1. Blogging Is
Fantastic for SEO
Yes, we started this
article by saying that blogging isn’t
just about SEO, but since SEO is perhaps the most universal benefit for
all small businesses, it’s earned a spot at the top of this list.
The first way blogging
helps improve your SEO is by creating a steady stream of new content.
Google gives preference to websites that are fresh and current; if you
haven’t posted anything new on your website in years, it appears to be
stale in the eyes of search engines. Of course, the caveat here is that
you shouldn’t just create content for the sake of creating content—it
should be good
content. That means relevant to your business, useful to your
customers, and authoritative.
In addition, blogging
is a fantastic opportunity to build internal links within your website and to create
high-quality content that other sites may want to link to, thus also
building valuable backlinks to your site.
2. Blogging
Gives You Instant Content for Social Media
Do you struggle with
ideas for what to post on social media? Blogging serves the dual
purposes of creating content for your website and creating
content for Facebook, Instagram, Google Business Profile (formerly
known as Google My Business), and any other social media platforms you
might use. Sharing your content on social media can help increase your
engagement, and also send more visitors to your website. Create great
content and readers might even share it organically with their friends.
This, too, results in important backlinks that tell Google your website
has value.
Remember, though, that
it might not make sense to share all
of your blog content on social media—you want to share content that
people will actually click through and read. It should be engaging and
have a real purpose other than SEO. Ask yourself if you’d read the
article if you stumbled across it on Facebook; if the answer is no,
then don’t assume your audience would want to read it either. Don’t
tank your engagement rate by sharing uninspired content on your social
media platforms!
3. Blogging Lets
You Highlight Your Best Work
Your blog is the
perfect place to show the results of your work. While a portfolio might
not make sense for every small business, it’s an excellent option for
businesses that sell services to share past work or case studies. These
posts aren’t always as effective when it comes to SEO unless they also
give you the opportunity to focus on relevant keywords, but they are a great way
to market yourself and your services.
To create portfolio
posts (or case study posts), be sure to include photos that show the
work you’re sharing, and also include a narrative that explains the
problem you solved through your work. If possible, get a testimonial
from your client, too.
4. Blogging
Allows You to Engage With Your Audience
The best blogs
entertain and engage your audience. This can sometimes feel at odds
with writing for SEO, but it shouldn’t. While it’s ideal for your posts
to be useful for SEO and for engaging your audience, there’s also a
place for blog posts that are purely for engagement and building brand
loyalty. A contest to name your company’s mascot by commenting on a
blog post won’t have legs on search engines, but it will get
engagement; similarly, sharing an upcoming sale won’t yield long-term
results, but it can generate short-term interest from your customers.
Although this isn’t
possible for every niche, some small businesses may be able to create
content so useful and compelling to readers that they regularly visit
to see the latest updates. A grocery store that shares recipes, a craft
store that posts project ideas, or even a landscaper that shares yard
care tips are some examples of how a business can create content that
people get excited about reading.
5. Blogging and
Email Marketing Go Hand-in-Hand
If you have a WordPress
website, you can use a plugin that asks visitors to subscribe to your
email newsletter. In this way, generating traffic for your blog can
also build your email marketing list, especially if you offer a great
incentive for signing up like a discount, free service, or ebook. These
days, it takes a lot to get people to sign up for an email newsletter,
so make it worth it for them!
Your blog will also
help your email marketing efforts by increasing your open and
click-through rates when you send email updates that include blog
posts. Craft newsletter headlines that generate interest in what you’ve
posted on your blog, rather than using the same generic subject line
for every email you send. Are you more likely to click on “Main Street
ROI Newsletter” or “13 SEO Tools Every Small
Business Should Be Using”?
6. Blogging
Helps You Demonstrate Authority
Establishing authority
is important for SEO, but it’s also important for engendering trust
with your current and potential customers. You don’t want people to
view your business as one of many options—you want to position yourself
as the best of the best. Sharing your knowledge on your blog is a great
way to demonstrate your expertise and trustworthiness.
Demonstrating your
authority in your niche also helps you be seen as a thought leader by
industry peers. This is excellent for your SEO and the all-important E-A-T, and it
may also lead to referrals, collaborations, and other business
opportunities.
If you don’t have time
to write blog posts yourself, that doesn’t mean you can’t establish
yourself as an authority in your industry. Many small business owners
outsource their blogging to external writers, but the key here is to
make sure any content creation firm you hire is either familiar with
your business or willing to put in the research so you can feel
confident putting your name on their ghostwritten work. Before hiring
anyone to write for you, make sure their content is produced in-house
by professional writers, rather than being outsourced to the lowest
bidder.
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