What is the point of blogging? Isn’t it passé?
This article is from one of our recent Content Corners: Content Corner is our weekly Q&A (on Instagram) to help you create great website content that attracts, engages & boosts your SEO.
Got a website, but no traffic or enquiries? Content is the key. We answer your questions on blogging, blog topics, structuring blog articles, improving existing blogs & tracking your progress…
Abbie's already been inspired into action:
"After seeing Wildings Sudio’s brilliant posts on the importance of blogging, I finally carved out some time this week to sit down and create not one, but two new blogs!"
What is the point of blogging? Isn’t it passé?
In the age of social media, short form video and viral posts, this question on blogging is provocative, but relevant.
A lot of people hear the word ‘blog’ or ‘blogging’ and think ‘2008’, assuming written content is from the dawn of the internet, totally out-dated and ineffectual.
Actually, blogging is very, very relevant in today’s content-focussed digital world.
And the reason for this is because a blog or blogging is a great way to answer the questions people put in Google; and that is the crux of website content and getting visible in Google searches.
What you can't really do (among other things) is add more and more content to the service page on your website, for example, because it would become extraordinarily long (and so ineffective).
Using your blog for blogging purposes, helps you put out content on a regular basis that answers those key questions that people are asking search engines.
In a nutshell blogging is definitely not passé; it's still a highly effective way to get visible on Google.
What type of queries does my ideal customer put in Google?
This is probably the most common questions that small business website owners have and the crux of getting visible with your website content on Google.
The first thing I recommend that you do is get set up on and add your website to Google Search Console. Google Search Console is a free online tool that helps you see how people are finding your website through search engine results.
Once you know how people are finding your website, you can then improve your content to effect that trend (hopefully in an upward direction!).
With Google Search Console you get (among other things) excellent, free insights plus a free monthly report direct to your inbox. This is incredibly useful, showing you how people are finding your website.
Secondly, bear in mind there's not necessarily any hard and fast rule to do with pining down the exact query that your ideal customer puts in Google or a search engine.
You need to adjust your mindset to get impact - put yourself in the shoes of your ideal customers. Think about what are the things that drive your clients. What are the cares and questions to do with their business or the thing that they want to resolve.
Once you better understand that, you can create helpful, useful and trustworthy content that will help you get found more.
Can I use Instagram content on my website?
This question is more related to Instagram, as a lot of small business owners think that there’s no need to have a strong website presence, as social media ticks all the boxes of reach and engagement.
I would always advocate cross-posting and repurposing content across multiple platforms for the sake of efficiency and consistency of marketing.
However, I would suggest starting with your website content first. Answering those questions people have on your blog and then turn that into material for Instagram.
The reason for that is because your blog content is way more evergreen than social media content.
When you publish blogs on your website you can continue to improve them and you can track your metrics over many, many years.
On the other hand, Instagram is more flash in the pan so benefits from a post are more short term
Absolutely do use Instagram content on your website, but start by blogging first and then turn it into Instagram content; that way you get more long term benefits.
