This is a question we are often asked. Many people think once their website is online, all they need to do is wait for customers to call, email, shop, enrol, etc. This is not the case – once you have a website up and running, this is actually when the fun (and work) begins!
Neglecting your website after set-up is like setting up a Facebook page for your business but then never checking your inbox, notifications, comments, likes, posts or reviews! Except the difference is your website is your asset and you own it, you do not own your Facebook page (and you have invested money in your website, whereas Facebook is a free tool). Yet all too often we see businesses powering on social media but not adding fresh content to their website as a priority.
Blogging on your website is one of the most powerful tools available to business owners to market your business and boost your Google rankings. The best part is, if you do it yourself, it’s free!
You do need to invest in a website with a blog function installed internally in order to be able to do this. What does this mean?
We are not talking about a blog that is separate to your website, we are talking about blogging on your actual website. Because if you set up a blog somewhere else, your website won’t benefit from your marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. What you want is to produce high quality content that is relevant to your target market/audience on your website so people are drawn there, not to an external source, which doesn’t showcase all your products, services and contact information. Once they reach your website (generally via a Google search for the relevant product or service in a specific location), they can view all the vital information about your business and be compelled to contact you (your phone number should be highly visible across all pages on your website).
Strategically blogging on your website will help new clients find your business in a Google search. A strategy should help you identify gaps in your search rankings and therefore encourages you to employ a more holistic approach to boost your site’s overall rankings.
When we say “strategically blogging” we mean adding blog posts that are in line with your overall online marketing strategy, not just adding blog posts ad hoc for the sake of adding posts – perhaps because you know you should (but not why you should).
Having a blogging strategy helps you determine what topics you want to cover (i.e. how to sew a cushion cover), when you want to cover them (i.e. in time for Mother’s Day), and what keywords and locations you will add for SEO (i.e. Geelong cushion covers).
We have very simply broken down why you should blog on your website into two main parts:
1. Creating quality content for marketing purposes
First and foremost, your blog is a valuable marketing tool, which allows you to market your business by adding fresh content on a regular basis. You can communicate the value of specific products and services to your target audience. This could include posting projects you have completed and the value they added for the client – i.e. “We installed an environmentally friendly composite deck to replace a faded wood deck, which needed constant staining and maintenance. The composite deck never needs staining and has a 15 year guarantee, saving the client time and money.”
It is important you consider what you think your existing clients want to learn about your business, compared with what potential new clients might want to know about your business. Add value for your existing clients with some helpful tips and information – i.e. how to care for their product, instructions for a DIY project, or a favourite recipe. You don’t have to give away all your intellectual property (IP), but aim to give your clients insight, hints, tips, and instructions they might not otherwise have had access to.
2. Blogging for SEO
This is definitely a main reason why you should blog on your website as SEO content will help drive new traffic to your website (remember that new clients do not know your business name yet – therefore they are searching a product or service in their location). We advise that you work on your marketing strategy and creating quality content first (as mentioned above) followed by implementing proper SEO technique. If you don’t have a strategy and your blog content is too thin or generic, adding keywords will have a lesser impact, and in some cases, can even have a negative impact. Once you have an online marketing strategy to guide your blog topics and content, then you can add your keywords for SEO.
We believe a holistic approach to your online marketing strategy is the best way to get results (which is clients finding you online and then taking the desired action – i.e. picking up the phone, purchasing your products, re-enrolling online or whatever is applicable to your type of business). This means identifying the most appropriate tools to reach your clientele, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.
However, blogging on your website is one tool every type of business can benefit from in terms of marketing and SEO – and that’s why you should blog on your website.
Need help getting started? Contact us – we can help you design an online marketing strategy for your business, which includes blogging on your website. Don’t have time? We can create a strategy and blog for you.