Creating a blog and then consistently blogging is still the biggest untapped opportunity well. Use this post as a mini-resource guide for some inspiration to start blogging, or if you’ve started, use this post as a refresher to understand why you are blogging in the first place. Then use the blogging tools to improve your blogging efforts so you can get more ROI from your efforts.
Why a blog?
1) Search engines love blogs:
Search engines love fresh and relevant content; that is why Wikipedia is one of the top search results for so many terms. Every one of your blog posts is an opportunity to rank for “long tail keywords” that can drive very targeted search traffic to you. Think of your blog as an opportunity and search engine traffic magnet. Search engines are in the business of matching search terms with relevant content and blogs are increasingly the home for valuable content.
2) Blogs are link sticky:
Think of the last piece of content that you linked to on the Web. It was most likely a blog article that you found interesting or valuable. Every blog post you write has the opportunity to generate more inbound links for you. An inbound link to your blog post is like a website raising its virtual hand and saying, “this article is really good and I want you to know about it”. Keep in mind that the more inbound links you have to your blog, the higher you will rank for your targeted keywords.
3) You are creating an enduring asset you own:
With every blog post you are increasing the amount of “virtual land” you own free and clear. Think of your blog posts as “virtual stakes” in the ground that have an asset value and you will start to think with a different perspective. Great blogs that have accumulated lots of valuable content have both tangible and intangible value. You own it forever if you want.
4) Increase your opportunities to get found:
Think of every one of your blog posts as a lottery ticket; the more lottery tickets you have the more opportunities you have to win. Winning the lottery can mean getting the job you want, making more money, or just being seen as a thought leader in your space. Whatever your lottery is, each blog post you own is another chance at winning your lottery.
5) It’s all about eyeballs:
Blogs are social tools and can drive more eyeballs to your personal brand. With search engines and social media sharing plug-ins, blog posts are eyeball magnets. Interesting blog content that is optimized has a way of getting found and shared quite quickly, attracting more attention to your personal brand.
Tools to measure your blog’s success:
Top blogs on blogging:
