The Benefits of Blogging for Small Local Businesses.
The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving, and it’s important for small local businesses to stay up to date with the latest trends. One of the most effective ways to do this is by utilizing blogging as part of their SEO efforts. Blogging can be a great way to boost your website’s visibility, create local notoriety, prove your business as an industry thought leader or expert in the field, and drive more targeted traffic to your site. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when writing a blog for your small local business website.
1. Choose a Relevant Topic
When it comes to blogging, it’s important to choose topics that are relevant to your business and your target audience. You want to write about topics that your audience will find interesting, beneficial, and being discussed on social media. That way they’ll be more likely to read and share your blog. If you’re struggling to come up with topics, consider what questions your customers are asking or what topics are trending in your industry. Blogs should be about 1-2 topics max, don't get too carried away with too many thoughts in one blog, split them up into multiple!
2. Include Keywords
When creating blog content for your small local business, it’s important to include keywords that are relevant to your industry and target audience. Doing so will help your blog rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and make it easier for potential customers to find your blog. We recommend reaching out to your Marketing Specialist to discuss what keywords are being used on your LocalSite that could also see results being discussed in a blog.
3. Optimize for Mobile
In today’s digital landscape, it’s essential that your blog is optimized for mobile. More and more people are using their mobile devices to search for businesses and products, so it’s important the blog works well on all devices. OneLocal has you covered for mobile optimization, but it is still worthwhile to check out how your blog appears on mobile, by selecting it at the top of your screen.
4. Promote Your Blog
Once your blog is published, it’s important to promote it to reach your target audience. Consider sharing your blog posts on social media and submitting them to relevant directories. This will help increase your blog’s visibility and make it easier for potential customers to find it. Again, OneLocal has you covered with prepopulated sharing buttons for easy sharing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Email.
Blogging can be an effective tool for small local businesses to boost their SEO efforts and drive more targeted traffic to their website. By keeping these tips in mind, you can ensure that your blog is helping your business get the most out of its digital marketing efforts.
But you didn't think that was all you needed to know, right? Keep reading...
How to Properly Organize and Market a Blog
1. H1 and H2 Headings: Ensure that you are using H1 and H2 headings to break up your content and make it easier for readers to skim.
2. Recommended Length: Aim to keep your blog posts between 500-1000 words.
3. Inclusion of Images: Use relevant, high-quality images to make your blog post more visually appealing.
4. URL Structure: Structure your URLs in a way that is easy for readers to remember and understand.
5. Internal Links: Include links to other blog posts and pages on your website to allow readers to explore further.
6. External Links: Include external links to back up your content and provide readers with more sources.
7. Meta Descriptions: Write a meta description for each post to give readers an idea of the content before they click.
8. SEO Optimization: Use keywords throughout your content to make it easier for search engines to index your blog post. Make sure you aren't keyword-stuffing your content and that they flow naturally in the content.
9. Calls to Action: Include a call to action at the end of your post to encourage readers to take the next step.
10. Be Strategic in Scheduling: If you know your busy season for a certain product is in the summer months, be sure to blog about a related topic at the appropriate time to get your customers ready for the right season. Posting a blog in August for your summer promotion is much too late.
If you have any questions about getting started on blogging on your website, reach out to your Marketing Specialist! They will be able to get you set up with a blog page and login credentials so you can start blogging and improving your online presence.