We hear the question all the time… do I need a blog? What do I need a blog for? What IS a blog? Truth of the matter is that most lose themselves in the word “blog”, before they can begin to understand how it can help their web site succeed. Our answer to this question is an emphatic “yes, you do need a blog”! We don’t care what industry you are in, what kind of website you have or what kind of web marketing strategy you intend to implement – if you want to get the word out about what you are doing then indeed you do need a blog.

Although, you don’t need to call it a “blog”. This word is so dated and it really sounds stupid to be honest. The point of a blog is to develop a platform that you can promote your offerings and let people know that you are indeed a subject matter expert. So don’t call it a blog, get creative with how you spin it. For example, you are reading our “blog” right now, but we aren’t calling it a “blog”. Instead we got crazy, and called it “mindshare”. Something different, something fitting, something that doesn’t make us cringe when we hear the word…

Blogs provide a platform to create, edit, archive and distribute your content. Blogs can include daily or weekly content updates and are usually part of a larger content network, sometimes as part of a larger website. Since blogs have frequently updated content they can achieve and maintain quality search engine listings, and therefore drive targeted, consistent traffic to a website. If you are looking to drive some qualified traffic, maybe it’s time that you start a blog. But maybe the word “blog” isn’t the most appropriate term to use. People sometimes get scared away by the word – after all, it does have a bit of a technical sound to it. I must note, however, that the term “blog” is not all that misleading. Blogs are just that… blogs – or also known as web logs, online journals, discussion boards, threaded discussions… however it is that you want to define them, blogs are big!

For the purposes of Search Engine Optimization alone, we’d suggest starting a blog.  However there are other noteworthy advantages beyond achieving organic rankings. First, everyone has one! Seriously, everyone really does have one – you are the only one without a blog! It’s 2011, and chances are that you have one that you just don’t use, or you know someone who writes for one or owns one. Second, it is an excellent way to get fresh content on your site. Using a 3rd party solution like a custom WordPress blog will make it quite easy for you. With a blog you can quickly add new and relevant content to your site. That will surely get those visitors interested and coming back. Third, you can do whatever you want with your blog… Come on now, let’s get creative – you can add video, audio or whatever else you want. There are really very few boundaries with the popular blogging software utilities.

If you are looking to add a blog to an existing site, we suggest looking into custom WordPress CMS development. KnockMedia provides custom WordPress design and  development, contact us today to learn more.

Some food for thought…