Many business owners often end up asking the question “do I need a blog for my business website?” You often see blogs on many websites but most people do not understand the purpose or reason for spending time publishing blog posts. In this article I am going to break down why having a blog is necessary if you want to succeed with your website. 

The Answer

At first glance, a blog may not seem like a good use of time or resources. However, it is extremely important for bringing in traffic to your business website. Having content on your blog answering questions in your industry demonstrates your authority, and builds trust with prospective customers. Content marketing is one of the best ways to drive more calls, sales, and orders to your business. 

What A Blog Page Really Is

A blog page is simply a page where fresh content (articles/blog posts) get published on your website. If your website runs on WordPress (like most businesses) you can easily configure a page to automatically show your latest posts. Most people know to click on the blog option on website menus to see the latest content from websites they follow.

Having An Updated Blog Ranks You In Google

The biggest reason having a blog is important is because fresh content ranks your website in Google search. Google wants to rank websites their algorithm sees as “authoritative”, and most authority websites publish helpful content for users in their industries. You need to build authority if you want your business to show up at the top of the search results. 

The awesome thing is that each piece of content you publish to your blog has its own chance of ranking. You can drive tons of traffic to your business website simply by posting content.

You Must Demonstrate Your Expertise

Google really cares about something called E.A.T. (Expertise, Authority, Trust.) You need to showcase that you are an expert in your field if you want your website to show up when potential customers search.

Most people often ask me what to post to their blogs, once they start understanding the importance of it. We have all done Google searches at some point. The key here is to answer the questions people are asking. 

Not only does this show you are an expert in your field, but it builds trust with prospective clients as they visit your website. After all, if you’ve written an entire article on the subject then you must know what you are talking about, right? Having blog content can save a ton of time for your sales team if you have one, or your customer service personnel. 

Snag Prospects During Their Online Journey

Right now, there are most likely thousands of consumers and prospects in your industry researching their questions via Google search. This is a huge opportunity for your business, as you can snag them and bring them in to your website (and for free to top it all off!) If there is a question you get asked all the time by customers, that is a perfect topic to cover in a blog post.

Content Works Wonders For You

Content does not sleep. It continues to stay up 24/7, 365 days of the year. Each piece of content you publish automatically brings people into your website without you having to put in any further effort. While writing content takes a bit of time upfront, once it is published it is there to stay. 

Think of it like planting a seed every time you publish a blog post. Granted, not every seed you plant will grow. But some will sprout into giant trees (or in this case, huge amounts of consistent web traffic right to your business site.)

Quality Over Quantity

You do not want to be posting rushed pieces of content. Make sure to take your time and really publish high quality blog posts. Google wants to show their users good content. If you are writing a blog post answering a question, try to answer it in a way that explains the bigger picture to the reader. 

People should come away completely understanding what it is that you told them in your article. The goal is to answer their question so they do not have to continue searching for an answer. This is a user experience signal that tells Google your website is doing a great job at matching the search intent of their users. 

Include A Call To Action (A Must Do)

If you are taking the time to create quality content, you want to ensure you are getting something out of it. Tell visitors what you want them to do at the end of each blog post you publish. If you are a local business, and you wrote a piece answering a question about a product (for example) then you should have a call to action to stop in or contact your business. Additionally, you could include a link to opt-in to your email list or buy a product on your store (if you have one.) 

This is a serious missed opportunity that I see a lot of business owners forgetting completely. 

Posting Gives You Content For Social Media

Publishing content on your website also gives you valuable content for social media. You can share links to your latest blog posts along with a brief description of what it is about. This is a great way to keep your customers coming back and engaged with what you are saying. 

How Often You Should Post

There is not really a “one size fits all” answer to this question. It really depends on how competitive your industry is and where you are trying to rank. If you are a local business, you may be able to get away with once a week. For most online businesses (where local relevance is not necessary) you want to be posting fresh content at least 3 times a week minimum. 

Conclusion

A blog can be a very powerful tool for your business. You can demonstrate your authority, build trust with prospects, and increase your website traffic, calls, and revenue. At E-Man Ink, we offer website design and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services. We can help you build a blog and publish content that gets your business phone ringing. Call us today for a free quote: (716) 297-5073.

Gabriel Miller

Gabriel is our website designer and search engine optimizer here at E-Man Ink. He takes great pride in his work and puts our clients first. He is passionate about technology and the internet of things (IOT).