Wallflowers

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What to do with posts that are strong but unknown

You probably have some blog posts where:

  • The content is brilliant
  • The bounce rate is low
  • The traffic it’s attracting is perfectly targeted

And yet: it’s not getting enough traffic. So the net conversions are low.

At Ercule, we refer to these posts as “shy”. These pages could be superstars – if only they got out into the world a little more.

Why aren’t these pages more popular?

Since the content itself is already strong, its problems are probably rooted in optimization and distribution. Things like…

  • Isolation. If it’s a one-off piece, with no related posts, no internal links, and no clear place in your service offering, then it’s going to be hard for users to find.
  • Keyword volume. If the post is discussing common pain points, but does it in heavily branded or niche language, new leads won’t find you in search.
  • Meta-tags. If your page doesn’t look appealing in search results, people won’t click through.
  • Page experience. UX basics like site speed might not derail bottom-funnel leads, but they will hinder your overall conversion performance.
  • Distribution. If you don’t tell the world about this post, and repeat the message strategically across platforms, you can’t expect anyone to know that it exists.

What you can do

Revisit your optimization and distribution strategies for this post. Some things to look at:

  • Update the page title and h-tags to meet Google’s recommendations. Make it easier for the search engines to see, comprehend, and promote you.
  • Update the meta description. Each Google result is like a little ad for your content, so make yours descriptive and engaging.
  • Assess the page experience. We mentioned this is important for driving conversions. It’s important for driving traffic, too.
  • Add relevant internal links for the shy post on other pages of your site. It’s a kindness for readers and a proven method for boosting visibility.
  • Confirm the search volume for the post’s target keyword, and explore adjacent keywords. A slight change in terminology can lead to a wider audience.
  • Adapt the post for other formats (eg. social posts, video, newsletters 😉). It makes content more accessible and extends the mileage you get from each post.
  • Tell the world! Across all of your platforms. Then remind the world. Then do it again.

And keep doing all of these things. Distribution is a cycle and not a one-and-done sprint. (And optimizing old content is crucial to a distribution strategy.)