Don’t call it a comeback.
The humble blog often gets a bad wrap. At best, some see blogs as a dumping ground for boring or irrelevant content. They’re a dusty relic of the early Web 1.0 days, at worst.
But the web is an ever-evolving entity. As search marketing has grown, so too has the relevance of the stalwart blog. Likewise, advances in optimization and content marketing have returned the humble blog to its rightful place of importance.
When executed properly—with well-written content that’s curated to specific audiences—blogs can be invaluable tools. Whether you’re writing about industrial marketing or rebranding strategies, blogs can bolster communities and brand awareness. Similarly, they can be instrumental in attracting new, interested customers, while defining a company as an authority in its industry. Ignoring your company’s blog means you’re neglecting an untapped resource in content marketing.
But don’t fret if your blog has a few cobwebs. Here are some easy ways to get your blog back in shape and up to snuff.
Keep it fresh
In other words, update your blog regularly. You create more opportunities for your website to show up on various search engines’ radars by posting regularly—potentially on a rhythmic schedule. A regularly updated blog, featuring high-quality and relevant posts, will impact how your website performs in search engines. The more frequent the updates, the more frequently a search engine will pay a visit to your website to “crawl” or scan its pages. But remember, quality still matters more than ever. Relevant topics keep the reader on your page longer and reduce your bounce rate, improving your ranking.
Each blog update is a chance to engage with your readers. If the content is fresh and engaging, a regular reader can quickly become a regular customer.
But don’t worry if you can’t update every day. Or even every week. Figure out what’s realistic within your current content marketing strategy and stick to it. Regularity is the key. If you consistently update your blog, you’ll begin to notice your page ranks steadily rising.
Hit the links
- Internal links
Internal links (links that go to other pages on your site) help boost your already-popular content. A page that receives regular traffic presents opportunities to send visitors to other relevant content on your site. As a result,engaged visitors will discover more of your content, thus keeping them on your website longer.
Internal linking also makes your site significantly more user-friendly. Rather than sorting through a lengthy blog archive or using your site’s search function to find a keyword, the link they need is right there in the blog they’re already reading.
Don’t think you have to overdo it. Just a few well-timed,relevant links can spruce up any blog. With a handful of well-timed internal links, a simple blog post can help your site become easier to navigate. This also helps improve your search rank by creating a more structured and organized interface for visitors.
And consider this: it’s easy to go back and sprinkle a few internal links throughout any or all of your existing blogs. With just a little tinkering, you can turn your existing archive into a fully optimized and interconnected knowledge network.
- External links
External links may seem counterintuitive at first—why would you want to send people away from your site? External links (links that, yes, send people away from your site) will improve your SEO ranking. Think of external links as outbound relationships you’re building with other trustworthy and highly ranked sites. Search engines will see that you’re linking to relevant content from authoritative sites that are linked from your website. The search engine will more deeply understand the industry in which you are an authority, thus building trust in your website.
Plus, you’re building trust with your reader. You’re telling them, “We have nothing to gain from this, but you might find this information from another organization interesting or helpful.” Like this.
Don’t hide your blog under a bushel
Your blog is a forum where you can solve your customers’ problems, share your expertise, educate, and even entertain. But it’s also an opportunity to provide further exposure to your brand. Create relevant, valuable content that resonates with your audience and share it with your carefully curated and segmented email lists. Again, regular readers will quickly become regular customers.
Let’s get visual
To make your blog content even more exciting and engaging, include plenty of visually appealing content. Content like infographics, videos, and even GIFs enrich a user’s experience on your website and keep them on the page longer, further benefiting your SEO.
Now it’s personal
There’s no better way to personalize your company than by showcasing the people who make it work. A visitor to your website or a potential client might think: I know what they’re offering, but who’s behind it? Employee profile blog posts are an easy and effective way to put an accessible face to your business. It shows potential customers who they’d be working with. On the flip side, it also demonstrates to potential employees that you’re proud of the individuals on your team.
Parting thoughts
Blogging is a great tool to improve SEO and optimize your website, but it’s so much more. Blogs give your company a voice. They help you share information that makes you an authority in your industry; a trusted voice.
Red Mallard helps clients create content calendars that strategically provide value to customers through interesting and engaging website content.
Contact us today to find out what a unique, tailored blog strategy could look like for your business.
