10 Types of Blog Posts for Writers to Increase Traffic

Here’s what you need.

If your blog is floundering with a small trickle of traffic, here are some tips to help crack the Internet faucet open. We don’t want trickles and streams, we want rivers, to have our content shared and read by dedicated readers.

And that brings us to readability. Are your articles optimized for the average internet user? Are your posts easy to share? Do they encourage interaction, and attract even the average quick-click internet dwellers.

Those questions are key to ask before publishing to your blog.

Here are ten types of blog posts for aspiring authors, poets, and writers.  These will help boost your blog in the right direction.

 

1. How-to/tutorial posts

This one provides information on how to perform a specific task, or reach a goal. How many of you have Googled how to do something you simply didn’t know how to? Videos and images that provide information on accomplishing whatever the post promises can build credibility and add to the post’s resources.

 

2. List posts

This is a list post.

I’ve organized a list of blog post formats. It’s nothing fancy, includes an introduction, listed points with explanations, and a conclusion. A list style post is great because of how easy it is to skim. Readers can find their needed content quickly.

 

3. Stories / Poems

If you’re a writer, this might seem obvious, but not everyone follows this. Post poems and stories to your blog, even if it means publishers can’t pick them up in the future. You’ll write other pieces you can submit. Post only your best, don’t give your blog second priority to publishers.

If you have a lengthy short story, you can cut it up into multiple blog posts. The same goes for longer poems. Post pieces of your writing regularly, maybe once or twice a week. Share your tongue fully, not partially.

 

4. Definition posts

Take a term that someone new to your field may not know, and explain it in simple terms. These posts are Wikipedia style.

For example, define SEO to an author trying to establish a website that has no prior experience, or explain copyright laws to a freelance writer new to the business.

 

5. Resource / Link posts

This time you are not the one making the content. A list of links or valuable resources to your readers composes this post type.

These posts receive a lot of back links. The resources you provided like to show off they’ve been featured elsewhere.

It’s also a good way to spice up the habit of authors constantly talking about themselves.

 

6. Rants

Spill those creative juices.  Splatter them across your blog. Write a rant that drips with passion.  Keep it concise. Go overboard, write absolutely terrible, free flow your frustration, and then put the piece away.

Come back, make some edits, dust off the saliva, and post!

If you’re rant happens to be a bit edgy, that brings us to our next blog post variety.

 

7. Controversial

Human beings love controversy. Our gossip ears await the next bite of “I can’t believe s/he did that“.

Don’t be a gossip hound. If you’re going for controversy, believe what your writing, and have the balls to say it. Don’t wallow in half-way-there opinions.

Be direct and strong with this post’s title and content. People will disagree with you. But that’s a part of writing a controversial post.

 

8. Series posts

A series post is a single blog post that fits into a series of similarly themed posts.

If you post a writing prompt every Sunday, that is a series post, a collection of blog posts relating to the same topic.

 

9. Reviews

Book reviews, music reviews, blog reviews, etc etc etc, the list goes on of what you can review. We’ll focus on books though, since you’re an aspiring author of sorts.

Don’t just share your book reviews. I’m not saying not to, no, by all means, share reviews of your work. Having a name backing your work will be incredibly helpful.

But don’t just talk about yourself.

Write reviews for other authors. This is a great way to establish your name further as a member of the literary community, and create connections. Also, remember, the author you write a review for will generally be using it to promote their content. That means your name is being shared around as well.

Helping out others leads to others helping you. The cycle of networking.

 

10. Inspiring posts

Share writing prompts, your favorite poems, quotes, etc. Inspire the reader to achieve something, to think, “I can do it!“. Do you have a self-publishing success story? Did a literary magazine pick up that poem you’ve been submitting everywhere?

Write about it. Your struggles and successes with them are the struggles others are also experiencing.

 

I hope this racks open a steady stream of traffic for you. Of course, it’s more than just post type to ensure sharing and visitors.  The above information will only make your job a little easier. You’ll still need to pump out quality content relevant to your readers, be consistent, and passionate.

Cheers!

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