by Aaron Loveland | Aug 14, 2024 | Best Reasons to Blog, Content
Maintaining an active and engaging online presence is crucial for business success in the digital age. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through regular blogging. A well-maintained company blog provides valuable information to your audience and significantly enhances your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. This blog will explore why blogging is essential for boosting your Google rankings and growing your business long term.
Table of Contents:
Why is SEO so important in digital marketing?
How does blogging help me rank on Google’s first page?
Use keywords and long-tail search terms for the best SEO results
How does off-page SEO help you get ranked on Google?
Example
Conclusion
How Loud & Clear Marketing can help.
Why is SEO so important in digital marketing?
Search engines – like Google – created the lay of the digital marketing landscape. So, to thrive in their arena, we must follow their rules. Following those rules by utilizing the best SEO practices will earn you visibility, traffic, and prospects.
The Million Dollar Question: How do you get ranked on Google?
If you run a business, you’ve probably already done some SEO research to bolster your digital marketing and help you get ranked on Google. You might have used free site ranking tools or targeted some Google SEO keywords. The best SEO goes beyond keywords to become a marketing strategy.
You might think you need to rank on Google’s first page for your industry niche. However, if you’re a local nonprofit supporting animal shelters, ranking at the top of the national “animal shelter” search result might actually hurt you. Yes, you would get more traffic, but it would not be relevant traffic. Relevance is as important as achieving that rank on Google’s first page, and also one of the best SEO strategies is to rank locally.
Why get to the top of Google’s search results?
Let’s start with the most important fact. According to research from Semrush, the first organic result has an average click-through rate of 22.4%, the second receives 13%, and the third gets 10%. So, the top three web pages that get ranked on Google’s first page enjoy the majority of the traffic.
It seems inevitable that you need to rank on Google’s first page and get to the top of Google’s search results. Luckily, there are a lot of first pages. With a targeted, localized digital marketing strategy, you can rank at the top of the right first page.
How does blogging help me rank on Google’s first page?
Every time someone performs a search, Google searches through billions of web pages stored in its index. However, not all webpages are valued equally because of Google’s SEO keywords process. Google wants to provide reliable information from trusted authorities with proven expertise. For that reason, it assigns value to keywords and then rewards content that uses the keywords Google thinks are important while answering queries asked in Google. Good blogging does just that!
For starters, consistently posting original blog content shows Google your business is active. Companies publishing regular blog content attract eight times more visitors and increase their chances for higher rankings by 434%! That’s partially because blogs generate more indexed pages— more mentions in Google’s vast library.
Furthermore, most blogs repeat a business’s name, address, and phone (NAP), which provides huge SEO help. If your repeated NAP information aligns with your Google My Business Listing, it helps Google verify your business. It also improves your chances of appearing in local search and map results. The top SEO blogs use this geo-targeting to attract local visitors who are much more likely to convert into clients (see our blog on how Google adjusted its best SEO practices to better serve local queries).
How are the best SEO strategies changing with Google’s new generative AI?
Google is always changing, and with it, so are the best SEO practices to get ranked on Google. You’ve probably seen Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE). It uses generative AI to write concise, summarizing answers to some queries. But that doesn’t mean blogging isn’t important. To write its answers, SGE uses the top SEO blogs.
How Google determines which top SEO blogs to reference is very similar to the standard Google search engine optimization method. Google favors blogs that consistently demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). You can achieve this with a strong backlink profile and content optimization, all of which we will explore in this blog.
Use keywords and long-tail search terms for the best SEO results
There are four types of keywords, and the best SEO strategies use a healthy balance of all four.
- Topic keywords are broad general terms that can represent an entire industry or a blog subject. These work best as SEO research categories to generate blog topics. A local animal shelter might not get ranked on Google for “animal shelter.” However, by regularly posting blogs on that topic, Google’s search engine optimization process will gradually notice them as an authority.
- Targeted keywords: These are focus keywords that directly relate to the content of a blog post. That local animal shelter might identify “foster programs” as a topic keyword and then generate “how to foster a pet” or “pet fostering tips” as target keywords. These targeted keywords can then become entire blog posts.
