Having an awesome business blog is a no brainer. Writing your first blog post can be fun and exhilarating. But what if there is no one to read your blog posts? And even if you manage to have a loyal audience, how to keep the number growing is an art. You need a dedicated and consistent content strategy that incorporates result-oriented Search Engine Optimisation practices.

Know the secret nuggets to make it to the top search engine rankings and achieve your marketing goals through professional blog posting.

Why is this important? Content is content, right?

No.

No matter how superb your blog post is, unless it is optimised for search engines as well as the readers, you cannot attain desired results. A well-optimised content designed with readers in mind is a powerful tool to rank higher in SERPs, drive increased traffic, engage your readers, and persuade them to become money-paying customers eventually.

Get actionable blog SEO tips here that can help you optimise your content and make it come into the spotlight.

Top 12 Blog SEO Tips to Optimise Your Content

#1: Kick-start with Effective Keyword Research

“Optimising your blog content begins with careful keyword research. This helps curate your content around what your target audience is genuinely searching for.”

Gone are the days when stuffing as many keywords into the content could fetch you good search engine rankings. Today, it is all about enhanced reader experience. Therefore, in-depth keyword research is vital to figure out the intent of your audiences.

A smart way to do this is to have 1 primary keyword in addition to a few (2-3) secondary (related) keywords. Some popular keyword research tools you can use for the purpose are Soovle, Google Keyword Planner, and KeywordsEverywhere. With the right keywords, it becomes easier to optimise blog content for SEO. Keep in mind that you select keywords with high CPC, medium to low competition, and low-higher volume search per month.

Example:

The numbers in the above image indicate that 210 people per month search for the keyword ‘blog SEO tips’. If you intend to write a blog on this keyword, you will face a competition of only 7%, which is very low. This improves the chances of ranking higher if it offers real value. The Cost-Per-Click for the keyword is USD 1.16.

#2: Do Not Overlook the Power of Long-Tail Keywords to Create an SEO-Friendly Blog

Generally, short-tail keywords with just 1-2 words face high competition. So, they are difficult to rank. Furthermore, search engines give more importance to content that is relevant to the user’s search intent. So, it is advisable to be more specific with your keywords. Take this blog, for example. Using a precise keyword like “blog content strategy” is more relevant to what people would search for as compared to a broad keyword like “blog content.” Moreover, it would be easier to rank for the long-tail keywords as the competition is high for the term “blog content.” Targeting it solely will make the blog get lost in the clutter.

Example:

Keyword research tools, as mentioned in the 1^st point, can help choose relevant long-tail keywords. But here’s another simple, practical and quick tip for you, if you have not installed a keyword search tool.

Go to Google Search box and type the topic/keyword that you have in mind. Take for example, “Blog SEO tips” as we have used in our blog. As you type in the search box, Google will show related keyword suggestions, as shown in the image below. These can give you a fair idea of which long-tail keywords you can use in your blog content.

One more Pro Tip You’ll Love: See the searches related to your keyword/topic given at the end of your search results. You’ll see a list of ‘8’ suggestions from Google as common searches relevant to your keyword. You can even optimize your blog with those keywords.

#3: See What Your Competitors are Doing   

To optimise blog content for SEO, checking out what and how your competitors are doing is a smart move. Search Google with your target keywords, and you will come across some rich results on the SERPs. Take an idea from competitor pages on how they are using their keywords, the kind of title (title tag) and meta descriptions (meta tags) they have, uniqueness and value in content, use of keywords, placement of keywords, etc. This will help you shape your blog content and optimise it for search engines.

If your search results show up featured snippets as mentioned in the image below or include video thumbnails, images or rich information, then you should strive to optimise the content to be as effective as or better than them.

#4: Right Keyword Placement is the ‘Key’  

The next and one of the most essential SEO tips for blogs is integrating the keywords appropriately in your content. Instead of stuffing the keywords here and there without making sense, make sure they are naturally blended into the flow of the blog post.

However, there are some key places that can help improve your search engine results.

7 places where your keywords should be used (preferably, but in a sensible manner) are – Title [H1 Tag], URL, Meta Tags (Meta title and description), First 60 words, Last Paragraph, Sub-Headings (also known as H2, H3 Tags) and once in Content Body. Ensure you do not force the keyword usage.

