There are many ways to increase traffic from search and engines. One way is through a series of blog posts on the same topic. A blog series allows you to tell a long-form story or share your expertise in an area relevant to your audience’s needs and interests.
What is a blog series?
A blog series is a group of related posts on your blog that showcase your expertise on specific topics. Each post should provide valuable information for your readers.
Ideally, you should publish a new post in your blog series weekly or monthly if it’s combined with other types of posts.
The end goal of a blog series is to show your expertise in a specific field to attract more traffic from search engines and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
If you can show your expertise well, your readers will be interested in reading more content published on the blog and sharing their favorite posts with their network.
Benefits of a Blog Series
A blog series is one of the best ways to establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
The primary goal of blogging should be to provide information that benefits your readers and tells them something new about a topic they are interested in.
The end result of establishing yourself as an expert through a blog series will lead to increased traffic, subscribers, social media popularity, and a loyal following that is more likely to buy from your store. You could even gain media coverage because of your expertise.
There are many ways in which you can use blog series as part of your overall blogging strategy, including:
Authority: becoming an authority in your industry by consistently providing high-quality information related to your topic
Introducing new products/services: introducing new products, and services regularly (make sure that they are related to your industry)
Positioning: Position yourself as the expert in a specific field by providing relevant information regularly.
A blog series can be an excellent way of attracting more attention for any blog, but they require a lot of time and effort from the writer.
Although you need to put in this extra effort, it’s well worth it because your posts will convert better than posts that don’t follow a theme or concept.
You should try out different concepts until you find one that you’re most comfortable with, as well as something that interests you.
If blogging becomes too much about earning money instead of providing quality content, then blogging may not be for you.
If you’re interested in building a blog series, it’s time to start planning out your posts based on the concepts you want to cover.
Remember that blogging isn’t just about publishing articles but also providing value for readers who may be looking to learn more about your industry.
Whether you prefer writing out each post or sketching out an outline before getting started with actual content, it’s up to you.
However, make sure that the audience is considered when planning each piece of content within your series.
Do this and find yourself with high-quality traffic coming back again and again without having to spend hours trying to get them there!
You can do this!
Types of Blog Series
It’s important to note that there are two types of blog series based on a specific topic and a theme or a concept.
The difference between the two depends on the topics you plan to cover in your blog posts.
The first blog series is based on a specific topic, such as SEO marketing for e-commerce or WordPress hosting services.
You can develop a list of related topics and then start publishing articles on each topic. You will build a following by posting new content on your blog regularly.
The second type of blog series is based on a specific theme or concept, such as blogging tips for beginners to grow their blogs or how photographers can shoot fantastic landscape photos.
You can then find related topics within that theme and blog about them, but keep the overall blog series focused on the main subject.
For Example: If I had a blog about parenting, topics could include:
- Potty Training
- Nutrition
- Learning
But if I want to write on a theme, I might do a series that contains 12 blog posts all about toddler nutrition. Over those 12 months, my goal would be to prove my expertise in food for children.
I could cover vitamins, vegetables, organic eating, best treats, what to eat before bed, food allergies, and so forth. The key in a themed blog series is to be an expert in your niche.
Organizing a Blog Series
It’s essential to develop an overall theme for your blog series before creating content. This strategy is similar to what we call a topic cluster or SEOsilo.
Before publishing any posts, think about how they will fit into the bigger picture and make sure it ties back to the original purpose.
Once you’ve decided on how your series will shape up, then start organizing your thoughts into topics before actually writing anything down in each post.
For example, let’s say that you want to write a blog series about buying a house. You might want to start by creating an outline like the one below before writing anything down:
Topic #1: Types of Real Estate
Topic #2: How Much Can You Afford
Topic #3: Your Credit Score When Buying a House
Topic #4: Applying for a Mortgage
Topic #5: Choosing a Real Estate Agent
Topic #6: The Home Tours
Topic #7: Making an Offer
Topic #8: Escrow
Topic #9: Closing Costs
Topic #10: Title Insurance
Topic #11: Home Owners Insurance
Topic #12: The Closing
After you have your ideas organized, it’s time to start writing each topic out as a standalone post before moving on to the next one.
