Elevate Your Business Blogs: Mastering the Interview Blog Post

One of the best ways to provide insights into your industry is through an interview blog post. Beyond standard articles, incorporating an interview blog post can significantly diversify your content, infuse new perspectives, and dramatically boost your site's EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) score. With the right questions, formatting, and subject, you can reach new heights on Google’s searches and establish your brand credibility further. 

What Defines an Interview Blog Post?

An interview blog post transforms a two-way discussion between you and a relevant subject into engaging blog content. Unlike typical articles, interviews allow your readers to gain deeper insights and unique perspectives directly from a subject matter expert (SME) or influential figures in your niche. It’s like inviting a highly credible guest to your blog, adding authentic voices and diverse viewpoints that resonate with your audience and enhance your blog's expertise and authoritativeness.

While you can interview multiple people, remember that more voices mean more coordination, interview time, and writing effort. If you opt for multiple interviewees, select individuals within the same organization or industry, ideally working on similar projects. Try not to muddy the narrative with too many people to keep the copy as open and conversational as possible. 

Why Interview Business Blogging is a Game-Changer for EEAT

Integrating interview blog posts into your content strategy offers unique benefits that directly contribute to your online authority:

• Increase Traffic and Reach: Interviewees are ideally subject matter experts (SME’s) on the given topic, giving you industry insights that further improve your site credibility. This expands your blog's reach and can significantly increase site traffic and social media engagement, reinforcing your content's perceived value.

• Boost Credibility and Trust: When you feature a recognized expert or trusted individual, their credibility transfers to your brand. This direct infusion of subject expertise naturally builds trust with your readers.

• Offer Unique Value: Your audience gains direct access to new insights, tools, or ideas they might not find elsewhere. For instance, interviewing the creator of a new product can provide a compelling endorsement and unique information that persuades your audience, deepening their experience on your site.

How to Create an Interview Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide

Even though the interviewee provides much of the raw material, your role as the writer and interview conductor is crucial. You must seamlessly weave their insights into your blog's unique voice and structure, ensuring the final piece is both informative and compelling. The interview serves as your foundational research and primary source, allowing you to deliver rich content that anyone can digest and gain experience from.

Here are the essential steps to master how to create an interview blog post:

1. Choose Your Interviewee Carefully: Select an individual whose insights will genuinely resonate with and benefit your audience. Their expertise should align with your blog's mission.

2. Approach and Schedule Professionally: Reach out to your chosen subject with a clear request and timetable. Schedule the interview at their convenience, whether by phone, video call, or in-person. While email interviews lack the conversational flow needed for organic follow-up interview questions, they can be an option for extremely busy individuals such as CEOs or other C-suite executives. 

3. Craft Engaging Interview Questions: Prepare a list of intelligent, open-ended interview questions that encourage detailed, thoughtful responses, rather than simple "yes" or "no" answers. Structure your questions to guide the conversation towards topics relevant to your blog and audience. Remember, you’re trying to get the most information out of them as possible, so you should always try to follow up on interesting points or answers you feel could be expanded upon.

4. Conduct the Interview Effectively: Focus on making your interviewee comfortable. Begin with light small talk to ease any nervousness. Let them do most of the talking, but gently steer the conversation to ensure you cover your key topics.

5. Organize Your Notes and Write: Transcribe or meticulously organize your interview notes. Then, integrate the information seamlessly into your blog's structure and voice. Your goal is to make the article flow naturally, adding value for the reader by presenting the interviewee's expertise clearly.

Crafting Compelling Interview Questions and Best Practices

To ensure your interview blog post truly shines and bolsters your EEAT, consider these key elements:

Examples of Effective Interview Questions:

These examples are designed to elicit rich, insightful responses that showcase the interviewee's experience and expertise. Tailor them to your specific subject and topic:

• "Could you walk me through your journey to where you are today in [industry/field]?" 

• "What was the very first step you took when establishing [their company/project]?" 

• "How long did it take for [their business/project] to start seeing [profit/impact]? What kept you motivated through challenges?" 

• "If you had just one sentence to give your best tip on [topic], what would it be?" 

• "What first inspired you to embark on this [business/project/career path]?" 

• "What has been your most impactful business investment, and why?" 

• "What are your go-to business resources or influences that have shaped your approach?" 

• "Who is your biggest inspiration, and what have you learned from them?" 

• "Comparing your business today to where you started, what was the main catalyst for your expansion?" 

• "Could you describe a typical day in your life as [their role]?"

Best Practices for Maximizing EEAT in Your Interview Blog Post:

• Thorough Research is Key: Before developing your interview questions, conduct extensive research on your interviewee and their field. This allows you to ask insightful questions that reveal true expertise and demonstrate your own authority on the subject.

• Craft a Captivating Headline: Use an intriguing quote from the interview or a compelling insight to create a headline that immediately hooks readers and clearly signals the expertise within.

• Write an Engaging Introduction: Introduce the subject in a way that compels readers to continue. Highlight their expertise and explain the specific benefit readers will gain from their insights.

• Integrate Visuals: Break up text monotony with high-quality images or short videos. Include a professional photo of the interviewee, relevant product images, or explanatory graphs. Visuals enhance the user's experience and aid comprehension.

• Utilize Section Headers: Implement clear section headers (e.g., "Meet [Interviewee's Name]," "Insights on [Topic]," "Key Takeaways") to improve readability and guide readers through the interviewee's Expertise.

• Write a Powerful Conclusion: Summarize the main points, connecting them back to your blog's overall themes. Reiterate the value provided by the interview and encourage further engagement.

• Courtesy Draft for Review: Always send a first draft of the interview blog post to the interviewee for review. This allows them to clarify remarks and ensure accuracy, fostering strong relationships and reinforcing the content's trustworthiness.

By meticulously following these steps, you can create interview blog posts that not only entertain and inform but also powerfully demonstrate the EEAT of your business blogs, positioning you as a leading voice in your industry.

Establishing Subject Matter Expertise Through Interview Blogs

GROW Marketing Agency is privy to the latest and greatest marketing innovations the industry has to offer. We can help you stand out from the crowd through effective interview blogs, thought leadership content, and more. Our blogs are structured with your best interests in mind, whether that be a topic you would like to talk about more or a topic we believe will elevate your SEO results. Let the world know you’re here and an expert in your industry when you rely on GROW Marketing Agency today.