1. Title Tag: The title of your blog content is the first thing the search engines and your readers will consider to determine its relevancy. Therefore, including your primary/main keyword in the headline is crucial. For more effectiveness, the keyword should be within the first 60 characters of the title because, after that, Google cuts off the headlines on SERPs.

1. URL: Your blog URL is one of the first things search engines crawl on your page to determine what the post is all about. A well-optimised and unique URL with the right keyword placement is a great way to boost your search engine ranking and visibility.

In the below example image, the main keyword “email marketing tips” has been intelligently incorporated in the URL to make it to the top SERP rankings on Google.

• Meta Descriptions: Your meta description provides a gist of your blog content and is a key search engine ranking factor that Google gives much importance to. So, do not miss including your primary keyword along with at least one secondary/related keyword in your meta description.

In the image below, both keywords “email marketing” and “email marketing tips” have been included in the meta description for maximum impact and SERP ranking.

1. First and Last Paragraph: Try to incorporate your primary keyword anywhere in the first paragraph, preferably in the initial 60 characters or in the second line. Similarly, it should be there in the concluding paragraph as well, ideally in the last line. Check out how we used our primary keyword ‘Blog SEO tips’ in all the important places.
2. Headers and Body: Scatter your keywords in a natural and reader-friendly manner throughout your blog content body – 1 or 2 times. The keywords (main as well as secondary) should also appear in H2 and H3 tags (i.e. sub-heads) to ensure the search engine can crawl it easily.

Search engines do not read the entire blog content. They take up cues from the title, meta description, URL, first and last lines, and subheads. Therefore, positioning your keywords in these places is vital for SEO-friendly blog content strategy.

#5: Meta Description Optimisation   

The meta description is a powerful tool to create an impactful first impression. It also influences the click-through behaviour of readers when browsing through SERPs. Therefore, it has to be captivating, engaging, and convincing. Check competitor meta descriptions on Google (the top 3-4 organic results) and try to write something better than theirs in meaning and value.

Don’t you yourself click on results which have the most relevant Meta title and Meta description, when you search for any information, product or service?

We’re sure the answer is ‘A Big Yes’!

Make sure you use the primary keyword as well as one secondary keyword in the meta description (if possible) to make a huge difference in what people choose to click. A meta description preferably should be within 165 characters (inclusive of spaces).

#6: A Blog Title to Impress (The One That People Can’t Resist Clicking)

The attention span of your audience is just 5 seconds. And only a compelling title (preferably short – 65-70 characters, including spaces) can catch their eyes instantly and influence them to click on your search result. While having your main keyword in the title is a must, it should also be able to build an emotional attachment with the readers (at the very first glance).

The title and the blog content should be designed around what your target audiences search the internet for. It should be able to provide a solid answer to their questions or be relevant to their search intent. Buzzsumo is one of the best sources to find title and content ideas that are already popular in your niche and have garnered good response from the readers.

To create title and blog posts that specifically answer your readers’ questions (Example – titles start with ‘How to’ ‘Tips for’ ‘Best Ideas’ ‘Easy Ways’), you can use the search box of a powerful platform – Quora. Simply search with your primary keyword or broad topic on Quora, and you will come across hundreds of reader questions that include the key phrase. From there, you can pick top questions to create your blog titles. The “People Also Ask” section on Google SERPs also gives you a good idea of questions to answer.

Use power words and emotional words in the title or phrases. These tickle the readers’ emotion and can grab their attention quickly. This would act as a trigger and persuade them to click on the link.

Few examples of click-bait titles that have made it to the top search rankings and garnered more clicks are given herewith:

You can use some top headline analyzer tools to craft a catchy and clever blog post title that inspires remarkable clicks and social sharing.

Pro Tip: Once you have created an attention-grabbing title, check its effectiveness on Headline Analyzer by CoSchedule. Getting a score more than 60-65 ensures you have a title that can drive traffic, boost search results, and increase shares.

#7: Make Your Blog Content Mobile-Friendly

Optimising your blog content for mobile phone users is one of the most important blog SEO tips you should consider. That is because, by the end of 2019, an approximate 63.4% of global mobile phone users will access the web from their smartphones. So the content should be structured and designed in a manner to fit into the small screen size and render a seamless reading experience.

Using small and crisp paragraphs (advisable length 60-75 words or even shorter), bullet points and responsive website design is a great way to make your content mobile-friendly.

