A Blog About...Blogging?
A Deeper Dive Into the Importance of Blogging
Blogging has been a great source of information and entertainment, allowing free space for people to write articles or express their viewpoints on any particular topic. The majority of websites (or at least good websites) have blogs. Many will even have a blog page where they can continually post blog updates. So, the question is if there is a bigger purpose to writing blogs?
Businesses should be routinely blogging. It will give the viewer a better experience and more information about topics related to the industry, but mainly, it will show that your website has authority. For search engine optimization (SEO) purposes, this is quite important. Showing Google that you are an authority demonstrates that your site has merit and is in competition with others that are similar. By including keywords, you are increasing the chances of your blog popping up in a Google search when a potential customer searches for those words. Other websites can also link your blog to their site, and you can link other blogs to your site. This both increases the likelihood that more people will see your blog and increases your authority with Google. So, now that we know the importance of blogs, what can we do to improve them?
Visually Pleasing Content
The first thing we can do is to use content that engages the reader. This can include eye-catching images or a title that will draw in the audience. Adding some infographics or visually pleasing photos and videos that capture the main topics in the blog will persuade the reader to keep reading. Even an image like the one to the right will intrigue the reader. At a glance, you want them to be interested in the blog and if they just see a bunch of words on a page, it might disinterest them.
Sources
Unfortunately, there is so much inaccurate information on the internet that one of the first things that pop into the reader’s mind is “is this true.” Therefore, backing up your articles with sources will legitimize your work. This includes links to other sites with similar information. However, citing your sources is a good idea, especially for a more factual blog than opinionated.
Add an Index
This only applies to lengthier content, but it is a really good tool to give the reader a greater understanding of what they are about to read. In-depth content is great for SEO, but it’s important to make it practical for those reading it. Also, this index doesn’t need to be fancy. Please keep it simple and convenient.
Give an Estimated Time of Reading
People are on busy schedules, and not everyone has unlimited time. Therefore, they want to know how much time they are going to invest. Having an estimate of how long the reading will take allows them to make that decision and, more often than not, feel compelled to read it. It is also a good reminder to simplify information as needed.
Keep word count high
Now, this might contradict the last point, but there is a balance between keeping content simplified and keeping the word count high. Google does not notice pages with little to no content. The more words on a page, the more authority you will have with Google. (See the pattern here – it’s always about impressing Google!) The absolute minimum should be 300 words on a page; however, we suggest your minimum be 500 words. If possible, try to bump that up to 1000 words.
So how do we keep the interest of the reader while keeping Google happy? Well, there is no one correct
answer. A suitable method is to elaborate a bit on a specific part of your blog. If it is factual, maybe end it by giving your thoughts on the matter. You can also expand the topic. For example, if you have a small blog about how listening to music can brighten your mood, you can add to it by going into how different types of music brighten your mood rather than just music in general. Maybe there are certain genres that worsen your mood. After you substantiated your facts, you can end with your opinion. These add-ons can double your word count! Additionally, we were able to add greater quality to the blog. You shouldn’t be trying to improve the count with flowery, bombastic language and filler words. Get more creative and add to the reader’s experience with elaborations.
Make sure your blogs are compatible with mobile devices.
Now, to begin, your website should be compatible with both desktop and mobile users. That is beyond important! However, even if it is, you want to make sure that your blogs are being written for the mobile user as well. This could mean breaking up your paragraphs, so it doesn’t look as wordy and making sure the font and font size will look good for a user who is scrolling. Many readers will be reading your blog from their phones, so make sure that the images and content look not only legible but pleasing. If a user cannot read through your blog, they will not have confidence in your business. Making your blog convenient and accessible is easy to do.
Key Takeaways
The average user does not realize just how competitive website rankings are. With some companies spending thousands of dollars on search engine optimization services and keyword analyses, your site will be invisible if you do not optimize it. Blogs are a great way to show Google that your site is doing its part. Posting regularly is essential to increase your website’s authority. By using these tips, hopefully, you can gain some additional insight. Blogs should not be a daunting task but rather an easy way to increase SEO. Just remember to make them interesting, easy to read, and put as many conveniences in place for the reader as you can. However, if you find this to be too difficult or time-consuming, be sure to contact us. At aha! we are happy to write your blog content for you and optimize the blogs for SEO and integrate keywords into the content. As always, your aha! moment is just a phone call away!