Today’s business world is increasingly dominated by digital advertising and the need for a strong online presence. A successful small business in the modern market needs to utilize every possible method to generate business on the internet. That means a well-designed website, a thorough online marketing plan, and an active presence on all of the largest social media platforms. One thing many businesses tend to overlook, though, is the blog. Many companies opt not to have a blog at all. Worse, some companies have a blog and don’t keep it updated. Nothing sends a worse message than a blog that hasn’t been updated in two or three years. Having a frequently updated and engaging blog is one of the most effective ways to promote your business online.

Increase Your SEO Value

Probably the most obvious benefit to having a good blog on your website is the tremendous SEO value. Frequent posts about relevant topics will help your site rank better on the search terms your potential customers are using. The constant updates improve your search engine rankings and help boost your other SEO efforts. It’s one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to keep your site relevant and ranking well.

Stay Relevant

Just as important as the boost it gives you on your most valuable keywords, though, is the fact that a blog can help inject your business into the public conversation. Just like businesses use Twitter hashtags to sneak their message into public conversations, blog posts are a great way to capitalize on the increased search traffic that comes with big events like live sports, hit TV shows, and holidays. On Mondays, it’s a safe bet that a lot of people are going to be searching for articles about the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Why not throw up a blog post using the show to make a point about your company? It makes your business part of the conversation and helps drive eyes to your site.

Add Personality

Less tangibly, but just as importantly, having a quality blog helps personalize your business and give it a unique voice. Having a recognizable voice with a track record of posting not only differentiates your company from the competition, it helps build trust with consumers. Given a choice between a largely anonymous business and a business they can relate to, the average customer is going to choose the option they feel like they know the most about. A blog is an amazing way to let your visitors know what you stand for, what you believe in, and how you like to do business. It can highlight your professionalism, your quirkiness, or whatever it is that makes you special and sets you apart from the rest of the market.

These are just some of the ways a blog can benefit your business and enhance your overall web presence. Enabling comments on your blog also helps you interact directly with your customers and generate valuable feedback that you might not be able to find anywhere else. Don’t miss out on one of the easiest, most effective ways to market your business. Get out there and blog away!