At this moment, there are over 1.6 billion websites online. To say that's a lot of competition is an understatement.

So what do you do when you're trying to get your website noticed, to stand out from all that competition? You're going to have to get into SEO, at a certain point, if you want your website to rank in the SERPs.

And how does SEO help increase your SERP ranking? A keyword tag.

SEO is a technical discipline as much as it's a creative one. To help you make heads or tails of how search engines assess a website, we're going to tell you how a keyword tag works and how it will help your online content get found.

Guide To HTML Metadata

A keyword tag is one ingredient of HTML metadata. HTML metadata is technical information about a website that alerts search engines to the content of that domain.

Examples of HTML metadata include:

• Characters used
• Page description
• Keywords
• Author

As you can see from this list, keyword tags are some of the most important components of HTML metadata. It's how search engines serve up your content to their users. Using keyword tags properly is integral to your digital content ending up in front of the right people.

What Is A Keyword Tag?

A keyword tag is the part of HTML metadata that lets search engines know what a page or post is all about. Generally speaking, a website can have up to 8 or 10 keywords or phrases to inform a search engine what it's going to find.

Keyword tags came to prominence in the '90s, when the Internet was beginning to develop in earnest. In those days, search engines merely crawled a web page and indexed what they found there. This caused unscrupulous website owners to include every keyword under the sun to try and attract as many potential website visitors as possible.

This is called keyword stuffing, and it's the reason that SEO is as complicated as it is today.

How To Use A Keyword Tag Effectively

Keyword tags are part of a website's back-end. They're included in the source code that search engines see but users generally will not. And while there's some controversy over whether or not keyword tags even matter anymore, you can never have too many SEO tips and tricks at your disposal if you're serious about building your online business or website.

The first and most important rule of using keyword tags is they need to be relevant to what the page is about. The days of keyword stuffing are long since dead and gone. Not only will you not rank for the keywords you're trying to getting noticed for, but you also run the risk of having your website's ranking docked.

If you do too much unethical keyword stuffing your website could even get shadowbanned. Getting banned from Google is pretty much the end of any potential online career you're hoping to build, so tread lightly and proceed ethically.

It's not entirely clear how search engines factor in keyword tags. They keep information around their algorithms pretty close to their chest, to avoid people potentially misusing the information.

While it's generally acknowledged that technical data like page title and meta description are more relevant for search engine ranking, you simply cannot overlook any opportunity to get your content noticed and picked up by search engines.

How To Use Keyword Tags Effectively

Back in 2008, SEM Rush surveyed a bunch of digital marketers and SEO experts about how they use keyword tags. 70% responded 'always' while not one digital marketer reported never using keyword tags. Clearly, they are a part of every SEO analyst's toolkit.

That fact alone should make us all stop and take pause.

Keyword tags should play a part in your organic SEO marketing campaigns. While things like PPC ad campaigns and social media marketing can be good for traffic spikes and increasing brand awareness, you should also be considering the long game.

Here are a few ways that you can incorporate keyword tags into your digital marketing campaigns.

Include Common Misspellings In Your Keyword Tags

Unfortunately, not everybody who turns to a search engine seeking answers knows how to spell. That means we need to try to rank for common misspellings of popular phrases to capture these users' attention.

Having misspelled copy on our websites isn't going to help us seem more of a thought leader in our industries, however. Putting common misspellings of the keyword or phrase you're trying to rank for is one way to attract those users while still seeming authoritative and knowledgeable.

Include Long-Tail Keywords

While certain keywords may be good for immediate results, through things like PPC ad campaigns and sponsored results, others may be better for long-tail searches.

Ideally, you'd try and rank for both immediate as well as long-tail searches. That can mean twice as many keywords, however, which runs the risk of seeming spammy and turning away your potential audience.

As a general rule of thumb, very specific or more extensive phrases tend to be good for long-tail search queries. Things like 'best,' or 'near me,' or 'deals,' might be better for short-term search results.

Those phrases indicate someone's ready to conclude their buyer's journey and make a purchase.

As a best practice for how to use a keyword tag, consider using short-term keywords for sponsored ads and PPC campaigns. Use the long-tail keywords as part of your content or inbound marketing strategies.

