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Whether you read a lot of articles or have a digital expert like us which helps your business with its SEO, you’re probably aware that blogging is a big part of ranking well in search. When a user gets to your site they need to have something to keep them. There is only so many times a person can re-read the same information before they have learnt everything they need to and step away from your site. This is where blogs come into play. They keep people on your site for longer and with RSS feeds, a way to call them back.
A great blog can be:
- A place to share case studies and talk about previous work.
- Show off why you’re the best.
- A place for keywords.
- An additional page to show up in search.
- Knowledge base for your site.
- Written correctly, a way to sell your products and services.
1. Subject matter
Think about your customer. What would they want to know? They say never assume anything but we can assume they know nothing. There maybe times you feel you’re crafting an idiot’s guide but some people need that. In our world it is easy to use acronyms and assume that all businesses know what they mean. I often get asked what PPC, ROI, SME and CMS stand for. If I look across our competitor’s website, they all use the terms. How many people are turning away or switching off because they don’t know?
Put yourself in the customers shoes. Think about the things they might need to know or want to know. Make it easy to understand and use this as an opportunity to show of your knowledge.
2. Pictures and formatting.
Looking at a wall of text is quite off putting. There is nothing worse than double spaced, 12pt Arial font, black on white with nothing but 500+ words to read through. Like we have done, break your blog up into easy to read sections which are concise and to the point. In the gaps add photos which add something to this section. With alternate text, you can also improve your SEO.
Try and preview your blog on a phone or tablet. Is the wording easy to read? Is the font the right weight? Getting this right will keep people reading for longer as their eyes will not get tired. If your blog features bullet points make them bold. This will help readers find the information they want quickly.
3. Time and writing with purpose.
This blog post has taken 30 mins to write, give or take. As a business owner you need to find that time in your working week. The daily running of the business can easily get ahead of you and writing a blog will inevitably go by the wayside. The best business leaders always make time to note their day as this moment of reflection brings clarity. John Paul Getty wrote in his dairy daily and was one of the few items he actually kept with him when he travelled Europe with only a suitcase, he was the richest man in the world and created a legacy. If an 83-year-old man can do it, you can!
Don’t rush your blog, the reader will feel this as it will be short and be half hearted. Your blog needs to be between 500 and 1000 words to be worth its salt.
4. SEO friendly.
Use a blog post to increase key words on your site and images to be found in Google image search. Writing content for your blog can be difficult and padding it out may not be your strong point. Use words you’re trying to rank for in your blog.
For example:
“We recently installed a new roof on this home”
Could be written as
“Our Bournemouth roofing team installed new tiles and joists on this home.”
Anyone searching for “Bournemouth roofing” would stumble across this blog. Written well, it can provide an opportunity to sell your business.
This applies to images. Most blogs offer a place where you can add alt text and image tags. Make the most of this. Use the right keywords and describe the image correctly.
If you would like anymore advice on writing a blog designed to grab users, feel free to contact us for a chat.
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