If you’ve ever found yourself searching for fresh blog post ideas or pondering over the most trending blog topics, you’re not alone. Beginners and experienced writers alike often struggle to churn out a steady stream of engaging content.

Sure, you can do search engine keyword research and browse other popular blogs. But sometimes, writer’s block still hits.

The quest to discover what to blog about is a universal challenge, but fear not! This comprehensive guide is here to fuel your creativity with a plethora of blogging ideas.

From exploring diverse blog topic ideas to diving deep into niche-specific blogging topics, I’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re brainstorming ideas for a blog revamp or seeking blog content ideas to kickstart your blogging journey, this guide promises a treasure trove of inspiration.

Get ready to uncover unique blog ideas that resonate with your audience and position you as a thought leader in your domain.

Because this is a very long list of blog post ideas, I have it broken down into blog topics. Feel free to use the links below to jump to a particular topic:

Business | Finance | Technology | Fashion | Beauty | Home | Lifestyle | Fitness | Travel | Leisure and Entertainment | Food and Drink | Useful | Educational | Roundup | Fun | Timely | Controversial | Promotional

Are you ready to write your next blog post? Let’s dive into our 130+ blog ideas.

Exclusive Download the Blog Post Ideas Cheat Sheet to make content creation a breeze!

Business Blog Ideas

If your target audience is business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs, here are a few ideas for new content for your blog:

1. The Future of Remote Work: Pros and Cons.
2. Startup Success Stories: Lessons to Learn.
3. Navigating Business Ethics in the Modern World.
4. The Role of AI in Streamlining Business Operations.
5. Strategies for Effective Team Building and Leadership.
6. The Evolution of eCommerce: Trends to Watch.
7. Building a Sustainable Business: Eco-friendly Practices.

Finance Blog Ideas

Here are a few of our favorite blog ideas for money-management websites:

8. Personal Finance Tips for Millennials.
9. The Rise of Cryptocurrencies: What You Need to Know.
10. Investment Strategies for a Post-COVID World.
11. Understanding the Basics of Stock Market Investing.
12. The Importance of Financial Literacy in Schools.
13. Navigating the World of Online Banking.
14. Retirement Planning: Starting Early vs. Starting Late.

Technology Blog Ideas

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when deciding which tech topics to write about. You can use these new blog post ideas to stay on track:

15. The Impact of 5G on Everyday Life.
16. Virtual Reality: Beyond Gaming.
17. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
18. The Role of Technology in Sustainable Living.
19. Exploring the World of Quantum Computing.
20. The Rise of Smart Cities.
21. Wearable Tech: The Future of Health Monitoring.

Fashion Blog Ideas

Fashion blogs can be an extremely effective form of content marketing, especially if you engage in affiliate marketing. Here are some blog post ideas to make the most of your site:

22. Sustainable Fashion: Brands Leading the Way.
23. The Evolution of Streetwear Culture.
24. Fashion Trends from the Runways of Paris and Milan.
25. The Influence of Pop Culture on Fashion.
26. Vintage Fashion: Making the Old New Again.
27. The Intersection of Fashion and Technology.
28. DIY Fashion: Upcycling and Customizing Your Wardrobe.
29. Top Fashion Accessories of the Year: Our Product Reviews

Beauty Blog Ideas

Beauty blogs can include more than just reviews of new products. These blog post topics can help you have a well-rounded content calendar:

30. The Rise of Clean Beauty: Brands to Watch.
31. Makeup Trends from Around the World.
32. The Science Behind Skincare: Debunking Myths.
33. Beauty Routines for Different Skin Types.
34. The Influence of K-Beauty and J-Beauty.
35. DIY Natural Beauty Remedies from Your Kitchen.
36. The Future of Beauty: Tech Innovations in the Industry.

Home Blog Ideas

DIY articles, lists, and tutorials can be extremely successful types of blog posts. You can use these blog post suggestions to break through your writer’s block and keep your new blog content flowing:

37. Minimalist Living: Tips for Decluttering Your Home.
38. The Art of Feng Shui: Balancing Your Living Space.
39. DIY Home Decor Projects on a Budget.
40. Smart Home Innovations for 2026.
41. Urban Gardening: Growing Food in Small Spaces.
42. The Rise of Co-living Spaces: A New Way to Live.
43. Sustainable Home Design: Eco-friendly Materials and Practices.

Lifestyle Blog Ideas

When you write about topics that can improve people’s lives, your target audience will be excited to click! Here are some of the best blog post topics for lifestyle websites:

44. The Art of Mindfulness: Practices for Everyday Life.
45. Balancing Work and Life in the Digital Age.
46. The Rise of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle.
47. The Importance of Self-Care in Stressful Times.
48. Living a Zero-Waste Lifestyle: Tips and Tricks.
49. Exploring Different Cultural Traditions and Festivals.

Fitness Blog Ideas

If your blog niche is fitness, we’ve got you covered! Take a look at these blog post ideas we’ve compiled to make your work a little easier:

50. Home Workouts: Staying Fit Without a Gym.
51. The Benefits of Yoga and Meditation for Mental Health.
52. Exploring Different Fitness Regimens from Around the World.
53. The Science of Nutrition: Debunking Diet Myths.
54. Wearable Fitness Tech: Tracking Your Progress.
55. The Mental Benefits of Regular Exercise.
56. Adventure Sports: Pushing Your Physical Limits.

Travel Blog Ideas

For travel blogs, readers can include frequent travelers, vacation planners, and daydreamers. Here are some blog ideas that go beyond basic guides to travel destinations:

57. Solo Travel: Tips for Safe and Fulfilling Journeys.
58. Exploring Hidden Gems: Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations.
59. Sustainable Travel: Minimizing Your Carbon Footprint.
60. Culinary Adventures: Foodie Destinations Around the World.
61. Budget Travel: Exploring the World Without Breaking the Bank.
62. The Rise of Workcations: Combining Work and Travel.
63. Travel Photography: Capturing Memories Like a Pro.

Leisure and Entertainment Blog Ideas

With so many online services available, it’s never been easier to access entertainment. But the choices can be overwhelming! Here are some blog post ideas to help your readers find the best of the best. Or to learn more about something they already love:

64. The Golden Age of Streaming: What to Watch in 2026.
65. Rediscovering the Joy of Board Games.
66. The Evolution of Music: From Vinyl to Streaming.
67. The World of Indie Films: Hidden Cinematic Treasures.
68. The Resurgence of Book Clubs in the Digital Age.
69. Exploring the World of Virtual Reality Gaming.
70. The Impact of Social Media on Pop Culture.

Food and Drink Blog Ideas

Readers visit food blogs for step-by-step recipes, cooking tips, and more. These blog ideas will get them excited to read more of your content:

71. The World of Fermented Foods: Health Benefits and Recipes.
72. Exploring Global Cuisines: A Culinary Journey.
73. The Art of Mixology: Crafting the Perfect Cocktail.
74. Veganism and Plant-Based Diets: Beyond the Hype.
75. The Science of Baking: Perfecting Your Pastries.
76. Coffee Culture: From Bean to Cup.
77. The Rise of Craft Breweries: Exploring Unique Beers.

Useful Blog Ideas

Tutorials, checklists, and step-by-step guides are great ways to drive traffic. Most of us go straight to the internet when we need some easy-to-follow instructions. These helpful blog posts will give users what they’re looking for:

78. 10 Life Hacks to Simplify Your Daily Routine.
79. The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Workspace for Maximum Productivity.
80. Healthy Meal Prep Ideas for Busy Weekdays.
81. Tips for Managing Stress in a Fast-Paced World.
82. How to Save Money on Everyday Expenses.
83. DIY Home Maintenance: Fixing Common Household Issues.
84. Travel Packing Checklist: Essentials for Every Trip.

Educational Blog Ideas

Enlighten and engage your readers with in-depth articles on the following topics:

85. The History and Evolution of the Internet: A Deep Dive.
86. Understanding the Basics of Renewable Energy Sources.
87. The Science Behind Sleep: Why It’s Essential for Our Health.
88. An Introduction to World Religions and Their Philosophies.
89. The Art of Effective Communication: Verbal and Non-Verbal.
90. Exploring the World of Quantum Physics.
91. The Role of Microorganisms in Our Ecosystem.

Roundup Blog Ideas

Who doesn’t love a great list? Roundups are an important part of any blog, regardless of its niche or target audience. Here are a few ideas you can use for inspiration:

92. Top 10 Books to Read in 2026: Editor’s Picks.
93. Monthly Tech Roundup: The Latest Innovations and Gadgets.
94. Best Movies of the Year: A Cinematic Recap.
95. Roundup of the Most Inspiring TED Talks This Year.
96. Fashion Trends from Around the World: Seasonal Highlights.
97. The Most Influential People in the World of Business in 2026.
98. Top Health and Wellness Tips from Experts This Month.
99. 10 Best Podcasts on a Subject of Interest.

Fun Blog Ideas

Even if most of your blog posts are fairly straightforward, it’s a good idea to write some joyful content every now and then. These blog topics can give you some ideas to inject some levity:

100. The World’s Most Unusual Festivals and Celebrations.
101. Decoding the Science of Laughter: Why We Find Things Funny.
102. DIY Craft Ideas for a Rainy Day.
103. Exploring the World’s Most Unique and Quirky Museums.
104. The Joy of Retro Gaming: A Trip Down Memory Lane.
105. Fun and Unconventional Ways to Stay Fit.
106. The World’s Strangest Foods and Where to Try Them.

Timely Blog Post Ideas

Readers are most likely to click on posts that are relevant to them. And timeliness is a key factor in that relevance. Keep your audience engaged with these fresh blog ideas:

107. Understanding the Impact of Current Global Events on the Economy.
108. Fashion Trends for the Upcoming Season.
109. The Latest Advances in Medical Research and What They Mean for Us.”
110. Tech Predictions for the Upcoming Year.
111. A Recap of the Most Significant News Stories This Month.
112. The Role of Climate Change in Recent Natural Disasters.
113. Celebrating International Women’s Day: Stories of Empowerment.

Controversial Blog Post Ideas

Spark discussion and engagement by thoughtfully addressing controversial topics, such as the ones we’ve compiled here:

114. The Ethics of AI: Potential Benefits and Dangers.
115. Debating the Merits and Drawbacks of a Universal Basic Income.
116. The Ongoing Debate: Organic vs. Conventional Farming.
117. The Role of Social Media in Shaping Public Opinion.
118. Vaccinations: Myths, Facts, and Controversies.
119. The Future of Education: Traditional Schools vs. Online Learning.
120. The Impact of Celebrity Culture on Society.

Promotional Blog Post Ideas

Promotional blogs are particularly popular posts for eCommerce sites. They let you talk about your products and services and move users through your sales funnel. Here are some post ideas to help you get started:

121. Introducing Our Latest Product: Features and Benefits.
122. Why Our Brand Stands Out in the Market: A Comparative Analysis.
123. Customer Testimonials: Real Stories from Satisfied Clients.
124. Exclusive Offers and Discounts for Our Loyal Readers.
125. Behind the Scenes: A Look into Our Production Process.
126. Join Our Upcoming Webinar: Topics and Guest Speakers Revealed.
127. Celebrating Our Company’s Anniversary: A Journey Through the Years.
128. Giveaway Alert: How to Win Our Product for Free.

Personal Blog Post Ideas

Motivational personal stories can make excellent blog posts. Readers are drawn to honesty and vulnerability, so these blog ideas can help you build an audience.

129. My Journey to Becoming a Full-Time Blogger: Challenges and Triumphs.
130. Life Lessons I Learned from Traveling Solo.
131. The Books That Changed My Perspective on Life.
132. Finding Balance: My Personal Strategies for Juggling Work and Family.
133. My Experience with Meditation and Mindfulness.
134. The Role of Mentorship in My Career Growth.
135. Personal Reflections on a Year of Growth and Transformation.

There you have it, 135 great blog post ideas to write about.

Convert Your Reader Into Subscribers

While I’ve equipped you with a treasure trove of blog ideas and topics, another essential piece to the puzzle is making sure your content reaches its intended audience and drives action. 

Enter OptinMonster. 

More than just a lead generation tool, it’s your secret weapon in the blogging arsenal. 

With its intuitive drag and drop builder, you can craft compelling opt-in forms that resonate with your readers. But that’s just the beginning.

OptinMonster’s advanced targeting features ensure your content reaches the right eyes at the right time, turning casual browsers into dedicated subscribers. 

So, as you pen down your next masterpiece using the ideas from this guide, remember to give it the OptinMonster advantage. After all, great content deserves an audience that values it.

FAQs

TL;DR:

The best WordPress page builders include SeedProd, Elementor, Thrive Architect, Divi Builder, Beaver Builder, Breakdance, and 10Web AI Builder, each offering unique strengths from landing page speed and conversion tools to design flexibility and AI-powered site creation.

SeedProd is ideal for high-converting landing pages, Elementor offers the most design options and templates, and Thrive Architect is built for funnels and lead generation. Divi stands out with its pre-designed layouts, Beaver Builder is praised for simplicity and clean code, Breakdance is a lightweight modern builder focused on performance, and 10Web AI Builder uses AI to generate full sites quickly.

The right choice depends on your project’s needs, budget, and technical skill, so it’s best to try free versions to see which fits your workflow.

We’ve broken more WordPress pages than we care to admit.

But after testing just about all the drag-and-drop WordPress page builders out there, we know exactly which ones are worth your time and which ones will leave you staring at a blank screen wondering what went wrong.

Whether you’re after total design freedom, blazing speed, AI-powered layouts, or a dead-simple builder for your first site, we’ve got the right pick for you below.

Ready to skip the guesswork? Let’s dive into the best WordPress page builders for 2026.

Quick Comparison: Best WordPress Page Builders at a Glance

Rank	Page Builder	Best For	Key Features	Starting Price	Free Version?
	SeedProd	Marketers & landing pages	300+ templates, built-in conversion tools, build complete site in 60 seconds with AI	$39.50/year	Yes
	Elementor	Design flexibility	Live editor, theme builder, huge addon library	$59/year	Yes
	Thrive Architect	Marketers & funnels	Built-in conversion elements, advanced triggers	$99/year	No
4	Divi	Visual effects & templates	Advanced design controls, 2000+ layouts, A/B testing	$89/year	No
5	Breakdance	Modern, developer-friendly	Fast UI, clean code output, dynamic data support	$99/year	Yes
6	10Web AI Builder	AI-powered speed	Import any site, AI content/layout generation	$10/month	Yes (limited)
7	Beaver Builder	Agencies & client sites	Reliable, fast, robust front-end editing	$99/year	Limited

Best WordPress Page Builders

1. SeedProd— Best AI Website Builder for WordPress

We’ve used SeedProd to launch everything from lead magnets to webinar pages and we keep coming back to it for one reason: it just works.

If your main goal is building landing pages that convert, SeedProd is hands-down the easiest builder to start with. It’s built for marketers, not developers and it shows.

What We Like:

• The drag-and-drop UI is so clean, it actually makes building pages fun
• Built-in countdown timers, optin forms, and integrations with OptinMonster
• 300+ templates so you’re never starting from scratch

What Could Be Better:

• Not ideal for building full multi-page websites (it’s laser-focused on single-page conversions)
• Some templates feel a bit “template-y” unless you customize them

Why We Chose SeedProd:
When we needed a high-converting, mobile-friendly page to promote our Black Friday campaign, SeedProd got it done in less than an hour. If you’re focused on leads, not layouts — this is the one.

For more details on SeedProd, checkout our detailed SeedProd review.

2. Elementor— Best for Creative Control and Custom Layouts

When we need pixel-perfect control or a super custom layout, Elementor’s the tool we reach for. It gives you designer-level flexibility — without needing to write a single line of code.

Elementor is like having a design agency in your WordPress dashboard. You can drag, drop, animate, layer, and tweak just about everything. If SeedProd is your go-to for speed, Elementor’s your toolkit for total creative freedom.

What We Like:

• Visual editor is ultra-smooth and intuitive — what you see is truly what you get
• Huge ecosystem: 300+ templates, widgets, and 3rd-party extensions galore
• Dynamic content & theme builder = big win for custom sites or advanced users

What Could Be Better:

• Can feel bloated if you go overboard with widgets or animations
• Free version is limited for real marketing use (Pro is where the magic is)

Why We Chose Elementor
We used Elementor to redesign one of our most visited blog category pages, adding animations, CTA blocks, and a custom optin section and saw a noticeable boost in time on page and clicks. If you love tinkering with design details and want full layout control, Elementor gives you the playground to do it.