Together, it's truly a force to be reckoned with. You'll be flying to the top of the SERPs before you know it!

Want To Know More About Online Marketing?

Content is king, and it's king for life. There's no getting around the need for excellent, thoughtful, masterful content if you're looking to rank in the search engines and get seen by potential clients and customers.

Whether you're looking to master the keyword tag or wondering how long your blog posts should be, we bring you everything you need to master SEO and search engine marketing!

Contact us today to find out how a dedicated digital marketing team can help your business thrive!

If you've ever wondered how search engines sort their results, keep reading. Companies have engaged in outbound marketing channels like print and display ads forever, and inbound marketing has become another essential piece of a company's business presence.

Good inbound marketing converts people who already want what you sell to customers who buy what you sell. That conversion happens when your website rises to the top of the search engine results page (SERP).

You may also have heard of search engine optimization (SEO). Google uses more than 200 ranking factors to determine whose site goes first. The top site gets about half of all the clicks from searchers, and the rest of the results share the rest of the clicks.

Web developers can work these ranking factors straight into the code to move their sites up in the search results. Read on to find out how this "metadata tagging" works to improve your website's SEO rank.

What's Up, Bot?

After you publish your website on the internet, search engine robots known as crawlers read the contents of your site. Google then indexes the contents and uses that information to rank your site in its results.

Some ranking factors are visible to site visitors, like the domain security padlock and good site design. The HTML code contains other invisible factors that only appear in the page source. Search engine crawlers examine all of the site's contents, including the code, to evaluate the rank of the website in the SERPs.

What is Metadata?

Meta tags are the metadata for a web page. Other types of metadata include camera type and resolution for photographs, or playlist names and time codes for videos. Metadata is data about data.

A more basic example is the metadata automatically generated when you create a file, modify it, and add to it. Your computer logs the creation and modification dates and adjusts the file size. Metadata can also be entered manually: a user can decide which information is needed or relevant to describe their files.

About Tags

What is a tag? HTML code uses tags to classify the contents of a web page. Page contents are tagged with keywords to define the topics within the content. For instance, a webpage about lions could contain "big cats", "Africa", "lions" and "lioness" tags.

In the HTML file of a webpage is a section called the "head". Within this section, denoted by <head> and </head> are the page title, a few code types, and meta tags.

About Meta Tags

Meta tags are broader sources of information for search engine bots. Some meta tags include information about the page topic, page type, and author. Search engine bots used to use the keywords metatag information to boost search engine rankings but over time, this metatag was abused and many search engines now ignore it.

Current web developers coding for SEO must pay the most attention to the description meta tag and the content-type meta tag. The content-type tag identifies both the type of content and the character set that defines how the web page is displayed.

The description tag is one of the most important tags because search engines directly use this information to rank your page. This meta tag describes what kind of information the page contains and is around 150 characters.

More on Metadata Tagging

When you open a webpage, you'll see a title at the top of your browser window. What this text says is defined in the title meta tag. This is one of the meta tags that a visitor can see and is heavily used by search engine bots. A good title can help a user find your page in a window full of tabs and can simplify your page's information for SEO purposes.

One last meta tag that webmasters use is an instruction tag for search engine robots. You may have seen a results page and seen under the title "robots.txt". That tag instructs the crawler bot to show or hide your page in search results, follow your page links or not, and even tell it when to revisit your page to refresh the results.

How to See Meta Tags in Action

Just for fun, search for a site and click on it. View the page source, either under developer tools or "view" menu. At the top of the code, you will be able to see which meta tags the developer used for that page.

It's interesting to see now that you know what you're looking at. These lines of code define the name of the tag, and then the contents of the tag. Even though search engines tend to ignore the keywords meta tag, developers still use it. New marketing trends and SEO blog writers are including "long tail keywords" which are designed to match a multi-word query in the search bar.

The SEO Race

Manipulating search engine results shouldn't be easy. It would be too simple to fool the system and push websites to the top with false information. To thwart this type of rigging, search engines frequently change their ranking algorithms. Google has said that they change theirs every 48 hours.

Search engine rankings are about trust. Google wants to be able to trust that your site is what it says it is, provides a good visitor experience, and accurately fulfills a user's query. Google's reputation is at stake as well as yours; they are the most-used search engine in the world and have taken responsibility to deliver the best results.