- Semantic keywords: These keywords support your targeted keywords by demonstrating your content’s depth. These related keywords provide the best SEO support when written organically into your content. Examples: “steps to becoming a pet foster parent,” “benefits of pet fostering,” and “preparing your home for a foster pet.”
- Long-tail keywords: These are much more specific. While they have a lower search volume, they enjoy a higher conversion rate. These keywords have great lead-generation potential because they reflect a user’s immediate intention. For example, when you read “step-by-step guide to fostering cats” and “what supplies are needed to foster a pet,” you know exactly what the searcher wants to do. Use these in your blog’s titles, H2 headings, and subheadings. However, they can also benefit you by being organically woven into the main content, similar to semantic keywords.
What free site ranking tools can help me check my SEO rankings?
- Google Search Console: This is a free tool provided by Google. It can check blog rankings, but it provides much more SEO help.
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT): This free site ranking tool scans your website to find which keywords you already rank for.
- Seobility Ranking Checker: Simply enter your domain to check your website’s Google ranking.
- The HOTH Google Rank Checker Tool: Find the top Google SEO keywords already driving traffic to your site.
Remember, most free site ranking tools have limitations that encourage you to purchase the premium version. If you are determined to use free and only free site ranking tools, it’s best to use multiple tools from your digital marketing toolbox to paint a comprehensive, three-dimensional picture. Rankings fluctuate, so check blog rankings regularly for the best long-term marketing strategy. Sometimes, we obsess over individual keyword ranking when we need to step back and see the whole strategy.
If all this SEO research and monitoring feels overwhelming, then you’re not alone! Many small businesses are better empowered to succeed when their SEO marketing strategy is supported by a marketing agency. Businesses that invest in local SEO lead generation enjoy a 40% increase in their online visibility. The best SEO strategies are not one-and-done tactics; they are a continuous effort, but they bring long-term results. A digital marketing agency can provide ongoing SEO research to ensure you always stay competitive.
How does off-page SEO help you get ranked on Google?
Off-page SEO is what you do outside of your website to help you get ranked on Google. The top SEO blogs use backlinks to prove to Google that their expertise is authoritative and trustworthy. Backlinks are when another piece of content links back to another piece of content. We’ve done that several times throughout this blog already. If Google was a traditional library, backlinks are citations, saying “We got this information from this source.” Google’s search engine optimization process sees these as endorsements—votes of confidence – effectively signaling the source must be correct and trustworthy if others are using it.
Ideally, original content organically earns backlinks over time by being competent and trustworthy. However, the top SEO blogs receive additional boosts:
- Guest posting: Your blogger can repost or adapt your original blog content for other reputable websites. You’ll get the best SEO results by contacting industry magazines, local, new sites, or trade publications. Google’s SGE values backlinks as expertise.
- Social media: Promote your content on relevant social media platforms. Engage with your audience, encouraging them to share or engage with it. Google is increasingly including social media posts at the top of its results. For example, year-old Reddit posts are getting to the top of Google search results because people trust them. You can even recycle blog content by breaking it down into more digestible social media posts like short-form videos. However, that kind of marketing strategy deserves its own article (stay tuned).
- Influencer collaboration: The influencer economy is so vast that there are influencers for every business niche, including B2B. Reaching out to influencers provides mutual benefits. Your target audiences can “cross-pollinate” by amplifying each other’s content. You can save the influencer time and effort by providing them with content. Some branding firms go so far as to specialize in influencer marketing. That kind of marketing strategy may become increasingly important as Google evolves. Google’s SGE values social media and user-generated content as experience.
- Good old Public Relations (PR): Before the digital age, PR was how companies promoted their news. A press release could carry newsworthy content from outlet to outlet across the company’s reach. PR is still vital in the SEO age. Today, digital public relations help small businesses grow their reach. Digital public relations can be especially advantageous in promoting content across a local region.