3. Thrive Architect— Best for Marketers and Conversion-Focused Pages

Thrive Architect isn’t trying to be the flashiest builder but if your goal is leads, sales, and funnels that convert, this thing is stacked.

Thrive Architect is laser-focused on helping you build high-converting pages; think sales funnels, webinar opt-ins, lead magnets, and product pages. It’s built by marketers, for marketers, and it shows in every template and feature.

What We Like:

• Dozens of proven, conversion-optimized templates ready to go
• Smart element triggers (like showing content after a timer or scroll depth)
• Integrates tightly with Thrive Suite tools like Thrive Leads and Thrive Quiz Builder

What Could Be Better:

• Doesn’t offer much for full-site design — it’s page-level focused

Why We Chose Thrive Architect
We used Thrive Architect to build a lead-gen funnel for a free download and with just a few tweaks, it outperformed our previous setup by 30%. If you want a builder that’s designed to grow your list or drive action, Thrive is your secret weapon.

4. Divi— Best for Visual Effects and Pre-Built Layouts

If SeedProd is for speed and Elementor is for control, Divi is for people who want wow factor — stunning visuals, slick animations, and beautiful templates baked right in.

Divi comes with one of the most polished design experiences out there. With 2,000+ layout packs, built-in A/B testing, and jaw-dropping visual effects, it’s the page builder you reach for when you want to impress.

What We Like:

• Gorgeous pre-designed layouts that look premium out of the box
• Powerful built-in effects: transitions, hover states, parallax, animations
• Lifetime pricing option makes it a deal for long-term users or agencies

What Could Be Better:

• Can feel heavy — not the fastest-loading builder on this list
• Slight learning curve if you’ve never used a visual builder before

Why We Chose Divi
We used Divi to build a mini-site for a product launch with bold visuals and multiple layout sections. It looked like a custom design agency job and took a fraction of the time. If you want your pages to look designer-level without hiring one, Divi’s got you covered.

5. Breakdance — Best for Modern Builders and Developers Who Hate Bloat

We didn’t expect to love Breakdance… but after building a full funnel page in under an hour with fast load times and zero plugin conflicts, we were sold.

Breakdance is the new kid on the block, but it’s already turning heads. It’s lightweight, lightning-fast, and built with modern WordPress standards in mind. If you want the power of something like Elementor without the bloat, Breakdance hits that sweet spot.

What We Like:

• Super fast UI — seriously, one of the snappiest editors we’ve tested
• Clean code output that devs will actually appreciate
• Dynamic data support and WooCommerce integration built right in

What Could Be Better:

• Still a newer builder, so the third-party ecosystem is smaller (for now)
• Some advanced features may feel overkill for casual users

Why We Chose Breakdance
We used Breakdance to rebuild a product comparison page and it loaded 20% faster than the Elementor version, with the same design. If you want a builder that feels fresh, fast, and future-proof, Breakdance is worth your attention.

6. 10Web AI Builder — Best for Cloning Sites and AI-Powered Launches

We used 10Web AI to clone an existing site in minutes, not hours. It didn’t just copy the layout; it recreated it with editable sections and clean styling. Wild.

10Web AI Builder isn’t your typical drag-and-drop editor. It uses artificial intelligence to recreate existing websites or generate brand-new layouts based on a few simple prompts. If you’re short on time or starting from scratch, this builder is your fast lane.

What We Like:

• AI can generate full page structures, not just content blurbs
• One-click site cloning is insanely useful for migrating or redesigning
• Built-in hosting (via Google Cloud) = faster performance out of the box

What Could Be Better:

• Not ideal for heavy customization — better for quick-start builds
• Works best with its own ecosystem (you can’t just install it on any host)

Why We Chose 10Web
We tested 10Web on a client’s legacy site, and in under 10 minutes we had a working, editable version ready to tweak and launch. If you’re rebuilding a site fast or experimenting with designs before going live, this AI builder is a total time-saver.

7. Beaver Builder— Best for Agencies and Client Sites

When we’re building something that needs to just work, no glitches, no plugin drama, Beaver Builder is our go-to. It’s not flashy, but it’s rock-solid.

Beaver Builder is the builder your web developer friend secretly respects. It’s stable, clean, and built for long-term site management which makes it perfect for agencies, freelancers, or anyone building sites for clients.

What We Like:

• Fast, reliable front-end editor — no lag, no weird bugs
• Outputs clean code (devs love this) and plays nice with almost any theme
• White labeling and multisite support = great for client work

What Could Be Better:

• The UI feels a bit dated compared to flashier builders like Breakdance
• Doesn’t include as many built-in marketing elements (you’ll want to pair it with OptinMonster or similar)

Why We Chose Beaver Builder
We built a client’s entire 10-page coaching site on Beaver Builder and barely had to touch support. It’s not the most exciting tool but it’s one of the most dependable. If you value stability over sizzle, Beaver Builder is a smart bet.

Which is the Best WordPress Page Builder?

It depends on what you’re building but after testing all of these firsthand, here’s our take:

• Best Overall: SeedProd — Perfect if you want fast, high-converting pages with zero fluff. Great for marketers, product launches, and list-building.
• Best for Design Freedom: Elementor — Ideal if you love full control over layout, styling, and animations.
• Best for Funnels & Lead Gen: Thrive Architect — Built with conversion in mind, and packed with smart triggers and lead tools.
• Best AI Option: 10Web AI Builder — Wildly efficient for cloning sites or generating layouts on the fly.
• Best for Agencies: Beaver Builder — Reliable, stable, and built for long-term, client-friendly performance.

At the end of the day, the best builder is the one that matches your workflow, goals, and tech comfort level. Whether you’re starting your first blog or managing dozens of client sites, there’s a builder on this list that’ll help you move faster and convert better.

FAQs About WordPress Page Builders

Related: How to Create a Landing Page in WordPress Without Code

Once you’ve decided on your WordPress page builder, check out these posts about site creation:

• Anatomy of the Perfect Landing Page (Tips & Best Practices)
• The BEST Landing Page Creation Tools for More Conversions
• Best Website Builders for Small Business Compared (Pros and Cons)
• Best WooCommerce Themes for Your Online Store

Thanks to various blog sites available at your fingertips, sharing your thoughts, stories, and ideas with the world has never been easier.

However, choosing the right blog site can be overwhelming, but don’t worry; I am here to guide you through it step by step.

In this post, we will explore some of the most popular and user-friendly blog sites that can help you kickstart your blogging journey.

From sites that are super easy for beginners to those packed with advanced features for the pros, I’ve got you covered.

Here’s a table of contents to easily navigate to the blog site that interests you the most:

But first, let’s look at a few of the qualities you should look for in blog sites.

What To Look For in Blog Sites

Choosing the best blog site is important. That’s because it might be difficult to make changes or migrate your blog to another platform down the road.

Here are a few things to consider before you choose the best blogging site for your goals:

1. Why Are You Starting the Blog?

There are lots of reasons people are searching for the best blogging website, such as:

• Demonstrating their authority in a certain niche
• Driving passive income
• Sharing memories or thoughts with friends and family
• Keeping an ongoing journal
• And much more…

But your goal will have a major impact on the blog site you choose. If you eventually want to monetize your writing, then you’ll want a blog site with lots of integrations for your favorite marketing tools.

This would be something like WordPress.org that gives you tons of plugins to turn your blog into a business.

If you’re just playing around, though, then a more minimalistic blog sites like Blogger will work just fine for you.

2. Ease of Use

You’ll want a blog site that’s easy to set up, maintain, and doesn’t require any coding skills.

Think about not only where you are right now, but where you may need your blog to take you in the future. As your blog grows and gains more traffic, you might want to change up the look or add features that will dazzle your audience.

You need a blog site that makes this easy and doesn’t require you to hire a developer to get started.

3. Monetization

Like I mentioned earlier, if you think you might ever want to try to monetize your blog, pick a blog site that sets you up for success. The same blog could make millions from one platform or gather cobwebs from another.

Make sure you choose a blogging site that helps you monetize all your hard work.

Now that we know what we would be looking for in blog sites, let’s turn our attention to the best blog sites that you can use to start writing today.

Best Blog Sites

Now let’s look at the best blog sites I found for you to start your blog today. All you need to do is pick the one that suits your goals best.

1. Sef Hosted WordPress

WordPress powers more than 40% of all websites on the internet. Yeah, it’s popular, and some of the best blog websites in the world are built on WordPress.

It’s a self-hosted platform, so you’ll need to get hosting with a managed WordPress hosting provider. It also means that you have to manage your own backups and security.

Also check out: Best Managed WordPress Hosting Services

WordPress is ridiculously extendable, with over 55,000 plugins that let you add features like image galleries, paid memberships, forums, contact forms, and more.

Also check out: Best WordPress Plugins

WordPress is one of the best blog sites if you want to have control over every aspect of your site. There are thousands of free themes for WordPress, allowing you to create a gorgeous site layout in minutes.

WordPress is also search engine friendly. This means that it’s a breeze to create SEO-friendly URLs, tags, and categories for your posts. Plus, tons of plugins like MonsterInsights make it easy to connect to Google Analytics to track and optimize your site’s performance.

Most web hosts have a 1-click option to install WordPress, so it’s really easy to get started.

Pricing:

WordPress is an open-source platform and one of the best free blog sites, but you’ll need to pay for hosting (we recommend BlueHost) and a domain name (included with BlueHost hosting).

2. Web.com

Web.com is an easy-to-use AI website builder for beginners, and you can quickly start a blog at a very low price.

With features like drag and drop AI builder, AI writer and expert support, you can start your blogging journey very quickly.

You don’t need any technical knowledge to use the drag and drop builder. Simply drag features like photo galleries, videos, social media buttons, testimonial sliders, contact forms, and more and drop them onto your page.

You can also use Web.com’s ready-made website templates to give your blog a professional look instantly. The templates are 100% mobile-friendly, so you can ensure your blog looks great on all devices.

Want to add an online store to your blog? With Web.com’s eCommerce tool, you can add up to 50 products, securely accept credit card payments online, manage your orders, offer discounts, and more.

All Web.com plans come with a free domain name, business email address, SEO tools, website analytics, and other essential website tools.

Pricing: 

The starter Website plan starts at only $4.95/month.

You can upgrade to the Website + Marketing plan to get added social media and email marketing tools starting at $7.95/month. And the online store plan starts at $13.95/month.

3. HubSpot CMS Hub

There’s no better choice for businesses and marketers than HubSpot’s CMS Hub. This content management system was designed to deliver fast, responsive web design for teams with limited IT capabilities.

HubSpot offers an easy-to-use drag and drop website editor that lets you design forms, pop-ups, and CTAs with your branding in minutes. The built-in SEO tools will guide you towards changes that improve organic traffic, and the website analytics help track performance.

The CMS Hub has advanced features like live chat, chatbots, email marketing, and shared inboxes. Mobile designs are also responsive and easy to test out.

HubSpot’s security features, like standard SSL certification, global DSN, and 24/7 security monitoring, are the real stars here. Unlike self-hosted WordPress sites, where you have to take care of security yourself, HubSpot takes out the guesswork, so you can rest easy knowing your website is safe.

Pricing:

HubSpot CMS Hub plans start from $25/month. That includes hosting at 99.99% measured uptime, tech support, and dozens of functions usually only available as premium plugins.

While there’s no free CMS option, there is a 14-day free trial, and you can try some of HubSpot’s other business or marketing tools for free.

4. Wix

Wix is a hosted website platform that is a great solution for small businesses. You can also add a blog to your website with Wix Blog app.

Building your site with Wix is easy using its drag and drop tools. Plus, the site has customization options with dozens of templates and 3rd-party apps.

Wix offers a free account that includes a Wix subdomain (username.wixsite.com/example); it’s limited in features and shows Wix branding and ads on your site.

Take note, once you choose a template with Wix you can’t change it.

Pricing:

Free plan available. Add a custom domain for $4.50/month. Paid plans start at $8.50/month and go up to $24.50/month.

Also check out:  Wix Email Capture: 5 Ways to Grow Your Email List.

5. Gator by HostGator

Gator is a site builder and blogging platform from HostGator, a popular web hosting company. Gator includes a drag and drop editor you can use to build blogs, eCommerce stores, and business sites.

The great thing about using Gator by HostGator to build and host your site is that backups, performance, and security are all handled by HostGator. So, you don’t have to worry about it!

Plus, it comes with a free domain and SSL certificate with all plans.

Gator doesn’t offer free accounts and eCommerce features are restricted to higher-end plans, but there is a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Pricing:

The Starter plan is $3.84/month and comes with everything you need to start a successful blog.

6. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a simple and easy to use blog hosting service offered by Automattic (the folks that created WordPress.org). You can create a basic WordPress blog and add limited plugins. If you need a custom domain name, more storage, or other services, you’ll have to purchase them separately.

This is a free option if you don’t mind having a WordPress.com subdomain (example.wordpress.com).

Pricing:

A basic WordPress.com account is free, but it’ll have WordPress branding and ads. Paid plans start at $4/month (billed yearly).

7. Blogger

Blogger is Google’s free blogging service, and it’s a quick, easy way for non-tech folks to start a blog. Plus, it’s been around forever, since 1999!

While Blogger is free, you’ll be limited to basic blogging tools, limited design options, and low-quality 3rd-party templates. If that doesn’t bother you, and you’re only looking for a simple blog site, then you’ll be building your blog on Google’s reliable and secure platform.

Pricing:

Blogger is one of the oldest free blog sites with a Blogspot subdomain (example.blogspot.com). If you want a custom domain, you’ll need to buy one.

8. Tumblr

Tumblr is a social media-meets-blogging platform. You can do cool things like reblogging and sharing, just to name a couple.

Tumblr is free with a Tumblr subdomain (example.tumblr.com), but you can also connect a custom domain name you’ve purchased.

This is what is commonly called a “microblogging tool.” It makes blogging videos, images, audio, and GIFs easy.

Pricing:

Tumblr too is one the free blog sites in this article. You can purchase and use a custom domain and 3rd-party themes and apps.

9. Medium

Medium is an online community of writers, bloggers, and journalists. The platform is easy to use and has limited social networking features.

After signing up for Medium, you’ll have your own profile address (medium.com/yourusername), but you can’t use your own domain.

Since you won’t be hosting your blog on your own site, you don’t own your audience; Medium does. If you lose your blog for some reason, you can say “buh-bye” to all your followers.

However, not running your own website might appeal to some since it lets you focus on writing instead of everything that goes with having a site.

Pricing:

You can create blog sites on Medium for free.

10. Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the best website builders around. With it, you can create stunning sites easily using its drag and drop tools. Squarespace has many professionally designed templates and works great for small businesses and beginners who aren’t super tech-savvy.

On the downside, Squarespace is a proprietary platform, so you’re limited to the built-in features. And, while there are integrations, they’re limited to a few services and tools.

Pricing:

Pricing for the Personal website plan starts at $16/month (annually). Business plan pricing starts at $23/month (annually).

If you want to set up your eCommerce store with Squarespace, pricing starts at $27/month and goes up to $49/month.

11. Ghost

Ghost is continually evolving to meet the needs of modern publishers, focusing on ease of use, flexibility, and the ability to monetize content effectively.

If you’re considering Ghost for your publishing needs, it seems to offer a robust set of features designed to support creators, publishers, and businesses in building and growing their online presence.

Pricing:

Ghost’s managed hosting offers plans ranging from $9/month for 500 members to $199/month for 10,000 members, with features scaling from basic integrations to advanced domain configurations and priority support, billed annually.

12. Weebly

Weebly has an easy-to-use drag and drop builder that makes it really easy to build the website you want. And, all plans come with a free SSL certificate.

You can easily add a blog to your Weebly site as well as integrate an eCommerce storefront.

Despite its ease of use, Weebly has limited built-in functions and limited integration with 3rd-party platforms. Plus, it’s hard to export Weebly to another platform should you decide to leave.

Pricing:

Weebly’s pricing spans from a free basic plan to the Performance plan at $26/month, catering to a range of needs from simple websites to advanced eCommerce solutions, all billed annually for added savings.

And that’s it! These have been the best blog sites you can use to create, maintain, and earn money from your blog.

I hope you are now equipped with all the knowledge you need to choose the best blog site that resonates with your style and goals.

