Writing Blog Posts That Drive Traffic and Conversions

by Kara McGaharan, Director, Program Strategy

Marketing Strategy

Blogging can be an effective tool for driving website traffic and generating leads. Well-written blog posts attract and engage readers, encouraging them to subscribe, download or buy. To optimize your blog posts, consider these tips.

How to Write Effective Blog Posts

Craft Attention-Grabbing Headlines

The blog post’s headline is the first thing readers see, so make sure it’s clear and compelling. Entice your readers with the promise of a good story, powerful stats, useful knowledge or some other type of value that will stir their curiosity.

Understand Your Audience

Learn about your target audience’s needs, questions and preferences through surveys, paid research and customer conversations. You can also use Google Trends, AnswerThePublic and SEMrush to discover what people are searching for online. The information you collect will tell you what your potential customers care about and help you write content that appeals to them.

Also, consider creating personas that represent the members of your audience. They make it easier to keep the details about your readers in mind when you’re writing for them.

Structure Your Blog Post for Readability and Engagement

Make your blog post visually easy to read. Use subheadings, bullet points and short paragraphs to break up text. Images, infographics, videos and other visuals can also enhance understanding. And use strong calls-to-action (CTA) to guide readers toward conversions.

Incorporate SEO Best Practices

Include the keywords you want your post to rank in search engines, while still using natural, user-friendly language. The text should flow logically and be easy to understand.

Add meta titles, descriptions and alt text for images to boost search rankings. Include internal and external links to improve the website’s authority and the user experience.

Write Content that Converts

Your blog posts are more likely to be effective if your audience connects with them emotionally. Use storytelling and persuasive language that resonates with your readers and addresses their pain points. Then, provide actionable solutions in the form of CTAs, such as “Sign Up For Our Newsletter” or “Start Your Free Trial.”

Analyze and Optimize Your Blog Performance

Even after your blog post is published, your work isn’t done yet. Use A/B testing to see which layouts, headlines and CTAs work best. Track traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate and other performance metrics with Google Analytics. Hotjar is also a helpful tool. It uses heatmaps to show how readers interact with your blog content.

Enhance Your Blog Posts

By blending creativity, research and strategic optimization, you can turn blog posts into powerful marketing tools for your business. The MadAve Marketing Management team has the expertise to help you attract readers and improve your conversions. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

"We have been working with April for about 4 months, since taking over following a client management transition. Whenever a change occurs when working closely with a company like MadAve, there is always uncertainty around how smoothly things will go. April quickly stepped into the role and handled our account like she had been working with us for months. She has great attention to detail and — most importantly — a unique ability to hold us accountable to providing the MadAve team what they need, when they need it. April has proven herself to be extremely organized and phenomenal when it comes to follow up. She is a tremendous asset for us."

- Ben Tassin, Partner Ambassador, DWM Holdings

"April has become an important member of our team. She brings our marketing plans to life, coordinating resources from diverse groups, both internal and external, keeping everyone organized and on-track. As the pace of our work becomes increasingly demanding, she never misses a beat - a true demonstration of her commitment to the American Frame brand."

- Laura Jajko, President, American Frame

"Over the past 9 years, MadAveGroup has actively engaged with us to understand our members, products and philosophy. Their due diligence delivers impressive digital campaign results month-over-month. Our organic search and paid search results have never been better! I am thankful for their expertise and recommendations as we work together to continue to boost our presence in the always-evolving world of search engines."

Heather Gilchrist, Marketing Director, VacationLand Federal Credit Union

"We've worked with MadAveGroup since 1996 in many different facets. In 2017, we implemented Pay-Per-Click and Search Engine Optimization programs, which have been instrumental in our ability to grow an average of 5.5 new customers per day for several years. Their client managers are friendly and bright and keep us updated with monthly reports. They are always there to help, answering phone calls and replying to emails almost instantly. I cannot say enough good things about MadAveGroup."

Sharon Tipping, Marketing Manager, Parker Steel

"I am most impressed with Brian and Jessica (and the team) for their abilities to be flexible and patient to come up with something that works best for our company and not just push us into something we would not be comfortable with just to get the money. This approach tells me they value the long-term relationship and not just the immediate win. Thank you all!"

Christine Gorey, Marketing Manager, Columbia Chemical

"Shaun always updates us on our quarterly changes and explains the process every time. This is a new program that I have taken over and he has been very patient and has done a great job explaining the process and the difference in scripts and messages and how Ziebart can utilize the program better."

Carly Jacobi, Field Marketing Specialist, Ziebart International Corporation

"Kara takes her role seriously and does her best to accommodate busy schedules. She is easy to work with and quick to respond. She helps keep them on track and lets them know when there is a problem before they discover it."

Kim Hoch, Vice President of Operations, Novus Clinic