Occasionally, low-quality, spammy backlinks can harm your website’s Google ranking. If your links are associated with a “bad crowd,” Google might think you’re part of that crowd. Luckily, you can use Google’s Disawvow Tool to disassociate your site from those “bad influences.”
Let’s say our local animal shelter partners with a marketing agency to execute a robust SEO strategy. What kind of results might they get?
Their strategy would start with SEO research, guiding their biweekly blogs. If they publish consistently, then their indexed pages will gradually grow, increasing their chances of getting ranked on Google. We already know businesses that invest in local SEO lead-generation enjoy a 40% increase in online visibility. However, visibility takes time and persistence. The animal shelter won’t feel the full results until around six months.
During that time, for example, the marketing agency helps the animal shelter engage with its community. It promotes its top SEO blogs across social media and makes the rounds of guest posting. Its content reaches local newspapers and neighborhood newsletters. A high school volunteer even contributes an article to their school’s newspaper, sparking an influx of high schoolers.
Through social media, the animal shelter connects with a local cat café and dog training school. The three of them swap content and always repost each other’s blogs. The marketing agency discovers a few cat owner influencers in the same region and fosters excellent collaborations.
With patience and persistence, this local animal shelter could generate 67% more leads each month than it did without SEO help. Those leads are also 61% less expensive than leads generated through outbound strategies.
Conclusion:
Incorporating an active company blog into your digital marketing strategy can be a powerful tool for improving your Google rankings and attracting more visitors to your website. Regularly publishing high-quality, keyword-rich content can enhance your lead generation and SEO efforts, build valuable backlinks, and establish your business as an authority in your industry. Take advantage of the numerous benefits that blogging can bring to your digital marketing strategy and long-term lead-generation efforts.
Ready to elevate your business with a strategic blogging campaign?
Our expert digital content marketers will design a customized blogging strategy that boosts your Google rankings and drives business growth. Let’s get started on your path to digital success! Schedule a FREE consultation today!
About Loud & Clear Marketing
LCM was founded in Leesburg, Virginia, by Sharon L. Wright in 2012. Joined by Deb Haynes Swider in 2019, Loud & Clear Marketing is a woman-owned, integrated marketing agency specializing in brand-led lead generation. From branding and public relations (PR) to digital and social media marketing to web development, our team of community builders helps businesses and nonprofits grow so our communities will prosper.
Let’s get started on your path to digital success! Schedule a FREE consultation today!
by Loud and Clear | Jul 16, 2020 | Best Reasons to Blog, Content, Marketing, Media Relations, Public Relations
Give Your Business Brand a Personal Touch. Use Your Blog To Tell a Humanizing Story.
Loud and Clear Marketing has a vision for your business’ success. Our sights are squarely set on helping every client make progress toward business goals by helping them harness the power of a compelling, storytelling company blog.
Regularly publishing unique blog content on your company website is among the most surefire ways to set your business apart from the crowd. LCM has taken a deep dive into the top reasons why blogging works in this Best Reasons To Blog series. Of all the reasons a company should be blogging, this one is probably our favorite:
Every blogpost is a golden opportunity to create a new impression in the mind of a potential customer. Tell a story or two. Talk about local happenings. Make a human-to-human connection with your blog content. Write posts on your company blog that engage with the people in your target market. Let your business be something that’s knowable, friendly, and personal.
Always be thinking about the stories your company can tell that will connect with the folks in your target market. For example:
- Tell your origin story. Why did you get into the business? What’s your background? For a family business, let’s meet the family. Sole proprietors, tell us how you got your start.
- Out and about? Attend a recent event? Sponsor a local Little League team? Host a charity drive? Every single engagement with the community you serve is a story waiting to be told. Don’t keep it a secret!
- Show the grow. Hit a company milestone? Reaching a new level of customers, revenues, or years in business is a worthy story. Take pride in the business? Benefit from the hard work of your employees? Grateful for all your customers? Say so in a blog.
- Introduce us! Have you hired a new key employee lately? Is someone retiring after years of dedicated service? Did a member of your staff just earn a new professional certification? Then let’s meet them…by blog!
