A few years ago, articles popped up everywhere proclaiming that blogging was dead. But then it didn’t die; it didn’t even get a little fever. In fact, a business blog is more important than ever. Companies that blog produce 67% more leads each month, so blogs are obviously one of the most important components of a healthy content strategy.
Now let’s examine why this is true.
Keywords + Education=Win
As the popularity of blogs began to rise, content writers stuffed articles with keywords in the hopes of driving search traffic to a company’s website. The problem was that the blogs often included no helpful information, because Google returned results with the most keywords at the top. Google had the right idea, but only through a series of algorithm changes did the search engine giant began to really make the search process powerful for consumers. Now, quality content is important for high search engine results.
Keywords are still crucial to the search process because that’s how buyers find the information they need to make key decisions about a purchase. However, quality content that really answers the questions buyers have about products and services will go much further with the current Google algorithms.
The latest Google update is the smartest one yet, putting importance on natural search phrases and returning results that take context into account just as much as the content. Spend time creating content that is meant to answer your customers’ questions and give them the latest information about your brand, and Google will do the rest.
Blogging for SEO
Google loves fresh content. Brands that update their websites on a regular basis fare better with search engine results than static websites. The best and easiest way to update your site on a regular basis is to create and maintain a blog.
In addition to providing Google with fresh content, a regular blog will add pages to your website. This is key to remember, however: a blog with more pages will perform better in search engine results as long as the content on those pages is of excellent quality. That means no fluff, no keyword stuffing, no spelling errors and typos, and no grammar mistakes.
If your goal is to build page numbers with inconsequential content, you could actually dilute your domain authority, so it’s crucial to deliver rich, relevant, helpful content as often as you can.
Establish Your Expertise
It’s hard to position yourself as an expert in your field—yes, even in a retail or other consumer-facing business—when you only post to social media channels. With a business blog, you have the chance to really shine.
There are no character restrictions when you blog. In fact, the longer your blog is, the better, but we’ll touch on that again later. This is your brand’s chance to really stand out from your competitors. Engaging content draws in readers, but knowledgeable content convinces those readers to purchase from your brand instead of another.
Take this opportunity to share tutorials, how-to’s, recipes, fashion advice, lookbooks, research that supports your brand, information about your products’ sustainability, and any social good your company is performing—think non-profit partnerships, donations, financial support, and more.
Evergreen Content Pays
In addition to fresh content, you could also have a vast library of older content that just needs a quick update in order to reach new buyers. The benefit here is two-fold. First, you already have credibility with Google for that past blog, so you begin ahead of the game with your SEO. Second, you have the chance to reach the same audience from your first publication date with new information while also bringing in a whole new audience.
When you update your content, you also have the opportunity to improve the search engine optimization according to the latest algorithms. By doing so, it’s possible to increase your traffic by 106%.
Just be sure to update historical blog posts as a piece of your content strategy and not as the main event. For one thing, you want to continue giving Google fresh content to index, but you also want to make sure you have a backlog of blogs to update in the future.
The Sharing Never Ends
Social media is a great way to drive buyers to your business. By sharing your business blog on your social media platforms, you accomplish several goals:
- New, engaging content for your social media channels
- Drive traffic to your website
- Educate and inform potential buyers with long-form content
- Greater exposure for your brand
Social media shares of your blog also make it easier for your brand advocates to share your content to a wider audience.
Longer Is Better, Believe It or Not
Many sources will tell you that “less is more,” and in some cases, this is true. Short, snappy content gets great engagement. However, when you’re ready to convince and convert, you may need to use a few more words. Fortunately, Google loves longer blogs. There is significant proof that consumers prefer longer content, too. On average, longer content generates eight times more page views and nine times more leads than shorter blogs.
It’s absolutely true: your content strategy must include blogging. If you’re ready to add a content strategy to your marketing efforts, reach out. We’re here to help.
