If you’ve been following my previous posts you’ll know I run a thriving dog blog. But it didn’t get to this point without a little know-how and a lot of hard work.
And today, I’m all about sharing the knowledge, baby! Below are some of the strategies I’ve used to grow GoneDogMad from nothing, to 6,000 sessions and 20 affiliate sales every month.
So here are 5 things you can do to make your blog more successful.
These are juicy, so lean in.
Make SEO a priority
Search engine optimisation (SEO) can drive thousands of visitors to your website every day, on autopilot. When you target key phrases pet parents use to search for answers online, your articles get found and read by more people.
And the more blog articles you write, the more opportunity you have to attract visitors and convert those readers into sales.
So when you’re writing articles that answer questions and solve your reader’s problems, you build meaningful relationships. You become a valuable resource that keeps them coming back for more!
But you need to find out which keywords to use first.
To find relevant and popular key phrases, you can use Google’s keyword planner as a starting point. Unfortunately, after switching the planner from its predecessor the ‘keyword tool’, a lot of the more useful data is missing.
But you can use this in combination with Neil Patel’s Uber Suggest to get more accurate numbers. Such as exactly how many people search using a particular phrase every month.
The information is extremely useful for guiding what you should write about and the headlines you should choose. If you want to go all out, you could invest in the mother of all keyword research tools, SEMrush.
A solid SEO strategy is crucial for any business wanting to increase their website traffic.
Promote a lead magnet
A lead magnet is something of value you offer on your website that a visitor must sign up to receive.
They give you their email address in exchange for, for example, an ebook on ‘surviving the first year of puppyhood’ or a ‘puppy essentials checklist’, or in my case, ’24 easy games to keep pup busy at home.’
A lead magnet is a fantastic way to grow your email list, which is one of the most valuable marketing tools you can have. When you have an active list of people that look forward to your emails, that, my friend, is magic!
That’s where you’ll make connections, offer even more value and shout about you and what you offer.
Leverage Pinterest
For pet businesses, Pinterest is a gold mine. It’s pet parents galore over there, and they’re primed to find better ways they can care for their pets. And that includes finding out about new pet products and services they can try.
If you’re not yet leveraging the power of Pinterest for your pet business, where have you been! It really is a game changer.
I’ve seen the kind of impact Pinterest has had on my own blog. In just one month my website traffic exploded by 1,258% after implementing my Pinterest strategy. If you want to experience the power of Pinterest for your pet business, click the link to grab your ‘Double your traffic with Pinterest checklist.’
Have a plan
Without a plan it’s difficult to stay on track. But if you don’t keep on top of creating content regularly, your hopes of driving traffic to your blog will fail.
Google loves websites that produce content on a consistent basis. They reward these websites with more traffic! And not only that, it’s one of the best ways to show your audience you’re active, and gives them a consistent prompt to engage with your brand.
A content calendar with all your monthly topics mapped out keeps you accountable. It makes it easier to start writing that article when the subject matter is right there, ready for you.
This can be as simple as adding a few topic ideas to your outlook calendar and setting reminders. But having some form of a plan will make it easier to stay on track and keep on top of those articles every week.
You can grab my handy content calendar here for free.
Be you
And lastly, I just wanted to make a quick point about your brand’s tone of voice. Don’t be afraid to be you in your blog posts – all of you. Write how you speak. Throw in your quirky sayings and let your personality shine through.
Because people do business with people. Those deeper level connections are what makes people buy your products and services. So don’t be afraid to bring out your weirdness, your opinions and your flaws. Embrace the you, and other people will too.
If you think you could use some help to grow your own blog, hit the chat button and let’s talk.