Boost Your Blog’s Audience with OptinMonster

Before we end this article, I quickly wanted to mention a problem that every blogger eventually faces: getting more readers and subscribers.

For that, you’ll want to use a tool like OptinMonster:

OptinMonster is the #1 lead generation software in the world, and it’s the perfect marketing tool to help bloggers grow their audience.

OptinMonster lets you build stunning campaigns for your blog site like popups, floating bars, fullscreen welcome mats, and more.

These campaigns include powerful calls to action to get your audience to engage with your brand and your content.

In just minutes, you can create beautiful campaigns that get your readers to subscribe to your blog. And you can personalize the content of your campaigns using the drag and drop builder to make sure you’re getting the highest conversion rates possible.

You can build everything without any coding experience or technical knowledge at all. If you can click, type, copy, and paste, then you can design professional-looking campaigns in minutes. Follow this step by step guide to create your first campaign with OptinMonster.

The best part about OptinMonster is its powerful targeting rules that let you display campaigns to the right people at the right time. You can target visitors based on their behavior, interests, and activity on your site.

For instance, you can use the Exit-Intent® rule to trigger a campaign right before a visitor leaves your site to get them to subscribe.

And with OptinMonster, you can monetize your blog or grow your subscriber list easily by locking premium content, and granting access to it only if a visitor signs up for a membership plan.

Still not convinced? Check out how RazorSocial increased conversions by 520% using content upgrades with OptinMonster.

Want to try it out? Click below to start your risk-free OptinMonster account today:

FAQ

More on Blog Sites

• 7 Proven Tips to Create Blog Posts That Convert Like Crazy
• 13 Benefits of Email Marketing: Why (and How) to Grow Your List
• 9 Steps to Market and Grow Your Blog

Yeah… so it turns out that’s wrong. When it comes to eCommerce, knowledge isn’t power; knowledge is profit.

And that’s exactly why you need to be using customer surveys in your marketing strategy. Surveys allow you to engage with and learn about your audience. The more information you have, the better you can serve your clients and, consequently, increase your overall revenue.

So, today, we’ll be exploring 4 survey best practices to help you create surveys in a way that encourages users to actually take them. More specifically, we’ll look at:

• What we mean by “survey best practices” and why they matter
• Four specific survey best practices you need for higher completion rates
• The best tools for building your survey

What Are Survey Best Practices and Why Do They Matter?

You probably remember taking standardized tests like the SATs back in high school. If you’re like most people, these exams made you develop a natural hate for all things multiple-choice (not to mention how you’ve vowed to never use a No. 2 pencil again).

So it’s no wonder some merchants are wary of using surveys. After all, giving your visitors more test-like paperwork is never a good conversion strategy, right?

Right.

But here’s the thing: surveys aren’t tests, or at least they shouldn’t be if made correctly.

What’s the difference?

Tests are made to assess knowledge and contain wrong answers in their responses. Surveys, on the other hand, are an open invitation to join a conversation.

Plus, there are no wrong answers in a survey because you can learn something about your client regardless of which response they choose.

The trick lies in creating a survey that people actually want to take. That’s why you need to master some of the basic skills that go into survey creation. By implementing just a few of these survey best practices, you can increase your completion rate, easily grow your email list, and get way more conversions for your site.

But most of all, with all the data you collect, you’ll have more insight on how to better serve your customers in the future!

So let’s check out four survey best practices when creating a survey.

Survey Best Practices: 4 Tips to Live By

1. Clearly define your goal: The obvious starting point for creating any survey is figuring out specifically what you want to know, emphasis on the term “specifically.” Ask yourself, “What would I like to learn about my customers with this survey and will that knowledge help me in a concrete way?”

Consider this hypothetical goal, for example:

At first glance, this seems like it would be a reasonable goal for a survey. But the problem is that there is no response which would help you create a concrete strategy for improvement. If your survey reveals that your visitors love your blog, great!

But now what?

Since you don’t know what they specifically love about it or what kind of content they’re drawn to, you have no way of planning future posts to ensure your readers continue to love your content (and the same can be said if your survey reveals they hate your writing, too).

But take the same goal and reword it to something more concrete:

Now you’re on your way to writing a survey with a tangible purpose that will give you data you can actually use!

Interested in learning how to create the best content that keeps your visitors engaged and coming back for more? Check out our content marketing guide for everything you need.

2. Keep surveys short: This is by far one of the biggest mistakes merchants make when designing a survey. Your visitors likely don’t have the time (or patience) to fill out a 30-minute form. Once you have your specific goal, you should be designing your survey to get the data you need as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, there’s no clear cut rule for this, but as a general guideline, your survey shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to fill out. That (roughly) translates to 10 multiple-choice questions. If you have different response types (where people need to type in their answers), you’re looking at 3-5 questions max.

If you’re having difficulty keeping your test short, you may be trying to squeeze too much into one survey. This may be a sign that your survey objective still isn’t specific enough.

3. Decide on the most useful type of question to reach your goal: There are two types of questions: closed-ended and open-ended questions. As you can imagine, each of these has a unique set of benefits and drawbacks.

Closed-Ended Questions

Closed-ended questions provide all the response options a user can choose. They typically come in the form of multiple-choice, true/false, or any other “check the box” style response.

Advantages: Great for gathering simple quantitative data on black and white issues.

Disadvantages: Doesn’t allow for much complexity in responses. Plus, if users don’t see a response they agree with, they may leave the survey altogether.

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions ask the user to respond in their own words.

Advantages: Allows users to express themselves in a more detailed way and can lead to richer, more complex data.

Disadvantages: Can be tedious for users to fill out leading to a lower completion rate.

The type of questions you ultimately choose should correspond with your specific goal but here’s a good rule of thumb:

If you want to know how a user feels about something, use open-ended questions; if you want to know what a user thinks about something, use closed-ended questions.

So if you’d like to know what your users think of your overall customer service, you’d go with a closed-ended question. If you want to know specifically what they like/dislike about their customer service experience, you can use open-ended questions.

Pro TipIf your survey has open-ended questions, you can turn them into a game-like challenge to increase completion rates. Rather than saying, “Tell me what you like about this product,” you could say “tell me what you like about this product in 10 words or less.” Encouraging brevity also helps because it reminds users your survey isn’t asking for too much of their time.

4. Incentivize your survey: One way that you can encourage users to take your survey is to add an incentive. In the same way that you give out free content/products to capture emails without being pushy, you can give out items or information to gather responses.

Here are a few ways you can do that (that don’t involve a big budget):

eBooks

Give out an eBook in exchange for someone taking a survey.

Writing an eBook is a great way to reward people for responding to your survey. Plus, eBooks don’t need to be complicated! Check out how to avoid the most common mistakes when writing your first eBook.

Contests

Allow people to enter a contest if they complete your survey.

Just like you see raffles or giveaway contests at various charity events, you can run your own online contest. The cost of entry? Completing your survey (and this is also a great way to grow your email list). Not sure how? Here are the 9 best online giveaway tools to use (including our top recommendation, RafflePress, that we’ll talk about more later).

Discounts

Offer a subscription discount for taking a survey.

Offering a discount on your product can be a great way to say “thank you” to those who took the time to fill out your survey. Plus, it can lead to higher conversions!

Show the Results

Reveal the results!

Believe it or not, some of your customers may be as curious about your results as you are. If you think your audience would like to know about the results of the survey, you can use that information as leverage for a higher completion rate. All you need to do is promise that you will write a blog and/or email with the results when the survey has been completed.

How to Create a Survey: Using the Right Tools for the Job

Ok, so you’re convinced. You totally see the value of creating a survey to learn more about your customers. Now you just need to know where to start.

Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of great options to choose from. Here are two of the most efficient ways to create a WordPress survey that your users will love:

1. Surveys with WordPress Plugins:

If you want to build a survey that’s effective, efficient, and easy to make, you can use one of the many plugins designed for just that. While there are a lot to choose from, here are three of our top picks:

WPForms

UserFeedback

Formidable Forms

These plugins not only make your surveys look great, but they’re also easy for your clients to use (and even easier for you to make).

Oh, and they allow you to track the results! That means you can keep your responses organized and export them to a spreadsheet for your team to analyze. Or you can even convert the answers to a visible graph and display them on your website.

Not sure how to choose the survey plugin for your site? Check out Best Online Survey Software for Small Businesses to find the right fit.

2. Turn your survey into a popup via OptinMonster:

Using a combination of WPForms and OptinMonster (the best WordPress popup plugin), you can design a sleek survey to learn more about your customers and how they’re interacting with your site. Turning your survey into a popup yields loads of benefits, such as:

• Learn how your customers are interacting with your site
• Get real-time feedback from your visitors to develop better conversion strategies
• Increase potential conversions by interacting with customers before they leave your site
• Grow your email list
• Gain insight into your customers’ attitudes, beliefs, and problems for a stronger marketing strategy

At the end of the day, a popup survey can literally be the difference between a visitor leaving your site forever or becoming a lifelong paying customer.

Interested but not super tech-savvy? No worries!

Here’s a tutorial on how to combine WPForms and OptinMonster to have a killer survey up and running in minutes.

**Bonus Tip**

Earlier we mentioned that it can be a good idea to add an incentive for your users to take your survey. One great tool to do this is RafflePress, a WordPress giveaway plugin designed to help you increase traffic, grow your email list, and gain more social media followers.

BUT, it can also be a great tool for getting surveys and it’s super easy to use. All you need to do is create a giveaway campaign

and add actions, a task that users can complete for entries to your giveaway contest.

Fortunately, one of these actions includes polls and surveys. That means that you can add your survey to any giveaway campaign!

And that’s all, folks!

We just went over 4 crucial survey best practices and the tools you need to get a survey up and running on your site in minutes. You’re now ready to collect user responses, track your data, implement your changes, and increase your annual profits.

For more tips and tutorials, be sure to follow us on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook!

In an era where the internet is the primary platform for brand awareness, engagement, and conversion, understanding and implementing digital marketing best practices is not just beneficial—it’s essential.

In this article, I will share the most effective digital marketing best practices that can drive businesses to new heights.

Before we get into it, let’s briefly cover the basics of digital marketing. Want to skip to the digital marketing strategies? Click here!

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is promoting products, services, or brands using the internet and online digital technologies, channels, and platforms to connect with potential customers.

Also known as online marketing, digital marketing can be any marketing campaign involving digital communication.

There are many types of digital marketing strategies, among which the following are the most widely used:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Improving website visibility in search engine results.
• Content Marketing: Creating valuable content to attract and engage audiences.
• Social Media Marketing: Using platforms like Facebook and Instagram for promotion.
• PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising: A model where advertisers pay for each ad click.
• Email Marketing: Sending targeted messages to promote products or services.
• Affiliate Marketing: Rewarding affiliates for generating traffic or sales.
• Influencer Marketing: Partnering with influencers to reach larger audiences.

Digital marketing is essential for businesses to reach broader audiences more efficiently compared to traditional methods, allowing for real-time tracking and optimization of marketing efforts.

Now, let’s dive into our list of digital marketing best practices.

Digital Marketing Best Practices

1. Chatbots & Conversational Marketing
2. Voice Search
3. Personalization
4. Video Marketing
5. Micro-Moments
6. Social Commerce & Shoppable Posts
7. Omnichannel Marketing
8. Privacy Marketing

Here are marketing tactics you can use with the different types of marketing strategies we listed earlier. We’ve also included digital marketing examples so you can see these best practices in action.

1. Chatbots & Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing uses automated technology, usually including artificial intelligence. It includes everything from email marketing to customer feedback and helps online shoppers and brands connect with each other through chat and voice.

With the growth of messaging apps, chatbots have enormous reach.

Chatbots are a great way to get started with conversational marketing. They can keep you up and running 24/7, are cost-effective, and give you a direct line to your audience.

In addition, chatbots can help you get more information about your customers and potential customers. This makes it easier to create targeted marketing campaigns that include high-converting personalization techniques that go beyond just including your lead’s name.

It’s estimated that chatbots will power 95% of customer service by 2025.

How to Do It

OptinMonster integrates with ManyChat to make it super easy to create your own chatbot.

Here’s how to do it.

NoteYou’ll need a Growth subscription to use the ManyChat integration.

You may also want to check out the following resource: How to Add a ManyChat Chatbot to WooCommerce.

Now let’s dive into the tutorial.

Step 1. Create or Edit an OptinMonster Campaign

From your Campaign Dashboard, click Create New Campaign.

Now select the campaign type you want to use. We’re using a slide-in campaign.

Next, choose your campaign template. Everything in OptinMonster is fully customizable, but the templates give you a great place to start.

We’re going to use the Split template. To select the template, hover the mouse over the desired template and click on the blue Use Template button.

Name your campaign, choose the website you want it to show up on, and click Start Building.

Now you get to edit your campaign.

To edit anything, simply click on the element you want to edit in the live preview. The editing tools will come up on the left side of the campaign builder.

Go ahead and edit your campaign’s design to look the way you want before moving on.

Step 2. Add the ChatBot Element to Your Campaign

To add the ChatBot element to your campaign click on + Add Blocks.

We’re going to drag and drop the ChatBot element over to the live preview of our campaign.

ManyChat will be your ChatBot Integration.

Step 3. Create Your ManyChat Widget

Log in to your ManyChat account and go to Growth Tools.

You can either use an existing widget or create a New Growth Tool.

Create a new Embeddable Widget.

Configure your widget design and settings. If you’re using the Box widget, we recommend setting the Width to Fit Container.

Step 4. Connect Your ManyChat Widget

Now you can connect your ManyChat widget. To do this, go to the Setup tab, click Install JavaScript Snippet.

Add the domains you want to authorize. Then, in Install ManyChat Snippet, copy the number ID in the URL of the provided code snippet. This is your Facebook Page ID.

Paste the number into the Facebook Page ID field in your OptinMonster campaign.

Back in the ManyChat widget settings, under Embed Your Widget, copy the data widget ID.

Paste the ID into the Widget ID field in your OptinMonster campaign.

Finally, click Activate & Check your ManyChat widget.

That’s it! Now you have an easy way to integrate this digital marketing best practice into your internet marketing strategy.

2. Voice Search

Voice search using smartphones with voice assistants and smart speakers is going to continue to grow.

And it’s not just about finding info.

Voice commerce sales hit about $1.8 billion in 2018, with estimates putting sales to grow by 54%  in 2024.

While research is the most common use case for voice right now, 22% of shoppers say they use voice to make a purchase. With the number of voice users increasing each year, the number using voice to shop will likely continue to rise.

How to Do It

Here are 3 ways to optimize your content for voice search.

1. Focus on Rich Answers

SEMrush found that 70% of all answers coming from voice searches occupied a SERP (search engine results page) feature. Of those, 60% returned a featured snippet result.

This means that you’ll want to optimize content for featured snippets (also called position zero) and other rich answers.

So, what is a rich answer? A rich answer hits one or more of these features:

Knowledge Graph

This is Google’s knowledge base that is used to show popular facts about people, places, and things alongside traditional search results.

Knowledge Box/Knowledge Panel

Knowledge boxes and knowledge panels appear to the right of search results in a small box (or inline with the regular search results) and contain information from the Knowledge Graph.

Featured Snippet

A featured snippet is a search result shown at the top of a search engine results page that contains a summary of the answer taken from the page.

2. Restructure Your Content

Backlinko found that Google prefers short answers to voice searches with the average voice search result only being 29 words long. SEMrush’s findings were only slightly different with Google Assistant returning 41 words on average, across devices.

So, what does this mean for your content?

For starters, you should include FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on both product pages and blogs.

Not only do FAQs typically have shorter answers that work well for voice search results, but the format also makes it easy for Google to find and pull the content into a rich answer.

3. Use Conversational Language

We’re talking about voice search, so it just makes sense that conversational language would be important, right?

This means using natural language when writing for the internet and focusing on long-tail keywords.

3. Personalization

More than 70% of consumers get frustrated when content has nothing to do with them. When their experience is personalized, though, nearly 50% of consumers will spend more.

So, your bottom line improves and your visitor feels important. It’s a win-win.

How to Do It

Companies that use personalization see significant increases in customer engagement, 20% more sales opportunities, and 18x more revenue according to studies by Jupiter Research and Annuitas Group.

OptinMonster customer Expat.com uses personalization to grab the attention of their logged-in users by including their names in their campaigns:

This is really easy to do with Smart Tags. But that’s not all you can do.

