The importance of good content for your website cannot be overstated, as a successful site depends on more than just #keywords alone.
Keeping an active and accessible online presence is essential for a brand’s success and in this age of boundless information, it is crucial to be not just relevant, but interesting too.
In a recent post we spoke about the importance of balancing blog content with product promotion and pointed out that customers, rather than simply wanting to read gleaming reviews of your business or services, are looking for something extra.
They may find your website by looking for a specific product or service, but blogs—when written well –can keep them engaged and—most importantly—develop a loyal following. Blogs are instrumental in the building of brand image, and creating engaging content not only drives up your Google rankings but builds trust with your customers. Businesses may have gone digital, but the marketing fundamentals remain the same and a transparent and trustworthy corporate image is more indispensable than ever.
Google and you
Studies have shown that the top ranking site on each Google search gets 33 per cent of the traffic and that only six per cent of users look past the first page. The trick is to engage readers with interesting and well-written posts, so they explore your site past the homepage they land on. The most effective way to drive up your Google ranking is through effective Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), but there is far more to successful blogging than filling posts with keywords and links.
As technology has progressed, the emphasis on keywords in the way Google ranks its searches has waned and new formulas also focus on the frequency with which you post and how often your site is updated, as well as how many users engage with it. Now, more than ever, good content is the key.
Bad content = bad business
Keywords and phrases when administered effectively, can work wonders, but Google is a stickler for repetition. Keywords may boost your SEO ranking, but what sets a brand apart is converting those rankings into revenue. As with social media, old content can be just as damaging as having no content. The impression a disused or neglected blog or website can give is not just damaging to its Google ratings, but to the way a customer views the business itself.
Keywords help bring traffic to your site, but interesting and original content keeps it there. If you produce consistently engaging and exciting blogs, customers will continue to visit your page well after their initial product needs are met. This builds traffic and user interaction, thus attracting more traffic and with it more potential buyers. Moreover, this creates a growth in SEO that is far more sustainable than simply filling a blog with links.
Here’s our handy checklist of SEO dos and don’ts:
- Avoid repeating blogs for the purpose of adding in more SEO keywords—neither Google nor the reader will appreciate it
- Don’t write blogs simply for SEO purposes—your customers are humans and not robots, and the repetition of keywords and content actually drives down Google ratings
- Write well and write about interesting topics. You want your audience to leave your page feeling like they’ve learned something, and if you want to create an effective call to action, you’ll have to make an impression first.
- Offer readers something they can’t find elsewhere. Whether it’s new information, lifestyle and travel pieces or how-to guides, a happy customer is a returning customer.
It is critical to be active, original and engaging. Blogging is an art and there is no single methodology or quick fix to ensure booming traffic on your website. Moreover, a successful digital marketing campaign is a culmination of hard work and expertise. Manifesto Design has years of experience in exactly that, so if you’re interested in expanding your business’s online presence or think it’s time to re-assess your online presence, contact us and we can arrange a consultation.
