Writing an effective blog for content marketing

When someone puts a search term into Google, it is the written content of your website which the search engine compares it to. If you have lots of text on the same subject, Google is more likely to show your web page or blog in search results.

Google doesn’t publish any guidelines. However, pages or articles with at least 1,000 words are more likely to appear in search results.

If you artificially stuff your article with keywords, Google may see through your actions and ignore (or worse, penalise) your efforts, rendering your blog useless or even harmful.

So, whilst keeping Google and your target search terms in mind, ensure your blog is easy to read and of genuine quality.

Writing Blogs To Prove Your Skills

Sharing genuine insight or updates is a key element of successful content marketing.

Much of B2B marketing is about trust. Businesses tend to buy from suppliers in which they have faith. Demonstrating your skills, knowledge and up-to-date thinking can really help.

The attention span of busy professionals is short, so a handy tip is to split your article into bite sized chunks with catchy subtitles. Content marketing is a form of promotion - but you need to be genuinely helpful or engaging to win over your reader.

Writing a blog or other article to help promote your company has become an essential element of B2B marketing.

It can achieve a number of objectives – including demonstrating your expertise, engaging with your client base and improving the performance of your website.

Sarah West of Full Mix Marketing takes a look at what to consider:

WHAT IS A BLOG?

A blog was originally a ‘web-log’ - essentially, an online diary through which individuals could regularly update anyone who wished to follow them.

Today, it’s become more of a catch-all term for any article created by an individual or company and then shared online - including opinion pieces and updates.

WHO’S YOUR BLOG FOR?

There are various audiences for blogs and each have an impact on how best to construct them.

Content marketing is one of the most important elements of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Publishing unique new content on your website shows search engines you’re alive and relevant to the searches you wish to appear for.

However, blogs can also help you engage with potential customers and demonstrate your industry knowledge. You need to speak their language and have a plan for how you’ll successfully share the content. There are other purposes for blogs, including content for regular emails, sharing on social media or communicating with colleagues.

Writing Blogs For Seo

SEO is complex, but one of the simplest and most effective tactics is to create regular new content for your website.

Don’t make every other line a sale-pitch or pack the piece with superlatives about the amazing product or service you deliver. Let your expertise and the value of your blog do the hard work. Though it is best to publish your blog on your website to help SEO, you will also need to share it with a wider audience to build awareness. Sharing it across your company’s social media accounts (especially LinkedIn), including it in your company email marketing or sending it to directly to interested industry websites can be successful.

Get The Title Right

The title is possibly the most critical element of any blog. It usually dictates whether anyone will read it and Google uses it as a primary indicator of relevance for SEO.

Generally, its best to avoid anything salesy as it alerts the reader to the fact they are likely to be sold to. For SEO, it’s best to include your primary target keywords in the title.

IS YOUR BLOG NEWSWORTHY?

If you wish to share something genuinely newsworthy it could be more effective as a press release.

Unlike a blog, press releases tend to be written in the third person (they) rather as if the author is an interested journalist. The reader receives the news on merit and it can be sent to interested websites and trade publications who may publish it verbatim.

NEED HELP?

Content marketing is now a part of most successful B2B marketing strategies, helping businesses engage with a wider audience, demonstrate their expertise and boost SEO.

If you’d like help to deliver regular content, visit www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk