For a business, a blog is a place to house creative, informative, educational and personal content on the company website. It is a tangible way to add personality and credibility to your work and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Blogs also simplify the way that your business shares information related to your field with other leaders, customers and clients. Here are some blog posts that a business, let’s say a chiropractor, might write to share helpful and relevant information.
- “Five Ways to Protect Your Back During a Workout”
- “Stretches that Improve Back Flexibility”
- “The Importance of Natural Health”
- “Your Weight and Your Back Pain”
- “How to Prevent Back Pain During a Road Trip”
Each of these potential blogs offers information that helps the reader, provides solutions for problems the readers may be facing, or establishes credibility by providing useful, applicable knowledge.
Why Does My Business Need a Blog?
Blogs are more than information for information’s sake. They can help dramatically grow your online presence. Blogs that are written for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can allow your business to appear higher in search rankings. Keeping a blog up to date with relevant and timely posts can improve the way your overall website performs in searches. But better SEO is just scratching the surface when it comes to the benefits blogs can bring to your business. A blog can:
- Create New, Fresh Content for Your Website. We’ve all been to an outdated website that looks like it desperately needs some TLC. Consumers notice when a website hasn’t been updated, and it reflects poorly on the entire company. Having a blog gives you fresh, regular content to serve on your homepage while keeping consistent themes and branding across your site.
- Encourage Return Visits. When consumers read a blog on your website that they find valuable or helpful, they are more likely to return to your page later seeking similar insights and offerings. This will increase your pageviews and tell Google that people like the information on your site. Rankings are determined based on this kind of information, so when your pageviews increase, your site is more likely to rank higher in search engines.
- Create Opportunities for Link Sharing. When you have customers on your website, it is the perfect opportunity to share internal links. In the chiropractor example, here’s a way internal links could be incorporated: “If you are experiencing neck pain, Biofreeze could be a great temporary solution to your pain.” If the chiropractor sells Biofreeze on his website, that sentence is the perfect place to create a link to his product. This is a natural and organic way to turn website traffic into paying customers.
- Utilize Long-tail Keyword Optimization. Blogs are the idea place to cater to long-tail keywords. Search engine optimization on a simple website’s titles or quick blurbs can only go so far. Short, 3-to-4-word search strings are easy to accommodate, but using longer 5-to-7-word searches that customers typically type in can be clunky and perceived as gimmicky on a website. In a blog, you can easily and discreetly work these long-tail keywords into each post to improve your overall SEO.
- Start Conversations. Blogs are the perfect way to connect online. You can answer questions, ask for feedback or discuss important issues – all from the comfort of your office. Blogs create conversations between brands and customers that are irreplaceable. When face-to-face interaction is limited due to time, location or the specialty of your business, blogs can create a space for you to get to know your audience and for your audience to get to know your brand.
Where Do I Start?
Websites like SquareSpace, WordPress, Blogger and WiX are great options to host your blog. They are user-friendly and the perfect starting place for a business blog.
You have the knowledge, all you need is a platform to share it! Good luck!
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