In recent years, businesses have made blogging a greater part of their marketing outreach – and for some very good reasons.
According to stats reported at http://www.impactbnd.com/blogging-statistics-55-reasons-blogging-creates-55-more-traffic, 77% of all Internet users regularly read blogposts, and 61% of online consumers have purchased something due to a recommendation in a blogpost.
Moreover, the Content Marketing Institute says that 70% of consumers would rather learn about your company through articles (such as a blogposts) than through ads (https://www.launchwaymedia.com/blog/2017/7/11/10-stats-that-prove-startups-and-small-businesses-need-pr), and 81% of businesses reported that company blogs are critical to their marketing success.
Let Loud and Clear Marketing help you set your sights on success and reaching your business goals.
Contact Loud and Clear Marketing by phone at 703-261-4252 or on our website. Let’s get to work designing a custom blogging strategy. Let’s tell the stories that build lasting personal relationships between your company and your customers.
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LCM’s Best Reasons To Blog In 2020: A Five-Part Blogpost Series
Reason One: Boost Your Google Rankings With Better SEO
Reason Two: Get More Leads, Earn More Business
Reason Three: Define Your Company’s Unique Sales Proposition
Reason Four: Establish Credibility as THE Local Leader In Your Industry
by Loud and Clear | Jul 16, 2020 | Best Reasons to Blog, Content, Marketing, Media Relations, Public Relations
Blogs Show What You Know Through the Three E’s: Establish Credibility. Educate Customers. Earn a Reputation.
Loud & Clear Marketing has always been in the business of helping clients creatively show off their industry expertise through a variety of media and marketing tools. Our specialty lies in setting our clients on a path to help them define themselves and create effective ways to be in the best position to be seen as THE local leaders in their market and industry.
Nowadays, we have a (relatively) new trick in our bag: Blogging. One of the most effective, most creative methods for a company or organization to demonstrate its market leadership is through a steady stream of brand-defining content known as a blog.
If you aren’t publishing a regular (and interesting!) company blog, you’re missing out. But your competition isn’t.
A blog is one of the most powerful tools in the modern marketing toolbox. Blogs enable businesses to build authority as THE preeminent thought leaders in the local industry. Blogs enhance your company’s reputation in the local community, making you THE go-to reliable resource for your products and services.
Blogging keeps your company front-and-center and top-of-mind with customers. How? Through a process we like to call The Three E’s: Establish, Educate, Earn.
— Establish presence and credibility, both online and in the real world.
It pays to tell folks where you are. Especially if you’re in a field service business, such as an HVAC repair company, or a neighborhood business like a family restaurant, be sure to mention all the towns, cities and localities your company serves in all your blogposts. (Doing this provides a valuable SEO boost, like we discussed in Reason One of this special LCM Blog Series.)
Along with establishing your geographic presence, use your blog to establish your professional credibility. Assume the role of THE local authority in your industry. Talk about the latest news and developments. Tell the customer why it matters. Share insightful stories from behind the scenes.
Speak directly to customers and potential customers in your market. Let them know you’re there – and that you’re there for them!
— Educate current and future customers about the value your business brings.
You know you’re better than the competition. But why? Blogs provide the ideal platform for a company to reach its customers and prospects, and show off the unique value you provide.
What does your company do, and how does it do it? Tell stories about problems your company has solved, experiences you’ve gone through, ways you’ve grown and expanded. Identify your company as THE local leader.
Post confident, authoritative blogs. Talk about interesting stuff. Add in a bit of multimedia flair (videos, pics, graphs and graphics). Let customers know what they’ll get when they do business with you. Relate useful information, describe technical details, tell real-life stories that demonstrate without a doubt your business knows its stuff.
— Earn a reputation of quality and trustworthiness.
Blogging is an inescapable component of marketing. It’s so essential, in fact, that a stat from http://www.inpactbnd.com/blogging-statistics-55-reasons-blogging-creates-55-more-traffic points out that 56% of businessowners have successfully used blogs to position their companies as thought leaders within their markets.