#8: Optimising Your Image Alt Text is Vital 

Incorporating rich media content, such as images or infographics, into your blog post makes it more reader-friendly and engaging. Search Engine crawlers look for the alt text that comes with the images as a ranking factor for your content. So, it should be well-optimised and should narrate descriptively what the image is all about.

Pro Tip: If a blind person can understand what the image is all about by reading the Alt Text, you’ve done the best job at it. Preferably choose an image in which you can incorporate your main keyword.

If possible, use at least one alt text in your blog content with the primary keyword and/or the secondary keyword to make it more SEO-friendly. Here’s an example of a ‘good’ image alt text format against its ‘okay’ alternative:

#9: Determine Optimum Blog Content-Length  

The latest trend is to write long-form content (Hyperlink to blog “How Long-Form Content Can Transform Your Search Engine Visibility) of 1500-3000 words to provide in-depth and immersive reading experience on a particular topic. Search engines love all-inclusive content, and so do your readers. Make sure it is relevant to the topic, has useful information, and captivates your audience with its structure and media content.

In case, for some reason, if you plan to write a shorter blog post, it should be of minimum 300 words.  However, if you have no specific reason to write such a short post, prefer at least 500 words. Whatever you write, try to cover it in totality.

#10: Relevant Internal and External Links are a Must for an SEO-Friendly Blog 

Quality links are a vital ranking signal and can help build credibility for search engines and your target audience. Internal hyperlinking is a great way to promote and increase the traffic on another blog post that you have already published and is relevant to the one you are writing. If you take Point 9 of our blog as an example, you would see we have linked it internally to another of our blog post “How Long-Form Content Can Transform Your Search Engine Visibility” as that would add value to a reader who intends to know more about ideal blog length.

This not only helps market our earlier blog post effectively but also adds value to our readers. For effective and natural internal linking, use anchor text (keyword) relevant to the target keyword used in the older post.

External linking to educational resources, media platforms, and authority websites can also make your content more SEO-friendly and valuable for your readers. After all, linking to top-ranking, high-authority links is what Google loves! If you go back to Point 7 of our blog, you would see how we have linked the statistics to its source while highlighting the numbers.

#11: Make Sure Your Topic Tags Aren’t Too Similar  

If you tend to overuse too many similar-looking topic tags in your blog content, it can send out a message to the search engines that you are trying to show the content numerous times across the website.

For instance, topic tags like ‘blog,’ ‘blog posts,’ or “blogging” are quite similar to one another. Wrong use of tags can cause more harm than good. So make sure you do not overuse related tags. Instead, pick ones that aren’t too similar but are relevant to the content.

#12: The Blog Content should be Plagiarism-free, Grammarly and Hemingway-checked

Last but not the least, to optimise your blog content for SEO, make sure it is 100% plagiarism-free, unique, and original. Check it on dependable tools like Copyscape Premium before you publish because plagiarised content can cause search engines to penalise you.

Additionally, it should be checked on Grammarly and Hemingway App for correct English and high readability. A score with ‘Grade 5’ and ‘Grade 6’ is good. This score indicates minimum use of difficult words, negligible use of adverbs and fillers, short sentences, use of active-voice.

Conclusion

Your blog acts as a powerful SEO and lead-generation tool when optimised intelligently. It can improve your search rankings, boost visibility, and drive increased traffic. Build your blog’s search authority with the above tips and boost your business.

Looking for professional SEO blog writers? Rank One Content provides expert blog writing services, crafting content that is SEO-friendly, engaging, and result-driven. We ensure that we focus on taking your website ranking higher, while you focus on the best aspects of your business.

The post Blog SEO Tips: The Definitive Strategy to Optimise Blog Content appeared first on Rank One Content.

From acing the art of lead-generation to getting into the good books of search engines, long-form content is definitely ruling the way for effective search engine visibility.

Why?

In a scenario where 70% of online users prefer QUALITY over quantity, short pieces of content are not enough to satiate their thirst for valuable information. The conversion process through your sales funnel is tricky. Short-form content does not seem to build a high engagement level that can drive more sales-ready prospects into the conversion funnel.

So how do you boost conversions for your website?

The answer is – high-quality long-form content. Let’s see how.

