Blogging is a powerful tool for content creators looking to build an audience, share their ideas and experiences, and monetize their content. However, to make the most of your blog, it's important to have a consistent publishing schedule - a cadence - that you stick to.
When writing blog posts, especially when a blog is newer, it can be tempting to have them posted all at once. This can backfire on you in several ways. Here are our tips for regulating your blog post schedule to find search engine optimization (SEO) success.
There are two posts that travel bloggers typically have on their blogs: evergreen and time-sensitive posts.
Evergreen Posts
Evergreen posts contain content that is applicable at any time. Examples of evergreen posts are top 10/favorite/best-of/themed lists, how-tos, mini travel guides, tour/attraction spotlights, travel apps, packing lists, language guides, Q&A, FAQ, photo slideshows, travel stories/diaries, expert interviews, testimonials, tips and hacks, videos, travel gear reviews, local culture/people spotlights, life lessons, bucket lists, and humor.
We suggest you have 10-25+ evergreen posts loaded to have ready for times when you may not feel up to writing, need to take time away from your blog, or life happens. Having many evergreen posts at the ready allows you to schedule your content to maintain your posting schedule.
Time-Sensitive Posts
Time-sensitive posts contain content that will expire after time has passed. Examples of time-sensitive posts are one-time/time-limited deals or promo codes, grand opening reviews of a hotel/airline/restaurant/attraction, giveaways, and time-dependent travel reviews/stories/hacks/tips.
Time-sensitive posts are great for increasing clicks, engaging visitors, and short-term revenue increases.
Timing
When should you have your blog posts published? There is a lot of advice out there and really it comes down to what your preferences are. This is your blog and you are driving its success. Some general tips we have are to post with cadence, determine what a realistic schedule is for you, and use analytics to determine where your traffic is coming from and when.
Cadence
Cadence is the beat, time, or measure of activity. Having a cadence to your posts allows predictability to Google and your visitors.
If Google knows that your blog posts will show up every Monday and Wednesday weekly, then your blog will be pushed higher in the results. If there is a large gap between when you posted your last post and your most recent post, your blog might be flagged by Google for low content and pushed lower in the results.
Your readers will also be more likely to look for and read your posts if they know they will come out on certain days. Posting with cadence increases the likelihood that you will have repeat visitors to your blog.
Why is cadence so important?
Building Trust with Your Audience: A regular publishing schedule demonstrates to your readers that you're committed to providing valuable content on a consistent basis. This builds trust with your audience and helps you establish a loyal following.
Improving Visibility: Search engines like Google reward websites that consistently post new content. By posting regularly, you're giving Google and other search engines a reason to index your blog and show it to more people.
Encouraging Engagement: Regular posting helps keep your readers engaged with your blog. This can help increase the number of comments and shares you receive, as well as improve your overall engagement metrics.
Establishing a Brand Identity: A consistent publishing schedule helps you establish your blog as a brand, and gives it a distinct voice and personality. This can help you stand out in a crowded blogosphere, and attract more readers.
Scheduling
OK, so you are going to post with cadence, but how do you determine the cadence of your posts? That is completely up to you! Some recommendations for creating a posting schedule are:
Determine Your Schedule: Consider your schedule, your available time, and the amount of content you want to produce. From there, you can determine the frequency with which you'll publish. It could be once a week, twice a week, or more.
Stick to Your Schedule: Once you've determined your publishing schedule, stick to it. This means planning your content in advance and making sure that you're able to publish on a regular basis.
Plan for Absences: Life happens, and there will be times when you can't publish as frequently as you'd like. That's why it's important to have a backlog of content ready to go in case of emergencies. This way, you can still publish content, even if you can't do so as often as you'd like.
Analytics
Using Google Analytics allows you insights into when your audience comes to your blog, how long they stay, and how they interact with your blog. We have an entire section of our Knowledge Base dedicated to Analytics. The article titled Learning Google Analytics 4 can walk you through learning how to find data that will help you determine when to schedule your blog posts (days and times), what content your readers interact with the most, and where your readers are coming from so you can leverage those platforms' schedules (often social media).
In conclusion, blogging with cadence is an important aspect of blogging success. A consistent publishing schedule can help you build trust with your audience, improve your visibility, encourage engagement, and establish your blog as a brand. With a little planning and commitment, you can make the most of your blog and grow your audience over time.
Your team here at BoardingArea is available to help you break down the data useful to growing your blog. Just reach out to help@boardingarea.com if you would like to talk about your blog's SEO and analytics with us!