Most businesses have a page titled “blog” on their website.

However, if you check it out, it’s often sparse on content or hasn’t been updated in a while.

It does take time, effort and dedication to create content for and manage a blog, but the results are more than worth it.

After all, Hubspot named blogging as the most critical content marketing tactic for 2018 and that’s not going to change next year!

Here are five reasons why you should have a blog on your website.

1. SEO

According to Tech Client, you have a much higher chance (434%!) of having a high rank on search engines, like Google, if you have a blog on your website.

In case that hasn’t convinced you, here are some more ways that blogging can significantly help with your SEO.

Search engines love fresh content

Many websites are launched and just sit there, with hardly any updates as the years go by.

Yes, unless you are going through a rebrand, you probably aren’t changing the information on your website a lot.

However, search engines tend to look more favourably on sites that look active (both receiving traffic and putting out new content).

A blog is a great way to easily do both.

Ranking for specific keywords

Targeted content normally ranks better than general content and with a blog post, you can write very specifically about topics that interest your audience.

People often type specific questions or search queries when they are looking for something on Google.

If you’ve done your keyword research, you can identify the questions they are asking which relate to your company and its products or services, and then write a blog post that answers these particular questions.

2. Voice

Your company is not a faceless organisation. Instead, it has a personality, views, opinions and a vision for its staff and customers.

Your blog is an excellent platform to give your company its voice.

Industry Leader

With your blog, you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise and show people who come across your brand that your company is an industry leader.

If potential customers see that you know what you’re talking about, have a strong grasp of your industry, the pain points you can solve, and the solutions you’re offering, they’re more likely to trust you and use your services.

PR

Certain industries always seem to be in the media. For example, the residential property management industry at the moment.

It seems like every week there’s an article, normally not positive, about property managers and how the Government is changing regulations.

The media doesn’t always get it right and may often be only presenting one view.

Your blog allows you to join the conversation, provide your opinion and, if need be, set the record straight.

A successful blog can often lead to members of your company being asked by journalists to comment on topics in your industry.

3. Value

A blog is also a good way to add value to your customers.

You can answer questions, provide “how-tos”, and educate them on anything that relates to your business that they may be interested in.

For example, at System 7 we build websites. However, there’s a lot more value we can add they just delivering you an awesome website.

So, on our blog, which you’re reading right now, we provide interesting (we think so!) articles that help you get the most out of your website.

Whether it is about sending traffic to your website, how to create an effective home page or even how to go about starting a new web project, all our blog posts (like this one) are designed to provide you value.

4. Digital Marketing

If you use blogging as part of your digital marketing, you’ll get 67% more leads compared to businesses which don’t (Hubspot).

While blogging is a highly effective marketing channel on its own, it can be used as the foundation of all your content and digital marketing efforts.

Your blog can be promoted through all your channels, whether its email, social media or online advertising.

The content can also be repurposed to turn into whitepapers or ebooks, which can be used as lead magnets in your marketing funnels to acquire leads.

Successful blogs attract an audience who will keep coming back to read your posts and engage with your brand.

With the ability for people to add comments and have a conversation about your posts, you can turn your audience into a community. Creating a massive asset for your business.

5. Easy to Update

Most website content management systems (CMS) have inbuilt functionality to easily manage having a blog on your website.

And, if you do struggle with writing regular content for your blog, you can hire a professional copywriting to help you out.

The return you’ll get from your blog will more than cover the cost of paying someone to create compelling, interesting content for your company.

Conclusion

From boosting your SEO, to giving your company a voice, adding value to your customers, and underpinning your online marketing, a blog is a critical part of your business.

They’re also easy to add to your website and update and maintain with content.

If you don’t have a blog on your website, need help with writing content, or just don’t know where to start – get in touch.