No matter what your business, having a blog on your website and actively blogging is one of the best things you can do for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and to help build your brand. We love the flexibility and ease of implementation that WordPress offers as a blogging platform (did you know that you can send an email that will become a blog post?) as well as a Content Management System. Here are five good reasons why:
Google Loves Blogs
The big search engines like Google keep their search algorithms as a well guarded secret. The best us web jockeys can do is ‘reverse engineer’ the results to determine what they prioritize. The good news is that from doing this some obvious patterns emerge, and one of them is that Google loves blog posts. Google indexes blog posts quicker than other pages, favors sites that are regularly updated, and prioritizes sites with a high keyword density for a given search term, which is easier to accomplish in blog posts than with other content.
Blogging Builds your Brand
Say that three times fast, then write it on the back of your hand! It’s just that important. If a current customer comes to your site, there is no better way to reinforce your brand than through your blog. Through blog posts you can share your company values, link to other organizations that you share marketing or branding campaigns with, and provide consistency with other branding efforts, including print, brick and mortar locations, and community events.
Blogging Establishes you as the Expert
If a website user has a question about something related to your industry, chances are they are going to Google that questions. If you have a blog post answer that has good keyword density, has been freshly updated, and is attached to an active blog, chances are your blog post will come up high on that Google search. Since you are an industry expert, the information you provide will be of high value to the website user and they will remember your blog, possibly even bookmark it, and better yet, subscribe to your blog….
Blogs are a Passive Way to Build a Subscription List
By providing relevant and timely information on a topic of interest through your blog, you can count on a fast growing email subscription list. After all, it’s much easier for a user to receive content in their email inbox than it is for them to Google for it, or open up a separate browsing window and access a bookmark. People want their information right away, and to be able to view it easily and quickly on their phone while waiting for their lunch to arrive, or waiting for a meeting to begin. This email list then becomes the center of your online marketing activities, and you can provide special offers and promotions, and keep your subscribers aware of events for your business. It keeps your audience engaged, and an engaged audience is one that is much more likely to partake in your business’s goods and services. Every blog subscriber becomes a highly qualified sales lead.
Blogging Creates a Community of Customers
One of the main features of blogs that make them so powerful is the ability to comment. Just like social media giants Facebook and LinkedIN, blogs provide the ability for your readers to comment on the content, which keeps the post fresh in Google’s eyes, and allows your customers to feel even more engaged. It’s especially important to always comment back so that the reader/commenter knows they are being listened to. This kind of open exchange between the blogger and the reader builds a sense of community that leads to strong brand loyalty.
Still not convinced? Below are a host of statistics on the value of blogging for your business that speak for themselves. And by the way, setting up a blog is incredibly easy by using a content management system such as WordPress.