Long-Form Content Helps Boost Your Search Engine Visibility

Get Yourself to the Top Search Engine Rankings

All these days you have known that high quality, well-optimised content with authority backlinks can help you get better search engine rankings. But content length!! Sounds startling?

Studies suggest that the length of content has a direct correlation with search engine ranking. More the content length, the higher is your ranking on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

Image Source

As per the above graph, the search engine rankings tend to get better as the content length increases. This is because readers and search engines value content that is in-depth and covers the topic comprehensively. This helps build your credibility in the subject matter – something that Google likes more – ‘authority.’

Needless to say, better search engine rankings give your brand greater visibility, bringing in higher organic traffic – the key objective of effective content marketing.

Long-Form Content is Easy to Promote

Long-form content provides a great opportunity to build engaging campaigns and also, experiment with a wide variety of ads. When you are trying to build a loyal audience base, it is crucial to improve your brand visibility in a manner that you always remain at the top of their minds.

And promoting rich long-form content holds more power than blog posts to create a compelling impact on your audience. That’s because a 10,000-words beast covering diverse aspects of a topic in an all-inclusive manner drives more reader engagement. And when your audience loves reading your post and finds it value-adding, they will be excited to share it more. The result – greater visibility online!

Enjoy Greater Success on Social Media – More Shares!

Trust us! Long-form content is an excellent choice for your social media success too.

How?

As Kevin Delaney stated, the editor of Quartz, there are hundreds of articles and blog posts similar to yours. So, as a business, one of the best ways you can stand out with your content is experimenting with short bites or publishing long-form content. According to him, the relationship between your content length and success on social media creates a “V” shape, as shown below:

Image Source

The analysis by Delaney sends out the message clear and out – long-form content can drive better social media success than any 500-words blog post.

Another key aspect of long-form content is that it increases social media sharing. Studies suggest that long-form content, ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 words, gets more shares than short-form content.

Image Source

The bulk of information and detailed analysis that goes in long-form content is likely to persuade readers to share it. Integrating social media buttons into the post makes it more shareable as people will like to share things on social media that they perceive to be trustworthy.

So, your post gets viral, promising you greater visibility online.

Better Link Building with Long-Form Content

Have you been fighting really hard with getting quality backlinks and positioning yourself at the top of the search engines? We’ll tell you a simple secret to address the challenge – long-form content!

Research indicates that long-form content stands higher potential of getting high-authority, quality backlinks, playing a vital role in increasing search engine rankings, and visibility.

Below is a graphical representation from Hubspot, highlighting the relationship between the length of content and backlinks:

Image Source

So, why long-form content gets more backlinks?

The answer is simple – it provides more comprehensive information that holds immense value to the readers. With such data-rich content rolled up onto your sleeves, it is more likely to come into the good books of Link Creators. They find your content to be relevant and important for their audience base, and will, therefore, link to it.

More the number of quality backlinks you have higher will be your page ranking. That is because search engines consider websites or posts with more backlinks credible enough to offer high-value.

Creating High-Quality Long-Form Content – Ideas for You

Decide on Your Goals

Just because writing long-form content is the trend today doesn’t mean you have to follow it blindly. To achieve success with long-form content marketing, it is imperative to have a definitive plan in place. Set your goals. Determine why you want. Do you wish to connect with your target audience? Build a powerful brand image? Generate more leads?

Whatever goals you set, your strategy must include actionable steps and effective monitoring to measure your success.

Whether You Want the Content to be Gated or Ungated?

Since it would be a whopping 8,000-10,000 word post or even more, it is important to determine whether you want it to be gated or ungated.

Gated content is where your readers have to provide their email address or other data to download your content fully. It brings some advantages to you, such as gathering email addresses or other vital information of your prospects who are interested in the content. These can later be targeted for other marketing campaigns.

However, you also stand the risk of losing out on your prospects as many people will not be interested in providing their details. In that case, ungated content – one that is open, free, and sharable – holds more value.

This depends on what goals you have set.

Pick a Trending and Unique Topic to Write Upon 

Not sure which topic you should be writing about? Check out what’s trending in your forte. Succumb to Google to find out what various online users are looking for. What kind of target audience you have and which subjects intrigue them more? Know what your competitors are doing. Scouring through such minute details can help you pick a good topic.

Do Not Just Shoot for the Word Count

This is one of the biggest blunders you should avoid when writing long-form content. Remember, your objective is to provide an astounding reading experience and value to your target audience. The content should fulfil their intent. Only and only if the topic is broad enough that you can take a detailed approach to write about it.