SEO Content Creation

Your website's ranking starts with the code under the hood. We have shown you how metadata tagging affects your SEO and have explained what the most important ones do for your SERP visibility. The next steps are for you to fill your site with well-crafted and relevant content that will increase your visitors and convert them to customers.

We can help you curate material that is enjoyable for your visitors and good for your online visibility. Contact us and see how we can help your business grow.

Did you know that, as you read this, there are a whopping 181 million active websites on the internet? With that number, it's easy to see how fast your website could fade into oblivion.

Nonetheless, one of the proven techniques you can employ to safeguard your website from suffering that fate is by starting a blog. This article explores why blog post content is the key to ranking well on Google. Read on.

1. Blog Post Content Keeps Your Website from Going Stale

Every time you look for information online you probably also check to establish when the information was actually posted. When you realize the website hasn’t been updated for a while, your trust in the information dwindles. The next logical step you take is to exit the site and look for one with up-to-date posts.

Google keeps an eye out for websites that regularly post new content. It tells them that the website is thriving and has fresh blog content for internet users. Its search engine algorithms, therefore, have more reason to index your website and move it up the SEO ladder.

But, where exactly would you post this new content anyway? Setting up a blog on your websites is a great start. It's the best tool to use to post content often.

2. People Stay on Your Website for Longer

Google works by ranking websites based on how beneficial it is to its users. Therefore, when a user enters a query in the search bar, Google presents them with a list of websites that it believes has information that’s relevant to the user’s query.

If the user proceeds to click on the first result but exits the website a few short seconds later, that tells Google that the website doesn't have relevant information that’s related to the user’s question. That hurts the website’s rank.

The whole idea is to keep your website visitors plugged in longer. The only way they can do this is if they’re reading a long-form post on your website. If they enjoy your blog content, they may end up clicking on another link that takes them to another post on your site.

Longer posts that average 1,890 words do better than their shorter counterparts. So, post relevant and captivating long-form SEO content to improve your sites search engine ranking.

3. Enables You to Take Advantage of Long-Tail Keywords

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) goes beyond targeting specific keywords that are most relevant to your business. For instance, if you sell ski boots, you’d expect your website to rank first for the keyword “ski boots”.

Unfortunately, unless you’re the number one go-to brand in the country for ski boots, it’s quite difficult to achieve this, though, not impossible. You need to get into the mindset of the customer and anticipate what words or phrases they would use to get the information they need.

Something along the lines of “best ski boots on a budget” or “ski boots women’s sizes” are more likely to get you the results you want. These multi-worded phrases are called long-tail keywords.

As you can imagine, trying to incorporate them in the products’ descriptions of your site can be awkward, to say the least. However, they would fit in perfectly in a blog post that provides information about the particular product.

In this instance, a 2,000-word post titled "10 of The Best Places to Buy Ski Gear on a Budget” would accommodate those long tail keywords that you need to rank higher on Google. What's more, your website will get traffic from people that you're already directly targeting.

4. It Provides the Perfect Opportunity for Internal Linking

In SEO, content is king, and links play a pivotal role when it comes to content marketing. What better way to get links than by using those that lead to other sections of your website? Remember, the whole idea behind ranking well on Google is to try as much as possible to keep your website visitors on your page for longer.

One of the most common mistakes people make in SEO is failing to point users from one page of their site to another. With blog posts, the opportunities to place internal links really come alive. The more you add pages that feature great content, the higher the chances are to link those pages to each other.

Use the anchor text displayed on the target URL to tell the search engine what the content on the destination page you’re linking to is about. This strengthens its connection to how Google’s algorithms view your target keywords.

5. External Links Are Important Too

This is the Holy Grail of SEO. It is the stamp of approval that your peers consider your website an authority in a particular niche. Creating content that attracts external links from people who want to link back to your website tells search engines that your website is relevant, authoritative and trustworthy.

A blog is the most straightforward way to do this. So fill up your blog with great information and attract traffic from the most unlikely of sources.

6. Connecting with Your Audience through Your Blog is Great for SEO

When your audience loves your website content, they're more likely to hit the share button to let their friends know about it. This, in turn, drives more traffic to your site which is great for your ranking on Google.