The Fear Of Missing Out is very real. Don’t get FOMO-ed out of more customers, sales and profits. If your company isn’t blogging to establish itself as THE industry authority within your market, your competitors will be happy to fill the gap for you.
Let us help you communicate your company’s expertise, experience and hands-on knowledge. Contact Loudoun Clear Marketing at 703-261-4252 or https://loudandclear.today/consultation/. We can help you implement a customized blogging strategy geared to your company’s strengths, and help you build trust with your customers through regular blogging of useful, unique content.
Whatever you’re in the business of, be the business people want to do business with.
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LCM’s Best Reasons To Blog In 2020: A Five-Part Blogpost Series
Reason One: Boost Your Google Rankings With Better SEO
Reason Two: Get More Leads, Earn More Business
Reason Three: Define Your Company’s Unique Sales Proposition
Reason Five: Engage Directly With Customers and Make a Personal Connection To Your Company
by Loud and Clear | Jun 13, 2020 | Best Reasons to Blog, Content, Marketing, Media Relations, Public Relations
What Truly Puts Your Business Above the Competition? Highlight Your USP With Blogging.
Loud and Clear Marketing is all about casting a laser focus on the best way to tell a clients’ unique story – and there may be no better way to reinforce your company’s unique story than through a blog.
Developing your story involves digging deep into what sets you apart from the competition. Think about your company in the context of its industry. What does your business offer that no competitor offers? What are your difference-makers, your distinguishing qualities, your value-added differentiators? What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?
Your company has its own USP…probably more than one. A company’s unique selling proposition is a specific benefit your company provides which customers could not get doing business with any competing company. Companies often draw their USPs from their mission statements, industry experience, or service offerings.
What problem does your company solve for its customers better than anyone else?
Blogposts are the perfect medium to answer those questions. In 1,000 words of skillfully written content – together with pictures, videos, graphics, and other multimedia to tell the story – a blog defines your company’s unique sales proposition and disseminates it on the Internet for all to see.
If the goal is to set your business apart from competing companies in your market, blogging works.
- According to a statistic reported on HubSpot at http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics, 55% of companies with blogs on their websites make blogging their top inbound marketing strategy and report seeing benefits from their blogging.
Let’s tell the story only your company can tell. Let’s take advantage of your company website to make your unique selling proposition absolutely clear. Let’s blog about the products, services, experience, certifications, education, community involvement or company history that really set your business above the competition.
Let’s get started blogging in 2020. Talk with Loudoun Clear Marketing at 703-261-4252 or https://loudandclear.today/consultation about designing a customized blogpost strategy that brings out your company’s most unique qualities…and brings out the customers.
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LCM’s Best Reasons To Blog In 2020: A Five-Part Blogpost Series
Reason One: Boost Your Google Rankings With Better SEO
Reason Two: Get More Leads, Earn More Business
Reason Four: Establish Credibility as THE Local Leader In Your Industry
Reason Five: Engage Directly With Customers and Make a Personal Connection To Your Company
by Loud and Clear | Apr 14, 2020 | Best Reasons to Blog, Content, Marketing, Media Relations, Public Relations
Blogging Is an Effective Way To Connect With Customers, Build Trust and Brand Loyalty – all without breaking the bank
Welcome to our original Loudoun Clear Marketing Blog series where we discuss the best reasons for why business blogs pack such a big punch for your content marketing strategy and why your organization needs to be blogging in 2020.
Reason One: Google Search Rankings
Boost your website’s Google search rankings with the keyword influx, SEO optimization, and the unique, dynamic content that regular blog posts provide.
Reason Two: Get More Leads, Earn More Business
The fact is, it pays to blog. Not only is content marketing (including blogging) 62% cheaper than traditional marketing investments – according to statistics published at https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic – it also produces three (3) times more business leads than a paid online search strategy.
Blogging generates fantastic returns on your overall marketing investment, especially internet content marketing efforts. Small businesses, whose websites have blogs, generate 126% more leads than those without blogs, according to figures available at http://www.techclient.com/blogging-statistics.