Stick with this process until you have enough content for a complete series which should take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how long your posts are.
Creating the Right Mindset for a Blog Series
Before you start publishing articles in your new blog series, you should create the right mindset. Take the time to plan out your posts and write down ideas for what you will cover in each post before drafting them.
You could even set up outlines or high-level notes that contain specific details for what you want to highlight in each post.
Then, after you come up with a list of ideas and topics, put them in a specific order for publishing.
This way, if there is a specific idea or topic that you feel more passionate about publishing earlier than the others, it could create some momentum and excitement among your readers for what they can expect in future posts.
Finally, when it comes to publishing posts within your blog series, remember that each should be valuable and important enough for people to share on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
You should also focus on writing in-depth articles rather than short ones. This long-form content will allow you to build up expertise over time by showing visitors that your blog contains insightful information.
Consider promoting the posts in your series to build up some excitement among your readers and subscribers before they are published.
It’s easy for a blog series to either become popular or fall flat, depending on which approach you take and how much work you put into it.
A successful blog series requires preparation and consistent dedication because if one post doesn’t engage your readers, the others probably won’t either.
However, once you start seeing results from your blog series, such as increased traffic and subscribers, then you will know that all of the efforts were worth it!
Tips for Writing a Successful Blog Series
It’s important to note that your blog series should include each of the following elements to attract traffic and increase conversions:
Targeted audience: No matter how good blog posts are, you will never be successful if they target the wrong people or companies who don’t need your product or service.
You should always include audience research and surveys to determine what kind of person needs your series and would benefit from reading it.
Simple: Your blog series should be simple and easy for readers to understand to take action after reading an article in the series. All of the content should be relevant on its own but still, make sense when combined with other articles on different topics within the series.
Concise: Keep each post within your blog series short enough for readers to read on their mobile devices while waiting in line at grocery stores or standing in other forms of transportation.
In addition, you should cut out any parts of your blog series that don’t add value for readers because this will only confuse them and make the article seem disorganized.
Appropriate for your brand: The purpose of a blog series is to help establish yourself as an expert in a specific niche by publishing important information about topics within your industry.
As a result, you should avoid sharing too much personal information because it could distract from your professional image and reputation online.
Give some structure: When it comes to formalizing your blog series, you should create a title or name that people can use when referring to your entire blog post collection.
In addition, each blog post within the series should have a different title and topic, so readers know what information to expect from each one.
Build on previous posts: There’s no need to start from scratch with every new blog post in your series. Instead, take advantage of ideas you’ve already come up with and build upon them by adding more details about how they will help others achieve success.
Promotion: The most critical part of any blog series is promotion because without it, you won’t get many eyes on your posts, nor will you be able to increase traffic to your blog. If you’re starting a new series, try reaching out to influential people who could promote it on their social media channels and listserves.
If you already have a blog series going but need more traffic and subscribers, then consider sharing the posts with influencers and asking them to share them with their own audiences as well.
Publishing Your Blog Series
The best time to post a new blog in your series depends on the frequency you want to publish. For example, if you plan to publish a new post every week, publishing on Monday or Wednesday may work well with your audience, while posts on Friday may not get as much attention.
Publishing new posts regularly is essential because it provides readers with something to look forward to. If you want people to subscribe to your blog, then offering them new content regularly is beneficial.
Whether you prefer publishing your blog series at the beginning of each week or month is up to you, but consistency matters for building trust and loyalty with your audience.
Then, once you’ve established a specific frequency for publishing new posts in your blog series, stick with it because this will help build trust with readers and allow them to anticipate what’s coming next.
