Article Title:
Dynamic Content: Using Analytics to Write Your Blog

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Article Description:
The role of web analytics in setting useful metrics for a
site has been discussed in-depth in any number of places,
but this is far from the only useful function that web
analytic practices can offer. As in any field, a little
thinking outside the box can offer extensive rewards to the
creative researcher. Perhaps most usefully, creative
cultivation of web analytics can help conquer blogger's
block and help a good writer come up with some unique angles
for content they thought they had peaked out on.

Additional Article Information:
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873 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2011-09-16 10:30:00

Written By:     Enzo F. Cesario
Copyright:      2011
Contact Email:  mailto:ennzo.f.cesa...@thephantomwriters.com

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Dynamic Content: Using Analytics to Write Your Blog
Copyright (c) 2011 Enzo F. Cesario
BrandSplat
http://www.Brandsplat.com/

The role of web analytics in setting useful metrics for a site
has been discussed in-depth in any number of places, but this is
far from the only useful function that web analytic practices can
offer. As in any field, a little thinking outside the box can
offer extensive rewards to the creative researcher. Perhaps most
usefully, creative cultivation of web analytics can help conquer
blogger's block and help a good writer come up with some unique
angles for content they thought they had peaked out on.

First, of course, there are keywords. Analyzing keyword trends is
an important part of any attempt to create an optimized site.
There are some people who can get away with ignoring this because
they write gripping enough topics, but by and large a good site
will make at least a few genuflections in the direction of
keyword-oriented content.

If stuck without a good topic idea, a blogger can easily hop over
to Google's AdWords or any other publicly accessible
keyword-evaluating site and put in words relating to the topic
the blog tends to cover. Once about 10 high-ranking keywords are
identified, he can pick the best ones and build a solid article
around them, using the trends others are talking about as
inspiration.

On the other hand, some keywords are particularly unwieldy, and
are only useful for their broad relation to a topic. Take a blog
focused on popular vacation destinations: If the main keyword
that comes up is "places to eat on vacation," that's a bit of
a bulky keyword to try to optimize around. However, creating a
series of posts on "places to eat" with subtitles appropriate
to each entry could be just the ticket to taking advantage of
that keyword without shoehorning it in. Remember, titles are part
of a good optimization effort as well as the body of the text.

Next, a blogger should focus on analyzing his own blog's
performance and trends. By the time it's generating significant
traffic, the blog's analytics should show that certain topics
are producing more hits and page views than others. This is a
bellwether that should nudge the attentive blogger into writing
toward those trends. After all, the audience drives the success
of any brand, be it blog or book.

However, there is a lot to be said for remaining true to one's
creative vision. Bloggers generally start writing because
they're passionate and informed about a particular topic.
Looking at the page views and tailoring content is important, but
it should not extend so far as to compromise or completely change
the message of the blog. People still enjoy the unexpected from
time to time, so if a particular topic takes a writer's fancy,
it should be written. As always, the key is to strike a balance
between integrity to vision and attention to readers.

Now, new content is vital to any production, but there is
something to be said for a look back at the classics. Older
content is what initially drew readers to a blog in the first
place, and it can remain topical over time. There are a number of
techniques for refreshing older content, each of which has its
own advantages.

The first is the straightforward reposting: A year or two after
an old post, put it back up on the front page with a small
addendum or introduction explaining why it's relevant again.
This is particularly popular with political blogs that make major
predictions that end up coming true, but it can also apply to any
other blog. A cooking site might post the same classic holiday
recipes once a year, or an educationally minded one might post a
major article to remind people of a specific message.

Alternatively, there's the linkback and update approach. A new
post is made with a link to the old post. The new post goes into
brand new content that refers back to the older post, raising
views on both pages and increasing the sense of relevance over
time. This approach also can cement the overall message of a blog
in reader's minds quite handily.

Then, of course, there is the retraction or redaction. Our
content is like our lives, both growing and changing as we gain
more experience and, hopefully, wisdom. Sometimes we write
something that makes a great deal of sense at the time, but makes
less sense as the years go by.

In cases such as these, the linkback or reposting strategy can be
modified to include a bit of commentary explaining how one's
views have changed, what new information is available and the
reasons for the adjustment. This kind of honesty takes a lot of
courage; shows great respect for readers and can often create a
lively commentary thread.

Speaking of commentary, this is also a great way to refresh older
posts. A blogger can go to the oldest threads, find the ones with
the best views say the top five and ask the readers to rank
them in a voting contest. The best one will be reposted with new
commentary. This is a clever way to get more readers to look at
older posts, and give some old content new and exciting life at
the same time.

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Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist
and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content
agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos
and social media in the "voice" of our client's
brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more
recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to
http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at
http://www.iBrandCasting.com/

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