Many local businesses are not receiving enough value from their websites. Their web design company did the technical build-out using good SEO practices correctly. Moreover, the business has captured the Google My Business page and validated information in local directories. However, the business has found that their organic search traffic is coming mainly from people who either already know them, or they were discovered by a “near me” search with limited keywords. Their website is just not capturing enough of their target, and is little more than an online roadside billboard. How can a local business attract more local eyes to their website, build their brand awareness, and develop prospects?
Blogging is a tool that will help your company attract more visitors searching for your services, and give you a leg up on your competition. Chances are, your competition is not blogging. Therefore, by blogging your business is likely to have a tactical advantage. The fact is, when everyone is performing the necessary technical website SEO, no one has any real competitive advantage on results. However, consistent blogging will attract the customers that non-blogging companies lose.
Benefits of Blogging for SEO
1. Google loves fresh content – When you consistently add new and original content to your website, search engines perceive your website as active. More content adds to your domain authority and this feature will boost your position on search engine results pages.
2. Attracts people who don’t know you – There are many people out there who match the characteristics of your ideal customer, but have yet to get to know you. Blogging is a way to introduce you to this target. Moreover, with multiple blog touches, these site visitors can become customers.
3. Your site will have a unique link profile – Both your outbound and inbound links are important for search engine optimization. However, there is limited value to Yelp and the local Chamber of Commerce when every business is there. Blogging creates opportunities linking to authoritative local websites, and receive good back links in return.
4. There are more opportunities to rank – With blogging, your business is not just relying on Local (Maps) search results. You are creating content that can rank in regular search and attract local search users looking for the information you are providing.
5. You can take advantage of trending local topics – Blogging gives you the power to capitalize on the popularity of a local news story to amplify your sales and marketing success. It also shows your business has an authentic interest in the community.
6. There are new opportunities with long-tail keywords – Every blog entry creates the opportunity to capture organic traffic from less competitive long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are those three or four word phrases that are very detailed about a specific niche item your potential customers might be looking for…Imagine you own a hardware store, and someone is searching for “hot-dipped galvanized roofing nails”. Your site might not be optimized for that keyword since you have a thousand products, but if your latest blog entry mentions this type of nail, it will help your website in search results for those people searching for that type of nail.
7. Blogging is a reputation management tool – Your blog will give you a voice when you are attacked online by those who want to harm our company’s reputation.
8. You can feed the social media beast – There is no one sharing the Washington Post’s main website page. They are sharing Washington Post articles. Blogging creates shareable content for local social media users and expands your social reach.
Ultimately, search engine algorithms use the creation of locally relevant content, and the activity of local internet users, as signals to inform ranking decisions. The more engagement your website earns, the more authority your domain is given. Consequently, this investment will give you an overall higher ranking compared to your non-blogging competitors.
What haven’t we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about why blogging is important for SEO, or need more information, please contact us.