Think blogging is all just typing? Wrong! Although text makes up a lot of blogging, that doesn’t mean it’s all dry or too straightforward! How you format your blog text and how you phrase your ideas counts for a lot – and can have a big impact on your readership and SEO!
Blog: Bold Bolding & Bullets
43% of people admit to skimming blog posts (maybe you’re doing that now) (HubSpot). Bold face type gives those skimmers words to grab onto and holds their attention. When writing your blog article, focus on bolding your key words and ideas.
Bullet points with bold face type:
- accentuate your key points
- jolt readers back to your great content
- give the eyes and mind a quick vacation
- Did it work?
Sub-Headings!
Shake up your readers with sub-headings that stand out and give some white space to your content. Our eyes need a break from lengthy reads and sub-headings are the visual break we all need.
It gets better, your SEO will be optimized when you make your sub-headings H1, H2 or H3. (Check your own blog dashboard for this formatting set-up). Remember to include key words as your sub-headings.
Key Words are Key
Speaking of key words in your sub-headings, you can also maximize your SEO when you use your key words in the blog excerpt, tags and categories.
Consider choosing key words that your readers may search in an on-line search. Your key words may be related to:
- a destination,
- style of travel (luxury, adventure, cruising, etc)
- an attraction (Disney, a particular ship name., etc)
- a festival or event
- Popular search words
Once you’ve selected a number of key words, test their search popularity on a tool such as Google Trends.
“Google Trends visualizes how search trends change over time. Enter a keyword, and you will see the relative popularity of that search query over the past 12 months.” (source)
Here’s an example showing when a search term (Caribbean Cruising) has peak searches. This may influence when you blog about Caribbean Cruising.
Figure 1- Google Trends highlights the peaks and valleys of key word search.
Figure 2 – Explore options and related topics.
This will help you understand key word popularity and how words may potentially rank in an organic search…essential for SEO and branding your niche. Other key word tools here.
Block Quotes are Blockbusters
Top-Notch Titles
Do you find the title the hardest part of your writing? It may be the only thing a potential client reads, so making sure it’s top-notch is easy with a headline analyzing tool like this one. I use this grader for every article and even some social posts. It forces me to think succinctly! Research shows that titles with 6 words get the most click-thrus.
Bonus tip: I like to write my title last! That way I have my ideas together and the title better matches my content.
Embrace Editing
Clear, succinct, memorable! Don’t get so attached to each and every word that you can’t edit mercilessly. Give your red pen a workout! Chop, move and edit till you’ve squeezed every excess word from the page. Then do it again. I’ve just started using this tool, Hemingway, and wow, is it ever educational!
While the benefits of blogging are many, the SEO spark and the opportunity to put my thoughts and ideas on paper in hopes of helping other travel pros are the key reasons I keep writing. Go ahead, pick up your pen, laptop and camera and watch your business soar.
Here’s an overview:
What will you do differently in your next blog article?
Related Articles
3 Reasons You Need to Write a Blog
4 Quick Tips to Make your Blog Come Alive
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About Catherine Heeg
Catherine Heeg is a recognized social media trail blazer passionate about social media and marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry. She takes the mystery out of marketing!
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