Blogging has moved from hobby to profession with many experts launching successful careers as full-time bloggers. Now you may be asking yourself, am I an advanced blogger? Is that truly the category I fall into? If you have some basic SEO tactics under your belt and you’ve learned to adjust your approach in an effort to improve your content, then you are likely what we classify as an advanced blogger. 

When it comes to writing and blogging, there are some hard and fast rules. Others have more flexibility. For instance, bloggers need a firm grip on grammar rules and SEO practices but can use creative authority when it comes to voice and tone. As you continue down your blogging journey there are some ways you can continue to improve. It is important to remember that there is no magical formula that works for every industry or field. You have to see what works best for you and your readers.

SEO strategies for advanced bloggers

Once you have established an audience and you’re ready to level up your blog, you’ll want to engage in more advanced strategies. Yes, there is still more work to be done. Since online content answers to the almighty search engines, you’ll want to become a pro at SEO. 

• Semantic keyword targeting: It’s time to move beyond basic keywords and focus on LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords. LSI are related terms and synonyms search engines use to understand the context of your content. Use tools like Google’s “People Also Ask” and keyword research platforms to delve into what these terms may be and use them in your content for better search results. Learn more from the SEO masters themselves, Semrush.
• Match search intent: Ensure your content aligns with the searcher’s intent (informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial investigation). For example, when someone searches for “small business insurance,” that is most likely a search for an insurance provider which would be commercial intent. You want to make sure your piece actually satisfies what the user is looking for. Find out more about search intent from seo.co.
• Organize blogs into pillar content and content clusters: You need a broad wealth of content to establish yourself as an authority. Pillar content is that which is central to your brand and cluster pages are articles that address specific subtopics. For example, “What is content marketing” would be pillar content, while “Building a blogging content strategy” and “Finding your blogging niche” would both be cluster pages. Make sure your internal links are not only abundant but also strategically placed within your content to pass link equity,or the implied value of that link, from high-authority pages (your pillar content) to other posts within your site. Think of link equity like expert input. If an expert has an extensive background of published works, along with research that can be credited to them and various testimonials from others extolling their greatness, that gives their opinion credibility. If an expert has little research or work to demonstrate their experience, their opinion holds less weight. This is how link equity works. If a company’s content is often used for link building and is frequently referenced by others, they have built greater link equity. Check out this guide to learn more about content clusters.
• Use schema markup and structured data: Structured data is organized in a consistent format that helps search engines understand your content. Use specific schema markup for your blog posts, such as ‘article,’ ‘FAQ,’ ‘what is’ and ‘how to.’ Schema markup is the code you supply your content to communicate its intent and format which you select by adding tags. Because search engines aren’t human, they have to read the code on your pages to learn what is contained within your content. Imagine that schema markup is like a translator app that speaks the language of Google and other search engines, helping them make sense of your content. This article provides more details about schema markup and how to apply it. 
• Prepare content for featured snippets: Google features snippets as part of their search results which are pulled from content across the web. You can improve your chances of being featured by structuring your content in ways that match how Google displays snippets. Use short answers, bullet points, numbered lists, or tables within your content to up your chances of being featured. Find out more about featured snippets from Semrush. 
• Improve load time: Load times directly impact your site’s rankings. Slow-loading sites will quickly be moved further down on Google’s page results. Make sure you have used appropriately sized images, minimized the usage of CSS and JavaScript, and utilize browser caching. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you identify any bottlenecks. Hubspot provides insight on how to improve load times.
• Use EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Everyone wants to know the magic formula for ranking with Google. Unfortunately, there is no tried-and-true method for guaranteeing your content will rank, but you definitely want to make sure your content adheres to the EEAT rule. Google evaluates content quality using the EEAT standard, especially in niches like finance, law, or health. Ensure each blog post has a clear author bio that demonstrates your expertise. Adding details such as credentials, degrees, certifications and specific qualifying experience can help establish your authority. Find out more details about EEAT in this article.
• Perform content audits and updates: People want the latest and greatest in content. That’s why Google evaluates content based on its relevancy. For this reason, it’s a good idea to regularly update old content to ensure it’s current, factually accurate, and still relevant based on search trends. Google rewards content freshness, especially in industries that evolve and change over time, such as technology and law.. If you find your content is no longer relevant, you can repurpose it to suit a different purpose or update it with relevant data. Learn more about content audits.
• Improve your reader’s dwell time: Dwell time involves the amount of time people stay on your page. To increase dwell time, you’ll want to create engaging, high-quality content that keeps users on your page for longer. Consider using multimedia elements like videos, infographics, downloadables and charts to enhance the user experience. Use this in-depth guide to increase dwell time.
• Create linkable assets: Most users want real information with research or statistics to back it up. Focus on producing content such as research reports, in-depth guides or case studies that provide evidentiary value and that other websites will want to link to. Content with original data or comprehensive guides is more likely to attract backlinks. Quick Sprout outlines which types of content perform best and why. 
• Consider guest posting: Identify high-authority sites that align with your expertise and consider guest posting. This will help to build your own authority as a voice in that niche if those sites are willing to publish your content. Always ensure you provide value in these posts and include a link back to your blog. Semrush gives more details about finding guest blogging opportunities.
• Fix coverage issues: Coverage and indexing issues can cause latency and error pages, which leads to user frustration. Even if you have quality content, Google will assign you a lower ranking simply due to the diminished user experience. Keep an eye on your “Coverage” report for indexing issues or crawl errors. The Coverage report can be found in your Google Search Console and it shows the status of your indexed pages. If you uncover indexing issues, review their quality, sitemap inclusion, and internal linking. SEO Base explains why crawl errors impact your SEO performance. 