You can also use multiple Smart Tags:

There are tons of Smart Tags available, including date/time, geographical data, form data, on-site behavior, and even custom Smart Tags (using query arguments, cookies, and JavaScript).

Click here to see another example of Smart Tags in action.

Fun, right?

4. Video Marketing

Video marketing is any type of video you record and post with the intention of moving you towards your business goals. And it doesn’t just happen on YouTube.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and maybe even TikTok are also great places for video marketing content.

@washingtonpost#backatwork today to make #fishcontent. You’re welcome, karalynndunton.♬ Fish jokes – washingtonpost

Video is a fun and engaging way to market to your target audience. And it works. Based on 2024 numbers, 77% of people purchased a piece of software or an app after watching the brand’s video.

Another study found that video ads were the number 1 way consumers discovered a brand that they later bought from.

Check out these video marketing statistics to learn more.

How to Do It

First, you need a video content marketing strategy. This includes steps like goal setting, finding out where your audience is, and what your competition is up to.

Once you’ve done some research and planning, you can decide what type of content you want to create.

Most of your content will probably fall into one of these categories:

• Product/service videos
• Brand videos
• Explainers & How-to videos

The most important thing to remember is that your videos need to be engaging and tell an interesting story.

5. Micro-Moments

Micro-moments are intent-rich moments when a person heads to a device to act on a need to know, to go, to do, or to buy.

Think With Google illustrates these micro-moments for us:

Micro-moments are important because everyone wants to have their needs met. Consumers are drawn to brands that can meet their needs quickly.

How to Do It

First, you need to find out what are the “to buy” moments that drive visitors to your specific brand.

If you haven’t created buyer personas, you should definitely do that. It will help you identify these micro-moments for your audience.

Then, follow Google’s advice:

Be There

Anticipate the needs of your audience and be there to help when those needs arise.

Be Useful

Provide a digital experience (ie. content) that’s relevant to visitors’ needs in those moments and provide that content quickly.

Be Accountable

Make sure that the customer experience is seamless, no matter where your visitors and customers are trying to reach you.

6. Social Commerce & Shoppable Posts

No digital marketing best practices post would be complete without mention of social commerce.

You already know that a strong social media marketing strategy is important for driving traffic to your site, building brand recognition, building community, and building brand loyalty.

But did you know that social media is also becoming a popular place to make purchases?

In fact, 72% of Instagram users have purchased a product on the app. That’s massive.

Other platforms are being used, too. A survey of more than 4,000 Pinterest users found that 70% use Pinterest to discover new and interesting products.

So, while you’re using social media to grow your email list, don’t forget to set up shoppable posts!

How to Do It

Each platform is different, so check out the documentation for your chosen platform to find out how to create shoppable posts.

Your shoppable posts should include everything that your visitors will need to make a decision (and a purchase).

This means including beautiful images that show off your product as well as product information. You can use these product page tips to create great product descriptions for your shoppable posts.

Here’s an example of a shoppable post on Instagram:

Notice the View Products button in the lower-left corner?

Here’s what happens when you tap it:

To set up Instagram shoppable posts you’ll need an Instagram business account with a connected Facebook business page.

Then, you can connect your product catalog in one of 3 ways:

1. Your eCommerce platform
2. The Catalog Manager
3. A Shop section on your Facebook Page

Get the step-by-step details from Instagram.

7. Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel marketing sounds complicated, but it really just means marketing across multiple platforms. This helps you create a consistent voice and brand message.

Using omnichannel marketing creates multiple touchpoints between you and your target audience. Research has found that this produces:

• Higher engagement: Using 3 or more channels in an automation workflow got an 18.96% engagement rate compared to a single-channel engagement rate of 5.4%.
• Increased purchase frequency: Customers bought 250% more frequently when interacting with 3 or more channels.
• Increased average order value: Customers interacting with campaigns using 3 or more channels spent 13% more on average.
• Higher customer retention rates: Those who engaged with 3 or more channels were 90% more likely to be repeat purchasers.

How to Do It

Omnichannel marketing starts with knowing your target audience. We’ve already mentioned buyer personas and encourage you to take the time to think about your ideal user.

Once you know your audience, you’ll want to segment them. Segmentation helps you create targeted messaging so you can then align your content with the customer journey of specific segments.

Now you’re ready to choose the platforms you’re going to use to communicate with your audience. Remember, you want to use the platforms that your target audience is using.

From there, you can use your content, tweaking it to work for each platform, to reach your target audience.

8. Privacy Marketing

With the rise of consumer privacy measures like GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, marketers will need to be even more intentional with their targeting if they want to engage users.

How to Do It

You’ll need to put more effort into earning the trust of your target audience. This means focusing on things we’ve already covered in this article like knowing your audience, keeping your content relevant and personalized, and engaging on the right platforms.

It’s also important to use social proof to show off your trustworthiness.

TrustPulse is a great tool that makes it so easy to get started with social proof.

With TrustPulse, you can show off real purchases, signups, and more as they happen on your site.

Here’s how to set up your TrustPulse notifications.

That’s it!

These digital marketing best practices will give your digital marketing a huge boost, but don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you have to implement them all at once.

You can use OptinMonster to create a chatbot, keep your marketing efforts targeted and personalized, and do some pretty cool things with video marketing (like launch an optin automatically at the end of an embedded video on your site).

Looking for the easiest way to get started? Join OptinMonster today!

More on Digital Marketing Best Practices:

• 45 Best Digital Marketing Tools to Boost Your Business
• How to Market Digital Products: 11 Proven Strategies
• 95+ Mind-Blowing Digital Marketing Statistics to Learn From
• 7 Clever Digital Marketing Hacks to Increase Your Leads

1. In 2026, blogging will re-emerge as a leading format that marketers are adopting for the first time.

As we enter 2026, blogging is gaining newfound attention among marketers, highlighting its enduring relevance and effectiveness in digital strategies.

2. 50% of bloggers now utilize AI tools to enhance their content creation process.

The integration of AI in content creation marks a significant shift, with 50% of bloggers embracing this technology, underscoring its role in enhancing creativity and efficiency.

3. Nearly a third of marketers (29%) actively incorporate content marketing into their strategies.

The statistic that 29% of marketers actively use content marketing reflects its solid and consistent role in the marketing mix, emphasizing the value of content in engaging and retaining audiences.

4. Web traffic ranks as one of the top indicators for measuring the success of content marketing efforts.

The focus on web traffic as a primary measure of content marketing success underscores the importance of driving online engagement and the direct impact of content on website performance.

5. In 2026, 50% of marketers plan to boost their investment in content marketing.

With half of the marketers planning to increase their content marketing budget in 2026, it signals a growing recognition of content’s role in driving brand awareness and customer engagement.

6. Short-form videos have become the most utilized media format in marketing content strategies.

The preference for short-form video in content strategies highlights the shift towards more dynamic, engaging, and easily consumable content formats, catering to changing audience preferences.

7. YouTube stands as the most popular platform for video marketing among marketers.

YouTube’s status as the most widely used platform for video marketing reflects its vast reach and effectiveness in engaging diverse audiences, making it a cornerstone in video-driven marketing strategies.

8. Podcasts and other forms of audio content are part of the content strategy for 25% of marketers.

With 25% of marketers incorporating podcasts or other audio content, this trend points to the diversification of content strategies and the growing appeal of audio formats in capturing audience attention in a screen-dominated world.

9. 20% of articles are high-performing, 60% are average-performing, and 20% are low-performing based on organic search traffic, social media engagement, and backlinks.

A significant portion of content falls into the average category, indicating room for optimization.

10. “Everything You Need To Know” titles and comparison types of content generate the most organic traffic, yet only 0.4% and 0.8% of all articles use these formats.

There’s an untapped potential for content marketers to leverage these underutilized formats.

11. Successful articles are based on original research, have a complex variety of titles and subheadings, are updated every 6-12 months, and provide a great reader experience.

Comprehensive and regularly updated well-structured content tends to resonate more with readers.

12. Content length is less crucial than topic coverage. Comprehensive content performs better.

Instead of focusing on word count, marketers should ensure they cover topics thoroughly.

13. Articles with 7+ images get 555% more backlinks and 259% more unique page views than those without images. Articles with at least one video generate 70% more organic web traffic.

Visual content significantly boosts engagement and organic reach.

14. Fewer low-performing articles are under one month old, while more are in the 12-month-old group.

Regularly updating content can help maintain its performance.

15. 23.84% of high-performing blogs are published every day.

Consistency in publishing can lead to better performance.

16. Only 16.73% of high-performing blogs were difficult to read, while 33.45% were easy.

Clear and easily digestible content tends to perform better.

17. Longer articles tend to rank better, but Google emphasizes content usefulness over length.

Comprehensive content that addresses user intent can lead to better rankings.

18. Articles with data are higher performing, with 5% of high-performing articles containing data studies compared to 2% in the low-performing group.

Data-driven content can enhance credibility and engagement.

That’s it!

Now you have the content marketing stats you need to support your content marketing strategy, decisions, and undertake data-driven marketing.

Once you’re done with content creation, you can use OptinMonster to promote and share it. Here are three strategies to try:

1. Create a campaign to grow your email list
2. Boost engagement with gated content
3. Use exit-intent® technology to grab your visitors’ attention before they leave your site

Check out more OptinMonster features to extend the reach of your content.

Next, check out some impressive content marketing examples and growth hacking so you can achieve even more success with your content. If you want to learn more about SEO, check out these SEO statistics.

More statistics you would like to see:

• 95+ Mind-Blowing Digital Marketing Statistics to Learn From
• 40+ Email Marketing Statistics You Need to Know
• Conversion Rate Optimization Statistics You Need to Know
• Ecommerce Statistics: Key Insights Every Business Should Know
• Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts
• Social Selling Statistics and Why It Matters
• 27 Video Marketing Statistics: What You Must Know

Content marketing has become famous for its ability to create brand awareness, increase organic traffic, and generate leads and sales.

The internet, however, is filled with resources claiming to up your content marketing game, but I bet you wouldn’t want to start with those pseudo-content marketers.

At OptinMonster, we take pride in mastering the art of content marketing. We have combined all our years of experience, pain points, and learnings from industry thought leaders to create this content marketing guide for you.

So, without further ado, let’s begin our beginner’s guide to content marketing.

Beginner’s Guide to Content Marketing

• What Is Content Marketing?
• Content Marketing Statistics – Does It Really Work?
• How To Create a Content Marketing Strategy
• Content Promotion Techniques
• Content Marketing Tactics
• The Best Types of Content to Wow Your Audience
• How to Measure Content Marketing ROI
• Content Marketing Tools
• Visual Content Creation Tools
• Content Promotion Tools
• Content Marketing Examples
• Content Marketing Mistakes
• FAQs About Content Marketing

Let’s start with a content marketing definition, so we’re all clear about what we’re talking about.

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a strategic digital marketing approach focused on consistently creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

The key idea behind content marketing is to provide information or entertainment that is high-quality content to your target audience rather than directly promoting a brand, product, or service. This approach aims to build trust and credibility with the audience, increasing brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales.

Next, let’s look at some content marketing statistics that show why this marketing method is so popular.

Content Marketing Statistics – Does It Really Work?

Why do so many people use content when trying to build an audience? One major reason is that content reaches people where they are: online.

Around the world, the digital population is about 5.35 billion people, according to Statista. That means more than half of the world is connected, which is a pretty big market.

And in the US, 26% of adults are almost always online.

The best way to reach people who are always online is with content that comes straight to the mobile devices and social networks they are using. After all, that’s where they’re looking for information.

That’s why content is such a popular marketing tool. The latest stats from the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) show that 91% of B2B marketers and 86% of B2C marketers consider content marketing a core strategy.

And content marketing works. According to the CMI, 72% of marketers say content marketing increases engagement and is a great lead generation tool. And nobody wants to miss out on getting more leads, right?

Ready to get your share? Let’s start with defining your content marketing strategy.

Related Content Content Marketing Statistics: Everything You Need To Know

How To Create a Content Marketing Strategy

Creating content without a plan is like driving without GPS: you may get there in the end, but you’ll definitely take a few wrong turns on the way. In fact, you could end up wandering around aimlessly, getting frustrated, and wasting time and money.

The stats show that content strategy is one of the areas marketers struggle with most:

• 63% of businesses haven’t got a documented content strategy
• 64% of marketers need help on building a better content strategy
• 60% of marketers find it difficult to produce content consistently

So here are some tips on creating the perfect content strategy.

1. Set Out Your Mission, Goals, And KPIs

One of the first steps is to work out your content marketing mission. It’s a brief statement of who your audience is, how you’ll reach them, and what they’ll gain from your content. A good example is this content marketing mission statement from CIO.com:

Here’s a formula you can use to create your own content marketing mission:

We provide [target audience] with [type of content] to help them [business goals].

Business goals are an important part of the process. They set out what your business will gain from content marketing. Typical content marketing goals include improving sales, getting more leads, and increasing traffic. Learn more about content marketing goals here.

This formula can also work for B2C marketing because your target audience always has goals. For example, a B2C health brand could create informational articles (that’s the type of content) for women over 50 (target audience) to help them survive menopause (goal).

And, of course, you need to say how you’ll measure success. These are your key performance indicators (KPIs). These can include revenue targets, numbers of subscribers, increased visitor numbers, and more.

2. Know Your Audience

An essential step in any content strategy is knowing who you’re marketing to. This will help you target your content appropriately. This is important because marketing works best when it’s relevant. If you create content for everyone, you’re not creating it for anyone.

A starting point is getting demographic data via Google Analytics, as well as analytics from social media and email. This will tell you the age, gender, education, and income of your target audience.

You can also collect feedback from customers to help you understand their priorities, decide where to reach them and flesh out buyer personas. Buyer personas will bring these two sets of information together so you know what content to create, how it will help your audience, and what will make them care about it.

To easily collect customer feedback on your site, you can create a survey with WPForms.

WPForms is the best drag and drop form builder for WordPress and it comes with pre-made templates to get you started quickly.

Plus, WPForms will automatically display the data you collect in beautiful, interactive survey reports so you can visually see the results.

Learn more about understanding your audience for content marketing here.

3. Plan Your Process

It’s essential to plan a process for content creation. In particular, you should know:

• Who’s in charge of creating content?
• Who’s in charge of maintaining and updating content?
• What resources do you need for content creation?
• What is your publishing schedule?
• Who has the final content approval?
• What is your content production workflow?

Learn more about content marketing resource allocation here. Also, see our FAQs for guidance on integrating your content into a content calendar.

4. Start a Blog

Your blog is at the centerpiece of any content marketing strategy. It provides a hub for all your other content marketing efforts. In fact, it’s an essential marketing tool. So, if you don’t already have a blog, start one.

To get the most from blogging, you’ll need some blog post ideas. Some ideas that work well include:

• How-to guides
• Tutorials
• Industry news and insights
• Checklists
• Case studies, which we’ll look at in more detail later
• Interviews
• Expert advice

Get some more blog post ideas in 73 types of blog posts that are proven to work.

Want to dig down into the nitty-gritty of blog post idea generation? Then consider posts that are:

• Useful
• Educational
• Fun
• Controversial

You can also publish roundups, personal stories, and lifestyle posts. Get more inspiration from our huge list of blog post ideas.

5. Audit Your Existing Content

If you’ve got content already, it’s important to work out if it’s meeting your goals and delivering on those KPIs. That’s why it makes sense to audit your content. That’s a three-step process:

1. Log what you have
2. Assess whether it’s working
3. Find content gaps

A good tool for logging your content is Screaming Frog. It’s a search engine optimization (SEO) tool but is also a great way to quickly grab all the URLs from your site. You can also easily find duplicate pages and identify missing titles and descriptions. Learn more about using Screaming Frog in our SEO guide.

Another useful tool is SEMRush. It includes a content audit tool that assesses the content length, inbound links, and social shares.

Once you have the data from both of these tools, it’s easy to see what’s working, what needs to be improved, and what needs to be replaced. You can also quickly identify content gaps, places where creating a new piece of content could help achieve your goals.

Learn more about auditing your content in our content strategy guide.

6. Do Keyword Research and Create Content

One crucial part of creating content is doing keyword research. That’s because you want people to find your content online so they visit your site. Keywords are the terms people use to search for content. And they’re also the terms Google uses to identify what your content is about.

