Your website isn’t just a place for pretty pictures. Used correctly, websites attract and convert new clients to your practice. There are lots of ways to optimize this process, and one you’ve probably heard a bit about is blogging. On the surface, it might not make sense to create a blog, but websites with blogs see 97% more visitors to their websites. With each of those clicks representing a potential new client, it pays to blog.Â
Here’s how a blog can help your website.
Lead Generation
Done well, blogging attracts new visitors to your site. Done really well, blogging not only attracts new visitors, but it attracts new visitors who are interested in your company and your expertise. They’ll have found you because of the value they’ve found in your content. The value you create through your content makes them more likely to become your client.Â
The difference between doing it well and doing it really well? Well placed calls to action (also known as CTAs). Good content speaks to your prospects’ pain points. Great calls to action position your product or service as the solution to these problems.Â
Another major benefit in the realm of lead generation? Leads created through an inbound strategy like blogging cost an average of 62% less than leads generated through outbound strategies like cold calling.Â
Social Media
Blogging and social media go together like peanut butter and jelly. Sharing relevant content on your social media channels helps you keep up the flow of fresh, relevant content on your social media platforms. In return, shares and interactions from social media platforms help drive traffic to your website in the form of social traffic. Social traffic is one of the metrics used by search engines to help rank your site (more on SEO in a second). The symbiotic relationship between blogging and social media is one your business can easily take advantage of.Â
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Blogging is one of the most common strategies recommended to businesses looking to improve their SEO. Here’s why: every day your customers are searching for answers to their questions. Blogs allow you to position your product or service as the answer to their questions, by way of your expertise. While search engines can seem mystical and impossible to please, it’s important to remember that they’re trying to serve users the most useful, relevant information to help answer user questions. As long as your goal is the same, your blog should see good results.
It won’t happen overnight, though. We like to remind our clients that SEO is a long-term investment, typically requiring 6-12 months to see any real impact. While that can be disheartening, focusing more on making your website and your content the most useful and helpful it can be can have tremendous impacts on your site performance, and the success of your business.
Website Metrics
There are a few different website metrics that are important to focus on. Blogging can help you keep those metrics going in the right direction. Improving the number of new visitors to your website, lowering the number of visitors who leave right away (and without navigating to a second page or interacting with a CTA), and improving the overall conversion rate of your website, can all be helped with a great blog strategy.
Need help improving your SEO or Social strategy? MyAdvice can help! Our team has over 20 years of experience.Â