Brainstorming and Ideation: Coming up with new content ideas

If you’ve got some significant blogging under your belt, you may find it difficult to come up with new content ideas. It’s not uncommon for advanced bloggers to find themselves facing that ticking cursor and a white page. If that sounds familiar, give these ideation techniques a try to generate new content ideas. 

Industry gap analysis

The internet is a vast universe, but even it has gaps. Do some good old Google sleuthing into your industry’s content landscape and see if there is a need for fresh content where others are outdated or lacking. 

How to do an industry gap analysis

Perform an internet search for content on a certain topic. Go beyond basic keyword searches and try some long-tail keywords, those queries that go beyond one or two words. Evaluate existing content to see where information might be missing. Develop a list of topics that addresses those gaps in your industry. For example, if you perform a search for AI and notice that there isn’t much content about the ethical usage, you might develop an article on data poisoning.

Skyscraper technique

The skyscraper technique can be very helpful for building high-value content. It involves finding popular content in your niche and creating a more comprehensive, valuable, or updated version of it. The name implies that you are building something that will tower over the competition, similar to a skyscraper.

How to use the skyscraper technique

Use tools such as Ahrefs, BuzzSumo or Google Search to identify top-ranking posts on a particular topic of choice. Evaluate the content for missing information or valuable research. Produce a piece that is more detailed, includes newer data or has additional value that the original piece does not contain. For example, if you search for content auditing and find out there is missing information about updating tone, you could develop a piece with additional suggestions for updating the written tone. 

Social listening

As the name here implies, social listening involves the identification of new topics based on conversations or popular posts on social media or forums. Pick out trending topics, common questions, or emerging pain points in your industry that people are discussing. 

 How to do social listening

Use platforms like X, Reddit, Quora and LinkedIn Groups to identify areas of interest. Pay attention to recurring themes, questions, or frustrations, and develop content specifically designed to address those concerns. For example, if you notice lots of conversations about an emerging topic, such as updates in mental health practices, you could address that 

Data-driven insights

Industry data, proprietary research, and public datasets can help provide unique insights into potential high-value content. Evaluate these sources to see if there are topics that could be further explored.

How to use data-driven insights

Google Trends, Statista or internal business data can reveal shifts in industry trends, behaviors, and preferences. You can also conduct surveys or use data from customer interactions to identify recurring themes or questions. For example, you might notice that there are rising concerns about the stock market and develop content around ways to build financial resilience.

10x content model

How do you really ensure you have great content? Create content that is 10 times better than anything currently ranking for a specific keyword or topic. This technique pushes you to really delve into high-value content creation.

How to do the 10x content model

Analyze the top-ranking posts for a specific topic. Peruse the article and really identify how you can add more value. Consider adding upgraded visuals, real-world case studies, original insights, expert opinions or research-backed copy. To make your content 10x better, you want to add real value beyond what is already supplied. Perform an analysis on competitive content, identify improvements that can be made to the user experience, find gaps in research, and provide expanded examples. Remember that it’s also a good idea to understand why the reader is seeking this content and develop a new version that truly fulfills the reader’s intent. For example, you may notice there are lots of short-form articles about using AI prompts so you could develop a comprehensive guide using examples and expanded data. 

