Updated 5/17/23: With the changes taking place at Google, Bing, and other search engines, we’ve updated this post with new information. Over the course of the next year, changes made to the traditional search experience may affect the accuracy of this post.

Blogging. Maybe you do it, perhaps you don't (you should). For some people, the word "blog" brings to mind an online diary where you chronicle the day's events or type out your thoughts on various and sundry happenings.

For others, a blog is a mini-website where they advertise and sell products. This is often the case with affiliate marketing, whereby someone creates a blog and then posts content and links to entice visitors to buy products using affiliate links.

Some blogs are plain, and some are colorful. Some blogs have lengthy tomes written with flowery and verbose language, while others are flat and monotonous. Some try to incorporate creative writing while others stick to buttoned-down business formal.

Blogs Are Everywhere, But Are They Helpful?

No matter how you define a blog, you can't deny that they're everywhere. I've seen some companies go all out with their blogs, posting content multiple times daily, with pictures, videos, comment sections, and everything else that sparkles and shimmers.

More often than not, I see blogs that look like ghost towns. These are blogs on company sites that were last updated six months ago, and the content that does exist is short and contains very little value.

Blogging Isn't Easy

If you haven't updated your brand's blog since before Covid was a thing, you may fall into the ghost town category. And we get it – it can be challenging to keep up with a blog. We’ve had clients tell us that there isn't anything to talk about (spoiler: there’s always something to talk about.) It's also hard to find the time to keep up with digital content.

You're running a business – you don't have time to write blog posts or worry about keyword research or whether or not you have too many H1 headers or if your frameworks and site structure follow best practices or keyword density is too high, all while trying to follow your carefully-crafted content strategy and adhere to content pillars and brand voice and style guides...WHEW! It can be a lot. And then you have to make sure the content is engaging and well-written on top of all that!

How a Blog Helps Your Digital Marketing Efforts

Investing in your blog is a big deal despite being a lot of work. Your brand's blog is a part of your website, meaning your blog's content affects your entire site's ranking and engagement. As a result, how you treat your blog can significantly impact your site's visibility on the web. It can also have an effect on your branding strategy as a whole and your content marketing efforts.

For instance, search engines consider your site on autopilot if you don't update your blog. This typically means that newer sites that are similar to yours will begin to rank higher in time as long as they keep fresh content flowing. Remember, this is a competition, and one way to win is to prove to search engines that your site is worth more than your competitors' sites. You do this by letting search engines know you’re healthy, active, and engaged.

Updated for Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)

As of May 2023, Google has announced its upcoming Search Generative Experience. What this experience will bring is a fresh approach to search on the web. Google intends to bring together all kinds of content in its results, including blog posts. When someone searches for a business in the area, it’s believed that results will include a variety of different types of digital content, including blog posts, social media posts, videos, images, discussions, and more.

What this means for your business is that content development and a solid content strategy are more important than ever. Creating blog posts for the sole purpose of keyword ranking is no longer going to cut it. Although Google has made it clear that valuable content is the name of the game for years now, this is going to become even more important in the years ahead. Now is the time to get your content strategy put together and work with professionals to begin putting out consistent, quality content on subjects that your customers will find helpful.

Establishing Authority

Aside from keeping your search engine rank intact, regular blog posts help to demonstrate authority to both search engines and people. When I visit a company's website and see that the blog hasn't been updated in a year, I think that the lights are on, but no one is home.

The company doesn't care enough to invest in this crucial part of its site. In fact, at that point, you may as well delete the blog because it isn't doing you any good to even have it around.

On the other hand, when I visit a company's site and see that their blog was updated recently with fresh, well-written content that tells me something interesting or important, I think, "Now this is a serious company with a plan. They understand the value of blogging and want their customers to stay connected."

Search engines feel the same way. One of the ranking factors for quality content is authority. Does the content demonstrate authority? When a search engine sees that your site isn't updated regularly, your brand is likely to lose authority in the eyes of a search engine.

This isn't a judgment about your business, but if the choice comes down to ranking your site or a competitor's site higher in relevant search results, search engines will go with the page with authority. This is almost always the one with regularly updated blog and website content.

Your Blog is an Information Portal

Getting away from search engines for a moment, your blog is also an essential informative portal for customers, prospects, and leads. This is an area of your website where you don't have to talk specifically about products and services. At Charlotte Content Marketing, we tell our clients that your blog is not the place to sell – it's the place to market. One way that we market is through informative content.

You may want to share an exciting development in your industry, or your perhaps your brand is participating in an event in the Charlotte Metro. Maybe your company won an award, and you want to tell customers about it or take a moment to thank the organizers of a charity event. Whatever the reason, you can use your blog content to inform customers without coming across as “salesy”. This humanizes your brand and gives customers a reason to subscribe to blog updates.

Edit 5/17/23: Providing information to visitors will remain important going forward, but Google’s “Perspectives” feature in the new Search Generative Experience will bring together different voices on certain topics. This is where your business has a chance to stand out, but only if you work with a content marketing partner who can craft useful, informative blog posts that will be eligible for inclusion in search results for the new SGE.

Game, Set, Match

Furthermore, you can use informative content to set up future content that IS designed to sell. For example, if you have a product coming out or a service available in the future, use informative content to set expectations and build demand for the roll-out.

Let's say you'll be introducing new accounting software in six months. For the next three months, write blog posts once a week about the challenges accountants face. In that content, include something about using software to meet the demands of modern accounting. These posts are designed to promote your company. They are designed to get across the idea that there’s a problem that needs solving.

Then, for the three months after that, write one post per week about the new software you have coming out. In this content, include details about features your software contains that address to points you raised in the lead-up content. This strategy sets readers up to recognize a problem, primes them to look for a solution, and then introduces your solution. Like magic, you’ve made the customer aware, ignited desire, and encouraged buyer action. Because you took the time to inform the reader about a problem they likely have and stoked the desire for your solution, it will be much easier to sell the solution when you release it.

Remind Your Customers Why They Love Your Brand

Your relationship with your customers isn't all that different from a romantic relationship. In a long-term relationship, it's often necessary to remind the one you're with why they fell in love with you in the first place. For extra reading on a similar topic, we have a blog post about how content marketing is like dating.

Doing the same old thing is comfortable but doesn't ignite any passion. The same goes for your brand. If you don't remind your customers why they love your brand, you may get along just fine, but your customers may also have one eye on the door.

To keep this passion alive, use your blog content to remind your customers what's so great about your company. This also lends itself to using your blog as a branding tool. Incorporate the words, phrases, tone, and values your brand is known for in your content.

Develop content that calls attention to the perks of being a customer. Create content that highlights why your company loves doing what it does. You can't guarantee all of your customers will stick around for life, but when you use blog content to remind them of what makes your brand so special, they'll be less likely to develop a wandering eye.

Contact CCM to Discuss Your Brand's Content Strategy

Want to maximize your brand's blog, drive more traffic to your company's site, and engage customers? Contact Charlotte Content Marketing to learn how we can handle your content marketing strategy and content development in Charlotte and the surrounding Metro.

Let's have a discussion. Call us today at (704) 323-6762, or use our convenient online contact form to schedule your consultation right now!