The bottom line is always going to be value that the reader gets from making their way through your website, and that will often come in the form of how well they are enmeshed in your blog posts. And to a degree, the format that the post is in, will determine how successful it will be in terms of engagement as perceived by a certain type of searcher.
If that all sounds a bit confusing to you as a designer, consider the following styles of post – “types of things”, product comparisons, high-quality source lists, posts with lots of deep and specific information, and posts that represent questions and answers. As you analyze each type of post, you’ll see its value potential via design and implementation.
“Types of Things”
A classic style of blog post that will add value to your overall website is going to be the ‘types of things’ format. You have a main subject, like “debt” for instances, and then you create a blog post detailed the types of debt, or types of debt solution. This format is super clear, has great SEO, and if you figure out how to make it as shareable as possible, is a great way for you to show your expertise and then have it be spread by a captive audience.
Comparisons of Products
There are a lot of extremely popular websites that just serve as a way to compare certain types of products. For instance, popular review sites will have very little primary content, but instead will focus on exactly what product seekers want, and that’s a point for point description of the pros and cons of an item as told by professional reviewers.
Lists of High-Quality Sources
Another type of post that requires very little original content but can be hugely popular is the post that has lists of high-quality sources. Using high-quality sources is good for your SEO, makes people trust your brand, and also allows you to organize data creatively in a way that matches your skill sets, allowing for a good combination of factors that add value to your website.
Deep and Specific Information
In today’s blogosphere, the deeper and more specific information you have about a topic, the better. If your post is the deepest on any topic, then that is the one that search engines will turn to, and that relates directly to creating better value for your web design concept overall.
Questions and Answers
A final style of post that contributes highly to value is the question and answer post. Find a question that people ask a lot, make that the title of the post, and then spend a few hundred words answering it. That quickly, you’ll have added significant value to any section of your website that relates to your original brand intent.