Write Great Content

It all ends up in writing fantastic content that is relevant, well-optimised, engaging, and actionable. Of course, great writing style, language, tone, and correct English matter. But you have to make it marketable too.

Add catchy images, graphs, or infographics to make the content engaging. Add social media buttons to promote sharing on various platforms. Powerful Call-to-Actions are a must. Make sure the content is well-linked both internally and to external sites.

Get Set Go!

Now that you have created an awesome piece of long-form content, kickstart promoting it on different platforms and boost your search engine visibility remarkably.

Not sure how to write high-quality, long-form content? Rank One Content has a decade of experience brainstorming and crafting superlative long-form content that is unique, engaging, and helps augment your brand visibility.

Contact us  to transform your business with the unfathomed power of long-form content.

The post How Long-Form Content Can Transform Your Search Engine Visibility? appeared first on Rank One Content.

In a scenario where buying decisions are based on results from search engines, it has become crucial than ever to build a strong web presence. Here’s why!

93% of online experiences start with a search engine (Source)

82% marketers report that importance of SEO is on a rise (Source)

88% of consumers rely on online reviews as much as recommendations from family/friends. (Source)

However, as SEO gains importance, it is becoming harder for marketers to stay abreast with the latest updates. To drive increased traffic to your website and boost sales, it is vital to keep up with the fast-evolving search engine algorithms.

There have been significant changes in the way Google ranks a website. It can be tough to understand what to focus on and how to avoid the most common SEO mistakes that can affect your page rankings.

As a digital marketer or an avid blogger, you should keep away from SEO blunders that can cost you your search engine rankings, web traffic and sales.

Here is the list of top SEO mistakes you must avoid to optimise your website the right way and increase traffic?

#1: Ignoring the Keywords

One of the biggest mistakes marketers commit today is believing that keywords aren’t important for SEO content  anymore. Though time-taking, keyword-research is a task worth-investing time in for the returns it gives your website in the long-run.

Keywords are still an integral component of Search Engine Optimization. They are the cues that search engines take to understand what your web page is all about and whether it is relevant to what people have searched for.

Greater the degree of relevance, higher the likelihood of your page getting a good position in SERPs. Keywords scattered optimally throughout the content, help people find your website on search engines, driving more traffic.

So if you have completely taken keywords for granted, it’s time to buckle up and do some rigorous keyword research. Some fantastic tools to get your hands on are Google Trends, Google AdWords Keyword Planner and SEMRush.

Using long-tail keyword is the latest trend you can bank upon. Highly specific and relevant multi-word phrases are more likely to rank well than the generic keywords.

Top keyword research tools can certainly help you with long-tail keywords, but here’s another amazing tip for you – Google Search. Check the example below:

In the above example, all the suggestions that come up while typing “Green Tea” in the search box can be used as targeted long-tail keywords, if you are a seller of green tea. Similarly, you can do the same for the keyword you want to rank your website on.

#2: Not Having Pages That Add Real Value to the Website

Many website owners make one of the most common SEO mistakes of having too many pages without much value for the customers. The downside here is that it can affect your page ranking.

Even if you have a minimalist website, it should convey everything that your customer is looking for. Such websites look more real, natural and authoritative since they answer every query of their prospect.

Create unique pages that clearly indicate necessary details about your products/service. Write engaging web blogs and add website content  that reflects what you are best at.

Make sure each page has a unique and relevant title, Meta description, H2-H3 tags and content.

#3: Overlooking the Importance of Meta Title, Meta Description and Page Title

Scour through the search engines and you will often find Meta tags and Meta descriptions written in an abrupt manner. Quite many times, you will see the same description copied and pasted for every similar product or service page. Visit a website and the header of the Home Page just reads “Home.” And to be very honest, that’s a big SEO blunder!

Check out the Meta description blunder that websites often do in the below image

Image Source

For Google, nothing matters more than page relevancy. Adding Meta tags, descriptions and page title is a great way to provide a brief synopsis of what the page covers. In fact, it is the first thing your audience reads when your page appears on the SERPs.

If it’s not written in an engaging manner, it can prevent them from clicking your page link. That means Meta tags have a direct effect on your site’s click-through rates (CTRs).

