Creating content is a key function in the SEO world, and somehow you have to find a way to stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of your readers. You might be wondering why content is so important! The main reason companies are prioritizing new content on their website is for SEO purposes. Search engines want to deliver the best results possible, and they are looking for websites that are active and credible. Site visitors are looking for companies that are a subject matter expert in what they do. Blogging about industry news and best practices shows you are one of those experts. We call this type of copy-writing “active content” since it’s not your infrequently changing marketing copy.
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With those two things in mind, it just makes sense to create new content, usually in the form of a blog. A blog gives you a good excuse to update it with a new article on a regular basis. And the more often you update, the more reasons people have to come back to your website again and again.
So, where do you start? And how do you possibly stand out from the crowd with everyone under the sun writing content? If you’ve never maintained a blog before, then the following tips will help you get started.
Who Is Your Audience?
The first thing you need to determine is who your audience is. Who will be reading your blog, or should I say, who do you want to be reading your blog? This will likely be your ideal customer. Once you determine who your audience will be, you will have better direction with what topics to write about and how to market your blog.
Create a Content Calendar
Next determine how often you are going to write and what topics you are going to write about. There is nothing more difficult than staring at a blank page each week and trying to come up with a genius idea. Start out by doing some research. What are your competitors writing about? What topics are hot at the moment in your industry? Jot down as many topic ideas as you can. I find it helpful to plan out my list of topics one quarter at a time. And if a hot topic comes up in the middle of that quarter, then I will adjust my calendar to fit it in – no problem.
Create an Outline
So now you have a topic, and you’re ready to start, but you find yourself stuck once again staring at a blank page. The next best thing you can do is create an outline for your blog post. Start out with listing the main points you want to cover in your blog post. Once you have listed the main points, you get a better idea of what you want to say and it’s much easier to go back and fill it in and write the introductory and closing paragraphs.
Write To Your Reader, Not to Google
Yes, we told you earlier that the main purpose of writing a blog is for SEO purposes, but it is highly important to know that Google is pretty darn smart. You may have heard of Google’s Panda update back in February of 2011. This update stopped poor quality content from making its way into top search results. So don’t try to outsmart Google! Write your blog posts to real people who are interested in what you have to say.
Grammar and Spelling
It’s a huge turnoff for a reader when there are lots of grammar and spelling mistakes. Now I understand that occasionally an error will be made, but, for the most part, your blog posts should be free of errors. Always have your posts reviewed by another person and don’t forget to use spell check or check out an online tool such as www.grammarly.com.
Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your blog. We have lots of SEO tips that will benefit you. If you need help with more SEO strategies, or if you wish to discover our blog writing services, contact us today at 888-799- 6067!
