Content Lessons from A Fellow Newb

bydbenoit1

57 followers

3 years ago

Things I've learned about content:

1. Quality content is the blood that will drive traffic. Yes, ultimately, I'm doing this to make a living, BUT if I'm not genuinelly helping people, that will never happen.
2. Quality content takes planning and lots of research. I'm always setting up new content for at least one to two weeks out. As a blogger in the hunting and fishing space, topics are usually seasonal in nature. I have to be on the ball in terms of keyword research.
3. Never be afraid to go back and test out new titles, and play with combinations of informational/promotional content. They are different, but if well written, your promotional content will ALWAYS be part informational article. That's why your site is a resource.
4. Keyword research keyword research keyword research. Along with titles, this is something with which I'll always struggle. I have a very unique niche, being focused upon health topics related to the outdoors. This makes much of my content the result of a Venn Diagram, if you will... essentially it becomes an overlapping region between entirely fishing and or hunting, and entirely diseases and conditions that can be experienced in their pursuit. This means I'm doing the keyword research of TWO subject areas.
5. Make the best use of empty time gaps. TRUST me, you can do more in 10-15 minutes for content than you might think. Much of my best content pieces seem to come from a (researched, of course) topic wher I perform a total "brain dump," creating the basic framework for an individual piece. Sometimes you'll develop great offshoots of one piece that can lead to one, maybe more other pieces. It can be exponential.
6. Online keyword searches aren't your only source of great content ideas. Ask people question. Reach out. Actually pick people's brains and LISTEN to their pain points. This is in of itself, a bit of a brain dump that yield exponential content ideas.

I hope these reflections help other newbies like myself. Maybe even the veterans will learn something vaulable from it! I hope so!

-Derek