There are three basic types of keywords to include in your content:

• Short keywords that identify a broad concept or group of items, like “socks”
• Medium keywords, which can be 2 or 3 words that narrow down a concept, like “women’s socks”
• Long-tail keywords, which are longer, more specific phrases, like “women’s cotton hiking socks”

Keywords in content also have to help searchers and Google match your content to what they’re looking for. This is called search intent, and there are four types:

• Navigational, where people search for a specific site
• Informational, where they’re trying to get the answer to a question
• Investigational, where they are narrowing down pre-purchase options
• Transactional, where searchers are ready to buy

Researching keywords for content marketing involves:

• Brainstorming good ideas
• Checking Google Analytics and Google Search Console to see what keywords already bring searchers to your site
• Using keyword research tools to find the right keywords to include in your content. One of our favorite tools is SEMrush, which we mentioned earlier. You can find more keyword research tools here.

Once you’ve found the keywords you need, you’ll need to include them in your content. Some key places to use keywords are:

• The title of your page and your content
• The SEO title of your content or page, which may be different
• The meta description for your content
• Throughout the body of the content
• In links to that piece of content and social updates about that content

You can use a plugin like All in One SEO to easily add keywords to these areas.

How Long Should Your Content Be?

It’s worth knowing that content is one of the top SEO ranking factors, so it’s essential to get it right. Although Google doesn’t cite content length as an SEO ranking factor, the research shows that longer, more in-depth content gets more top ten search positions.

It also gets more backlinks and shares, adding social signals to boost rankings even further.

When you write longer content, the same rules apply. Optimize by sprinkling keyword phrases in where appropriate. But be sure to avoid the black hat SEO practice of keyword stuffing.

7. Decide on Your Lead Magnet

Content is an ideal lead-generation tool. One way to get more leads with content is to create a lead magnet. An ideal lead magnet:

• Solves a real problem for your customers
• Gives a solution that’s quick and easy to implement
• Is valuable, but easy to digest
• Shows your expertise

Some of the best lead magnets include ebooks, case studies, and webinars. We’ll look at those later in the guide. Other effective lead magnets include:

• Checklists and lists of resources
• Reports
• Free trials
• Quizzes
• Mini-courses

Here are some more lead magnet ideas.

For best results, deliver your lead magnet immediately. You can easily do that with OptinMonster’s success themes.

Learn more about content marketing for lead generation here.

8. Promote Your Content

Another important aspect of content strategy is promoting the content you create to meet your marketing goals. There are several ways to do this. They include:

• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Link building

We’ll look at each of these in more detail in the next section.

Content Promotion Techniques

Here are some of the ways you can promote the content you create.

Social Media Marketing

As we said earlier, social networks can help improve content visibility. That’s why you can’t ignore it as a core element of content marketing. And if you happen to be targeting search traffic from Bing, it’s useful to know that social media is a ranking factor for that search engine.

Some of the techniques you use for great content creation can also make it more shareable. For example, it’s just as important to write a great headline and use an eye-catching image on social as on your blog.

And remember those keywords we talked about earlier? You can use them selectively as hashtags on social networks. They’ll help people find your content more easily.

Learn more in our guide to social media and SEO.

Here’s a tool we like for optimizing social media messages: CoSchedule’s Social Message Optimizer, mentioned in our guide to getting leads from Twitter.

Just type your message into the onscreen box, and you’ll get a score for each platform. That’ll let you tweak messages so you get the best results from each.

And you can use Missinglettr, which we discussed in our Facebook marketing guide, to automate posting content to your social profiles throughout the year.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to market with content. Most people still read emails, so it’s a great way to keep in touch with subscribers and customers to build a relationship with them. Plus, email marketing is proven to earn around $40 for every dollar you spend.

That’s why it’s a content marketing must.

As we say in our article on email newsletter design, the best email marketing copy:

• Is short
• Is scannable
• Has a compelling headline
• Avoids being overly promotional

A good tip for getting started is to get inspiration from what already works. You can get a head start on reaching your audience with email content marketing ideas from Buzzsumo, Quora, and Reddit.

You can use OptinMonster to grow your email list by delivering a lead magnet, gating content, and making compelling offers. For example, Trading Strategy Guides used content locking to add 11,000 new subscribers.

We’ll look at some of these content marketing tactics later in this guide.

Link Building and Content Marketing

One great thing you can do with content is to build links. Links are an important SEO ranking factor. A good way to get started is to establish who is already linking to you by using a tool like the SEMrush site audit tool we mentioned earlier.

When creating content, it’s important to build internal links. These help search engines and visitors navigate your site and find more content. That’s good for SEO.

Make a habit of linking to your best resources within new content. It’s also a good idea to go back to existing content from time to time and add links to more recently published content.

To make internal linking easier, you can use All in One SEO’s Link Assistant. This feature will crawl all of your site’s pages and generate a report that recommends relevant pages you can link to and anchor text you can use.

You should also show your site is trustworthy by linking to authoritative external sources in your own content.

And it’s essential to get a good range of inbound links. Some ways to do that include:

• Getting reviews for your business, products, or services
• Asking people who have mentioned you to link to your site
• Using broken link-building
• Guest blogging, which we’ll talk about in more detail later in this guide
• Taking part in expert roundups and interviews

Learn more link-building techniques here.

Content Marketing Tactics

There are several content marketing tactics proven to help businesses market more effectively to their audience. In this section, we’re going to look at some of them, including:

• Guest blogging
• Gated content
• Content repurposing
• Content curation
• FOMO
• Urgency
• Geomarketing

1. Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a key way to improve SEO and get more from content marketing. In fact, says the Content Marketing Institute, it’s a key part of the content marketing funnel.

Guest blogging can help you:

• Raise awareness of your brand
• Attract inbound links
• Build trust
• Get new visitors and subscribers

To make a success of guest blogging, you’ll need to:

• Identify the right sites to contribute to
• Pitch and write a great topic
• Use the bio effectively
• Respond to comments and shares
• Promote content and measure results

Learn more in our guest blogging guide.

2. Gated Content

Do you know what’s even better than putting your blog content out there for free? Hiding some of it away to entice visitors to subscribe.

That’s what gated content is all about, and it’s a content marketing tactic that’s proven to work.

Apart from blog posts, you can also gate:

• News articles
• White papers and research
• Webinar and video replays
• Checklists and cheat sheets
• Downloadable resources and tools
• Any lead magnet

Content gating can be a quick way to help you understand who your audience is and what matters to them. It can also help you build a relationship with them, and create more targeted marketing.

Of course, there are some disadvantages, too. For example, gated content can annoy visitors, and reduce the number of people you can connect to. But for many businesses with a large audience, the pros outweigh the cons.

To gate content effectively, you need:

• The content
• A landing page
• An effective call to action (CTA)

You can use OptinMonster to gate content quickly and effectively with our content locking feature. This doubled email signups for Whole Whale and got a 3806% increase in conversions for Photowebo.

Learn how to gate content with OptinMonster here.

3. Content Upgrades

You can create additional content related to a particular blog post and use it as a content upgrade to get people interested in subscribing.

Kindlepreneur used this technique to boost customer retention by 72%. To do the same, get OptinMonster, then check out our list of content upgrade ideas. And learn more about attracting blog subscribers here.

4. Content Repurposing

One technique many marketers use is content repurposing. That’s about taking existing content and reusing it in another format.

This can help solve the issue of creating new content (we’ll look at another way to do that in a minute). It can also help you extend the reach of your content, to let you generate more leads and make more sales.

Techniques you can use for content repurposing include:

• Content syndication, where your posts appear as related content on other people’s posts, using tools like Outbrain, Zemanta, and Taboola
• Republishing your posts on sites like Medium
• Sharing content on sites like Reddit
• Creating social media posts with content snippets
• Making something new, like a presentation, infographic, video, or podcast
• Updating an old piece of content

Here are some more ways to repurpose your blog content.

5. Content Curation Tools

Another way to solve your content marketing woes is to use content curation. With content curation, you can benefit from great content without having to create it. That saves you time, effort, and money.

With content curation tools, you can:

• Create and share personal content digests
• Keep up with the latest on various topics
• Automate social media content sharing

Best of all, some of the greatest content curation tools are free, including:

• Flipboard: lets you create your own digital magazine
• Listly: a list creation and sharing tool
• Pinterest: lets you curate content via pins and boards

Check out more content curation tools here.

6. FOMO

Using FOMO is one of the best ways to make visitors anxious to download your lead magnet, and buy your stuff. We’re psychologically primed to respond to it. In marketing, FOMO is about triggering this feeling to make your audience more responsive.

While FOMO affects 69% of millennials, it also affects almost half of social media users.

So it’s pretty powerful.

Some ways to use FOMO in your content include:

• Letting readers know there’s the potential to miss an opportunity in your messaging
• Using expiring content
• Offering a content upgrade, as described earlier
• Rewarding visitors for making an early decision to subscribe or buy

You can also use OptinMonster’s exit-intent technology to offer a one-time discount on a particular page. Ryan Robinson used this feature to boost subscribers by 500%.

One final strategy to trigger FOMO in your website visitors is by using TrustPulse, the best social proof software on the market.

With TrustPulse, you can display real-time activity notifications on your site. For example, you can show a notification like this every time someone signs up for your email list:

When other website visitors see this message, they’ll get hit with a healthy dose of FOMO, which will encourage them to take action.

Learn more about using FOMO in marketing.

7. Urgency

Urgency is another useful marketing tactic that plays in human psychology. Urgent situations make us want to act. Urgency is also related to FOMO, described earlier.

Urgency only works if you’re marketing something useful, valuable, or important. Otherwise, people won’t want it.

Tips for using urgency in marketing include:

• Don’t overuse it, or it loses impact
• As well as FOMO, you can use language to evoke time, speed, scarcity, and a sale
• Use active and urgent language in your CTA, like “book now”
• Repeat urgent language in the email subject lines and preheader text

Some of the techniques cited for FOMO above also work for evoking urgency.

You can easily show that something’s urgent by using OptinMonster’s countdown timer functionality. This will give visitors a visible reminder that an offer is due to expire.

Learn more about boosting conversion rate with urgency.

8. Geomarketing

We said earlier that it’s important to make content relevant to your customers. Geomarketing is a great way to do that. Geomarketing lets you deliver content and messages tailored to your audience’s location.

It can also help you:

• Improve your content’s position in local search results
• Be more visible to mobile device users (and social media users, many of whom use mobile devices)
• Create hyper-targeted content

Another important part of geotargeted content marketing is local SEO content optimization. This includes using schema markup and the creation of local landing pages.

You can use OptinMonster’s geolocation feature to target campaigns by location. IMSource got a 6500% increase in conversions by doing this.

Learn more about using OptinMonster to geotarget your content in this guide.

The Best Types of Content to Wow Your Audience

If you want to get more from your content strategy, achieving real results that boost leads and sales, then you’ll need to use the right types of content.

Not all content types appeal to all visitors, so you need to mix it up a bit.

In this section, we’ll look at some winning content formats. Blog posts are obviously key, as mentioned earlier, but here are some more types of content you can use.

Case Studies

If you want to win new business, then consider creating customer case studies. They’re pretty effective, and we should know.

Case studies let you:

• Highlight the benefits of your product or service
• Create content specific to a niche you want to target
• Build trust with potential customers
• Show your advantage over your competitors

Plus, you can build an even better relationship with the customers you feature.

Learn more about creating case studies in our guide.

Ebooks

Looking for a quick lead magnet? An ebook could be just the ticket. HubSpot’s most popular lead magnet got 12,000 shares in a year.

If you’re going to succeed with ebooks, you’ll need:

• Content that meets readers’ needs and has a specific purpose
• An outline that puts content in a logical order
• Delivery in a format that your audience wants, such as PDF or Kindle
• Rich, well-researched and well-written content

Learn some of the mistakes to avoid when writing an ebook.

Videos

You can’t get away from it. Video is one of the hottest content formats around. It’s not just that most people (including millennials) watch videos; it’s also that video’s proven to generate leads and help make sales.

That’s what the latest video content marketing stats say. Those who use video marketing get 66% more leads a year, says Aberdeen Group. And according to Wyzowl, 81% of those using video saw an increase in sales. You can see more stats on video marketing in our recent roundup.

You can create many types of videos, including explainer videos, product or service showcases, and even tutorials. And you can create a video easily with just a mobile device and a YouTube account, so it’s not hard to get started.

Once you get the hang of it, go live, as live video is becoming even more popular.

Webinars

Webinars are another proven lead generation tool. According to ReadyTalk, up to 40% of those who attend webinars can become qualified leads.

Up to 5% could make a purchase, says the Branded Solopreneur. And some people have earned millions by hosting webinars.

Those numbers make the case for using webinars as a form of content marketing. To get started, create a presentation you can show, and get ready to have a brief Q&A afterward. You’ll need a webinar signup landing page, and a tool like Zoom to let you host the webinar.

Learn more about webinar marketing in our guide. And check out some more useful content formats here.

How to Measure Content Marketing ROI

Believe it or not, many marketers don’t know what an effective content marketing program looks like, says the CMI.

So, in this section, we’re going to look at content marketing ROI. Content marketing ROI is about how much you earn from content marketing compared with the amount you spend.

To work out this figure, track:

• The amount you spend on content creation
• What you spend on content distribution
• What you earn

Then use this formula from Convince and Convert to work out ROI:

Return minus investment, divided by investment, expressed as a percentage

So if you spend $5000 on creating a piece of content, and get leads worth $20000, then your ROI is 300%:

• $20000-$5000 = $15000
• $15000/$5000 = 3
• 3 x 100% = 300%

If you earn more in sales than you spend on content production and distribution, then it’s worth it.

But as we know, measuring content marketing success isn’t just about money. Some of the other areas to pay attention to include:

• Whether your content is generating leads. If people are responding and contacting you, then you have the prospect of making sales eventually.
• If your content is generating sales, which you can measure in Google Analytics and your eCommerce platform
• Traffic and onsite engagement
• Social media success
• SEO, and getting better content positions in SERPs
• Prominence and authority, both online and offline

Learn more in our guide to measuring content marketing ROI.

Content Marketing Tools

According to the CMI, 92% of marketers need help with content marketing, as only 8% of marketers feel they’re doing a great job. But use the right tools, and everyone can get better results. In this section, we’re going to look at tools to help you market more successfully with content.

1. OptinMonster

OptinMonster’s marketing software can help you get more subscribers by showing campaigns at the right time so more of your visitors take action. It includes multiple integrations with your favorite CRM, email marketing, and web and eCommerce platforms.

Learn more about OptinMonster’s solutions here.

2. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights gives you an easy way to keep track of your blog and web traffic from the WordPress dashboard. When you know your metrics, it’s easy to see if your strategy is working, so you can change it if you need to.

3. WPForms

WPForms gives you the chance to design your own forms, polls, and surveys to really get to know your customers. And it integrates with OptinMonster, too.

4. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is one of our favorite tools for tracking social shares and trending content online. It’s useful for influencer marketing and headline inspiration, too.

5. Feedly

Feedly is an excellent tool for tracking sites and topics you want to follow. It lets you stay up to date, so you can always add new stuff to your content calendar.

6. Headline Analyzer

Want to write great headlines? Use CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer. It’s another favorite for the OptinMonster marketing team. It helps you determine whether your headline is hot – or not!

7. Constant Contact

With email automation, autoresponders, and other killer features, Constant Contact is a great place to get started with email marketing. Plus, world-class customer support!

8. OpenSiteExplorer

OpenSiteExplorer, by Moz, tracks page authority and domain authority for sites. This can be useful for guest blogging and other content marketing outreach.

9. SEMrush

SEMrush‘s content audit tools help you conduct an audit of your site content so you can see which pieces perform better, what should be optimized, and what needs to be removed.

See more content marketing tools here.

Visual Content Creation Tools

If you really want to ramp up content visibility, you have to go visual.

Content with images gets more views and more shares, according to research. And, as we’ve seen, all ages love video, which will represent 82% of online traffic by 2021.

Here are some visual content creation tools to help you make the most of this trend.

1. Animaker

Animaker lets you create an animated video without having to pay through the nose. It includes a range of video types, and you can even create infographic videos.

2. Canva

One of our favorite image creation tools is Canva. It’s ridiculously easy to make a blog post header, social media graphic, or even an ebook cover.

3. Easel.ly

Infographics are another popular content format. You can quickly create one with Easel.ly. With built-in templates and the ability to add images and charts, you can have an appealing infographic in a few minutes.

4. Giphy

If you’re using any sort of messaging platform with GIFs, chances are you’ve already used Giphy. But you can also use its online GIF creator to make your own.