Some blogging experts recommend writing entire blog post series before publishing any of the posts, while others believe you should write as you go. Still, others think both methods work well depending on the topic you’re covering.
Regardless of which method you choose, remember that it’s more about consistency than anything else because these are the two factors people look for when deciding whether or not to subscribe to your blog.
Readers often make an emotional decision to follow blogs they find interesting based on how frequently they publish content combined with how long the posts are.
If your blog series is about a specific topic and you want to give readers enough information to make an informed decision, then publishing longer posts may be the best strategy for you.
On the other hand, if you’re writing a short series such as how-to posts or quick tips, then short posts may be better because they will encourage people who only have time to read shorter articles to subscribe to your blog.
As mentioned earlier, there are pros and cons associated with both strategies. Find what works best for your blog by publishing shorter posts between longer ones or vice versa, depending on the topic you’re covering.
The Best Structure for a Blog Series
A blog series doesn’t have to follow a strict format, but there are some elements that you can use to make it more engaging for readers.
For example, these elements could include:
Captivating Heading: Use a compelling title for each post in your blog series that will make readers want to know more.
Intro Paragraph: Use the first paragraph to introduce what’s coming up in the rest of the post.
Primary Content: The main content should expand on what you’ve written in your intro paragraph while providing more details about how other people can benefit from it.
Subheadings: Break the main content into smaller chunks so that it’s easier to read.
Closing Paragraph: Your closing paragraph gives a quick summary of what the blog was about. You can add a call to action or summarize what you’ve written in this part.
Downloads: Another way to make your blog series stand out is to include some bonuses along with it, such as templates, checklists, worksheets, diagrams, visuals, etc., that will help readers implement what they’ve learned.
Offering these types of bonuses lets them know that you’re not just interested in selling your blog series to them but want to help them solve their problem or achieve their goal.
Visuals: You can also use graphics and emoticons to add an artistic touch to your blog posts, making them more visually appealing while drawing attention to specific parts of your content.
Visuals are especially beneficial if you’re writing about something that’s usually boring for some people, such as accounting.
You don’t have to use all of these elements for each post in your blog series, but they work well when combined because they’re proven to increase click-through and conversion rates.
Blog Series Topic Ideas
When it comes to blog series, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the topic because you don’t want it to be too broad or too specific.
For example, writing a series on how to cook different types of food may be too broad because there are just so many possibilities that you couldn’t possibly cover them all without making your posts feel forced.
On the other hand, if you choose a narrow topic such as making pasta sauce, you could run out of material before finishing the entire blog series.
Finding your blogging niche involves striking a balance between uniqueness and appeal. For example, while financial topics are usually not very popular among bloggers because they’re seen as boring by readers, they can become interesting to a specific group of people, such as young adults in their 20s and 30s.
If you find that your blog series isn’t resonating with readers, you may need to make changes such as widening it or narrowing it down further.
One of the best ways to come up with blog series topics is brainstorming. There are different approaches that you can use when doing this, such as:
Use a list of 5-10 pre-determined words or phrases. First, write down all the ideas that come to your mind, even if they’re unrelated to your niche.
Then, pick one idea off the list and write about it in more detail, adding examples and explanations where necessary.
You can then make a new list of things related to your main topic by grouping different words together under one header.
Repeat this process until you’ve exhausted all of your ideas.
For example, suppose your central theme is how businesses owners can achieve their online marketing goals faster than ever before. In that case, some of your related ideas could be social media, SEO, website design, etc.
Brainstorming is an excellent way to come up with blog series topics. It generates lots of different options for you to choose from, which gives you more opportunities to find the type of content that will resonate with your audience.
Another strategy that can work well is examining forums and discussions to discover what people are currently talking about within your niche.
You can then incorporate these things into your blog posts by explaining how readers can benefit from them or why they’re not as effective as people think.
For example, if someone writes a post on Quora about how hashtags affect reach, you could write an article called “5 Ways to Grow Your Twitter Following”.
