Blogging is still killing it in the SEO world. Here’s why: No matter if you’re a local business or a multinational company, you care about leads. Leads turn into sales. Sales turn into revenue. You get where I’m going with this. Leads are important and since in times of the internet most leads are generated through your business’ website, the phrase “creating engaging content” should ring a bell.
Which brings us to an interesting dilemma many of our clients are stuck in when they come to us:
Current market research shows that about 88% of B2B organizations are going strong on content marketing. Music in my ears. Pat on the back for you, guys. However, a dashing 60% admitted that their biggest marketing challenge this year has been the production of engaging content on their website. As harsh as it sounds, what that shows is that a lot of people are on the right track but haven’t really figured out what exactly they’re supposed to be doing there. Let’s shed some light on that content marketing mystery.
On your website you’ll want to show off what you’ve got, who you are, and why people should care. While the first two are easy to cover by showcasing your products, service, team, and company history, the “why people should care” part is crucial for lead generation. And because we can’t all hype our customers into a purchase by plastering shiny images all over our website like Apple does, we’ll play the undefeated ace up our sleeves: Blogging. Well-written authentic blog posts will let you catch a whole number of birds with one stone:
- Drive more traffic to your website
- Increase your Google ranking
- Position yourself as an industry leader
1) Drive more traffic to your website
Actively blogging companies receive 97% more links to their website and generate over 50% more site visits. Your blog is your chance to connect with your customers on a human level. It’s the perfect place to offer more than just product info and sales pitches. Show your customers you’re on top of industry news, tell them why you’re in business, how you can help them, and share some behind the scenes insight. Be yourself on your blog. People love that.
2) Increase your Google ranking
One of the greatest inbound marketing side effects of running a blog is that you can generate leads – even while you’re not working.1 in 10 blog posts are compounding which means their traffic increases over time. Companies who use blogging as part of their content marketing have reported 67% more generated leads than those who don’t. Why? Because major search engines – and with that your future customer – are more likely to find you if you’re running a blog. If you continuously release fresh content, that includes your company’s top keywords you’ll dramatically improve your SEO and beat your competition on search engine pages.
“Storytelling when done right, takes a product that should have sold $100 million worth of stuff and sells $1 billion worth of stuff.”
Gary Vaynerchuk, Marketing Expert & Entrepreneur
3) Position yourself as an industry leader
By talking about things that are relevant, interesting or entertaining to your audience you will build trust in your brand and show that you really know the business well. Giving your customers useful advice on your blog (without just selling them your own product) shows that you genuinely care and increases your credibility. Sounds terrifying? Don’t panic, our Content Specialist, Amanda, has some advice on how to come up with that kind of content. The more you can demonstrate that you’re a pro in your field, the more people will want to hear what you say and spread your word. Invite other influential people in your industry to guest post on your site as well! That’ll expand your blog’s reach and increase your website’s SEO results through the creation of backlinks to your site.
You have countless questions about blogging now? No problem. Don’t be shy. Reach out to us and our Content Specialists will be happy to share their tips and tricks with you.