Almost every business now has a website, but not all of them have a blog.
So are these companies missing out?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: yes, and let me explain why…
What exactly is blogging?
There are basically two types of blogs; personal and professional.
Personal “Bloggers” usually have their own website and use their blogs to give their opinions on anything and everything.
It’s almost a way for people to write down what’s on their minds like a personal diary, but in this case, it’s online and for everyone in the world to read.
If someone tells you they make a living from blogging, then they’re probably not really telling the truth. Only 5% of people make enough money to do it full-time for a living. This is because of the simple, yet hard-to-swallow truth that no one really cares what you think.
Professional blogs on the other hand are something very different.
Professional blog posts exist not to stroke someone’s ego, but to entertain or inform people about a certain topic.
A company’s website might focus a blog post on one of their individual products or explain how they go about doing whatever it is they do.
If you sell solar panels for example, then a blog post explaining which brand of solar panel would be best for your home is a great example of a professional, business blog post.
Why Google loves regular blog posts
Google doesn’t care about you, what you sell, or how well you do as a business; Google exists to solve its users’ problems – that’s all.
If you sell avocado oil and someone comes along and asks where to buy it online, what will Google suggest?
Will they show them a site with regular blog posts, recipes, and social media platforms, or will they show a boring, one-page site that says “We sell avocado oil”?
Keeping a blog and updating it regularly shows Google that you are invested in your site, working hard to stay up-to-date, and answering questions for your customers.
Google wants to send their users to the best site, and it’s up to you to put in the hard work, if you want to see the rewards.
How can blogging help with SEO?
Ok, so how does Google know if your site is any good or not?
Well, that’s where SEO comes in.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, which basically means ticking as many boxes as you can that Google has set out.
It’s complicated, with many moving targets – most of which are behind the scenes – but content is a huge part of the equation.
Finding the balance is difficult with SEO, but when you get it right, Google rewards you with a steady climb in their rankings.
The longer you practice good optimisation, the higher you climb, the more visits your site gets, and the more sales you make.
But again, you have to put the hard work in to receive the rewards.
What makes a good blog post?
A good quality blog post is a difficult tightrope to walk.
It must be informative but not boring, while entertaining but not unprofessional.
Finding this balance of interesting and informative, but yet not technical and tedious, is a skill that takes time to master, which is why most professional blog posts are written by hired copywriters.
Blog posts need to add value to your site, otherwise what’s the point of them being there? Value can come in the form of extra, in-depth information about a specific product or service that you don’t go into on other landing pages.
If you install home theatre systems for example, the landing page might give the basics, but a blog post on the topic can go into detail about sounds, lights, budget, etc.
Think of it this way: if your website is your elevator pitch, then a blog post is sitting down, having a cup of tea and explaining what exactly it is you do, and why someone should buy from you.
Tracking your statistics once you start blogging
SEO in general is a long-term strategy. Google isn’t going to bump you up to first place in its search results because you wrote a nice blog post that one time.
Consistency is the key, and once you do start a blog, it’s important to record the difference it makes.
Track your numbers and visitors on a month-by-month basis, and after 6 months of regular, quality blog posts, look at the numbers and stats for your site.
We promise you it will make a difference, and if it hasn’t, then there’s something wrong in the process.
Blog posts are also enhanced via social media platforms, so once you publish, get it out there for everyone to see in as many ways as you can.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn… they are all tools for online marketing, not just keeping in touch with your cousin who moved to Costa Rica.
Hire the professionals to do all the hard work
There are roughly 1.8 billion websites on the World Wide Web at the moment, but only about one-third of them have a blog.
Why?
Because writing isn’t something everyone can do.
It takes time, creativity, energy, and research to write regular, good quality blog posts.
They must be informative, entertaining, and effective, but also meet all the optimisation requirements set out by Google.
It’s a difficult task, but in the end it’s worth it.
On average, companies with blogs produce 67% more leads per month than those without.
Seven out of ten people would rather learn about a company through articles than through an advert, with 60% of people feeling more engaged/positive with a brand after reading one of their blog posts.
If your site doesn’t have a blog, or you do have one but never update it, then we can help.
We have some of the most experienced copywriters in the business, tuned in to the latest updates of Google and the developments in the world of content marketing.
Contact us today if you would like to know more about how regular, quality blog posts can help you and your business.