Blogging and content creation are important if you’re serious about getting found your business found via organic search. It can be a powerful tool for SEO as it provides more targeted content for search engines to crawl, helping your company increase website traffic and get found on Google. And targeted content is an effective way to connect with potential customers, influencers and brand advocates.
We all know we should blog but it can be hard to get into a routine with it. Let’s face it, it’s a big commitment to sit down and write regularly – let alone all the other things you need to do (e.g. picture research and SEO) to get your blog out into the world.
In my experience as an freelance SEO consultant for small business, I’ve found there are 4 main reasons why companies and business owners haven’t found their groove with creating blogs & articles:
1. No Time to Write Blogs
We all have different time barriers and resources available to our businesses, and we all tend to prioritise jobs that we either enjoy or are urgent/causing a problem. And creating content isn’t a quick job – it requires thought, planning and a chunk of time to execute. Even if you enjoy writing (and not everyone does) it’s still a time-consuming task.
Unless you are strict about setting aside time in our diaries to get the job done, blogging remains on the ‘to-do’ list. And if it’s been on your to-do list for more than 6 months, what are the chances it will still be there in 6 months?!
Solution 1: Allocate time in the diary and stick to it – Be strict about putting some time aside in the diary and stick to it. Block out 2 hours a week for a single blog, or a half/full day so that you can write a series of blogs in one go.
Solution 2: Delegate or outsource to a Blogging Service – If you don’t have time – delegate or outsource the task. If you need help with planning or creating regular blog content, my affordable monthly SEO retainer can be used also be used as a blogging service for business – free up your time and get the job done.
2. Lack of SEO Knowledge
A small business owner may need to oversee and manage everything – including jobs & tasks that you have no prior experience of. Running a business can be like undertaking a personal development course when you need to learn so many new things! Even if you enjoy writing and have the resources to make it happen, there is so much more to it than just writing.
The content also needs to be optimised for SEO so those potential customers can actually find it. This means it should be structured in a certain way with clear headers, use targeted keywords, the images must have alt text and then, the final blog submitted to Google to tell them about it. It’s all learnable, but that takes time (that you probably don’t have!).
Solution 1: Hire a freelancer to optimise your writing – If you prefer to write your own content to keep your brand ‘voice’, that’s no problem. I work with clients by taking your base content and doing some magic to ensure the blog is SEO-friendly and ticks all the right boxes. Then you can write without worrying about needing to learn SEO skills too. Just like I do for my long-term client, Naomi….
Samantha has been managing my blogs for me and working her magic on the writing I send over to her. She maximises my SEO making my blogs the best they can be. She is very efficient and will always give me a nudge if needed. She is a fab outsourced resource.
Samantha has been managing my blogs for me and working her magic on the writing I send over to her. She maximises my SEO making my blogs the best they can be. She is very efficient and will always give me a nudge if needed. She is a fab outsourced resource.Solution 2: Learn how to optimise web pages – Start by reading What Is On-Page Optimization? then How To Optimize Content for SEO for more in-depth instructions.
3. Lack of Direction
If blogging is new to you, it can be hard to get momentum going. You can think of subjects for a few blogs but then your mind goes blank. What should you talk about? What are your customers actually searching for? What questions do they want answered?
When you have a lack of time and/or knowledge it can be hard to get clarity and focus. So you amble along, posting blogs occasionally and hoping for the best. But this all ties in with lacking time and SEO knowledge. It’s easy to find out what words and phrases your potential customers might be using – you just need to know how!
Solution 1: Do some keyword research – tap into what people are asking about products and services like yours.
Solution 2: Use the new found keyword knowledge to create a content calendar – and try to stick to it! Sometimes, its easier to keep on track when it’s planned out.
Solution 3: Get organised with the help of an blogging service for small businesses – I can help and advise on potential blog titles and the type of content you should be creating to attract the right audience. Together we can organise a content calendar, set up tracking, train you on how to optimize blogs correctly or work on your drafts. This enables you to get the job done whilst picking up some SEO tips and tricks, so you can DIY in the future.
What’s Your Personal Blogging Hurdle?
Do you identify with any of these obstacles and hurdles to blogging? If so, you’re not alone!
If you’re interested to learn more about working with me to get blogging for small business cracked, read: The 4 Main Benefits of Working With a Freelance SEO Consultant
Looking for a Blogging Service for Small Business?
If your business blogs aren’t getting the visits you’d hoped for, they’re probably not set up in an SEO-friendly way. If you already have content, you may not even need much new stuff written. Often, what’s already there can be reviewed and tidied up for better results.
If you would like to review your blogs, create a more structured plan or need help researching targeted blog titles using keywords and phrases that your customers are already searching for, then get in touch to see how we can help your business reach more customers
Image courtesy of punsayaporn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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