They are also more likely to return for another dose of great content. Getting repeat visitors to your site communicates to search engines that people really like it. In return, they raise your authority level.

Final Thoughts

From an SEO perspective, ranking highly on Google is great and all, but, your primary focus should be to post content that connects you with your audience. Once you have this in the bag, ranking highly on Google will come naturally.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Check out some useful hacks you can use to come up with brilliant blog ideas.

Did you know even the most famous writers, such as Toni Morrison and Ray Bradbury, suffer from writer’s block? If you just started blogging and don’t know what to write about, then don’t feel bad.

While your readers will only witness the genius finished result of your literary masterpiece (i.e. your blog), they don’t experience the hours you banged your head on your desk because you couldn’t come up with a catchy blog topic.

Let’s take now, for example. You likely Googled, “what should I write about?” We’re here to help you out! Continue reading for some advice and ideas.

Start Your Blog However You Want

Do you have a killer conclusion paragraph in mind? Cool, start by writing that.

Do you not know anything about the blog, but know how you want to promote your affiliates? Write down a couple of sentences and slide in that affiliate code and link.

One of the many reasons why writers suffer from writer’s block is they think they have to start with the introduction and finish with the conclusion. This isn’t true.

If you have an idea for a blog, jot it down. If you think of another idea, write that down, too. Eventually, the blog will come together like a puzzle.

However…

Many Writers Find It Helpful to Start With a Title

What if you don’t have any ideas about any particular topics or blog sections, but you know the blog title? Start with this. This way, you know the basic information about your blog.

It’s also helpful to search for trending keywords in your niche and to research competitors or what other influencers in your industry are blogging about.

Speaking of niche and industry…

Blog With Your Audience in Mind

The reason you’re in the industry you’re in is likely because it’s one you’re passionate about.

First, think of things you, as a reader, would like to see on a blog. You can also research the trending topics and take a different spin on them.

For example, is everyone in your niche buzzing about something you disagree with? Say it (or, rather, write it) loud and proud!

As with all other SEO strategies, it’s important to first research keywords in your niche. Optimize your topic and title for keywords to ensure your blog is found on search results.

Organize the Blog

While you should follow the advice above and start writing the blog how you feel most comfortable, it’s important that you organize the format of your blog. This step is called outlining and is an important part of the writing process.

Even if you don’t know your blog topic, you’ll at least know how your blog will flow.

What are some examples of blog outlining? Label the introduction and conclusion. Then, go into your headers. Plan your major headers, subheaders, and write the points that will go under each.

This process will help you understand your blog a little better, helping you plan your topic.

Create an Editorial Calendar

Do you not have a blog topic in mind now, but know what you want to write about in the future? Don’t let those blogs get lost in your train of thought! Create an editorial calendar.

An editorial calendar is what it sounds like — a guide that explains the different blog topics you will write about.

An editorial calendar typically encompasses the blog topics, the titles, the keywords you’ll use, and the date you’ll write the article and the date you’ll publish it.

Who knows, maybe compiling an editorial calendar will help you discover what to write about now!

What Should I Write About? Some Blog Post Ideas

Now that you know general advice when thinking of a topic, here are a few blog topic ideas if all else fails.

Write a Review

Whether you’re a sucker for film or you really love books, anyone can write a review.

If you came across a work that you have an opinion about, share that opinion. You don’t have to receive the work for free from a publicist in order to write a review.

Host a Contest

A contest does more than entice your followers. Everyone loves free stuff. A contest helps give you something fun to write about (even a few blogs to write) and can even go viral.

What should you give away? Start with your affiliates. Reach out to the companies you collaborate with and see if you can snag a product from them to give away. Did you write an ebook? You can also use that as a prize.

Interview Someone

Is there an influencer in your niche you idolize? Reach out to them and interview them!

You’ll be surprised how willing people are to receiving press. You have an interesting topic to write about and may gain some new followers through the interview!

Create a Guide or a Tutorial

Every niche has newbies. Help them out! Create a guide or a tutorial about anything in your niche. For example, let’s say cars are your niche. Write an article about how to change tires or a guide to the different car batteries.

