Top 10 nDash Posts and What This Analysis Can Teach Content Marketers

Using the Ahrefs tool, we compiled a list of our top ten blog posts – some dating back to 2016! Check out what others are reading below.

Our Top 10 Blog Posts

1: 5 Things Your Freelance Writing Portfolio Should Include 2020)

This post contains a detailed overview of the five things freelance writing portfolios should have, including biography, writing samples, and more. You’ll also find links to examples of portfolios serving as inspiration for yours.

2: 10 Written Content Formats for Effective Content Marketing (2020)

Effective content marketing is more than posting blog updates regularly. It includes presenting content in several formats to ensure you’re reaching your target audience effectively. This post by Ling Wong explores ten content formats you should have in your marketing strategies.

3: Content is King: Some of Our Favorite Content Marketing Quotes (2016)

Here’s the 2016 post mentioned in the introduction – in this post, you’ll see sixteen of our favorite content marketing quotes. We’d love to hear your favorites!

4: Content Development Basics: 8 Simple Steps to an Effective Strategy (2020)

Check out this post to learn what content development is and the eight steps you can take for effective content development. It starts with setting goals and ends with hitting publish. Use these steps as a framework for developing the highest quality content.

5: The 9 Best Goo.gl URL Shortener Alternatives for Content Marketers (2018)

As of April 13, 2018, users no longer have access to the Goo.gl URL shortener tool. That doesn’t mean there aren’t high-quality alternatives, however. In this post, Ling Wong provides detailed descriptions of URL shortener tool alternatives.

6: 4 Reasons Why You Should Hire Freelance Case Study Writers, and How to Help it Go Smoothly (2021)

Often an “ah-ha” moment for marketers, case studies serve as a valuable tool in content marketing strategies. Here, Amy Hooker Kidd identifies four reasons you should hire a case study writer and some strategies to help it run smoothly.

7: Top 10 Blogging Platforms: A Requirements Guide for Writers (2018)

Maintaining a blog is a way to keep your target audience up-to-date with what’s happening with your company while simultaneously providing them with valuable resources. In this guide, Mark Burdon describes ten blogging platforms and why you should consider them.

8: Blog Headline Swipe File: Steal These 5 Formulas for Writing Attention-Grabbing Titles (2020)

Attention-grabbing headlines do more than attract your target audience and increase clicks. Headlines improve search engine traffic (especially if they’re keyword optimized) and briefly tell readers what they can expect from your content. This post outlines five formulas for creating high-quality, attention-grabbing headlines.

9: Hire an HR Writer: 7 Experts for Any Content Marketing Budget (2020)

Every content marketer experiences this at one point or another – they complete their content strategy and have assignments ready to go. The problem? They don’t know which writer to pick and, in some cases, where to find them. In this guide, you’ll find our top seven suggestions for HR writers.

10: Hire a Lifestyle Writer: 17 Experts for Any Content Marketing Budget (2020)

As with the description in the previous blog post, marketers might have trouble finding the best lifestyle writer – we’ve taken the guesswork out of it with these seventeen suggestions. If you haven’t set up your nDash account yet to search our database of writers, you can do so by clicking here.

BONUS: A Google Analytics List

And, because I like to see how tools compare, here’s the top 10 list I compiled from Google Analytics:

1. 5 Things Your Freelance Writing Portfolio Should Include (2020)
2. 10 Written Content Formats for Effective Content Marketing (2020)
3. Content Development Basics: 8 Simple Steps to an Effective Strategy (2020)
4. Content is King: Some of Our Favorite Content Marketing Quotes (2016)
5. The Ahrefs Guide to Content Creation (2021)
6. A Complete Guide to Pitching Content Ideas [on nDash] (2021)
7. 6 Ways to Optimize Conversational AI & Chatbots (2018)
8. 9 Ways to Use Your Content to Build Relationships (2018)
9. Why Emotional Branding Works (2021)
10. Hire a Freelance Cybersecurity Writer: 9 Experts for Any Content Marketing Budget (2020)

What Content Marketing Lessons Can We Learn from These Lists?

Now, let’s look at the content marketing lessons we can learn from each list. Here are two things I notice about each:

1. In each list, most of the titles contain the word “content.” For example, in the Ahrefs list, six out of ten contain that keyword (two have it twice). And, in the Google Analytics list, it appears in eight out of the ten titles.
2. All the posts in the Ahrefs list are listicles. The Google Analytics list contains seven listicles out of ten.

What’s the marketing lesson?

There are a couple – first, when you look at results from your site’s reports, check out the keyword showing up the most. Then, determine if there are content gaps for that particular topic. Next, look at what type of content performs the best. In our case, listicles are a clear winner.

FAQ

How do I choose a blog topic?

1. Identify your target audience.
2. Determine your target audience’s pain points
3. Conduct keyword research

What are the most popular blog topics?

1. Parenting: Original content featuring niche topics, including parenting a newborn or middle-school aged children
2. Food: Recipes and specialized diets, including Keto and gluten-free menu planning
3. Tech: Because this industry constantly evolves, the topics are endless, including cybercrime, software solutions, and more
4. Travel: No matter if it’s about traveling to specific locations or being a travel blogger, these topics interest a broad audience
5. Health and fitness: Audiences want to learn how to stay fit, see success stories, receive tips, and more

How to check blog ranking?

Check your blog’s ranking using tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs.