Should I Write An Informational Post or a Transactional Post as a Newbie?
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Should I Write An Informational Post or a Transactional Post as a Newbie?
Informational articles are a type of blog post written to inform the reader about something. This can be information on a specific topic or instructions on how to do something for your audience.
There is no selling intent on this type of post.
You can find topics people are looking for to help solve their problems related to your niche by searching Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Once you have found the issues you are interested in, could you create an exciting title?
You can provide a catchy title so that people will read your post. Also, you must keep the post short. Use a lot of active verbs. This will make people keep reading their seats until the end.
First, you should do when writing an informative blog post is to decide what your main point or topic will be. When writing this blog post, you'll need to choose a topic goal and ensure that your entire content supports the answers and solutions to a problem.
Second, when writing an informative blog post, you should create a plan for the content.
Third, you should list all the points you want to cover in your article and know where they will go in the article before you start writing anything else.
Finally, you will ensure that your article has enough detail so that the reader knows exactly what they will get from reading it and why it's essential for them to read it.
Start with these steps.
- Develop an idea for your post or look for topics that people are looking for answers to their questions (researching your seed keyword topic in Google or your keyword tool)
- Create an Outline to help you organize your article.
- List points that you want to cover in your article
When you write a post, include keywords in the title and the body of the text. This will help search engines like Google to find your posts more easily.
You can add a compelling headline at the top of your post so that people can quickly identify and click on it if you like.
Remember to add a call to action when you finish writing the post to get your audience to click on an external link to another authoritative website.
No posting of affiliate links with an informative post.
Some new bloggers will add something like the end of their informational posts.
I learned how to blog (using anchor text link for WA, your affiliate link as a postscript), which would be an option to help bring people to WA; if they sign up, you earn a commission. If you want to find your WA affiliate link, you can go to the dollar sign icon and see the link there. Click copy. That's your affiliate link for WA.
An excellent informative blog post will have a unique perspective different from other bloggers—using relevant images, video, or audio to support your answers that solve a specific problem.
Partha tells us newbies it is better to write informational posts for the first three months or so before you start putting affiliate links.
Could you tell me why I need to write an informative post as a newbie? Why do I have to wait several months? I want to make money now.
Partha explains clearly that many sites have a higher domain authority than new websites. Hence, we must start with writing an informative post to gain the Google experience, expertise, authority, and trust (E.E.A.T.) to build up our domain authority and get those articles ranked before having a selling intent.
Partha is brilliant. You can use ad networks on your sites like EZOIC ads or AdThrive. You can add a small link at the end for your WA promotion or use one of the WA banners on your WP's side.
The goal is not to push people to buy something in your informative post. You are just finding solutions and answering their questions.
Later, you can add affiliate links as your site grows.
Some do this immediately, posting affiliate links in the first, second, or last paragraph of the first 20 articles.
This might seem spammy because people initially want to avoid buying anything. After all, they do not know you yet. Most likely will be ignored.
While building your informative post, you can start internal linking, which comes later as you start growing your articles to link them to other relevant articles.
Read ParthaB's Post
I’m Ranking! Am I Ranking? Who’s Ranking? What’s Ranking?
(REVEALED!) The SECRET to Google Number One Ranking (A Refresher)
What Is A Transactional Article?
Transactional article posts have a selling intent and affiliate links that allow you to earn a commission through products like Amazon, digital products, or a paid membership like WA if you follow Bootcamp. Writing a transactional post should happen later as you build your domain authority.
If you write product reviews, this will have affiliate links. Those are transactional articles with a selling intent. Or writing a listicle article, you might be an affiliate for some of those links like a WordPress affiliate link, autoresponder affiliate link, or a funnel builder affiliate link to make sales.
Conclusion
For people who are just getting started with building their niche website. The best way to write content is to start with writing an informational article with no selling intent for the first three months until you have grown your domain authority. You can start adding affiliate links to Amazon and other affiliate links.
-BrendaMZ
PS. I understand it is an individual choice to add affiliate links in their articles when they start building content. That's ok to do that; however, I learned that it takes time for your audience to get to know and trust you. Writing an informative post at the beginning of building your website makes the most sense.
Other Training Resources
Understanding the Low-Hanging Fruit
How to Build a Personal Brand Website For Your Affiliate Marketing Business
Recent Comments
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I'm going to disagree a bit about not putting in any affiliate links.
I consider affiliate links a resource for your readers. You are telling them about something wonderful, something that could make their lives nicer or easier, then if there's no link, you're basically saying "here's the internet - good luck!"
I'm a firm believer in putting links into an article when they are helpful to the reader. If the product/service you are discussing happens to have an affiliate program, Google won't penalize you for having an affiliate links instead of a non-affiliate link.
So put in the link, help your reader, maybe make a commission.
Hi Jeannie, you can disagree with my blog post. I am ok with that. I accept your opinion. To each their own. But you have been doing it a lot longer than most.
Many keywords are very competitive. Even Kyle is saying informational posts in his training. By the way, following ParthaB's methods is helping many people. Perhaps you don't like his style, and I can accept that.
Guess what? Jay's training teaches us in the beginning to write an informative post. He walked us through creating a new site. Jay did not use affiliate links in any of them. It's too soon for that. The trainers here are teaching this. Sorry to say bluntly, "out with the old, bring in the new." With all these constant Google updates, old-school thinking is no longer helpful. Now with the new technology and new updates, Google is clear on what we need to do to follow their guidelines.
The last one was in December for spammy links. Many sites tanked from that. I made these mistakes four years ago, my old site was all affiliate links using the Bootcamp method I never ranked, and with all those product reviews updates, my site tanked.
I am reversing it. I destroyed my old site. I am starting over. I find Jay's teaching and Partha's method beneficial for my site. And the P-Plus experts. I add my informative post-WA affiliate links at the end, but that's about it.
As I stated, some can put their links wherever they want. It's their site.
For now, I will do what the trainers here teach and it's simple as that. I will carry on with that.
It's ok. I am a very blunt person, perhaps a hothead. Yeah, you did hit a nerve. Sure, your apology is accepted.
While Jay and Partha are greatly respected within WA, myself included, there are many others just as successful and more outside our little community who do things differently. I'm glad if their methods are successful for you, but don't dare think it's the only way to do something.
Great info Brenda! I get overwhelmed knowing what to do next so this is a great reminder. To work on value added content first and work from there.
Thanks
Holly
Holly, exactly. I am a newbie with my website. I am just starting. I have been here 4 years. I had severe health issues during the first three years, so I did nothing with my first site. Now I am starting over, just starting to draft informational articles on my site.
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Brenda,
Wow!
Many of us newbies really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and expertise. It is so easy to get sidetracked and overwhelmed coming into the online world.
Having this post as a guide helps us stay on tract. It is important to have a chosen mentor starting out. This can help prevent us from going down the rabbit hole of frustration.
We need our training wheels on in the beginning until we can master the skills and be on our merry way.
This post is a must-read. It is so concise and well- written. Also, thanks for providing the links.
Excellent A+ Post,
Rachele
Rachele
Thank you for commenting. We all need mentors. I agree it's important to stay on track. Keep the momentum going by sticking to content building on your niche website. I’ve been down the rabbit hole and Alice told me to get out. Smile!
You are now in the limelight, my friend 🥰