These integral elements also allow the search engines to determine how relevant the page content is with regard to the search term. They rank the pages likewise.

#4: Compromising with Content Quality

When it comes to Search Engine Optimisation, content is the king. Even Google loves it. But marketers commit the mistake of compromising with the quality and stuffing keywords in an irrelevant manner. Long-form content  is trending nowadays but one without any context – a big NO!

What’s the solution? Poorly contextualised content is one of the biggest SEO mistakes to avoid. That is because the quality of your content matters most to Google.

As search engine algorithms are constantly evolving to offer improved user experience, content is gaining more importance. 92% of marketers report that content is a powerful asset for their business, while 70% prioritise the quality of content over quantity.

Content writing is not just about writing a 3000-words beast but with no comprehension, clarity or context. In-depth and well-researched content is a fantastic way of providing valuable information on a topic. It also helps build authority. But make sure it is created around what your reader’s need. It should have a definite flow and must be engaging and easy to comprehend.

Do not beat around the bush. Adding images, statistics, charts or infographics are a superb way of creating high-conversion content.

#5: Buying Low-quality Backlinks to Increase Page Rankings  

This is another wrong SEO practice, especially amongst small businesses looking for a shortcut to online success. However, they fail to understand that having hordes of backlinks typically from flagged sites does more harm than good. Getting organic backlinks from high authority websites is the need of the hour, rather than following such an unethical approach.

Since search engines have become smarter nowadays, they can easily detect backlinks coming from bad/low-ranking websites. To keep up with Google’s latest algorithm changes, today you have to earn backlinks. It is no secret that you need to link with high-authority websites with quality organic traffic.

Want to know how to do link building in an effective manner? Click here.

#6: Thinking Search Engine Optimisation Begins Only Once the Website is Built  

That is one of the biggest blunders that any digital marketer or website owner can make – not having an SEO plan in place right before you start building a website! Many marketers believe that SEO begins after the site is built.

So it’s like you have already spent huge money and time to build a “perfect” website (you think so) only to find that it is poorly optimised for search engines. Now there again goes considerable time and money to make it search engine-perfect.

Not having dedicated SEO strategy is one of the most costly SEO mistakes webmasters should avoid.

SEO should be planned from the very beginning. Website information architecture, easy navigation, plug-ins, faster page loading time, content plan, sitemap, meta tags, keyword optimisation, description – everything are important aspects that need attention to generate effective conversions and revenues.

#7: Giving Priority Only to On-Site SEO  

What do you understand by SEO? Keywords, meta tags and descriptions, great web content, alt tags for images, fast loading website or link building? That’s awesome but you are making the mistake of overlooking the importance of off-page SEO that can be done through directory submissions, article writing , press release writing, guest posts, etc.

SEO isn’t just about optimising key elements of your website to make it search engine-friendly. Off-site SEO strategy also goes a long way in building a strong web presence and increases conversions.

#8: Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Website  

Does your website render an amazing look & feel on mobile devices as it does on the desktop? If your answer is ‘NO’, your website is in deep trouble! Having a responsive website design that gives the same user experience on every device is important.

The number of mobile users is growing at an exponential rate with over 70% of website traffic coming from mobile devices. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile devices, then you are missing out on a major share of the market.

Back in 2017 when 69% of mobile users acknowledged that their buying decisions are more likely to be influenced by companies or brands that have a mobile website, imagine the percentage growth in such type of consumers in 2019.

Even search engines give higher rankings to websites that offer an immersive mobile experience to the users.

Keeping this in mind, build a responsive website that delivers the same look and feel across all devices and screen sizes. However, when designing for a mobile device, keep factors like page loading time, ease of navigation and content structure in mind.

#9: Disregarding the Power of Analytics     

Many website owners and digital marketers disregard the power of numbers. They think their job ends with optimising a website, both on-page and off-page. But unless you are able to evaluate the performance of your SEO efforts, it’s of no use.

Setting up and reviewing the performance of your SEO campaigns is important to achieve the desired optimisation results.

Google Analytics is a powerful tool you can leverage to measure your website’s performance. Analytics help assess how SEO techniques for different content types and keywords are working, what are the loopholes and how to fix the issues with the right strategies.

#10: Thinking SEO will Deliver Immediate Results or Is to be Done Once  

Do you think SEO is a one-time task? Do you feel that it will deliver results in a month or so? The fact is ‘SEO is not a tactic that you set and forget’.

