Search engine optimisation (SEO) has never been more important, and it’s likely you’ve heard blogging can dramatically affect your SEO. But how does blogging help with your SEO, and why is that exactly?
Google has made a lot of changes over the past few years, and even more beyond that. Once, it was common to merely obtain as many links in any way possible for SEO purposes. But now, the only real way to get ranked for anything worthwhile is to create and provide quality content and publishing it in your website.
In general terms, search engine optimisation, or SEO, is how you optimise your website in order to gain better rankings within search engines. So how does blogging indicate to Google that you’re worthy of higher rankings?
Quality content creates links
Not only do links bring in traffic, but it also indicates to Google you are hosting quality content, and it will give you a boost in search results.
Backlinks are a great way to show to Google that you are a site who deserves authority, and therefore rewarded with a higher search results ranking.
Through a blog, you have the opportunity to gain natural links by people linking to your useful or entertaining content.
As useful as links are for SEO, you should avoid paying for links, as this can get you blacklisted from Google.
Long-tail keywords
With a website page, it’s likely you have a key term, service, or product name in order to drive traffic there. But when it comes to blogging, it can be a little different.
Instead of cramming keywords unnecessarily into your blog content, you’ll get much more benefit out of using long-tail keywords and phrases people use when searching.
If you are creating content that relates to or answers the key terms that brought the reader here, then you’re doing it right. A blog is there to provide knowledge or entertainment, and if you manage to do this, you’re on your way up the search results.
Increases traffic to your site
If people are searching for terms which lead to your blog posts, then it will keep people returning to your website, and you will gain rankings.
Similarly, if you have a newsletter or have returning visitors who have come to learn about your brand, it’s likely they will check up on your latest blog post, and perhaps link to it from elsewhere on the web. This all helps increase traffic, which in turn, helps SEO.
Readers like your content
If you’re generating quality content, which people are actively searching for and sharing, then you’re going to be getting more traffic.
The more people Google can see are searching and clicking through to your content, and then continue to stay and read, the more weight Google will give your website in search results. From this, they can see that readers are finding what they are looking for, and Google will reward you with better rankings.
Social Media Shares
Google are increasingly taking social media shares into account when ranking your content and website.
This means if you produce a piece of content that gets traction on Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere else, Google will recognise this, and it will have an impact on your search engine rankings.
This is why blogging and producing content people will find useful, and want to share on their social media profiles, is a great way to help the SEO of your site.
So we have established how blogging helps with your SEO. But why exactly is it that blogging, as opposed to general website content, is a big SEO factor in particular?
Regular content
The whole concept of blogging is to provide regular and timely updates for customers and fans to follow.
Google and other search engines love seeing fresh, unique content being uploaded on a regular basis. If your website pages don’t get refreshed very often, then this indicates to Google that it may be outdated. A blog is a great way to provide new information on a weekly basis, and draw in more traffic as Google will want to link to fresh and relevant content.
Not only this, but it also means you are constantly expanding your library of pages Google can index and rank, widening your audience and potential customer base.
Answer questions
Think about the kind of things you would search on a daily basis. It’s likely you’ve read and digested some form of content to help you with a problem; and you can provide the same for your customers.
Whatever your industry, there are likely pain points and problems your customers face; and a blog is a great way to answer these. As you’re providing answers through high-quality content, and more and more people are searching, finding, reading, and sharing your content, Google will boost your site up through the rankings, as it can see you are providing the public with useful content.
Search results are competitive
At the end of the day, for any important search term, there are hundreds upon thousands of potential websites Google could link through to. Google’s search algorithms cut through the rubbish and focus on providing searchers with the best content.
With all that competition going on, blogging is a great way to put you ahead of the competition. If your competitors have stale websites that don’t get updated, and you are consistently blogging with the latest news and guides that people will be searching for, it indicates to Google you should be ahead of the rest.
It’s simple
Once you’re up and running with a blog on WordPress, it couldn’t be simpler. For most people, this is simply the best way of providing fresh, regular content. It’s certainly easier than constantly reinvigorating and adding to your website content.
The what-you-see-is-what-you-get content management system is simple, and is simply a matter of entering text and images into a post, and hitting publish. As it’s a blog, it’s (usually) displayed by date – starting with the newest content, and then going backwards. Other than that, there’s nothing you necessarily need to worry about, if everything is set-up, optimised, and designed correctly.
Having a blog isn’t enough
It’s the content that makes a difference. A blog is just a handy and simple way to store your content. Blogging as a concept, generally means adding content to your website on a regular basis.
It isn’t the blog itself that helps with SEO. Content marketing is the key to SEO, and a blog is the simplest and best way to provide regular content that people want to read.
If you take the time to discover keywords and questions your audience are searching for, and provide content which answers these pain points, you will find yourself higher in the search results.