Reason Three: Develop Trust
Statistics show that 81% of U.S. consumers trust information presented in blog form, and 61% of consumers have made a purchase based on a blogpost. Therefore, it is important to be yourself, develop your voice in a creative way, and really dig into who you are as a business and why you matter.
- Blog about what you know. No one knows your business like you do. Educate prospective clients about the services you offer; use your blog to tell stories about problems you successfully solved.
- Blog about what you want your customers to know you know. Assume the role of a go-to thought leader and share up-to-date professional expertise. Advise readers about news in your industry, seasonal updates, the latest recommendations – show them you’re on top of your business.
- Blog about your organization’s role in the community. Sponsor any Little League teams? Participate in a fun run, fundraiser or a food drive? Blogging helps spread the word of upcoming events, and are a lasting medium for recapping community outings. Use blog content in tandem with social media to make that all-important personal connection with customers in your market.
It’s time to start making regular, creative, brand-defining blog posts a fundamental part of your business’s or nonprofit’s online marketing outreach. Call Loudoun Clear Marketing at 703-721-7040 or send us a message at https://loudounclearmarketing.com/contact-us; we’ll get to work on a custom Digital Marketing campaign including engaging, unique blog content tailored for the market you need to reach in 2020.
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LCM’s Best Reasons To Blog In 2020: A Five-Part Blogpost Series
Reason One: Boost Your Google Rankings With Better SEO
Reason Two: It Pays to Post
Reason Three: Define Your Company’s Unique Sales Proposition
Reason Four: Establish Credibility as THE Local Leader In Your Industry
Reason Five: Engage Directly With Customers and Make a Personal Connection To Your Company
by Loud and Clear | Mar 20, 2020 | Best Reasons to Blog, Content, Marketing, Media Relations, Public Relations
Search Engines Love Active Websites With Original Content. That’s What a Company Blog Provides.
We’re kicking off the Year 2020 with a new look at an old friend: the blog. Blogging has been part of Internet culture for a quarter-century, ever since the World Wide Web made websites a reality – and they’re no less relevant today. Loudoun Clear Marketing is pleased to publish our original five-part blog series explaining why you should make regular blogging part of a successful digital marketing campaign all year long.
Why write a (better) company blog in 2020? Reason One: Stand above the competition with improved SEO results.
Your website isn’t producing value if it isn’t getting found. That means your business site needs to rise high on Google’s first page for as many keyword terms as possible. That’s where the science of Search-Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in.
Blogs do many SEO things Google likes. Blogs keep your company website fresh and active. Blogs reinforce your company’s name, address and phone (NAP) info. Blogs pinpoint your geographic market, identifying the cities, counties and regions your company serves.
Blogs populate your site with relevant keywords (ex.: “marketing”) and long-tail search terms (ex.: “best content marketing in Loudoun County, Virginia”) – and because blogs are updated regularly, your website gets indexed more often than a static, non-blogging site.
Blogs increase your website’s chances at quality backlinks, wherein another website publishes a hyperlink back to your blogpost. This is yet another way writing original blog content generates a valuable SEO boost.
According to stats compiled at http://www.techclient.com/blogging-statistics, publishing regular blog content attracts eight times more visitors and increases the chances for higher rankings by an astounding 434% – plus, websites with blogs earn 97% more indexed links, which means more customers find your business website…thanks to your blogs.
Think about your company blog. Does it exist? Does it feature weekly blog posts of at least 1,000 words of original content (plus a pic or a vid) that defines, differentiates and distinguishes your brand? Is your website’s blog pulling its weight to lift your Google ranking? Talk with Loudoun Clear Marketing at 703-721-7040 or https://loudounclearmarketing.com/contact-us so our expert digital content marketers can design a blogging campaign customized for your business in 2020.
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LCM’s Best Reasons To Blog In 2020: A Five-Part Blogpost Series
Reason Two: Get More Leads, Earn More Business
Reason Three: Define Your Company’s Unique Sales Proposition
Reason Four: Establish Credibility as THE Local Leader In Your Industry
Reason Five: Engage Directly With Customers and Make a Personal Connection To Your Company
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