There is a constant debate about whether a blog is important for your website. Some people are of the opinion that blogs are outdated and unnecessary but most content marketers and SEO experts agree that having an active blog on your website is still VERY important. We agree and want to share some of the reasons we think a blog is important to your website.

Keeps Website Current

When you come across a website that has not been updated or their blog has not been refreshed in years there is an immediate drop in trust. The user might wonder if the company is even still in business! Google also notices when a site never changes and they do not like to serve up sites that may not have current information. A blog is constant new content for search algorithms to search, keeping it current in searches. While many of the websites pages may not need frequent updating, a blog is perfect for adding fresh content that your users and google will like.
Fill Your Social Media Calendar

Is your business on social media? Are you always looking for new content to post? A blog is a content generator. Whenever you post on your blog you should be linking on all your social media channels. Not only does this fill your social media calendar it gets more eyes onto your website and shows the world that your business is active and thriving. If you are using video in your social media strategy you can also use your blogs as scripts for video content! Give them part of your post via video and then invite them to read the rest on your website.

Improves Conversion

Maintaining an active blog signals a thriving business. It is so significant to user perception of the business that if you are not going to maintain the blog it is better not to have one at all. People want to work with companies that are successful and websites with blogs tend to convert users to clients at a higher rate than websites who do not have blogs. According to Hubspot, overall ROI is also more likely to increase for companies who blog; in fact, businesses who prioritize blogging experience a 13X increase in ROI, year after year.

Keeps People on Your Website Longer

A blog is key for retaining users on your site. Once they are on your site looking for info it is a natural progression to read post after post (if your blog is robust with good content.) Someone who comes to your website from a blog post that shows up in search results is going to have more reason to stick around for a while and read the whole thing than someone who lands on a page with less text or information. By adding links inside your blog posts to other pages/posts you increase the chances of time spent by the user on your site as well. The longer they spend the more they know/like/trust your business and in turn the increased chance they will become a client.

Positions You As An Expert

A blog is YOUR space to position yourself as an expert. Own a contracting company? Start a blog with posts about design trends, safety tips for children during a renovation project, and outdoor living ideas for a new deck. Your blog is a place to share helpful information that builds your expertise and the know, like, trust factors with clients and potential clients.

A blog is truly an essential piece of a healthy website. It can feel like a big project to undertake, but it is vital to any marketing strategy. The great thing about a blog is that it can be done in a variety of ways. If you are not a write you can use video. You can post daily, weekly or monthly and the posts can be lengthy or simply a few paragraphs. The key is that the content is relevant to your audience and you are consistent.