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Nearly one-third of the internet’s 1.9 billion websites are blogs. Still, given the rapid increase of podcasts, YouTube videos and social media reels, many content creators believe they no longer need a blog marketing strategy to bring visitors to their websites.
However, research shows otherwise—nearly 80 percent of internet users still read blogs regularly. Even more, over half of the Fortune 500 companies still have blogs; 90 percent of marketers use them and over 75 percent of content marketers are finding success with them.
And though blogging today may require more intentional effort than it did two decades ago, here are five reasons why you should still be posting on your blog:
1. You Gain High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks matter in search engine optimization (SEO), and quality backlinks from relevant and high-authority referring domains are critical to a successful blog marketing strategy.
When you consistently publish blog content that answers your visitors’ questions or helps them discover helpful information, quality websites are more likely to link to your posts to support their users, boosting your ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) and your website’s traffic.
2. You Can Reach Google’s Featured Snippets
You have likely seen—or perhaps even used—Google’s featured snippets when searching for an answer to a question. These snippets are the boxes that appear in the first position at the top of a search page and contain that “snippet” of information, enticing the user to click on that link for more content.
Featured snippets have snagged a 35.1 percent share of all user clicks, making them a massive opportunity for blog owners. Researching and answering popular keyword questions in your blog content can get your website in front of millions of users.
3. You Can Create a Topic Clusters
Long gone are the days of climbing the SERPs by choosing a highly-searched keyword and stuffing your content with it. With the rise of voice-based search, people use more complex language to find content. This is a shift that Google has adapted to by rewarding multiple natural keyword phrases that capture a user’s intent and satisfy their curiosity.
This change makes building out topic clusters an effective blog marketing strategy. Your topic clusters are sets of related long-tail keyword phrases that link to your existing content in a focused area. The goal? Aim to answer as many of your visitor’s questions as possible, showing multifaceted expertise and providing a more profound, broader experience for users who want more.
4. You Can Create Diverse Forms of Content
One of the best reasons to continue blogging is that it gives you the best of both worlds: you can write evergreen articles for your blog and target fresh, time-sensitive news that can boost your rankings quickly. Blogging also allows you to diversify your content choices to include infographics, videos, and podcasts, which helps you cater to all your visitors’ needs and creates even more opportunities for them to share your content.
5. You Build Thought Leadership Credibility
A regularly updated blog helps you stay connected to your audience and build a solid relationship with them over time. As people continue to look (and link) to you as an authority, Google will likely take notice and reward you by moving your site up the SERPs.
The more widely-recognized your thought leadership becomes, the easier it will be to rank for your chosen keywords. Additionally, your status as a thought leader may spill over into off-page SEO, with more backlinks and brand mentions on social media.
Part of a Bigger Strategy
Whether you want to use your blog to get more visitors or increase conversions, our team at 10x Digital has extensive experience in creating content marketing strategies that work. Contact us today to learn how we can help you develop quality, relevant blog content that engages your audience and positions your brand for success.