5. Meme Generator

Want to create a meme quickly? Try Meme Generator. Search for an image, add your text, and share – it doesn’t get much simpler than that.

6. Pixlr

If you need to edit your images, then Pixlr is a good bet. It comes in three flavors, depending on how much you want to do, Pixlr Express is a good middle ground with easy-to-use editing tools and some filters.

7. Prezi

These days, presentation software goes way beyond PowerPoint. One example of that is Prezi, which makes it super easy for non-designers to make stunning presentations. And you can get viewing stats, too.

8. Soapbox

If you use Chrome, then consider Wistia’s Soapbox extension. It lets you quickly create and share videos right from the browser.

See our roundup for more visual content creation tools.

Content Promotion Tools

A key part of getting ROI on content marketing is promoting your content. Here are some tools to help you to do that.

1. Missinglettr

As we said earlier, Missinglettr is one of our favorite tools. Just plug in your blog’s URL, then it automatically creates a sharing campaign for your content whenever you publish new content. It works on multiple social media platforms.

2. Social Warfare

SocialWarfare is one of our favorite WordPress social media plugins. It makes it easy for you to let your audience promote your work.

3. Sprout Social

Sprout Social combines social listening with publishing. This means you can keep track of conversations related to your niche, and use that information to share relevant content.

4. Tailwind

Tailwind lets you schedule and share content on Pinterest and Instagram. You can also monitor content performance with its built-in analytics.

5. Zapier

Zapier is a great marketing automation tool. It lets you connect multiple services together, so you can easily cross-post content. And it integrates with OptinMonster, letting you connect our marketing campaign software to almost any web service.

Paid Content Promotion Tools

You can use the tools listed above for free, but the best content strategy includes a mix of organic and paid promotion.

Social media advertising platforms can help you quickly extend the reach of your content. Organic reach is declining, so these days, you have to pay to play. See these links to find out how to promote your content on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

You can also use display ads from Google AdWords, using plain text, images, videos, and more.

And you can use a tool like Outbrain to show your content on other people’s sites.

Get more content promotion tools here.

Content Marketing Examples

It’s not always easy to keep those content marketing ideas flowing. In this section, we provide some examples of content marketing to inspire you.

HubSpot

If you’re looking for a great example of content marketing, HubSpot is a good starting point. The company uses content marketing by:

• Writing detailed blog posts that meet their visitors’ needs
• Uploading Facebook videos and driving traffic to them with LinkedIn
• Using ebooks as lead magnets

GE

General Electric used Instagram for a B2B marketing campaign. The company’s not just about home appliances, but about wind turbines, jet engines, and more.

The Instagram campaign encouraged visitors to explore the company’s manufacturing plants and upload photos to Instagram, tagged with #GEInstaWalk. GE gained 3,000 new followers and got 8 million views

AARP

Not all content marketing happens online. For example, AARP The Magazine connects with 37 million readers and 22 million households via a print publication.

Blendtec

Want to make a seemingly boring business interesting? Think outside the box, uh, blender. That’s what Blendtec did, increasing sales by 700% over three years with its viral Will It Blend? videos.

Charmin

How about some mobile content marketing? Charmin created the Sit or Squat app to tell its customers where to find clean bathrooms. The irreverent app is in keeping with the brand’s personality, and pretty darned useful, too.

See more inspirational content marketing examples here.

Content Marketing Mistakes

One of the best things about a guide like this is it can save you from making disastrous content marketing mistakes. Here are a few our experts wished they hadn’t made.

Heidi Cohen took a while to start her own blog. Even when she did, she took a while to share the content. Her advice: Just do it.

Jeff Bullas regrets not starting to build his email list earlier. That strategy cost him 100,000 subscribers.

Joel Klettke says it’s important to have a content marketing plan, otherwise, you’re wasting your time.

It’s also essential to avoid spammy marketing practices like:

• Not making it clear who’s behind the site by including contact information
• Sending messages to your customers and subscribers that they don’t want
• Buying email lists

And to avoid black hat SEO practices such as:

• Keyword stuffing in content
• Cloaked links and hidden text
• Thin content

That’s it!

Now you know everything and are well-equipped to kick off your first content marketing campaign. We’ll update this content marketing guide so you always have the latest information.

FAQs

Well, we’re nearly at the end of our content marketing guide. But before we go, let’s answer some common questions about content marketing.

What is inbound marketing?

Inbound marketing is any form of marketing where customers find you when they’re ready to get information or make a purchase. It contrasts with outbound marketing, which is where a company sends marketing messages to initiate conversations with customers. For example, a trade show is an example of outbound marketing.

Content marketing is a form of inbound marketing. It’s about using content to get the attention of prospective customers and subscribers before they are ready to subscribe or buy. It’s a way to start building a relationship with them and, in the long run, to turn them into fans and advocates of your business.

What is a content calendar?

A content calendar is a calendar that outlines when you plan to publish content. It allows you to keep track of your content creation workflow, as well as who’s responsible for producing content. Some content calendars are also editorial calendars, including information on the different stages of publication, such as research, writing, editing, and finding images. You can also include social media posts on a content calendar.

Where do I start with content marketing?

A good starting point for any kind of online marketing, including content marketing, is to understand who your audience is. If you know who you’re trying to reach, that makes it easier to determine the type of content, the publishing and sharing platforms, and measuring content marketing ROI. You can learn more about all of these in the earlier part of this guide. Once you know your audience, you can get started by creating and sharing content. A common starting point for content marketing is creating a blog.

How does content marketing build your business?

These days, consumers mostly do their own research. Using content marketing gives you something they can find when they search. Content brings you traffic, educates your customers, and delivers leads and sales.

What are the trends in content marketing?

Content marketing is always changing. The latest trends in content production include using video and live video, and creating more interactive content, such as polls and quizzes.

More on Content Marketing

• How To Create a Successful Content Marketing Strategy
• 29 Impressive Content Marketing Examples You Can Use
• Content Marketing Statistics: Everything You Need To Know
• 14 Kind of Content Formats Proven to Boost Audience Engagement
• Best Content Marketing Tools: 15 Tools You Need To Know
• 15 Content Marketing Metrics To Measure Content Marketing ROI
• 21 Content Marketing Mistakes the Experts Really Regret
• Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide to Generate Leads with Your Content Marketing

Best Marketing Automation Tools at a Glance

Editor’s Choice: OptinMonster – Best for Lead Capture & Conversions
Before you can nurture leads with email or CRM workflows, you need to capture them. OptinMonster automates that critical first step with powerful on-site campaigns—popups, floating bars, gamified wheels, and more—that integrate directly with tools like HubSpot, Mailchimp, Brevo, and ActiveCampaign. Think of it as the spark that makes all your other automations more effective.

Tool	Best For	Standout Feature	Starting Price	Free Plan?
OptinMonster	Lead capture & conversions	On-site campaigns + deep integrations	$9/month	No
HubSpot	All-in-one enterprise solution	Deep CRM + marketing hub	$800/month	Limited
ActiveCampaign	AI-powered automation	Predictive sending + multilingual workflows	$15/month	No
Brevo	Budget-friendly all-in-one	CRM + marketing automation hybrid	$8/month	Yes
Klaviyo	Ease of use (especially eCommerce)	Drag-and-drop workflows	$20/month	Yes
Omnisend	SMBs & eCommerce	Generous free tier + pre-built workflows	$16/month	Yes
Customer.io	Advanced workflows	Custom objects + Liquid scripting	$100/month	No
Ortto	Modular AI & analytics	Predictive insights + custom dashboards	$509/month	No
Mailchimp	Email automation	Customer Journey Builder	$13/month	Yes
Zapier	Orchestration layer	8,000+ app integrations + AI orchestration	$19.99/month	Yes

Running marketing without automation is like pouring water into a leaky bucket—you work hard to attract visitors, but too many slip away because you can’t follow up at the right time, on the right channel.

That’s where marketing automation tools come in. They take repetitive tasks off your plate, connect your campaigns across email, SMS, social, and more, and make sure every lead gets a personalized experience at scale. Instead of spending hours chasing down small tasks, you and your team can focus on strategy, storytelling, and growth.

But with so many platforms out there—from free tools for startups to enterprise-level solutions—it’s tough to know which one is right for your business. Some are great for small teams who just need email automation, while others are full-blown marketing suites that replace half your tech stack.

We’ve tested the most popular marketing automation tools available today, looking at ease of use, integrations, price-to-value, and real-world performance. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best options, highlight who each tool is best for, and share insights from our own experience running automations across millions of campaigns.

By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of which marketing automation software fits your goals—and how to put it to work for better leads, conversions, and growth.

What Are Marketing Automation Tools?

Marketing automation tools are software platforms that handle repetitive marketing tasks for you—so you can reach more people with less manual effort. Instead of sending every email, tagging every lead, or updating every customer record by hand, automation tools connect the dots and run those processes automatically.

At their core, marketing automation tools help you:

• Capture leads with forms, popups, or landing pages
• Segment audiences so each group gets the right message
• Send targeted campaigns through email, SMS, push notifications, or ads
• Nurture leads automatically with workflows that move prospects down the funnel
• Track and report results so you can see what’s working and improve future campaigns

Think of them as the engine behind modern marketing campaigns. Instead of juggling a dozen apps or relying on manual follow-ups, automation software keeps your marketing running smoothly in the background—freeing you up to focus on strategy and growth.

How We Chose the Best Marketing Automation Tools

Not every tool that calls itself “marketing automation software” makes the cut. Some platforms only offer basic email scheduling, while others try to do everything but end up overwhelming users. To help you find the right fit, we tested a wide range of tools and scored them against the criteria that matter most for real marketers.

Here’s what we looked at:

• Automation Capabilities
  Can the platform handle multiple channels—like email, SMS, and ads—or is it limited to just one? We also tested how intuitive the workflow builder was, since a clunky interface can kill productivity.
• Integrations & Ecosystem
  Marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The best tools play nicely with CRMs, CMSs, eCommerce platforms, and other apps in your stack. We paid close attention to how easily each platform connected with popular services.
• Ease of Use
  Automation should make life easier, not harder. We noted how steep the learning curve was, and whether the platforms offered templates, onboarding, or solid customer support.
• Reporting & Analytics
  If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. We prioritized tools with clear dashboards, actionable insights, and customizable reporting options.
• Price-to-Value
  Marketing automation software ranges from free plans to enterprise contracts that run into the thousands. We compared features to pricing tiers to highlight where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

This hands-on testing, combined with our team’s experience running automations across millions of campaigns at OptinMonster, gives us a unique perspective. Our goal is simple: to recommend tools you’ll actually enjoy using—and that deliver results.

How We Tested These Tools

We didn’t just skim product pages or copy pricing tables. Our team set up real accounts, built sample automations, and explored each platform the way an actual marketer would. Here’s what that process looked like:

1. Signing Up & Setup
   We created accounts on each platform, tested onboarding flows, and evaluated how easy it was to get started without needing a full technical team.
2. Building Workflows
   We ran test automations—like welcome sequences, cart abandonment flows, and lead nurture campaigns—to see how intuitive the builders were and how flexible the triggers/actions could get.
3. Integrating With Other Tools
   Since most marketers already have CRMs, form builders, and analytics platforms in place, we tested integrations with popular tools (including WordPress, Shopify, and Zapier).
4. Analyzing Reports
   We looked at whether each platform’s analytics provided real insights—things like campaign performance, revenue attribution, and audience segmentation—rather than just vanity metrics.
5. Checking Support & Resources
   Great software is backed by great support. We reviewed each tool’s knowledge base, tutorials, and responsiveness from live chat or email.

By going through this hands-on process, we saw not just what’s promised in the feature list—but how these tools actually perform day-to-day. This helps us recommend options that aren’t just popular, but genuinely useful for marketers looking to grow.

Best Marketing Automation Tools

1. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Lead Capture & Conversions: OptinMonster

Before you can automate emails, texts, or ads, you need something critical: leads. That’s where OptinMonster shines. It’s not a CRM or an all-in-one marketing suite—it’s the conversion engine that makes your other marketing automation tools far more effective.

With OptinMonster, you can create on-site campaigns like popups, floating bars, slide-ins, and gamified wheels that trigger at just the right moment—think exit-intent discounts, scroll-triggered signups, or targeted offers for returning visitors. Each campaign connects seamlessly to your email service provider (like Mailchimp, Brevo, or Klaviyo) or CRM (like HubSpot or ActiveCampaign), so the leads you capture flow directly into your automation workflows.

Why we love it: OptinMonster takes the guesswork out of lead generation with advanced targeting rules. You can show different offers based on user behavior, device, location, referral source, or even which page they’re browsing. And once that lead is captured, your marketing automation software can handle the nurturing—giving you a full-funnel automation system.

Standout Features:

• Exit-intent technology to capture abandoning visitors
• Dozens of campaign types (popups, fullscreens, inline forms, floating bars, gamified spin-to-win wheels)
• Advanced targeting (page-level, geo-location, device, referral)
• A/B testing to find the highest-converting offers
• Native integrations with 100+ email/CRM tools

Best For: Marketers who want to maximize conversions and feed higher-quality leads into their automation system.

Pricing: Starts at $9/month (no free plan, but plans scale affordably for SMBs and enterprises).

OptinMonster is the tool that ensures your marketing automation stack doesn’t run dry—it fills the funnel so your campaigns actually have people to nurture.

2. Best All-in-One Enterprise Marketing Automation Tool: HubSpot

If you want a single platform to manage everything—CRM, marketing automation, content management, customer service, and reporting—HubSpot is the heavyweight. It’s one of the most popular marketing suites on the market, and for good reason: it gives larger teams the depth and flexibility to run multi-channel campaigns without stitching together dozens of tools.

With HubSpot’s Marketing Hub, you can build complex workflows, segment leads, personalize campaigns across email, SMS, ads, and chatbots, and track every touchpoint in one place. The platform’s analytics are top-notch, making it easy to measure ROI and see which campaigns drive revenue.

Standout Features:

• Native CRM integration with sales and service hubs
• Advanced workflow automation (multi-step, multi-channel)
• Smart lead scoring and segmentation
• Built-in landing page and form builder
• 1,600+ native integrations

Pros:

• Powerful analytics and dashboards
• All-in-one solution (CRM + marketing + sales + support)
• Highly scalable for growing businesses

Cons:

• Expensive (most advanced automation requires Pro tier and up)
• Steeper learning curve than lighter-weight tools

Best For: Mid-sized to enterprise businesses that need deep CRM + automation capabilities in one platform.

Pricing: Starts at $800/month for Marketing Hub Professional (limited automation at free tier).

3. Best Marketing Automation Tool for AI-Powered Workflows: ActiveCampaign

If personalization is your priority, ActiveCampaign is a strong contender. Known for its balance of powerful automation and approachable design, it helps marketers deliver the right message at the right time—often with the help of AI.

ActiveCampaign goes beyond basic email sequences with predictive sending, AI-generated content suggestions, and a huge library of pre-built automations. It’s also one of the few tools offering multilingual workflows, making it a smart choice for businesses with international audiences.

Standout Features:

• AI-powered predictive sending (chooses the best time to send messages)
• Large automation library, including industry-specific workflows
• Built-in CRM features to connect sales + marketing
• Generative AI for composing and revising messages
• Multilingual workflow support (French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian)

Pros:

• Deep automation features at every tier
• Robust integrations (especially with eCommerce platforms)
• Flexible enough for both SMBs and larger teams

Cons:

• No free plan (only trial)
• Some advanced AI features locked to higher tiers

Best For: Businesses that want to scale personalization with the help of AI, especially those selling globally.

Pricing: Starts at $15/month (billed annually).

4. Best Budget-Friendly All-in-One Marketing Automation Tool: Brevo

If you’re looking for a starter-friendly platform that covers multiple channels without breaking the bank, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a top pick. It combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, and even a basic CRM into one affordable package—making it ideal for small businesses that want automation without the enterprise price tag.

Even on its free plan, Brevo lets you send emails and texts, build automated workflows, and manage contacts. It also includes a built-in meeting scheduler, so you can centralize marketing and sales activities in one place.

Standout Features:

• Automates email, SMS, and WhatsApp (even on free plan)
• Basic CRM and sales pipeline included
• Workflow builder with conditions, delays, and A/B testing
• Meeting scheduler with branded booking pages

Pros:

• Extremely affordable (starting at just $8/month)
• Multi-channel automation even at entry level
• Simple and beginner-friendly interface

Cons:

• Free plan capped at 300 emails/day
• Some advanced features (like predictive sending, Facebook Ads integration) are locked to higher tiers
• CRM is limited compared to HubSpot or ActiveCampaign

Best For: Startups and small businesses that need multi-channel marketing automation on a budget.

