The internet has provided us with an expansive web of knowledge that continues to grow every single day. What would this giant knowledge base be without its contributors? Whether you’re a blogger yourself or just a casual reader, you’re likely already aware of the vast amount of blogs that exist across the internet.
Blogging allows us to take our passions and share them with people all over the world. Today, you can find a blog dedicated to just about any topic you can think, from food and style blogs to those dedicated to smaller-niche subjects like Ayurvedic medicine and canine water sports.
Personal Blogs vs. Business Blogs
Not limited to personal interests, however, blogs are often written and hosted on websites belonging to businesses. Have you ever shopped online for a product or service, noticed the company’s ‘Blogs’ section and for some reason felt the desire to navigate there? Don’t feel bad if your answer is ‘no’ – you’re actually in the majority.
However, that doesn’t mean a company’s blog isn’t highly valuable. In understanding why blogging is so essential to your business’s online presence, let’s establish the differences between these two primary types of blogs:
Though they do have similarities, there are obvious differences in what the two different blogs are trying to accomplish. Most personal bloggers want readers in order to satisfy their desire to share their skills and knowledge of specific subjects with internet users of the same interest or curiosity.
If the content is exceptional and the writer shares it efficiently on the web, the blog’s reader volume will grow. The higher the volume of readers, the more willing advertisers are to pay for ad space on the blog’s website, thus generating income for the blogger. Your business, however, benefits from a blog a bit differently.
The Organic Search
Before we jump into the “why” of business blogging, let’s take a look at how organic search works, as this is a key practice that frequently exposes and introduces consumers to new businesses online.
We love Google because it’s a quick and easy-to-use resource for finding answers to both our simplest and most mind-boggling questions. There are an infinite number of questions you can ask Google that will lead you to a solid answer within a fraction of a second.
“What’s the weather in Baltimore?”, “Who was the 23rd president?”, “What’s 53 x 700?” For questions like these, you typically don’t even need to scroll down through the first page of results. Google conveniently provides instant-answer functionality, which presents you with short, direct, and accurate answers at the very top of the results page.
But what about life’s questions that aren’t so easily explained? It would be ideal if we could type queries like “how to lose weight fast” or “what do I do if my dog accidentally eats chocolate” into the search bar and be instantly presented with a brief, distinctive answer. Realistically, the only instant answer you can accurately be given for most of the more specific questions that lead you to Google in the first place is, “It depends.” You might ask,”On what?” That’s where a blog post comes in handy.
The Need
The reason we initially type Google’s web address into our web browser or open the app on our phone is because we need or desire something that we don’t currently have. Essentially, we require information that isn’t immediately available elsewhere so we head to our favorite search engine in hopes of finding exactly what we’re looking for.
The Query
We then form our need into a question and type our query into the search bar. Many of us have grown accustomed to only using key words and phrases to save time, but with advancements in A.I., we’re now starting to perform many of our searches out loud and in full sentences via virtual assistants.
The Results
If we use the appropriate search terms, we’re likely to now have an accurate list of links that will take us to web pages that answer our question or provide us with the information we need. Today, we rarely navigate past the first page of search engine results, and more often click through the links on the first page starting from the top until we find what we need.
The Landing Page
Where did we land? The blog or article that contains our answer most likely belongs to a website owned by a businesses in the industry directly related to our initial inquiry. To demonstrate: Conduct an online search using the following query: “are my brakes bad”. Start clicking through each of the results links on the first page. Notice what they all have in common? Each link takes you to the website of a different businesses or company in the auto care industry.
What’s In It For Your Business
A consumer has a question that can be classified into a specific subject, category, or industry. They use a search engine to find their answer. The search results provide them with links to blog posts belonging to businesses within the same industry. That’s all well and good for the reader, because it comforts them to know that they’re getting their information from a professional and credible source. But can you visualize what this does for the business itself?
Having high-quality blog posts on your business’s website allows you exposure to not just consumers searching for local businesses that offer their desired services or products, but also a vast amount of organic search users with an interest in or question about your industry. The latter may not have even been searching for an actual product or service, but rather an answer to a question. And yet, you were still able to guide them to your business’s website via a related blog post, which is a key step in acquiring new customers online.
If your blog posts answer readers’ questions in a straightforward and easy-to-read manner, that positive experience may spark their curiosity in your company and lead them to navigate through the other pages of your website. If they don’t need your services or products at the time they read your post, they’ve just been exposed to your brand, which is still a great thing. There’s a good chance they will remember you the next time they need what your business offers.
The bottom line: People will always have questions. The best way for them to find answers in today’s digital world is via search engine. So at the bare minimum, your business’s blog needs to do two things:
- be relevant to your industry
- answer your readers’ question(s)
Blogging for Business: The Essentials
Now, you might be wondering, “So what, I just create a blog on my website that answers a question related to my field of business?” There’s actually a bit more to it than that. There are a few key components that need to be present or incorporated with each of your business’s blog posts in order for them to both effectively appear in search results and encourage readers to engage with your business.
Structure: When you use a search engine to find a quick answer to a question, what sort of feelings does it evoke when the link you choose on the results page brings you to a website with a huge wall or block of text? People want answers, and they don’t want to have to read a novel in order to find them. Give your readers their answer, or at least a taste of it, at the beginning of your blog. Use short paragraphs, avoid run-on sentences, and add bullets and numbered lists to help break up the text and make your blog easier to read.
Content: The written content of your blog should be relevant, credible, interesting, and informative. Feel free to add:
- internal links
- images
- infographics
- tutorials
- videos
…or other content features in order to further engage readers and keep visitors on your website. This will promote interest in your brand and can help to increase the likelihood of lead conversions.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Using proper optimization strategies is an absolute must if you want to see your blog post anywhere near the first page of search engine results. These strategies can change frequently, depending on alterations and updates to Google’s algorithms. It is the job of internet marketing professionals to frequently devote the time and attention necessary to ensure SEO strategies are current and effective.
Shareability: You’ve finished writing your first blog post. Now read it over and imagine you’re just an average internet user who stumbles upon your blog, rather than a professional in your industry. Is the post interesting or informative enough to share with friends on your social media profiles? Honestly, not every blog you write will be the most life-changing or viral-worthy post on the web, but it’s helpful to keep the shareability of your content in mind every time you blog.
Blog-Ception: Why You Just Read a Blog About Blogs
It might feel a bit strange when you realize that you’ve just finished reading a blog whose subject is, quite literally, itself. Iterative as it may be, there’s a reason you’re here.
If you read closely, it should all be coming together now. Is there a chance you’re a business owner? Entrepreneur? Journalism major? Are you interested in marketing? Have you considered starting a blog? Even if you have no professional or scholarly ties to the industry, a simple curiosity in writing, blogging, or any of the many aspects of internet marketing could have easily landed you here. There’s your direct proof that the system we’ve outlined in this blog post does actually work!
Grow Your Business with Advantage Internet Marketing
Growth is an absolute necessity to businesses both small and large, and it can efficiently be achieved by expanding your business’s online reach and exposing your brand to as much of the web-user population as possible. Advantage Internet Marketing is here as your resource for every step of the process.
Do you have the time to take care of everything it takes to grow your business from a digital marketing standpoint? We have abundant experience in successfully helping businesses grow by creating flawless content and using the best online marketing strategies out there. Contact us today – we’d love to start personalizing your marketing plan to help you reach your most ambitious goals for your business!