SEO is a continuous process. As search engine algorithms keep changing every day, you should keep abreast with the latest techniques and build your SEO campaigns around them. With consistent and fool-proof SEO strategies, you can aim to boost page website rankings, increase web traffic, and improve sales.

Want to have your content strategy devoid of such costly SEO mistakes? Write to us , and we’ll share with you how content can bring the best results for your business.

The post Top 10 SEO Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Website Rankings and Conversions appeared first on Rank One Content.

If you are unsure whether to blog or not, get on a journey to understand why you must have a business blog today. But before that, let’s learn some interesting facts.

The Number Says it All…

It’s never too late to start a company blog. With 409 million people reading over 2.2 billion blog posts every month, it’s important to have impeccable writing skills, to create a difference. There are a vast number of people who need valuable information on diverse subjects and your blog may just be the right source to offer it.

53% of digital marketers report blogging as their top-most content marketing strategy. Between brand awareness, SEO and lead generation, there are only a handful of marketing areas that do not benefit from business blogging. Another study suggests that B2B companies are more likely to use blogs than B2C businesses, reporting 67% higher lead generation than those who do not.

Businesses that blog regularly, garner 97% more links to their websites, while 57% of them report gaining customers particularly through blogging. Check out the below infographic to understand why blogging is good for your business.

The purpose of blogging is to increase online visibility for your brand and business. It helps build authority and is a powerful means to interact and engage with your target audience. So if you haven’t yet leveraged the potential of blogging for your business, it’s high time to get into action and reap the profits.

Top 10 Reasons to Have a Business Blog

Need more reasons? Here are the top reasons that will compel you to have a company blog – and start enjoying the benefits.

#1: Purpose of Blogging is to Drive Traffic to Your Website

Raise your hands if you want to drive more traffic to your website. Yeah, all marketers do!

Now the question is – how?

You have an awesome website but just think how many pages it has to provide an all-around engaging experience to your audience? Probably not too many, right? Now think how many times you update your web pages? Probably not that frequently, right? So how can you draw customers to your website?

Blogging is the answer!

Each time you write a business blog post, it gives you an opportunity to show up in the search engines and lure traffic to your website through organic search. Posting blogs regularly on your company blog page, acts as a cue for the search engines that the website is active. Search engines regularly check out for new and relevant content. This is one of the primary website ranking parameters for them.

Not blogging on your website? Never mind! Having a complementary online space to showcase your brand or business is a great way to target new customers and redirect them to your website. If people like your blog post, they tend to show more interest in your business, products or services. They are also more likely to share the content on social media, making your blog post go viral.

So, one of the biggest benefits of blogging for business is that it helps drive website traffic.

#2: Boost Your Online Visibility

The key importance of blogging is to increase the online visibility of your brand or business. Websites that use blogging as a powerful SEO tool have an average of 400% higher indexed pages than others who do not. Such sites also garner 2x more indexed links than other websites. To put it simply, the more you blog, the higher is your chance to show up in the top SERPs. This helps increase your online visibility in a remarkable manner.

The image below will help you understand the key purpose of blogging for small businesses.

#3: Company Blog Can Help Convert Website Traffic into Leads 

Did you know that companies that blog can help generate up to 70% more leads than others who do not blog? Yes, the study by HubSpot stated it right that businesses blogging at least once or twice in a month can significantly help convert website traffic into quality leads. The secret is to provide your prospects with excellent-quality and interesting content with a compelling Call-to-Action. This will encourage your readers to become business leads with high conversion potential.

Marketers who post regularly on business blogs are more likely to generate 4x higher leads in comparison to others. Not that every reader of your blog post will convert into a lead. But that is okay. Just continue blogging and make sure you add a call-to-action to achieve a higher conversion rate.

#4: Attract New Prospects into Your Pipeline   

Gone are the days when the purchase cycle was linear. Modern consumers look for multiple touchpoints with the brand or business before taking a buying decision. Perhaps they read interesting blog content, watch an advertisement on television, attend a webinar or engage with a social media post.

Drive a prospect deeper into a website by providing valuable information that genuinely intrigues the reader. Irrespective of whether you are targeting consumers or businesses, blogs help drive interest in your products or services, bringing them into the buying cycle.

Therefore, the purpose of blogging is not just nurturing the leads but also attracting new clients into the purchase cycle.