Create an Infographic

Even though we’re not bashing your impressive writing skills, but 65% of people are visual learners. That means they absorb visual content better than written content. Instead of writing a hefty blog, create a fun infographic.

Need Help Writing Your Blogs?

Whether you’re creating a snazzy infographic or writing a review, there are plenty of things to blog about. But do you still find yourself saying, “what should I write about?” You may need some help writing your blog content.

If so, don’t feel ashamed to reach out to a blog writing service. They will create topics for you in your niche and will follow the blog writing instructions you give.

Take a look at our services. We offer pricing based on word count and expertise.

Are you preparing to launch your own brand? Or do you want to increase and strengthen your online brand presence?

Regardless if you are a marketer on a blogger, you need to increase your website branding. Studies show that 60% of consumers will likely patronize brands they connect with.

Thus, you need to ensure that your brand sticks above the rest.

Establishing an online brand involves different factors. What is surprising is that some of them are simple yet full of impact. Heed these tips and see your brand fly in no time.

1. Simplicity Matters

Why complicate things if you can keep things simple yet effective? Make sure that your website has everything it needs. And do not go overboard.

The key is to make your visitors understand your message in the simplest way possible. Too much unnecessary content may confuse them.

Focus on ensuring your website loads fast. Keep in mind that people do not want to waste their time.

2. Explain Who You Really Are

You need to show your clients who you really are right from the get-go. Come up with a clear marketing message.

Use your “About Us” page to get this message across loud and clear.

Your visitors need to see your unique identity whenever they click this particular page. Try telling a true story that played a big role in shaping who you and your company are. You can even add a few photos for a more personal touch.

Let everyone know what you stand for, and list your business principles. Let everyone know the driving force behind your brand.

3. Pick a Theme and Stick to It

You need to decide on a theme that will set the tone for your website. The theme is what your customers and visitors will immediately associate with your brand. Come up with a theme that is personal, modern, and fresh-looking.

Be consistent in relation to the rest of your website, including your brand’s logo.

Mind your typography and stick to one font type. Using different fonts tend to confuse visitors.

If your business offers fun and hip products, create a theme that is light and vibrant. If you are offering more serious products and services, go for a more professional theme.

4. Colors Speak

You also need to choose the right colors that complement your brand. With the different colors to incorporate in your website, there is a risk of using too much for your own good.

If you are trying to achieve a modern look, two to three color tones should work. Try using two primary colors. Go for a neutral background.

The colors that you pick should reflect the personality of your brand. They should complement the theme of your website.

5. Use Social Media Widgets

Does your business have social media accounts? Make sure to put links to your channels on your official website. Do this by placing social media widgets on your website.

Widgets can help your visitors access your social media accounts with one click. You can update them on any posts and videos you recently uploaded.

By connecting them to your social media channels, you will create more customer engagements. The more engagements you have, the more visitors you will attract.

6. Use Strong Visuals

One of the biggest reasons people keep coming back to check your website is visuals. Make sure you use strong visuals to send your brand’s message loud and clear.

Apart from choosing the right colors and fonts, use compelling images. But don’t settle for those generic smiling faces and close-up shots. Your pictures and images should carry your brand’s specific message.

Strong visuals should partner with engaging blog posts. If you have an interesting story to tell, your images will take it to the next level.

7. Integrate Videos

On top of strong images, you need to integrate videos. By videos, we don’t mean embedding your YouTube videos on your page. What we mean is integrating moving images that will keep glue your visitors’ eyes to your website.

Place these images at the front and center of your background header.

8. Intensify Customer Support

Part of creating a solid online brand presence is strong customer support. Install some customer service plug-ins. Start with a 24-hour live chat, especially if you are offering tech and electronic products.

To save more time in answering basic customer inquiries, install a customer support bot. The bot can respond to generic questions that your clients will likely ask. It will give you the opportunity to respond to inquiries in a swift manner.

Studies show that consumers are starting to prefer customer service that does not require talking. This is where a live chat plug-in comes into play.

9. Use Customer Feedback

Excellent customer service translates to positive customer feedback. Thus, use your clients’ positive reviews to your advantage.

Collate all of the positive reviews and testimonials. Share them on your website for everyone to see.

Positive reviews increase your credibility. They help you establish a solid reputation in the industry.