Expert insights

Expert insights can help give your piece authority. Connect with industry experts or thought leaders on a particular topic and then compile those insights into a single post to provide added value. 

How to use expert insights

Reach out to industry professionals, influencers, or specialists to get their take on a trending topic. Ask for advice, real-life use cases or examples and compile those into a single blog post. You can format this as a variety of expert advice or show diverse perspectives from those within your industry. For example, you might reach out to several AI experts to gather insights into how to better use a specific AI tool and compile those recommendations into a single post. 

UGC and testimonials

User-generated content (UGC) is unique because it can inspire blog topics based on real-life experiences and feedback, rather than recycling stale ideas.

How to use UGC and testimonials

Peruse reader feedback, social media posts and any discussion surrounding your content. Try to identify common themes, questions or challenges. Use these ideas to inform upcoming topics and supply helpful material to help address those pain points. You may notice users discussing the impact of political changes on education so you could develop content to address those concerns. For example, the new administration is recommending the dissolution of the Department of Education in the States. Consider developing content that specifically addresses the concerns and potential impact of what that would entail. 

Emerging topics and future-proof subjects

Emerging trends are good topics because they provide new fodder for consumption. Consider AI when it was first becoming mainstream. Some writers made it their focus and even now, new information comes to light that can be explored. Similarly, you can also choose topics that will remain relevant and explore how that impacts people now and in times to come. 

How to use emerging topics and future-proof subjects

Navigate to Google Trends and investigate trending topics. Look for opportunities to cover “what’s next” in your niche and provide a fresh take using your expertise.  For example, you may notice that market shifts will likely lead to a rise in prices so you could address resilience strategies for that situation. 

Aggregators

Aggregators are platforms that highlight popular content for readers. Perusing those topics can provide insight into high-performing content in your area. 

How to use aggregators

Check out Feedly, BuzzSumo and Exploding Topics to see what is performing well and brainstorm topics that provide a fresh take or contrasting opinion. If you notice that AI taking jobs is a hot topic, you could perform market research to illustrate how AI is leading to an increase in jobs instead of a reduction. 

Using proper research methods

If there’s one thing that has become obvious with the great wide world on the web, it’s that misinformation is widespread and even more content relies on shock value rather than research. Advanced bloggers who truly want to resonate with their audience and be seen as experts need properly researched content. 

Get your information from academic databases and research journals

Using academic research in your articles can be very helpful for establishing authority. Research journals and academic papers are held to a higher standard than your average blog. Citing academic articles lends validity to your claims. For example, a travel blogger wanting to discuss greener options might say that air travel causes pollution. That claim can be further bolstered by adding research that proves this point is accurate.  Platforms such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, PubMed and ResearchGate are all good resources for research-backed content. 

It’s important to understand that academic journals offer highly specialized information that may not be easily consumable by the general public. Some journals also require an academic affiliation in order to access their content. 

Consider doing your own original poll or survey

First-hand data can be really helpful when putting together your content. If you have the opportunity, leverage your network to get input from others and use your own research to back your claims. Common tools are SurveyMonkey and Google Forms which can easily be used to gather industry insights.

Scour industry reports and white papers

Established organizations often use original research or input from thought leaders to provide solid content. Research sites such as McKinsey, Statista, Forrester and Gartner are trusted places to find industry data. These sites do offer paid and free versions and more robust data will be available for paying customers. For example, if a report shows that better technology integrations are needed, you could write about easier ways to implement data integrations. 

Check out public data sets

Public data sets are often made available to the public on platforms like Google Public Data Explorer, Data.gov or Work Bank Open Data. It can be helpful to peruse the data to see if any content opportunities exist. 

Try patent searches and innovation tracking

Patent filings can be a unique way to identify emerging trends and innovative technologies because new technologies are constantly being developed to solve emerging problems. Check out Google Patents, or USPTO to see what kind of patents are pending and brainstorm topics that may align with the problem the technology is addressing. 

Analyze sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis can help you determine how people view certain topics. Tools like MonkeyLearn, Lexalytics and Google NLP will let you review sentiment to discover how readers feel about topics so that you can expound or further explore certain topics. 

Utilize government resources

Government resources such as OSHA or FEMA can provide insights into how policies are evolving. Use government-backed sites to help inform and provide evidence for your blogs.  

Regardless of your industry, bloggers need to develop a bag of tricks that keeps their content fresh and engaging. Good luck with your advanced blogging goals!

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