It’s time to continue on with our blog series “I built my website, why aren’t I on Page 1 of Google?”
The most time consuming part of the web development process is collating all the information you need for your business website, and actually getting the site live.
But websites aren’t “set and forget”. Once the site is live you’ll need to spend time creating new content. Why? Because Google expects you to. Updating content ensures Google returns to your site, reindexes the new content and displays that content in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Unfortunately, a website that never changes is the equivalent of a box of beautifully designed brochures sitting in a box on the floor of your office.
For many businesses, the easiest way to create new content is via a blog or project portfolio. Did you know that “companies with blogs produce 67% more leads per month“? Content keeps us informed, guides our decisions, and answers our questions. But how do we decide what to write about?
TIP 1 – Coming up with ideas
Always the most difficult part of the process … sitting in front of that blank page thinking of a blog post idea! We have found creating a content calendar is a terrific first step. Depending on your industry, think about local events, how-to guides, comparison articles, frequently asked questions, or personal stories. If you’ve got a plan for at least the next few months you won’t be searching for last minute blog ideas. Check out Google Trends or Twitter Search to find out what people are talking about online. If you’re still stuck, here’s 201 blog ideas already worked out for you, that means no excuses for not having ideas!
TIP 2 – Writing a catchy headline
According to Neil Patel:
“Did you know that 8 out of 10 people will read your headline, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest of your content? In other words, every time you write a blog post, only 2 out of 10 people that see it, read it. There must be a way to write content that more people want to read, right?”
So basically, if you don’t hook them in quickly they aren’t going to hang around! Consider using questions as your headlines, incorporate SEO keywords, and write different headlines for different channels. All terrific techniques for writing enticing blog post headlines.
TIP 3 – Write for your readers
It’s tempting to stuff as many keywords into a blog post as possible, but just remember that we’re writing for our readers (that is humans, not bots)! Over the years search engines have refined their algorithms, so that writing with best SEO practice in mind is now more or less the same as writing for humans. Google wants its top search results to be informative and useful to its users. Be concise and clear – stick to one idea and use your content to reinforce it.
TIP 4 – Use eye catching images
As they say, “a picture tells a thousand words”. Depending on how your website is structured the image attached to your blog post might be the first thing your audience sees. You should use professional images that convey to your audience what the blog post is about. It could be a photo or infographic, and in many cases stock images are appropriate to use. There are some great online resources offering free stock image libraries – just make sure to read the terms of use!
TIP 5 – Include a call to action (CTA)
A CTA is simply a line of text or image that prompts the visitor to take action – it may be as simple as “click here”, but I’m sure we can all think up something more inspirational than that! Without a CTA, the reader can be left wondering what to do next. Why not lead them to the next step? Your blog post may include multiple types of CTA’s at the beginning, middle or end of the article to appeal to your different audiences. There’s a huge range of lead generation ideas out there, from Newsletter Subscription Signup to Read More.
There are plenty of reasons why your business should blog as part of your content creation strategy:
- build authority online
- educate your customers
- stay relevant with your customers and search engines
- become known as an expert in your industry
- or promote your products or services online.
If your business needs help getting online or perhaps you’d like someone else to write your blogs for you, get in touch with us today.
