Connect with Local Customers by Creating a Blog
by Pete Prestipino
Posted on 04.10.2008
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Want your site to rank better with
local Search Engine
Optimization (SEO)? Adding a blog to your site makes smart business sense
for a variety of reasons! Simply put, search engines tend to rank business
websites with blogs higher than those that don’t have them and they’re an
excellent way to connect with people in your area!
Although you may be thinking that everyone has a blog and you don’t have the
time to deal with updating one, once they’re set up and running, they really
don’t take much time at all and the benefits are simply too great to ignore.
But Why are Blogs So Effective?
The short answer is: Search engines love the fresh content that blogs
provide and tend to reward sites with consistently fresh content with higher
rankings. They also create great inbound and outbound linking opportunities
which search engines also use to determine page rank.
Readers love them too as it gives them an opportunity to ask you questions, get
answers, and interact with businesses in a whole new way. Further, blog owners
also love them because the reader feedback gives them invaluable information on
how their business is perceived by their clients. It’s a win-win-win situation
all the way around!
What would I Write About in My Blog?
You can write about anything you choose but the best blog posts talk about
topics that are relevant to your industry AND your readers. If you own an auto
repair shop, you could write about seasonal things like winterizing your car or
making sure your antifreeze is ready for summer travel.
You could also write about maintenance checklists, how to increase fuel mileage,
what to look for in an auto mechanic, the advantages of using synthetic oil in
your next oil change, etc. You can also include blog-only promotions, contests,
and coupons so your readers have extra incentive to read and become active
participants in your business blog.
What if I don’t Have the Time?
If you don’t want to write your own blog entries for any reason, you can
choose to outsource the writing to a freelance writer who knows how to add extra
optimization to the posts or hire an Internet marketing company like Brick
Marketing to run it all for you. No matter what path you choose, simply adding a
blog to your site will positively impact your bottom line in no time at all and,
who knows, you might even discover that it’s fun too!
About the Author: Nick Stamoulis
Nick Stamoulis is the President of
Brick Marketing
and Website Magazine's “Local
Thursdays” weekly contributor.
Discover the Tactics and Techniques of the Top Digital Enterprises
today in Website Magazine's Special Spring Issue - Web 100.
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