If you want your website to be more than a virtual pamphlet about your business that’s easily lost in the practically endless pile of online content already out there, you need to provide enough substantial content for search engines to identify your site as one that provides valuable answers to questions users are asking. If your website isn’t showing up in search engine results for queries related to your business, then it’s not going to draw new potential customers who aren’t already aware of your products or services. A blog provides an easy way to regularly add fresh, relevant content to your website that addresses questions your potential customers are asking now.
Help your site show up in search engine results.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of practices designed to increase the chances that search engines will serve up links to a particular website in the results for relevant searches. These include placing cues in the text as well as “behind the scenes” of a website that communicate what the site is about. This used to be a fairly mechanical process, largely involving strategic placement of keywords and link building. However, as search engines have become more sophisticated, SEO has become more nuanced.
Use keywords naturally.
As search engines move away from algorithms toward more of a machine-learning model, it becomes less important to use the exact words in your website that most users are typing into search bars when looking for businesses like yours. That doesn’t mean that keywords aren’t still important; using language that’s similar to the language your audience uses helps search engines and human users alike understand that you’re talking about the same things. However, trying to exactly match long-tail keywords can lead to really awkward (and downright poor) writing, which search engines are getting better at spotting. The main idea is to speak the same language as your audience and draw them to your site with answers to the kinds of questions that they’re asking.
For example, if you find that people are searching “Des Moines salon cruelty free color,” and you happen to run a local hair salon that uses a cruelty-free product line, there is no reason to try to wedge that entire phrase into your content. Just provide information about your products, services, and location, using the phrase “cruelty-free” as well as other words potential customers may use to describe what they're looking for, like “no animal testing” or “vegan.”
Provide valuable information.
Beyond the language that you choose, the substance of the information you’re providing should be valuable to your audience. Dig into what they want to know about your industry, services, products, or related topics. Consider the questions people are asking you, the latest trends in your industry, topics in the news that are related to your business, common misconceptions, or important insight you can provide. If your website has great answers to questions your potential customers are typing into search engines, it has a far greater chance of showing up in their results.
Make your blog part of a comprehensive inbound marketing strategy.
Inbound marketing is a method that uses a variety of online content to draw new visitors to your website and employs features like strategically placed calls to action and well crafted landing pages to convert visitors into leads and customers. When you promote your blog through your social media profiles, for example, you can tap into your existing group of followers and make it easy for them to share interesting links with their networks. In this way, you can get your message in front of viewers who are most likely to be interested in what you have to say—rather than spending advertising dollars to broadcast it widely in hopes of finding a few prospects.
To learn more about using your blog to increase awareness of and engagement with your brand, check out our recent two-part series, “The Boss Business Blog Breakdown: Part 1—Focus on Your Audience” and “Part 2—SEO and Engagement.” If you’d like help getting your website or blog off the ground or implementing an inbound marketing strategy, contact Blue Frog Marketing. Our team of web designers, HubSpot-certified marketing strategists, professional writers, and graphic designers provides everything you need to build a modern, professional online presence. Click the link below to request a consultation and find out what we can do for your business.
