Blogging, for some people, has a bad reputation. Critics think it's
just for hipsters or digital nomads. They think it's just a fad.
But blogging can help any business. Here's how and why.
Done correctly, a blog prints money.
Search
engine optimization (SEO) is the lifeblood of any blog. It is how you
get Google to put your page high up the rankings when people search for
things.
Google makes billions of dollars from ads, companies
paying them to put their site first for certain keywords (what people
type into Google). But you can get up the ranking for free.
Online
shops and static pages find it hard to rank highly on Google. This is
where your blog comes in. It can shoot your site up the rankings list
and attract many more leads by targeting profitable keywords.
Keywords
are the most basic part of SEO. By using the phrases or words people
search for in your blog posts, Google will know that if it sends people
to your post it will help people solve their problem.
Research keywords, I have guide here[link], and target high traffic, low competition ones.
Updating
your blog consistently will help it rank higher on Google. Google gives
each site an authority score for keywords. It trusts sites update
frequently and recently over those that might be years out of date.
New blog posts every week will help boost your sites authority and help you climb the ranking list.
Authority
is also boosted by well written, researched and lengthy blog posts.
Producing those types of articles is called content marketing,
attracting leads with the content you produce. A blog is the best place
to start with content marketing.
You must build trust with your
audience. Keep them coming back by giving them valuable content. It's
hard to sell something to a first-time visitor. By making them come back
to your site you have a greater chance on converting that lead into a
sale.
It takes around 8 interactions before a sale is made. More
touchpoint, such as reading a blog post, signing up for a newsletter,
watching one of your videos, you have with a customer the better.
Blogs
also allow you to show you personality. People like buying from other
people. Use your blog to show off the human side of your business.
Blogs
are also a great way to engage with leads. Let people comment on your
posts and then reply to them. It's a great way to build trust.
Blogs
also tell you what people are interested in. The traffic on certain
posts tells you what people are looking for. Now you can go and provide
them with that.
Blog posts can also go viral. People share content
they find interesting or useful. Giving them that type of content
expands your audience.