Pricing: Free plan available (300 emails/day); paid plans start at $8/month (Starter).

5. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Ease of Use (Especially eCommerce): Klaviyo

If you want a platform that’s powerful yet beginner-friendly, Klaviyo is hard to beat. It’s especially popular among eCommerce businesses because of its tight integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other online store platforms.

What sets Klaviyo apart is its drag-and-drop experience. From workflows to dashboards to signup forms, nearly everything can be customized with an intuitive builder. This makes it easy to launch automated campaigns—like welcome sequences, cart reminders, and post-purchase follow-ups—without a steep learning curve.

Standout Features:

• Drag-and-drop builders for workflows, dashboards, and forms
• Pre-built automations for abandoned carts, loyalty, repeat purchases, and more
• Strong eCommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce)
• Large library of customizable email templates

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly interface
• Strong balance of affordability + features
• Excellent for eCommerce growth and retention campaigns

Cons:

• Limited workflow options compared to enterprise tools
• Skews heavily toward eCommerce use cases (less flexible for B2B SaaS)

Best For: eCommerce stores that want user-friendly, conversion-focused automation.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $20/month for Email.

6. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Small Businesses & eCommerce on a Budget: Omnisend

Omnisend is built with eCommerce in mind and is especially appealing for small businesses that want robust features without high costs. Its free plan is one of the most generous in the market, offering access to advanced automations that many competitors reserve for paid tiers.

Omnisend automates email, SMS, and push notifications, with a drag-and-drop workflow builder that makes it easy to launch pre-built sequences for cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, or customer re-engagement. The platform also includes professional email templates, A/B testing, and segmentation—even for free users.

Standout Features:

• Automates email, SMS, and push notifications
• Pre-built eCommerce workflows (cart recovery, loyalty, re-engagement)
• Professional templates + A/B testing
• Extensive knowledge base + Omnisend Academy

Pros:

• Very generous free plan (includes advanced features)
• Excellent customer support, even for free users
• Designed specifically for eCommerce growth

Cons:

• Limited outside eCommerce use cases
• Integrations aren’t as broad as HubSpot or ActiveCampaign

Best For: eCommerce startups and small businesses that want advanced automation without a big budget.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $16/month (Standard).

7. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Advanced Workflows: Customer.io

If flexibility and customization are top priorities, Customer.io is a powerhouse. Unlike many “light” marketing automation tools that only offer basic email sequences, Customer.io lets you build highly customized workflows across multiple channels, with the option to add your own code for advanced personalization.

It supports email, SMS, push notifications, in-app messaging, and even Slack alerts—all within its visual workflow builder. You can branch customer journeys with multi-split conditions, create webhooks, and use Liquid scripting to customize messages at a granular level. For teams that want ultimate control, Customer.io is one of the most versatile options out there.

Standout Features:

• Multi-channel automation (email, SMS, push, in-app, Slack, webhooks)
• Workflow builder with multi-split branching
• Custom objects and data-driven personalization with Liquid scripting
• A/B testing with up to 8 message variations

Pros:

• Extremely customizable workflows
• Supports more channels than most competitors
• Advanced personalization capabilities

Cons:

• Higher price point than SMB-focused tools
• Learning curve if you’re new to scripting or advanced automation

Best For: Mid-size to enterprise teams that want total control over multi-channel automation and are comfortable with a steeper learning curve.

Pricing: Starts at $100/month (Essentials plan).

8. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Modular AI & Analytics: Ortto

Ortto is one of the newer players in the marketing automation space, but it stands out with its focus on modular automation and advanced analytics. It’s designed for marketers who want granular control over customer journeys while also getting deep insights into engagement and revenue attribution.

What makes Ortto unique is its reporting. The platform tracks over 60 preset activities—like email opens, widget interactions, or subscription upgrades—and lets you create your own custom activities. Combine that with its drag-and-drop dashboard builder, and you’ve got a flexible system for visualizing progress toward shared goals.

Ortto also leans heavily into AI. Its predictive analytics estimate open rates for subject lines in real time and suggest alternatives, while its generative AI tools help optimize campaign performance on the fly.

Standout Features:

• Multi-channel automation (email + SMS) with colorful, user-friendly workflow builder
• Predictive analytics for subject lines and engagement likelihood
• 60+ preset activities + custom tracking options
• Drag-and-drop custom dashboards for real-time reporting
• Modular widgets for flexible lead capture

Pros:

• Powerful analytics + predictive AI
• Highly detailed workflow options
• Easy-to-use dashboards for performance tracking

Cons:

• High starting price compared to SMB-friendly tools
• Limited to email/SMS automation (less breadth than HubSpot or Customer.io)

Best For: Data-driven teams that want detailed reporting and predictive AI to optimize marketing campaigns.

Pricing: Starts at $509/month (Professional plan).

9. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Email Marketing: Mailchimp

Mailchimp may have started as a simple email newsletter platform, but today it offers a full suite of marketing automation features. While its focus is still firmly on email, it’s expanded into light CRM functionality, customer journey building, and even website creation.

For small businesses or creators who want to start with email automation and scale from there, Mailchimp is a tried-and-true option. Even its free plan comes with the Classic Automation Builder, while paid tiers unlock the Customer Journey Builder, giving you access to recommended automations and multi-step workflows.

Standout Features:

• Multi-step customer journey builder
• Pre-built automations for cart abandonment, welcome series, and re-engagement
• AI-assisted content generation for emails and creative assets
• Integrations with Shopify, Facebook Ads, and 300+ apps
• Light CRM and website builder included

Pros:

• Easy to get started, especially for beginners
• Affordable entry-level pricing
• Solid library of templates and pre-built workflows

Cons:

• Pricing scales quickly based on contact list size
• Still more limited than dedicated CRMs or advanced workflow tools
• More email-focused than true multi-channel automation

Best For: Small businesses, startups, and creators who primarily want email automation with room to grow into other features.

Pricing: Free for up to 500 contacts; paid plans start at $13/month (Essentials).

10. Best Marketing Automation Tool for Orchestration & Integrations: Zapier

Unlike the other platforms on this list, Zapier isn’t an email service provider or CRM. Instead, it’s the orchestration layer that connects all your tools together—and automates the workflows between them.

Zapier integrates with over 8,000 apps, from CRMs and ad platforms to spreadsheets and AI tools. That means you can build cross-platform automations that move data seamlessly between systems. For example, you could capture a new lead in OptinMonster, send the data to Mailchimp, update a HubSpot CRM record, and trigger a Slack notification—all without touching a thing.

Recently, Zapier has leaned heavily into AI orchestration. You can now plug tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini into your workflows to draft email copy, summarize campaign reports, or classify leads in real time. Combined with Zapier’s visual AI-powered builder, it becomes more than just a connector—it’s a true automation hub.

Standout Features:

• 8,000+ app integrations
• AI orchestration: add LLMs into workflows for copy, summaries, classification
• Zapier Tables for data storage, Interfaces for intake forms, and Chatbots for conversational workflows
• Agent steps that can make decisions, search data, and adapt workflows

Pros:

• Unmatched flexibility and integrations
• Lets you unify multiple tools into one cohesive system
• AI-powered automations extend beyond marketing into operations and reporting

Cons:

• Not a standalone CRM or email tool—always needs other apps in your stack
• Complex automations may require premium tiers

Best For: Teams that want to connect multiple apps into a single automated system, or marketers who want to add AI to their workflows.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $19.99/month.

Which Marketing Automation Tool Is Right for You?

With so many great options, the “best” marketing automation tool really depends on your business goals, budget, and marketing stack. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:

• Need to capture and convert more leads upfront?
  Go with OptinMonster. It’s the conversion engine that makes every other tool more effective by automating the lead capture process.
• Want an all-in-one solution with CRM, automation, and analytics?
  Choose HubSpot if you’re an enterprise or mid-sized business with the budget for a premium platform.
• Focused on personalization and AI-driven workflows?
  ActiveCampaign is your best bet for predictive sending, multilingual campaigns, and AI-enhanced messaging.
• Looking for the most affordable all-in-one option?
  Brevo is budget-friendly and surprisingly capable—even at the free tier.
• Running an eCommerce store and want a user-friendly tool?
  Klaviyo offers the easiest drag-and-drop builders, while Omnisend gives you advanced automation even on the free plan.
• Need advanced, customizable workflows?
  Customer.io is ideal for larger teams that want deep flexibility and multi-channel campaigns.
• Data-driven team that values predictive analytics?
  Ortto gives you modular automations and powerful reporting dashboards.
• Just starting with email automation?
  Mailchimp is beginner-friendly and affordable, with plenty of room to grow.
• Want to connect all your tools and add AI into the mix?
  Zapier is the orchestration layer that ties everything together and scales your workflows across 8,000+ apps.

Pro Tip: Many businesses combine these tools. For example, use OptinMonster to capture leads, Brevo or Mailchimp to nurture them, and Zapier to connect everything into one seamless system.

Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing Automation Tools

WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system, powers most of the internet. But having a WordPress site isn’t enough.

To truly shine online, you must ensure your website is optimized for search engines. Enter the realm of SEO plugins.

When used effectively, SEO plugins help optimize websites and increase organic traffic, even if you’re not an SEO expert. And these tools are incredibly easy to set up and use.

But with so many options available, which is the best SEO plugin for WordPress?

In this post, I’ve handpicked the best SEO plugins for WordPress to help you implement your SEO strategy.

8 Best SEO Plugin for WordPress

1. All in One SEO – Best WordPress SEO Plugin
2. Yoast SEO
3. Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
4. Ahrefs SEO
5. MonsterInsights
6. SEOPress – On-site SEO
7. Rank Math SEO
8. WP Meta SEO

1. All in One SEO (AIOSEO)– Best WordPress SEO Plugin

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is the best SEO plugin for WordPress, designed to streamline all your website optimization needs.

It offers a suite of tools that cater to both beginners and advanced users, ensuring that your site is primed for search engines.

It’s the original SEO plugin for WordPress that’s first launched in 2007 and has over 3 million active installations.

The free version of AIOSEO provides all the basic features you’d expect, but to truly excel and outrank your rivals in rankings, the pro version is packed with advanced features tailored for dominance.

All in One SEO lets you:

• Submit your sitemap: this will help Google to easily discover your content
• Enable Schema markup: add data about your content to get rich search results and increase click-through rates
• Automatic notifications: let Google and Bing know about changes made to your site
• Linking Opportunities: crawls all your pages and offers suggestions on relevant pages you can link to, as well as anchor text you can use — without needing to audit your site manually.
• Orphan pages: finds all the orphan pages (pages with zero internal links) on your site and offers linking suggestions to bolster your internal linking strategy.

If you’re starting out, you can just install the plugin and use it straight out of the box. And once you’ve got some experience under your belt, you can take advantage of their Advanced SEO features like Link Assistant.

Strategic internal linking can boost your organic traffic by as much as 40%.

To give you an easier way of managing your internal links, Link Assistant comes with a Links Report dashboard that helps you optimize your internal link-building strategy.

By giving you data on the types of links you have and how your web pages are linked together, the Links Report helps you build internal links faster and better.

AIOSEO is equipped with integrated WooCommerce SEO tools tailored for ecommerce platforms. It boasts capabilities such as dynamic optimizations, product page enhancements, SEO for product images, and additional features designed to drive increased organic traffic to your digital storefront.

This SEO plugin integrates with other SEO tools, like Google Analytics. And with the Semrush integration, you can easily discover and rank for additional key phrases you might not have known about with the click of a button.

If you only want one plugin on your website, All in One SEO is the best one to start with.

Key Features:

• Automated meta tag generation
• XML sitemap support
• Google Analytics integration
• Advanced canonical URLs
• Built-in API for extended functionality
• Local SEO
• RSS feed management
• Breadcrumbs
• Robots.txt editor
• ChatGPT AI integrations
• Google News sitemaps
• Video SEO
• Redirect manager
• 404 tracking
• IndexNow integration

It’s a comprehensive suite designed for optimal online performance.

Best for: Small business owners looking for an all-encompassing SEO solution.

Pricing: Starts at $49.60/year. A free plugin with limited features is also available.

Bonus content: All in One SEO (AIOSEO) Review: Is It the Right SEO Plugin?

2. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a great SEO WordPress plugin that comes with several key features.

It allows you to generate a sitemap, add your meta description, and check content readability.

Yoast SEO’s on-page SEO analysis will tell you whether or not you’re using your keyword enough. Yoast SEO plugin also shows a snippet preview of your post in the search engine.

Compared to All in One SEO, Yoast’s premium version is expensive even though they have similar feature sets.

Key Features:

• Real-time content analysis
• XML sitemaps functionality
• Breadcrumb control
• Schema markup implementation
• Internal linking suggestions (Premium)

Best for: Bloggers and content creators focusing on content optimization and readability.

Pricing: $99/year for Premium. A limited free plugin is also available.

3. SEMRush SEO Writing Assistant

The SEMRush SEO Writing Assistant plugin integrates the power of Semrush’s content analysis tools directly into WordPress, offering real-time SEO suggestions and content optimization tips.

This tool helps you write SEO-friendly content.

You can make SEO Content templates and receive suggestions for your content, including expert SEO tips.

Key Features:

• Real-time SEO score
• Tone of voice analysis
• Plagiarism checker
• Linking recommendations
• Content readability score

The free version is very limited and Semrush is an expensive tool, so I recommend this plugin mainly for existing Semrush users.

Best for: Writers, who already use Semrush, seeking real-time feedback on content SEO and originality.

Pricing: The WordPress plugin is free, but it must be tied to a Semrush account. Free and Pro ($139.95/month) accounts can only create a Content Template once. Higher-level accounts have increased limits. Sign up for Semrush here.

4. Ahrefs SEO

The Ahrefs SEO plugin directly bridges your WordPress site and the extensive Ahrefs backlink index, ensuring your content is always optimized and competitive.

Ahrefs SEO might be too costly for business owners who are just starting out.

Key Features:

• Backlink analysis
• Keyword tracking
• Content gap analysis
• Site audit tool
• SEO audit
• Competitor benchmarking

Best for: SEO professionals and agencies needing in-depth backlink analysis and competitive insights.

Pricing: You can use the Ahrefs WordPress plugin without a paid Ahrefs account by requesting a free temporary authorization code. However, the code expires every few weeks. Ahrefs plans start at $129/month.

5. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights connects your WordPress site with Google Analytics effortlessly, allowing you to gain insights into your traffic and make data-driven decisions.

Understanding your analytics can help you create the kind of content your audience wants. But, it can be tricky to sort through all the data. MonsterInsights helps because it presents the information in easy-to-understand reports and graphs right within your WordPress dashboard.

MonsterInsights doesn’t offer SEO tools like keyword tracking, but having easy access to your site analytics is crucial to understanding and improving your search traffic.

Key Features:

• Easy Google Analytics integration
• Real-time stats dashboard
• E-commerce tracking
• Affiliate link tracking
• Enhanced link attribution

Best for: Site owners wanting detailed Google Analytics insights within their WordPress dashboard.

Pricing: Premium plans start at $99.60/year. The free MonsterInsights Lite plugin is also available with limited features.

Bonus content: MonsterInsights Review: Is This Analytics Plugin Worth It?

6. SEOPress – On-site SEO

SEOPress – On-site SEO is a robust on-site SEO plugin that offers a clean and intuitive interface, making website optimization a breeze.

It allows you to submit a sitemap to Google and manage your titles and meta descriptions.

You will need to get the paid plan for features like viewing your Google Analytics in your dashboard.

Key Features:

• Google Local Business data integration
• Breadcrumbs control
• Redirection management
• Content analysis
• Social media previews

Best for: Businesses aiming for a streamlined on-site SEO experience with a user-friendly interface.

Pricing: SEOPress offers a helpful free plan, and their premium plans start at $49/year.

7. Rank Math SEO

Rank Math SEO is a versatile SEO plugin that combines user-friendliness with advanced optimization tools, ensuring your site ranks higher in SERPs.

It lets you do keyword research, enable Schema, detect broken links, and track your rankings.

