With the rise of video sharing platforms like Tik Tok, it might seem like blogging is an outdated communication tool. While the platform was launched nearly 22 years ago as a way for authors to express their thoughts online, it is still the third most common marketing strategy used by businesses around the world. The blogosphere has undergone significant transformation since it was first created in 1999. Today, it serves as a platform for over 600 million users to share information globally, it’s clear that business blogging is on the rise, and for good reason too.
Why your business needs a blog
Your overall goal for starting a business blog should be to increase visibility. With one simple Google search, it’s easy to see just how much information is actually out there for people to consume. While it can be difficult to break through the noise, it’s definitely worth the effort. When done effectively, business blogging can lead to a 55% increase in website visitors which can in turn result in up to 13 times more return on investment.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization and it is the key to gaining website traffic through business blogging. Put simply, SEO is the practice of increasing brand exposure through non-paid, organic search engine results. SEO optimizes your website so that your page ranks higher on search engines such as Google or Bing.
How can blogging increase SEO?
Blogging is a great way to connect with your audience and share information relevant to your business. Consistent blogging can also signal to search engines that your site content is up-to-date. Google won’t provide its searchers with outdated content, so regular blogging is essential when it comes to letting search engines know that your website is alive and active.
Visitors are also more likely to stay on a website for a longer period of time if that site comes up as one of the top pages after a search. The overall goal of search engines is to provide helpful information to it’s searchers. If someone conducting a Google search clicks on the top link then quickly clicks out after realizing that the post wasn’t very informative, Google’s algorithm will take note of this and might even bump that post down a peg or two.
Tips on how to boost SEO through business blogging
Focus on keywords
A keyword is a primary term that sums up the content of your blog. Most people searching for information online will type in simple keywords or phrases into the search bar with the expectation that the information they’re looking for will pop up within the first few results. Depending on the topic of your blog, you should focus on finding the most commonly searched keywords to include throughout your content. This allows search engines to recognize that your blog is likely to provide searchers with the information that they’re looking for, and rank your content higher up on the results page.
Because your focus keywords are probably going to be fairly general, you should also consider including long-tail keywords or specific phrases in every blog post. General keywords are typically searched for the most which means that you’re more likely to run into competition for the top search result. By including long-tail keywords that are specific to what your brand has to offer, your content is more likely to be seen.
Consider the length of you blog posts
While most of us think that the attention span of readers is declining, this isn’t necessarily true when it comes to blog posts. Longer blog posts can provide your site visitors with more valuable information, and they’re more likely to answer all of their questions in one place. However, if you’re aiming for length over informative value, your content is likely to fall flat.
In 2019, Google announced the BERT update – a major algorithm reform that impacts 10% of all searches. With the update, Google is now able to identify subtle differences in searches and generate the best results in response. What does this mean for business bloggers? Your posts don’t have to be 2,400 words long. Just focus on providing quality content that responds to the intent and motivation of searchers.
Make sure that your blog is mobile-friendly
As mobile use continues to increase, it’s vital that your website and your blog are accessible to your readers. Content that isn’t mobile-friendly is likely to turn away site visitors. It’s a headache to try and read a blog post, or find a blog post for that matter, on a website that hasn’t been formatted to fit a smaller screen. With mobile phones now being used as a primary device, you could be missing out on a lot of potential readers if your website is not responsive.
Provide internal links in your blog posts
Internal links are hyperlinks from the same domain that lead a reader from one page to another. Including internal links to other blog posts assist your readers in navigating your website. This also encourages them to stay on your site for a longer period of time. More importantly, the more internal links that you have in a blog post, the more likely search engines are to find you. But don’t go overboard—the general rule of thumb is to include around four internal links within a single blog post, and to include the most important links near your introduction.
Create evergreen content
Like an evergreen tree, these are the blog posts that stay alive season after season. Whether it be a FAQ, a post about the history of your business or a “how to” guide, evergreen content remains relevant year after year. These types of blog posts not only keep you from having to constantly update content, but they also tend to rank high with search engines and usually attract a large amount of unpaid traffic to your business website.
Refresh your existing content
If you already have quality blog posts written, there’s no point in letting them just sit there on your website to slowly die with age. Because readers are looking for recently published content that can provide them with the most up-to-date information on a topic, the likelihood of them clicking on a blog post written more than five years ago is slim. Take those old blog posts and refresh them by updating internal and external links, adding relevant and quality new information, and improving SEO.
Creating and maintaining a business blog is a great way to help you gain organic traffic to your website and connect with your audience in a creative and informative way. With these tips on how to boost SEO with business blogging, you should be well on your way to starting up your own blog. If you’re looking for help when it comes to developing marketing strategies and starting your own business blog, let us know.