Once you find blog series topics that are of interest to your target audience, it’s time to create content.
End Your Blog Series on a High Note
As difficult as it is for writers to end a novel or movie, it can be even more challenging for bloggers to end a blog series because they usually put so much effort into writing them.
It’s easy to lose motivation along the way, especially when traffic is slow and you’re not getting many comments from subscribers.
This discouragement leads many bloggers to abandon their posts mid-way through, making the whole thing feel incomplete. It can also lead to a drop in subscribers who aren’t sure if the series will continue, so they move on to other blogs.
Some of the most common reasons why blog series end prematurely are:
- Not knowing how or when to end them.
- Keeping it going for too long and running out of things to say.
- Not keeping motivation up by forgetting about your blog series for days at a time and not answering comments from readers.
- Not knowing what comes next after you’ve finished your current topic (if it’s part of a bigger plan).
The easiest way to avoid these problems is by writing with an end goal in mind, such as publishing 3-5 posts on the same topic all at once before updating them over instead of waiting several weeks or months before publishing the next one.
This way, you can consolidate your knowledge and thoroughly understand the topic to readers, which adds value to their lives.
If your series is part of a bigger plan, such as a book or course, you need to have a clear idea of what comes next so that you don’t waste time floundering around waiting for inspiration.
The last thing I would recommend doing before ending a blog series is answering reader questions, if any have been sent in during the process.
It’s not only good because it shows readers that you care, but it also creates opportunities for them to interact with each other giving them another reason to stick around.
Where to Publish Your Blog Series
Medium: Medium is one of the best places to publish blog series because it’s free, easy to use, and has built-in traffic. Also, the formatting options allow you to format your content beautifully if you’re not an experienced writer or don’t want to pay someone else to do it for you.
WordPress: Publishing your blog series on your WordPress site is a good idea if you want to have complete control over your content and brand. The downside is that you’ll need to spend more time creating posts, formatting them correctly for SEO, and finding a way to promote them as well as manage comments from readers.
Blogger: If you’re a beginner, it would be a great way to start because it’s easy to use and has all the tools you need at no extra cost.
Quora: If you’re not interested in creating your blog and don’t want to publish on someone else’s site, this is a good option. Quora is where most people ask questions about life and get answers from people who are experts in their fields such as tech, medicine, business, etc.
LinkedIn Pulse: This is a good option if you want to publish content suitable for business professionals or you want your blog series to be seen by people who are already interested in the topic.
What to Avoid when Publishing a Blog Series
If you want your blog series to be successful, you will need to avoid certain things that could turn readers away or make them lose interest.
Don’t Follow the Competition: Isolate yourself from the competition.
If your competitors are writing about the same topic in your industry, then you’ll never attract loyal customers unless you come up with something wholly original and unique.
As a result, ignore what others are doing because this will distract you from creating content that is helpful for customers who need it most.
Don’t publish more than once per week (in your series): Although publishing new posts every week helps build an audience, posting any more often than that can overload people’s inboxes and social media feeds.
It can be difficult for you to stay consistent with your topics if you have too many things going on at once.
Don’t forget about the 80/20 Rule: This rule states that 80% of your income comes from just 20% of your customers, so don’t waste time trying to get the attention of everyone in your target market.
Instead, focus on finding quality readers who will likely become loyal customers and give them more value through educational posts and high-quality products.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask People What They Think: The best way to find out if people like what you’re doing (and whether or not you should continue) is by asking them. If readers like a series, then they’ll let you know via comments and sending emails.
If the opposite happens, you need to spend more time finding out what went wrong from a reader’s perspective.
Blog series are a great way to provide your readers with more than just one post and allow them to learn about you and what you can do for them. Although it takes time and effort, the benefits that come from publishing a blog series will be worth it in the end.
If you need a place to publish your blog series and would like to have your WordPress Website, call my brothers Jeff and Paul at BallenBrands.com.
