Analytical Thinking for Blog Growth
Analytical thinking will help you build a more robust website that improves overall engagement, CTR, and organic traffic. But it relies on some fundamental methods that aren’t always understood.
There are quite a few metrics you need to be aware of that can help you understand your blog in a more comprehensive way. These include, but aren’t limited to, traffic sources, engagement rates (clicks, comments, shares), and time spent on pages.
If you are like me, any math can be a challenge (I envy people with a degree in applied business analytics), but even if your brain doesn’t enjoy numbers you will have no trouble understanding data for increasing conversions and using effective metrics.
Analyse Audience Needs
The top priority for any web development is the audience. Without the right segment or niche, it can be pretty hard to attract organic traffic and paying, intentful customers alike. Trying to guess what an audience wants won’t usually lead to good results unless you already have a very good understanding. Instead, you can analyze what they actually want in various ways. This includes reading comments, analyzing search queries, and using data available from Google Analytics.
Use Analytical Thinking for A/B Testing
Around 77% of global companies use A/B testing on their websites, and tests should include the key elements of effective sales funnels. These include headlines, call to action (CTA), and post frequency. Experimenting with headlines can be a powerful way to increase clicks and engagement, especially when using the right combination of emotional words. However, CTA is often overlooked, yet specific phrasing and placement can lead to more content engagement.
Repurpose Top Content
Almost all websites will have some content that outperforms the rest. This can change based on the season, for example, but any of it can be repurposed for even higher engagement. Analyzing evergreen posts to understand what makes them so popular can be a major advantage. You can then use the data from this analysis to apply to future posts in the hopes of increasing performance. You can also update old content with new information to keep it fresh.
Don’t Forget About Keyword Research
You won’t increase organic traffic by guessing what keywords your audience is using. You might get lucky with some, but you need to research phrases related to your niche. When starting out, it is a good idea to find low-hanging fruit, long-tail keywords with low competition and a high search volume. Keyword tools such as Jaaxy and Ubersuggest are a major advantage and can help you build a database of relevant and powerful keywords related to the topics of your niche.
Bottom Line
Measuring and interpreting specific metrics, such as time on page, is one way you can leverage analytical thinking to create a stronger website. A/B testing also allows you to experiment with variations on a theme to analyse interaction, and many major companies use this method today. However, something that many bloggers and even expert web developers overlook is the power of keywords. Keyword research is an integral part of developing a website for organic traffic.