#5: Educate Your Target Audience   

A business blog is ideally a “publishing platform” for the brand or business. It is one of the best ways to establish communication with your prospective buyers and educate them with key information about your company.

Informing your customers means you take their interests and preferences in consideration, and can foresee the challenges they might have. It is far more reliable, relevant and powerful to influence your target audience in comparison to outright selling. In fact, sales and blogging work together to offer an improved buying experience to the customers. And as mentioned earlier, businesses that use blogging to educate their buyers earn 67% higher leads than others that do not.

#6: Get Higher Page Rankings in Search Engines  

Search engines love fresh and unique content! And if it’s optimised for the right keywords that people are searching for, it can help you rank higher. Blogging is an effective SEO tool that you can leverage to improve your page rankings. Search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing like high-quality, original and relevant content – and will reward your website by giving it a top position in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

Make your website search-engine-friendly with a business blog. Studies report that it increases the chances of your pages getting indexed by 434%. Furthermore, doing so can help your pages generate quality indexed links up to 97%. Blogs can help build an information hierarchy and improve internal linking that adds to website’s ranking power.

And when your site rankings improve, it can drive organic traffic to your website.

Yes; organic website traffic…that accounts for 73% of overall traffic that a business website receives! The number is big for marketers to ignore. So blogging for small businesses is the need of the hour!

#7: Business Blog Makes Incredible Social Media Content

We say, do both together!

Social media is a powerful platform to showcase and promote your brand and business. You already know it and have been using this medium to market your products and services, right?

But looking for innovative and fresh ideas to enhance your social media content? Use blogs!

Blog posts, when used intelligently on social media, can be a fantastic way to build greater engagement and authority for your business.

So, how to go with your company blog and social media together? Here are some smart tips for you –

• Pull out interesting points from your blog post and create an engaging social media content around each topic
• Take lines from your blog content and share on Twitter
• To make your blogs work great on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, use captivating images that instantly compel your followers to click
• Add social media buttons at the end of every blog post. This allows your readers to share it easily on various social media platforms

Are you wondering what does this all boil down to? The answer is –

• Greater Engagement With Your Brand Or Business
• Improved Visibility
• More Customers
• Better Conversions

And that’s what your agenda is, right?

#8: Build Authority with Business Blog

By creating fresh, industry-relevant and engaging blog content, you can showcase yourself as an industry expert. It can help build a nice authority by providing valuable information that your buyers need. This can include comprehensive instruction manuals, tips, buying guides, how-to posts, etc.

Over a period of time, it can become a go-to resource that delivers useful and consistent information to the readers. This can go a long way in building solid client relationships or free PR that will benefit your business.

#9: Boost Brand Value by Using Your Blogs in a Smart Way

Not sure how your blog can be a fantastic resource to improve your brand value? Here are some valuable tips for you to use your blog posts intelligently –

• Stay in touch with your customers using your blog content as an informative and useful newsletter
• Use tools like Beacon to turn your blog posts into eBooks that you can give away as a thank you gift, to build your email list or keep handy at trade shows and conferences
• Address FAQs of your target audience about your brand, products or services, crafting the answers into a beautiful blog post
• Curate your blog around new product/service launches, passively illustrating how it will have a positive impact on your customers
• Promote special offers but make sure it does not appear like a commercial

Have other interesting ideas to use your company blog? Do not forget to share with us!

#10: Blogging Can Help Generate Long-Term Profitable Results 

Building a strong foothold with business blogging might seem overwhelming for many, particularly if it is in a nascent stage. However, once you have created enough posts and established your niche authority, you can soon experience remarkable results from your initiatives. After all, 70% of your blog traffic generates from posts older than the present month.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned reasons and several others validate the effectiveness of blogging as a powerful digital marketing tool. Building a successful company blog takes dedication, passion and time. But once you get started, you will be on the right track to realise its potential and generate long-term results. A blog is where your target audience can learn more before taking a purchase decision. A blog, when used smartly, can be a great catalyst to convert your website visitors into paying customers.

If you have any apprehension, the benefits of blogging for business discussed herewith will definitely persuade you to kickstart immediately.

So start creating a business blog today. Have more questions? Connect with our experts.

The post 10 Compelling Reasons Why You Must Have a Business Blog appeared first on Rank One Content.