When the time comes that you start receiving awards and recognitions, proudly showcase them on your website too.

10. Be on Top of Your Data

Last but not least, you need to stay on top of your data. Get a heat map tool to get a better picture of the people who visit your website.

Your data will also tell you if you need to do some tweaks and improvements. You will get an idea if there is a bug that affects your visitors’ browsing experience.

Improve Your Website Branding Today!

Website branding is only the start of the journey. After building your momentum, you need to sustain it for the long haul. The next step is to execute strategies that will improve your brand.

Expand your business by using different strategies like corporate giveaways, hosting events, and blogging. Check out our posts that will help you kick-off a blog site. We also have articles that will guide you as you incorporate blogging into your marketing strategies.

Finally! Finally!

Your blog post is finished.

You slam the computer shut as if it just offended you and run for your life.

Writing isn't everyone's cup of tea and doing a blog edit excites even fewer people.

Continue reading this article for simple tips to make your blog editing less of a drag.

The All Important Blog Edit

As tempting as it is to just hit publish on your blog post - please don't do this to yourself. You not only want to have a nice blog post layout, but you also want to have content that is free of errors.

You know there are mistakes in there, so why even think about hitting publish before editing? If you feel like you've used up your brand bandwidth - take a break.

Take a break and when you come back, your mind will be fresh. You'll be ready to put the following tips into play so you can edit your blog post to be one of your best.

1. Discover If You Already Have an Editing Process

While you might think that you don't have a process - think again.

If you've done something more than once, you've most likely taken the same steps to get the same result.

Go back through your editing process and write down what you do each step. Even if you don't want to use this process, it is a good base to have so you know what your natural flow has been in the past.

2. Create an Editing Checklist

Whether you noticed you already had somewhat of an editing process or not, now is a time to make an editing checklist.

If you have something to work with then you can refine it and make sure you are hitting all of the important parts.

3. Do All of the Links Work?

We've all made this simple mistake. We highlight the text and go to put a link but - oops! Something goes wrong and we have a dead link.

As long as we edit the blog post and make sure the links work - that's not a problem. If you just slide it through so you can be done with it, that is when things get messy.

Imagine a reader going to click on the link for more information - 404 error! The page does not exist.

4. Do All Sentences Make Sense?

When you're writing, it is easy to get in the flow. You're writing the same as you'd talk and those sentences are a mile long.

If you get into the "zone" you shouldn't stop your writing to edit, but you should go back and edit. If you leave those long sentences, your blog is going to be difficult to read and many people will leave without a second thought.

Your goal is to write short and easy to understand sentences. You don't want to complicate your reader's life.

5. Is Your Content Full of Fluff?

Ah - the dreaded fluff.

What is fluff?

Fluff is when you write content that isn't necessary to make your blog post work. If you put content in your blog that could be left out and do no harm to the post - that is fluff.

Most people tend to put a lot of fluff at the beginning of their blog post. This will turn people off and make them stop reading.

Instead of including fluff in your blog post, find other helpful content to make your post meatier. You don't want your readers to leave your site because they feel like they didn't get the help they needed.

6. How's Your Article's Hook?

We mentioned the start of your article above. The first of your article needs to have a good hook.

Creating a good hook likely doesn't come naturally to you. Look at top sites like Forbes online to get ideas for how to start your article.

Grabbing the user attention by using a good hook is key so you can keep wowing them with your amazing blog content throughout the post.

7. Is Your CTA on Point?

Click here to learn more.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today.

These are some examples of CTAs, which stands for call to action.

CTAs are another important part of your blog post. You're writing this post for a reason, right?

What is that reason?

Make sure the reader knows what you want them to do next by giving them a direct call to action. If you don't tell the reader what you want them to do, they are likely to click away from your blog post without doing anything.

8. Is Your Personality / Company Personality Coming Through?

When writing blog posts, you might put on your "writer hat."

If you put on your writer hat and it changes the way that you come across, that could cause problems connecting with your audience.

Writing isn't something stuffy.

Writing is a means to communicate an idea to your reader. You need to think of this as a conversation, but also keep in mind how you're displaying the information.

If you're writing as yourself, you need to make a point to write so people can get to know you.