Rank Math SEO comes with an easy to follow setup wizard and also lets you choose unlimited focus keywords

Key Features:

• Integrated LSI keyword tool
• Rich snippet support
• 404 error monitoring
• Internal linking suggestions
• SEO performance tracking
• Generate an XML sitemap
• Connect Google Search Console

Best for: Advanced users seeking a mix of user-friendly and powerful SEO tools.

Pricing: You can download the plugin for free to access limited features. Premium plans start at $6.9/month.

8. WP Meta SEO

WP Meta SEO gives you full control over your website’s meta content, from bulk editing to sitemap generation, ensuring optimal SEO performance.

In addition, it gives you keyword suggestions and you get an on-page SEO analysis.

Key Features:

• Bulk meta content editor
• Google Analytics integration
• XML and HTML sitemap generation
• Breadcrumb customization
• 404 error redirection

Best for: SEO managers needing bulk meta content editing and management.

Pricing: The plugin is free. Purchase the Pro addon for $49/year for multiple sites/domains, plus support and updates.

How To Convert WordPress Website Traffic?

While we’ve explored many powerful tools that can optimize your site’s backend, focusing on user engagement and lead generation is equally crucial, directly impacting your SEO.

This is where OptinMonster steps in. 

Beyond traditional search engine optimization (SEO), OptinMonster is a game-changer. It’s not just about driving traffic; it’s about converting that traffic into loyal subscribers and customers. 

With its advanced targeting features, stunning lead capture forms, and actionable insights, OptinMonster ensures that the hard-earned traffic you gain through SEO doesn’t just visit and leave but engages and converts.

Incorporating OptinMonster into your toolkit bridges the gap between traffic generation and conversion optimization. 

So, while investing in SEO plugins to climb the SERP ladder, don’t forget to harness the power of OptinMonster to capitalize on that traffic.

After all, what’s the point of increased visibility if it doesn’t lead to growth?

Create High Converting Optin Campaigns Today!

More on SEO

• SEO Made Simple: Where & How To Use Keywords in Your Content
• The DIY Mobile SEO Guide: How to Be Mobile-First in 2023
• Mastering Off-Page SEO: Boosting Your Website’s Visibility
• SEO Best Practices: Simple Routines for Ultimate Success
• 50+ Powerful SEO Statistics That Will Help You Boost Traffic to Your Site

FAQ

Q1) Which plugin is best for SEO in WordPress?

AIOSEO is one of WordPress’s most popular and widely used SEO plugins. It offers a comprehensive set of features to help optimize your website for search engines.

Q2) What is the easiest SEO plugin for WordPress?

AIOSEO is known for its simplicity and ease of use, especially for beginners. It provides essential SEO features without overwhelming the user.

Q3) What is the best free SEO plugin?

Both Yoast SEO and AIOSEO offer free versions that are quite robust. Rank Math is another free SEO plugin that has gained popularity due to its features and user-friendly interface.

And if you don’t have a mobile SEO strategy for your business, you’re ignoring most of your potential buyers.

Plus, Google’s tweaking all of its algorithms—even for mobile search—to reflect this change. That means unless you align your SEO practices, your site could be virtually invisible in search results.

To help you keep your site optimized for mobile search, I have put together this guide to show you:

Recommended Resource Need more website traffic? Learn how to rank #1 on Google with our Ultimate Guide to SEO

What Is Mobile SEO?

Mobile SEO is the practice of optimizing your website so that it delivers a fast, easy, and useful experience on smartphones and tablets. It covers everything from page speed and design to content readability and local results, making sure visitors can find and use your site without friction.

Since Google switched to mobile-first indexing, your mobile HTML is the source of truth for rankings. That means the way your content loads and appears on a phone is what search engines use to evaluate relevance, quality, and authority — not your desktop version.

While there are several search engines, when it comes to mobile SEO, Google is the most important one. That’s because it accounts for almost 95% of the mobile search market.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Search Engine Market Share

Interesting, right? Check out more than 50 SEO statistics that will help you boost traffic to your site.

Why Is Mobile SEO Important?

Mobile SEO is important because

1. Mobile Search Is on the Rise
2. Mobile Content Determines Google Search Ranking
3. Mobile Search Drives Sales
4. Mobile SEO Affects Voice Search

Let’s expand on these four compelling reasons why mobile optimization deserves your attention now.

1. Mobile Search Is on the Rise

First of all, it’s about the market trend. For a while now, mobile searches have exceeded desktop searches, and that’s only likely to continue.

That means that many of your target customers are likely using mobile devices to find your content. Improving mobile SEO means they’ll be able to do that.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Platform Comparison Market Share

2. Mobile Content Determines Google Search Ranking

Plus, Google’s switched to a mobile-first index, which means it’s using the mobile content of a web page to determine its search engine ranking. So if you aren’t looking after mobile SEO, you risk having poorly ranked content.

3. Mobile Search Drives Sales

Mobile is also driving presale searches. Google’s research shows that:

• Mobile searches for product reviews have increased by 35% over two years
• People have spent the equivalent of 50,000 years of watch time looking at video reviews
• Mobile searches including the word “best” have grown by 80% over two years

If people are looking to buy your products, you want to be sure that the right search terms lead them to your site.

In addition, 40% of people prefer to use mobile devices to complete the whole shopping process, from researching the product to buying it.

Overall, looking after mobile search optimization will help you reach your customers where they are and create a better user experience for all your visitors.

4. Mobile SEO Affects Voice Search

Mobile optimization will also help you future-proof your SEO strategy. That’s because voice search is becoming huge, mirroring the rise of mobile search.

These days, voice search isn’t just on smartphones and tablets, but on home assistant devices like Amazon’s Echo, which means people will be able to find well-optimized content from anywhere.

And, using mobile SEO to optimize for voice search now could provide a competitive advantage, as 62% of businesses aren’t doing this yet.

Of course, not all businesses get a lot of mobile traffic, so it makes sense to check yours before you get started.

Don’t get us wrong: the changes we mentioned mean you’ll have to handle mobile SEO at some point, but checking your traffic will tell you whether you needed to do this yesterday, or if you can wait a few weeks.

How to Check For Mobile Traffic

So here’s where you find out how much mobile traffic your site gets.

Login to Google Analytics, and navigate to Audience » Mobile. You’ll see a breakdown of the numbers and percentages of website traffic using desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.

Don’t stop there, though. Explore the data for different periods with the onscreen date selector.

We’re willing to bet that in most cases, the percentage of mobile traffic has gone up, as in this year on year comparison.

That means it still makes sense to look after mobile SEO and create a mobile-friendly site.

So, how do you make your website mobile friendly? Before you get started with mobile SEO, the first step is to check where you are. There are plenty of tools around to help you do this.

How to Check If Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly

You can check if your website is mobile friendly through

1. Google Lighthouse
2. SEMRush

1. How to Check If Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly With Google Lighthouse

Google Lighthouse is a free, open-source tool that generates reports and makes it easy to enhance the quality of web pages. You can run it via Chrome DevTools, Chrome extension, website, and Node Module.

Once you submit a URL to the automated tool, it will execute multiple page audits and create a report detailing how the page performs. You can then use suggestions from the report to improve your website.

The main focus of Lighthouse audits is Google’s Core Web Vitals, the essential metrics Google uses to measure web page speed and overall user experience.

Using Lighthouse helps you view your website the way Google does. The Lighthouse reports have five categories: performance, accessibility, SEO, best practices, and progressive web app. It also uses a 1 to 100 scoring system and tests sites against a simulated 3G connection.

Let’s explore how to use Google Lighthouse using DevTools.

Navigate to the webpage you want to audit. Next, right-click on the page and select “Inspect” from the toolbar. Click on “Lighthouse.” If you don’t see it, press the arrows and select it from the list. Ensure all five categories are chosen, select mobile if you want a mobile report, then press “Generate Report.”

Once Lighthouse finishes running the audit, you’ll find a score and section for each category. You can learn more about each by clicking on the scores at the top of the page. A good score is considered anything between 50 and 89, and an excellent score is between 90 and 100.

2. How to Check If Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly With SEMrush

Another tool that helps you identify crawl errors for mobile SEO is SEMrush. Here’s how to check mobile SEO with the SEMrush Site Audit tool.

If you’ve already got a site audit set up for your site, you can press the gear icon. You’ll see a dropdown menu. Click on User-agent: SEMrushBot-desktop.

Change the user-agent to the SEMrush or Google mobile bots.

SEMrush will generate a report.

Once you have the report, go to the Issues tab. SEMrush will give more details of issues found, and will suggest how to fix them.

It’s worth noting that while addressing desktop SEO will handle some mobile SEO issues, there are also some mobile-specific SEO issues to address. These include:

• Looking after the mobile user experience
• Optimizing content for mobile users
• Handling technical mobile SEO

We’re going to look at those in the rest of this guide.

Mobile User Experience

One area it’s crucial to optimize is mobile user experience. If you don’t get this right, people won’t stick around long enough to be wowed by your content, subscribe to your email marketing list, or grab your lead magnet.

A good place to start making improvements is the bounce rate. The mobile bounce rate is higher than the desktop one, according to Stone Temple Consulting.

Since dwell time (the time visitors stick around after following a link to your site) is a major SEO ranking factor, the more people bounce, the worse it is for your mobile search ranking. So here’s what you need to do.

Speed Up Your Site

The first step is to speed it up. According to Google, 53% of visits are abandoned if sites take more than 3 seconds to load. In addition, half of your visitors expect pages to load in 1-2 seconds. So, you can’t mess around with mobile page speed.

A good starting point is to use Google’s mobile speed test to see if there are any speed issues.

Type in your URL, and the tool will scan your site.

In the end, you’ll get a report showing how your site compares and suggesting fixes you can make to improve mobile page speed and mobile SEO.

Some commonly suggested fixes include:

• Compressing images as large image files can slow down your site
• Combining and minifying code to reduce the number of page requests
• Using caching to serve pages more quickly

WPBeginner has a guide to speeding up your site which includes fixes that work well for both desktop and mobile SEO.

Make Your Site Responsive

Next, make sure your website is responsive. What is a responsive site? It’s a site where the design elements resize according to the device to give users a great visual and browsing experience.

If you’re running a WordPress website, making it responsive can be as simple as installing the right theme. If not, ask your web developer to implement Google’s guidelines for responsive web design.

Create a Seamless Experience

People routinely switch between devices to research and buy, so it’s become more important than ever for their experience to be consistent.

According to Google, 63% of people expect this from brands, but only 42% believe they get it.

That means the days of having a cut-down version of your main site for mobile users are long past. Instead, make sure people can do everything they need to on your site, no matter which device they happen to be using.

Use Mobile-Friendly Popups

If you’re in business, you’re going to want to promote your offers, webinars, lead magnets, and other content marketing.

That’s fine, but it matters how you do it.

Especially with the advent of the Chrome ad blocker, it’s more important than ever to avoid ruining the user experience with zero-second popups or poorly designed marketing campaigns.

That’s something we really hate at OptinMonster, which is why our app includes device-specific display rules, behavioral triggers like Exit-Intent®, MonsterLinks 2-step optins, and mobile-friendly themes.

When you use OptinMonster, you won’t annoy your mobile visitors. In fact, you’ll have a great chance of turning those visitors into subscribers. For example, Salt Strong increased conversions by 185% with OptinMonster’s mobile campaigns.

Next, we’re going to look at some ways to encourage mobile visitors to stay on your site.

Mobile Content Optimization

Assuming you get people to stay on your site, then it’s important to optimize content for mobile visitors. After all, whether you’re talking about desktops or mobile devices, content is one of Google’s top three search ranking factors.

That’s why to improve mobile SEO, you need an excellent content strategy. Some of the mobile optimization tips are similar to regular SEO. For example, you’ll want to:

• Write appealing headlines that make visitors want to read more
• Understand how and when to include LSI keywords in your content
• Optimize your content for keyword intent
• Build inbound links to your content to increase your authority and relevance for particular search terms
• Make your content in-depth (over 2000 words) so it gets top search rankings, and so people want to link to it and share it

But there are some mobile-specific twists on the usual SEO advice.

For example, if you’re optimizing primarily for mobile, it makes sense to do mobile keyword research. You can do this with SEMrush.

How To Do Mobile Keyword Research With SEMrush

First, go to SEO Toolkit » Keyword Overview, and type your search term into the onscreen search box.

By default, it shows desktop search keywords. To change this and see mobile search terms, click the drop-down menu by the device button.

Don’t be surprised if there are differences, because mobile and desktop search behavior aren’t identical.

For example, Google’s latest research shows that many mobile searchers take advantage of location and do “near me” searches. In the course of a year, these searches grew 130%.

To make sure your content is showing up for these searches, you’ll need to fill out your Google My Business listing, and include name, address and phone number. This’ll also help with local SEO.

Optimize Titles and Descriptions to Improve Mobile SEO

When optimizing for desktop search, you already know about the importance of titles and meta descriptions. These tell Google – and searchers – what a page is about, and show up in SERPs as a way to entice people to click.

But on mobile, you may not see the entire title or description because of the smaller screen size. That makes it more important to put the most important part of your titles and descriptions at the start so searchers know exactly what they’ll get when they click.

There is some good news, though. Meta descriptions have got longer, so there’s more room for you to wow both mobile and desktop users.

Social Media and Mobile SEO

Although Google doesn’t list social media as a direct SEO ranking factor, other research suggests a strong correlation between social media and search ranking, as this graphic from Cognitive SEO shows:

According to ComScore, around 80% of social media time is spent on mobile devices. That means you can’t afford to ignore the role of mobile devices in improving social signals.

One easy way to boost this is to make it easy for people to share your content, with social sharing buttons. Since you’re targeting mobile device users, make sure you include sharing buttons for the top messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Technical SEO for Mobile

If you have a single site and have already taken care of technical SEO, then skip forward to the next section. If not, then here are some issues you need to pay attention to.

First, make sure you have a sitemap. This will help Google to crawl your site effectively. If you’re using All in One SEO, it’ll automatically create a sitemap for you.

If not, you can use XML Sitemaps to create one for free.

Secure your site with HTTPS, as sites that aren’t secure will be explicitly flagged. Most people won’t visit an insecure site. You can use SEMrush to check for site security issues that affect mobile SEO.

Within your content, use header tags, like h1, h2, and h3, to highlight content hierarchy. That means letting Google know which is the most important content on the page.

For example, if your site title is an h1, then your blog title will be an h2, and subheadings will be h3. This also makes it nice and easy for visitors skimming your content to have something to make them pause and look.

Use schema markup so Google knows what kind of content you have on your site. You can implement this with Google Search Console by following our step by step guide.

If you still happen to be running two versions of your site, then you need to make sure you specify canonical URLs. This tells Google which version of a page is the original or authoritative one, which is key for mobile SEO rankings.

Google’s trying to get accelerated mobile pages (AMP) accepted as a web standard for fast-loading, mobile-friendly content.

That makes it a great idea to set up AMP on your site, so you’re ready when it is. If it becomes a web standard, failing to meet it will definitely hurt your mobile SEO ranking. (If you use MonsterInsights to monitor your analytics, you can easily set up AMP on a WordPress website.)

Getting Ready for Voice Search

So what about the future of mobile SEO? The experts agree that voice search is going to be huge.

According to ComScore, half of all smartphone users use voice technology, and one-third of those use it daily.

In addition, half of all smartphone users expect to use voice technology more. Using voice technology on smartphones results in an increased desire to buy smart speakers, which means voice search usage is likely to increase.

As well as using LSI keywords and schema markup as outlined above, there are a few more things you can do to nail mobile SEO for voice search.

Google’s search quality ratings for what it calls “eyes-free voice assistants” emphasizes:

• Answering questions fully or delivering the right information in response to a voice search query
• Having answers that are the right length to answer a query (we’ll tell you what the research suggests below)
• Having correctly formulated answers

A good shortcut to optimizing for mobile voice search is to optimize for answer boxes and featured snippets. To improve mobile SEO for answer boxes, you need to:

• Answer questions correctly and relevantly
• Use the questions as subheadings
• Include lists or tables in the article

In addition, a Backlinko study says:

• Most voice search results are on average 29 words long
• Sites with a high domain authority are more likely to be seen in voice search results
• Content that ranks well in desktop search is also likely to do well on voice search

Keep these tips in mind so your content will already be optimized for the voice search revolution.

That’s it! Now you know the ins and outs of mobile SEO, you can nail mobile optimization for 2026 and beyond. Next, check out our articles on how to do an SEO audit and check those rankings, as well as our list of SEO ranking factors.