Local businesses are increasingly turning to content marketing services to improve their online visibility. In fact, Hubspot found that 70% of all marketers are actively investing in content marketing. For local businesses motivated to reach new consumers, blogging is one of the most reliable methods to capture attention and deliver new sales. But how can you write blog posts that find a targeted audience?
5 Blog Writing Tips for Local Business Websites
1. Write for Your Readers and Not the Search Engines
A prime search listing can bring substantial traffic, so you may be tempted to write with the search engines in mind. Know that trending writing topics aren’t always the best choice, either. Instead, write content for a targeted and defined audience – and Google will reward you. In practice, this will include answering common questions, using subheadings, bullets and easily digestible content. Remember, you want to attract website visitors interested in your products and/or services, not someone looking for the latest gossip or trend.
2. Mix Up Different Types of Content
Finding engaging topics is not always easy, and many blogs gradually become inconsistent with their output. One approach to maintaining consistency is to rotate content types using a content calendar. You could schedule an FAQ post, list post, infographic, news roundup article or video tutorial over an extended period. This ensures readers maintain interest – and that you don’t run out of content ideas! After all, variety is the spice of life.
3. Keyword Research Is Important
Keyword research helps you stick to targeted topics that are relevant to your business. We previously discussed how irrelevant website content can hurt SEO results, while keyword research and planning can prevent most issues. Make use of keyword tools, Google Trends, competitor websites, plus insights from Google Search Console to plan out posts that real people are actually searching for.
Bonus Tip: With the Google Passages update, a single piece of content can place in search for multiple queries. Remember, write your content so that excerpts from it can stand alone – and make sense for the user. This way, you’ll place in search for more keyword phrases.
4. Don’t Forget Metadata
Providing clear metadata helps Google and other search engines determine what the page is about. Plan to include a keyword-rich title and headings, image alt text – and a meta description under 155 characters. In addition, you could try to get a featured snippet by answering common questions that searchers in your industry are typing into Google. Remember to use all of the relevant Schema Markups to help get a featured snippet. Some of these markup languages include FAQ Schema and Video Schema when applicable.
5. Link to Related Pages on Your Website
Internal linking is an underutilized aspect of quality blog posts. During the content writing process, aim to include internal links to highly relevant services and blog posts that provide value to readers. For a proportion of readers, these links can keep them active on your website and help to reduce the bounce rate.
The links also provide context to the search engines, supporting an increase in authority across the site. Also, link out to authoritative websites, as this will help you build trust with readers. This is especially important when including statistics, quoting studies and so on.
Get Help Writing Blog Posts With Our Content Marketing Services
Do you need help developing and executing a content strategy for your business? At Rocks Digital, we can create results-driven content campaigns that capture attention and drive sales. To find out more, call (214) 989-7549 or request a website evaluation today.
