Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
In reality, there is no right or wrong way to create a blog. It all centers around what your goals are and what you want to share. While some gain followers based on sharing their day, others pull in traffic and revenue by covering specific topics. But how many should you cover?
That depends on relevance and if you’re creating a niche website. If you mostly base your posts on personal experience, then there really isn’t a limit to what you can write about.
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On the other hand, niche sites that focus on specifics are more focused to draw the attention from a certain audience. For example, my gaming site focuses on those who love to play virtually any game whether it’s tabletop or video. No one looking for cooking recipes will visit the site.
How to Break Topics into Subtopics
Most topics can branch out easily into other segments. All it requires is keeping the information of a child category relevant to a parent. This creates a good flow of content and makes it easier for search engines to determine what your site is about.
The more focused you can narrow the scope of a topic, the more likely you’ll answer specific questions for people in search engines.
Let me explain a bit further…
Create a Logical Path
You want sub-topics to offer a logical flow from the primary topic. Let’s say you have a blog that features “Computers and Networking” as its primary focus. What can you do to break this down?
You can create subtopics for:
- Desktop Computing
- Laptop Computing
- Mobile Devices
Now, you can create relevant content for each of these categories. But why stop there? Being general in some of your posts might draw an audience, but you can still fine-tune it further.
Let’s take “Desktop Computing” and break it down even more into:
- Hardware
- Office Software
- Gaming
Do you see the flow? What if you want to write a review about a Seagate desktop hard drive? Then you would take “Hardware” and break it down again to things like:
- Hard Drives
- Video Cards
- Memory
You would then write your article in the “Hard Drives” category.
In this example, I just made nine subtopics without really putting in much effort. And the best thing about it is almost anything is capable of being broken down in such a manner.
If you fill each of the above areas with content, you’ll reach a focused audience who is looking for specific information regarding the primary topic.
Keep it Organized
One thing you need to bear in mind is keeping your content organized. Don’t take this website as an example. I am still in the process of straightening out the categories. This is because I moved it from Joomla to WordPress and have content scattered all over.
The point of being organized is to make exploring easier on your visitors while being more specific to search engine bots about what your blog is about. The better the details, the better it will perform in driving traffic.
Organization also helps you stay focused and helps identify which sections need more content and what kind of material most visitors are interested in.
Should You Create a Niche Blog?
Niche blogs are quite beneficial if you are interested in certain topics. You don’t have to be an expert, and that’s the original use of the blog in the first place…an online log of discovery and sharing.
However, not everyone wants to focus their writing on a single industry. There’s nothing really wrong with this ideal. In fact, many people don’t really care about creating a popular blog or making money.
But if you’re one of those who wouldn’t mind getting a paycheck from things like AdSense or affiliate programs, you’ll want to focus your intent.
Benefits for Covering Exact Topics
There’s nothing wrong with begin more general regarding the information you share. It’s possible to have a degree of success without going into precise details. However, there is a great deal that will come from surgical precision when it comes to information.
The hardest part is finding a topic that many people will want to read.
Better Performance in Sites Like Google
Creating a niche site is very beneficial in terms of search engine optimization.
The algorithms of sites like Google are constantly trying to determine the best quality content to show to the billions of users every week. If you’re content is all over the place, it’s harder for bots to determine what exactly your site is about.
This is important as it will determine how search engines place your site in terms of relevance to search topics.
Higher “Quality” Audience
When I say, “quality,” it refers to those who are more likely to follow or subscribe to a blog. For instance, let’s take the Computer and Networking example above. People who are interested in technology are more likely to return to the site because the content centers around their interests.
OK, here’s a better example. If you go to your favorite burger place, are you looking for fish tacos? Probably not. In fact, your favorite burger place is your favorite for a specific reason. Getting visitor traffic to a blog is much the same way.
Demonstrates Expertise
Creating a niche site with specific topics shows people you know what you’re talking about. Even if you’re new to the industry, writing about certain elements improves your own education as well as reputation.
Do you think I knew anything about health and fitness when I started my blog, CrossingColorado.com? Absolutely not. But, I spent the last several years researching and experimenting while building it into a reliable blog. Now, I feel I have a bit of expertise in the topic and my body shows it.
I started this website with content about my experiences with systems like Textbroker and becoming a freelance writer. Now, I am successful and have created content for literally thousands of clients since 2012. To some, I’d be considered an expert in my field…even a professional as I am paid for it.
My point is a niche site can help you grow as a person while engaging an audience. It’s all about becoming more than you are and how well you deliver information to the masses.
Great for Building a Community
Creating niche topics is a good way to build a community, if that’s your goal. I was thinking about adding a social element to WriterSanctuary, but I haven’t got around to it yet.
Communities help keep your site and the industry relevant. Many developers see the value in a community mindset, which is why you can find dating sites for gamers, farmers and firemen.
It’s all about intent and focus, and this is what drives a lot of visitors to those sites.
Easier to Come Up with Content
I know a lot of people who have trouble coming up with daily content for their blogs. In reality, breaking your topics into subtopics is a good way to expand your reach and content practices.
Again with the example above, you could try to come up with something for Computers and Networking, or you can write a review about a specific mouse, keyboard or online piece of software.
Drilling down into topics gives you a plethora of ways to come up with content ideas. As long as it stays relevant to the focus of the site, you’ll succeed.
It’s Your Site, Your Content
I’m not saying the you can only succeed with a niche blog focusing on specific topics as opposed to one more generalized. The truth is success is only measured by what you get out of the experience. If you’re truly happy with only reaching a handful of people per day, then you’re a success.
Ask yourself, “What do I want out of my blog?”
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