One of the main questions we ask for every website we create is whether you need a blog.
Whether it’s an ecommerce site, brochure-style website or something else there are many pros to having a blog on your website.
What is a blog?
Essentially a blog is like a series of webpages on your site.
They don’t have to be called ‘blog’ but could be ‘latest news’, ‘case studies’, ‘portfolio’ or anything else.
The main thing is these pages are added in a chronological fashion to your website – like a diary.
Companies use blogs for various reasons such as keeping their customers updated, talking about recent events, and adding other information about their business.
Why adding a blog to your website is a good idea
From a customer perspective, having a blog section on your website is a great way to share information about your business.
This could range from team updates, industry news, latest work you have done, or even just your own thoughts on a topic.
Blogs are predominantly text based so whereas your social media may be primarily image and video focused, blogs are a space where you can write.
In terms of search engine optimisation (SEO) and ranking, blogs are a great way to grow your website and send a signal to search engines that your business is active.
When not to bother with a blog
We always tell our clients that the most important thing about a blog is making sure you add to it.
Many people understand the benefits of a blog but if you are too busy to write then it’s not worth it.
There is nothing worse than seeing ‘Merry Christmas 2021’ and nothing else on your blog.
Having a blog may also not be worth it if you get a lot of traffic via ads and social media.
In this instance you can focus your energies on your main channels.
How to write a good blog post
In order to write what we think is a good post we follow some basic rules:
- Write at least 600-700 words
- Use a good featured image to complement your text
- Split your post up into approximately 5-6 sections with a heading for each
- Include links to other parts of your website
- Add a link or two to another good quality website
- Engage your readers with something interesting
- Have a good call to action at the end
You can read more ideas here.
Blogging for SEO
One of the biggest advantages of writing blogs is that they help to drive traffic to your website.
When a visitor searches for something online there is a chance your well-written blog can show up in the search results.
This is a great way to drive organic traffic and steadily build interest in your site.
The main things you need to consider for this are:
- Choose a keyword or search phrase that your customers are likely to search for
- Ensure that phrase appears throughout your blog
- Remember to look at your URL, meta title and meta description
- Ensure images have ALT tags also
Remember, not all posts on your website need to optimised, it just depends.
For example, if you are writing a post to wish your customers a Merry Christmas, then you don’t need to try and make it fit into any rules above.
How often should you post?
The frequency and duration of your blog posts depends on how much time you and your team have.
For an SME we usually recommend at least two per month.
If your team is smaller or you don’t have that much time then posting once a month is a good place to start.
Ultimately it depends on your own circumstances and if you have a lot to say then it makes sense to keep your customers updated accordingly.
Can you use AI to write your blog posts?
AI, particularly ChatGPT is extremely popular and many companies are using it to write their monthly blogs.
However there are a few important things to remember:
- Make sure you check for Amercanizations and that you use British English
- There are some tell-tale signs that things have been written by AI so make sure you remove those
- AI doesn’t always get things right, so double-check everything
- There is some research to suggest AI-written content is downgraded by search engines
Above all you should make sure to check everything written and then rewrite it in your own voice to match your webiste.
Get help with your company blog
If you need help writing blog posts for your company website then get in touch with us.
We can help save you time and money, using AI or other writing tools to educate and interest your customers.