The concept of the blog is a tried and true solution for attention on the web. By filling a given niche, bloggers can expand their reach on the web, on social media, through email and in search in ways that everyday content creators just a few decades ago could not have imagined. Despite these great advances, there are changes to the world of blogging every single year that must be recognized and adapted to in order to stay relevant. If your blog could use more traffic, a better infrastructure or new ways in which to connect people, then you’ll want to continue reading to find out how you can bring your blog up to speed beginning today.

Interact Live with Followers

In this day and age, there are so many venues and platforms for engaging with followers live that it’d be a shame for any blog not to use them. Solutions such as Google Hangouts make it possible to connect instantly with people from all over the world in a truly interactive setting. All that blogs will need to do in order to take advantage of Google’s hot service is to create a Google/YouTube account, setup the Hangout, promote the link before it’s time to host and then attend. After bloggers finish up the Hangout, the video is then automatically uploaded to YouTube. At this point, the resulting video can be helpful in attracting more traffic to your blog when it is optimized.

Engage with the Big Fish

Pinging URLs to search engines in the form of content remains a very important concept in the world of blogging, but building URLs with other bloggers and websites has its own realm of importance as well. The biggest names in your industry are likely very picky when it comes to who they link to and how often, but you can build quality content and solid relationships – both of which are necessary in earning a mention or shout out. These backlinks may take a long while to obtain but they are worth it; links that are easily obtained in today’s world of social media, search engine optimization and link building are usually not worth it.

Focus on Content Rather Than SEO

Search engine optimization remains a necessary and credible segment of blog creation and management. However, all too many bloggers become enamoured with the technical concepts of blog management rather than the meat and potatoes of it. Quality content is increasingly becoming the most important element in blog maintenance, so it makes sense that a focus on content is the better route to take. With a variety of ways in which to distribute content – search engines, social media, email and paid advertising, just to name a few – it stands to reason that the only common denominator through all of these venues is quality content.

Maximize Social Media

Pinging URLs on social media can sometimes feel a bit awkward for various topics, but there is always a way in which to connect with an audience. Regardless of the product, service or angle, finding new ways in which to make your topic fun and viral is always possible. By figuring out which specific narrative or angle works best for your particular subject, you’ll increase social media engagement, content distribution, clicks, conversions and more.