One of the best ways for an ecommerce site to rank highly in Google search results is through blogging. Most blog platforms are search engine friendly, and easy to use.
But merchants sometimes struggle with what topics to write about. Here are 10 post types to spark writing ideas that get Google’s attention — and attract readers.
1. How-tos
These can include step-by-step instructions, tutorials, or tips on ways to use a particular product.
This type of post is popular with Google because it furnishes substantive, original information the search engine now looks for based on the recent Panda update.
2. Product Reviews
Review posts are popular with consumers because they give prospective buyers an in-depth look at products in which they have interest.
Review posts should include the following information:
Brief product description;
Product testing process;
Product pros and cons.
Be as objective as possible when reviewing a product in order to prevent any bias that may influence the purchase decision.
Technology website CNET is known for its reviews. They often include video demonstrations that cite a product’s features and benefits. Look at some of those reviews to become better acquainted with this type of post.
3. Lists
List-style posts are a favorite among readers because they tend to be concise, easy to scan, and they supply information the reader can quickly put into action.
4. Customer Profiles
Showcase loyal customers and their use of products you sell. This type of post serves two purposes.
It provides third-party validation about your products that can lead to increased trust;
Profiled customers may share the post with their family and friends, thus increasing the number of people who view it.
Customer profiles could come in the form of interviews, case studies or testimonials.
5. Curated Links
Content curation has become popular due to the overwhelming amount of information available on the Internet. Curation differs from aggregation because content is sorted, filtered and organized around a specific topic or theme. This provides a valuable service because it saves readers time and effort they would otherwise expend doing so themselves.
A good example of this post type comes from social commerce company inSparq, which includes a “Friday Five” curated post that contains a weekly recap of what happened in social commerce across the web.
Posts can include simply a bulleted list of links or, better yet, links with annotations that contain a summary of the content, as well as your own insights.
6. Opinions
Posts that state an opinion — especially one that relates to a controversial topic — is a good way to get readers engaged. Find a topic that you’re passionate about and make your best case.
7. Breaking News
Find a breaking news item or trending Twitter topic that relates to products you sell and tie it to a blog post.
8. Thought Leadership
People want to do business with those they trust. One distinct advantage to using a blog is its ability to demonstrate your thought leadership and expertise, which can lead to increased trust and credibility.
9. Question and Answer
If you’ve ever taken time to answer a customer’s question via email, turn that response into a blog post. It’s likely that other customers have that same question and your blog can become its own form of FAQs. In fact, you could create an FAQ blog category to serve the purpose.
Alternatively, you could create a post that asks a question or conducts a poll, which is an ideal way to get readers engaged.
10. Guest Posts
If you run out of posting ideas, invite others to write one on your behalf. These could include customers, subject matter experts, industry authorities or vendor partners.
Encourage guests to avoid promotional style posts, and instead focus on supplying helpful information. You should include a brief bio and link to their websites.
