Bypassing the Blog
Social media can be an efficient, cost effective and measurable way to build your business. This is the first in a series on the Dangers of Ignoring Social Media as a Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool.
A blog plays a crucial role in driving your search engine results. Research shows that more than 80% of buyers begin their purchasing process with a web search. Proper optimization of your website means that your pages will appear closer to the top of search engine results. Don’t miss the chance to direct your prospect’s decision-making process.
Ever wonder how a blog impacts search engine optimization? Well, search engines are people pleasers. This is how they try to please you: When you enter keywords using Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, Altavista, dogpile or any of hundreds of other search engines, they use a combination of algorithmic and human input to comb the Internet just for you. The goal is to present you with results that closely match what you are looking for (pleasing you in the only way that a search engine can).
So don’t just be a people pleaser, blog like one!
A simple way to be a people pleasing business blogger: Post two to three blog entries a week. This keeps your results fresh and relevant for prospects searching for your company’s products or services. It also means that you’ll want to carefully craft your blog entries.
To carefully craft your blog entries, you’ll want to integrate:
- Relevant topics
- Keywords
- Call to action
Effective use of social media to drive SEO means paying attention to both the “front of the house” and the back of the house. “Front of the house” information is what your readers see such as the text and graphics of your blog entries.
The “back of the house” is what your readers can’t always see directly – page titles, descriptions and tags, also called meta data. Search engines “see” both and use them to help determine rankings each time a user performs a keyword search.
Successful business blogging (getting measurable results from your blog) requires writing skills plus an understanding of proven marketing strategies. Whoa, does that revelation set you back a bit?
Don’t worry! You already know someone who can help you tame this content beast AND measure the results.
Another advantage of a focused, well maintained blog is that it lets you communicate directly with your customers.
Posting information on a regular basis keeps your customers up to date and helps them find you when they are ready to buy. Note: Including a RSS feed on your blog makes it easy for customers to receive your updates automatically. Plus, you can track who is subscribed.
Want to see how a blog impacts your search engine (and business) results? You can try it before taking the big plunge.
How? Drop a blog into your existing website and track the results.
Even if you’re just testing it out, you’ll want to give blogging for business a fair shot. To get the best results, consult an experienced professional who can integrate new communication tools (such as a blog) and proven marketing strategies.