If you're writing for a company, you need to figure out what their voice is. You shouldn't put your voice into your blog post unless it is specifically requested of you.

Still Ready to Throw in the Towel?

If your blog edit situation still makes you want to throw in the towel - we can help. Work with our best writers and the work you need to do to publish a blog post will seem so small.

Check out our order content page today to see how you can get started.

2 million blog posts go up online daily. And you may be about to join their ranks.

Almost one-fourth of all websites are blogs, and with those statistics, it can make many people feel paralyzed when it comes to writing their first blog post.

Whether you're writing a personal blog, a blog post for a website you work for, or something for your own business, your first blog post is the one that you'll be making a splash with.

Read on for more information on how to create, edit, and publish your very first blog post.

Content Creation

Creating content can be one of the most difficult parts of blogging. While you may read other blogs and think, "I could do that," when you actually sit down to write a blog post, it may seem much more daunting than you expected.

Content creation involves a few things, but there is no magic formula. As a content creator, you'll want to create things that you enjoy and resonate with, especially if the blog is a personal one. You also want to consider what your audience resonates with.

Instead of starting your first blog post out cold, try and create several topics you'd like to write about in the next few weeks or months. Create a schedule, even if you don't necessarily stick to it, and plan to write at least a few times each month, updating regularly.

With a plan, you'll feel a bit less like you're taking a shot in the dark.

Writing the Blog Post

Don't write up a blog post and then hit send immediately. Instead, give it some time to digest before you put it up. You'll want to make sure it's not too long or too short, and you may want to trim out some of the unnecessary bits as you go.

Most blog posts are around 500 words, but they can be a bit longer or shorter. Over time, your readers will let you know through their engagement what they like, and which posts resonate the most with them.

Write the blog post to be a decent word count and then come back to it later. Edit out anything that seems unnecessary before you hit publish.

Choosing Topics

If you're running a business, it may be easy to choose topics. You may want to focus on FAQs (frequently asked questions), have individuals write in and answering their questions or talk about aspects of the business you find fascinating.

Personal bloggers may have a little more of a difficult time, partially because they may only be writing for themselves. As such, they may not as easily have topics ready to go.

Look online for prompts to help you find blog posts to write. Tentatively plan them out to give your readers something to look forward to. You may even tease them about a new topic coming up that you want to introduce, enticing them to come back next week or the next time you post.

Be Prepared

Before you launch your blog, have a few blog posts in the pipeline ready to be posted. Most blogging platforms give you the ability to do this, so you won't have to manually enter each blog post.

Depending on what you do during the week, try to have one day dedicated to blog content. This is the day you'll write up your blog posts and format them. You can then enter them, preview them, and see what you think. Once you're ready, upload them and set them to go live automatically.

This way, you won't launch your blog post with one lonely post weeks later, especially if you haven't gotten around to updating again.

Take It Seriously

If you want to have a successful blog, you need to take it seriously. This means devoting time out of your day to the blog. It also means ensuring that your content meets your professional standards and those of the individuals who will be reading your blog.

A blog that isn't taken seriously isn't one that's going to be well-read. You won't update often and it won't really go anywhere magical if you don't take the time you need to actually upload fresh and quality content.

Use Another Pair of Eyes

Before your first blog post goes up, have someone else read the post. Often times, it can be difficult to catch our own mistakes. Even with modern technology and software that supposedly catches them for us, we can still overlook things and end up publishing misspellings and other embarrassing oversights.

Having another person go over your work will ensure that it is polished and up to a professional standard. Another person can also help you decide what other topics might work on the blog and can give you even more insight into what customers or readers might want to see.

Hitting Publish on That First Blog Post

Your first blog post is your introduction to the world, and when you hit publish, you're announcing that you're there and ready to be seen. Think of it as your first impression, so you need to ensure that it is a good one.

If you don't have time to create good quality blog posts, it might be time to look into outsourcing your content. For some people, this works very well. Read our blog post on when to decide that it is time to hire a third party to write your blog to get all of the info.

You’ve read somewhere how crucial blogging is for your business, and it’s true. Blogging is a powerful way to boost your marketing and connect with your audience. If you don’t have one, learning how to blog is paramount.

