on to another site if your site is slow. 67% of mobile users will leave a website if they become frustrated with the site’s navigation, and 72% will exit out if the site loads too slowly. (source)
- Snapchat for business. Snapchat’s user base is reportedly 100 million people. Facebook may still be the dominant social media platform, but there is no dismissing the popularity of Snapchat and what you can do with it. Personally thanking a customer, giving a behind-the-scenes look at your business, and reaching a younger audience are all achievable with Snapchat. (source)
- Make it Responsive. Smartphones and tablets are a primary source of website traffic. If your theme is not responsive to the smaller screens, it is highly likely you are losing valuable traffic. source
- Video, video, video. Syndacast predicts 74% of all internet traffic in 2017 will be video. Videos appear to be more prominent as they contain an eye-catching thumbnail image encouraging more clicks. Video has changed the face of content. With the rise in popularity of Periscope and Snapchat, relevant videos with your content is big.
- Influence your followers. By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationships without talking to a human. Consumers are more likely to research your company before contacting you. You have the ability to influence whether or not they visit your company by the content of your blog. They can learn about you, about your company, and your products through your blog which will determine whether they return to your site or not. (source)
We hope the above ten statistics about blogging will help you with your new or existing blog. All of the above statistics are important, but it is also important to be creative and have fun!