Right now, we are all adjusting to this new normal we’ve found ourselves in – we’re creating routines and figuring out a new way of working due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With other areas of your small business being quieter, this is the perfect time to invest some hours in blogging for your website and upping your search engine optimisation (SEO).
Here are the reasons why you should start blogging now.
1. Google prioritises new content
Google prioritises new content, and if you’re not updating products on your website (whether that’s because it’s not the nature of your small business, or because you can’t due to the pandemic) then there’s nothing new being generated for your website. You need to show that your website is active, and a great way to do this is to post regular updates, such as blog posts.
Users also like new content – it shows them that you post frequently, and it will keep them coming back for those excellent words you write. Showing your value through super interesting blog posts could turn these readers into customers or clients, if they’re not already.
2. Readers like timely content
Blog posts which are relevant to the here and now will get more traction. Is there an event or holiday coming up that you can tie in with your small business? Have you got a bangin’ product that could help your customers in this specific situation? Write that fresh content and get it out ASAP.
As a website visitor, we’re more likely to read content that’s relevant to the current time of the year. Got a great Christmas gift guide? We’re all about that in October in November – not so much in April.
3. Loads of lovely local keywords
The “here” part of the here and now – simply make sure you mention where your small business is located. We love letting you all know that our office is in central Bristol, because having clients based in Scotland or Spain or Sydney just wouldn’t work for us. The more times our location is written on our website, the better, as potential clients will be able to find our business when they search “marketing agency Bristol” for example.
Writing a blog post about where your small business is located, why you flippin’ love your city, or other local indie brands you adore can help you frequently mention your location in an organic, interesting and super helpful way.
4. An excuse to link in & out
Making the world wide web more webby. Good quality, natural links from other credible websites in to your website give it more authority or credibility, meaning your website will get a better ranking. Linking out to quality websites in your blog posts helps your website associate with them too – just make sure you do it in a natural, relevant way.
If you’re writing about a fellow indie brand as in the example above, link to their website. Relevant links will also benefit the reader, as it means they can continue learning about the subject, therefore adding even more value to your website.
5. For more social traffic
Links to your website from Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are brilliant. They’re an inbound link you can control, but please make sure you’re not using a multi-link tool like Linktree, otherwise they will get all your social media traffic, and your website will get their rather meaningless visits. It’s much better to link directly to your website.
If you’re writing blog posts, this gives your social media followers a specific reason to visit your website, and gives you content for your social media platforms. Link directly to the blog post, or if you only have one link option (for example, in your Instagram bio) create a landing page on your website which will direct people to the important pages you want them to visit.
6. More dwell time
More like swell time, amirite? The more time a user spends on your website, the better. And what better way to entice someone to stay than with some super interesting and useful blog posts? Make sure to link to relevant products you sell or some extra blog posts that they might find interesting, to keep them on your website even longer.
7. Text > images
Google can’t “read” images and videos, so your website needs lots of lovely text. Make sure to use relevant keywords in your blog posts so that Google knows the subject matter, and potential new customers can find it when using a search engine.
Images do help make your blog post more interesting for the user, so don’t abandon photos altogether, just make sure they have a suitable name that Google understands, such as Studio-Cotton-Pink-Office-Bristol-01.jpg rather than DSC22393382.jpg.
Other than improving your website’s SEO, blogging is a brilliant tool to demonstrate your expertise, share helpful advice, and expand on subjects you talk about on social media. It’s also a really lovely way for your customers and clients to get to know more about you and your small business, and many of them are more engaged online at the moment & will have more time to read blog posts.
If you want even more smart and cool SEO stuff, or you’re not sure how or where to start with blogging, have a read of this blog post by Janine Doggett – 5 tips for first time business bloggers – and Aime’s two-parter – Improving the SEO of the Chroma Stationery blog part one and part two.