53% of marketers say that blogging is their top priority. Without it, you’re risking your SEO to crawl. This will result in bad visibility and even low traffic and leads conversion.

Why are some people afraid of starting their blog? That’s because they’re afraid of failing. We’re stopping this nonsense now.

In this article, we’ll cite the best first blog post examples that you can use as a guide. These examples have elements of how your first post should look like.

We want you to see these blog writing examples and gain that much-needed confidence. These will help for that smashing success blog you want.

1. Be Informative in Your Blog Post

Being informative in your blog is something that every aspiring writer should remember. The free-flow of valuable information is crucial to any blog post, as people need to see value in your blogs.

One of the smartest examples of this is marketing guru Neil Patel and his personal blog. It’s a treasure trove of information for anyone learning about digital marketing. Neil’s blog has become one of the most respected resources on the internet for his informative takes on hacking online growth.

While we don’t expect a new blogger to have the research tools that Neil has, what you need to do is research. Whatever your topic is, you want to make sure you’re a consummate professional. Learn the basics of your niche first and try to generate your own takes.

99% of the time, nobody on this known Earth can start their first blog post like how Neil does his. Even then, good valuable insights here and there will help for sure.

2. Be Gregarious and Conversational

When it comes to your blog, people don’t like stiff tones. The aim of a blog is to connect you and your business to your audience. If you want people to respond better, it’s best to have a conversational tone that humanizes the blog itself.

One of the great blog post examples we like is Mike and Steph’s I Am A Food Blog. Their travel and food blog specializes in everyday eats and their adventures together. The content is both fun, easy and their content is fantastic.

What sets them apart, however, is how they approach the reader. Their conversational take on their blog examples draws the audience in. It makes sure to remind readers that there is a human behind the brand.

They treat their audience like a friend who’s visiting their home, and this makes their blog captivating. With a good command of their images and a minimalist layout, they’re making waves in the blogosphere.

Don’t be afraid to be funny, witty and eloquent on your first blog. Even if you’re discussing serious topics, professionalism and being conversational do mix. It paints a more colorful palette and opens your thoughts to your audience.

3. Follow Core Storytelling

In formal journalism, the human interest story is an excellent take on how to draw in attention. What happens to real people evokes natural curiosity and can get anyone’s attention. In the same way, you would want a blog post that uses core storytelling to pull in your audience.

One such blog writing examples is Feature Shoot, a photography blog that explains the context of the photos they post. Every post they do has a core story – a core theme that aims to evoke emotions in their audience. Many of the images they post are modern photojournalism at its finest.

When it comes to writing your first blog post, start with a story that is personal to you. Use core storytelling as a way to humanize your subject and put it closer to the hearts of your readers. Whatever topic you may have, it’s crucial to have a certain level of narrative sense.

Even if your topic is personal finance or marketing, there’s a logical flow to every topic. Try to figure out where your narrative flow starts. As examples, SEO for beginners and PPC guides tend to start with keyword research, as you can’t do anything without it.

Core storytelling works and you should start doing so in your blog post examples.

4. Make Your Blog Easy to Consume

In your first blog post, it’s best to use different ways to break apart your content. People don’t like reading a wall of text, so it’s crucial to adjust your blog into easy to consume, bite-sized pieces. How do you do this?

Our favorite of our blog writing examples for this is TechSmith, a technology blog that provides tips and tech how to’s. In all their blogs, they follow a specific guideline when it comes to breaking apart their content.

What they first do is use short paragraphs with 1-3 short sentences. These paragraphs are all easy to read and have good spacing between them. They also use lists and quotes to make their content easy to digest.

In their blog examples, TechSmith uses photos and videos to break apart their sections. Every section has a subheading as well to show a clear hierarchy between their sub-topics.

The best way to do this yourself is to make use of lists to enumerate. If there’s a crucial quote, use the quotation button to emphasize it. Find photos that you can use as well, whether they’re stock photos or images you took.

Follow These First Blog Post Examples!

When it comes to your first blog post, there’s no need to muss. You want to be informative and compelling in your first blog post examples. You would want to make sure you provide value to your readers and find ways to attract their attention.

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iWriter is a prime source for top quality content for any business. It doesn’t matter what your business is. We can provide compelling content that converts.

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