I think I have a little crush on blogging. Actually I believe it is a serious crush. My new passion. I’ve fallen in love with writing again, after having been absent from it for such a long time. A (broadcast) journalist by design, courtesy of Buffalo State College and my parents gift of education…should I reverse those two examples? My days were spent writing marketing, advertising and website copy, mixed in with book cover blurbs and author media kits. My own books pushed to the side, because I am always helping another writer get to the next level.

Blogging has become an avenue for me to burn off the knowledge simmering on my brain and it is making room for new ideas. In a blog I can say what is on my mind, just as it rolls off my mental tongue. Making its way to my virtual paper, on to my assistant and then posted to my blog. Brilliant.

Why do I think blogging is a goldmine?

The proof is in the pudding. I’ve been working with several clients over the last few months and have been dedicated to keeping their blogs active on a daily basis. Yes, I confess, I am a guest blogger AND a ghost blogger. The results have been incredible. Website traffic has gone through the roof. It is a simple formula and it can take any author to the next level.

Here are the top 7 secrets to blogging success:

Select the key words for your website. Do you your research and find the right key words that make the most sense for your title. You don’t need to go crazy, anywhere from 10-30 key words is all you need. Tag your content with those key words with every article.
Write on the subject matter associated with your key words. It really is as simple as that. It may take you some time, but find your voice.
Fresh content. Write a new article every day, or at least 3-4 days a week and you’ll be a hit with the search engines. Note: Don’t just throw up anything on your blog. Make sure it’s a value to your audience.
Blog on the weekends. You’ll be a rock star with the search engines.
Invite guest bloggers to the party. Blogging 356 days a year can become daunting, so why not invite some guest bloggers to join you in your effort to fill your blog with relevant content. It also helps with cross-promotion, have your guest bloggers provide you with a link back to your site and ask that they let their audience know about their guest appearance.
Syndicate your blog. Distribution of your content is key. Make sure you have an RSS feed and an email subscription option to your blog. Use your social media outlets to help market your daily blog posts and your content will go viral.
Track your results with Google Analytics. Monitor the traffic on your site and see what content your visitors are most interested in…then write more of it. Google Analytics is free, take advantage of this great website monitoring tool. If you can afford it, I highly recommend using HubSpot to monitor your in-bound marketing. Their online platform and tools are fabulous!

Blogging is contagious. Ask Ellie Maas Davis of Pressque, LLC. She fought me long and hard on the subject of adding a blog to her site, but gave in to my persistence after I showed her the results of my efforts. She has officially caught the blogging bug and has committed to blogging for one year, for the good of her site and her business. I’m welcomed every morning by her editorial wisdom, in the form of a blog post. She’s a fantastic writer, so now more of the world has the opportunity to experience her work.

I’m living a bloggers dream. Not only am I seeing the results in the website traffic. It has rekindled my romance with writing. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Well, only if I was writing in Paris. Cheers!

How often do you blog? Feel free to post your comments below and thanks for reading The Art of Publishing.

*Photo Courtesy of Amanda at Serenity Now