How a blog can benefit your businessThe Best SEO You Can Get — A blog is essentially an online web diary, making it easy for you to add new content to your site on a regular basis and naturally improving SEO (search engine optimization) for your site. Remember, Google likes fresh content. The more you add to your blog, the more Google will pay attention. And each new post gives Google another reason to find your site, which ultimately increases traffic.

Syndication – Blogs contain technology called Really Simple Syndication (RSS), which allows users to easily monitor your content by subscribing to your feed. This makes it easy for prospects to follow your new posts and essentially turns your blog into an online magazine of sorts. Note: Make sure your RSS feed link is easy to find on your site. I’ve seen too many sites make the mistake of not including this link in prime real estate. When it comes to doing anything online, make it as easy as possible for visitors!

Visitor Engagement – A blog enhances the community focus because site visitors can leave comments on your blog, ask questions, and interact with you.

Impress Prospects – The more content you can provide your site visitors, the more likely they will be to call you. Andrew Rogerson is a business broker who has filled his website (http://www.rogersonbusinessservices.com/) with content. If I were getting ready to sell my business and found his site, I would be beyond impressed. He offers all kinds of helpful articles and tips for preparing a business for sale, purchasing a business, purchasing a franchise, and more. His content gives you a sense of who he is and the authority he has in his field. Incidentally, he’s also an author of several books and is utilizing many of the strategies in this book. It’s no surprise that when I searched Google for “Sacramento business broker”—a highly competitive search phrase—his site comes up in the number one position.

The Heart of Your Social Media Strategy – If you’re going to get involved with Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, a blog is essential. Each new blog post should be shared with your social media networks, linking readers back to your site.

Media and Other Opportunities – Whenyou use the strategies outlined in this book, establish your authority in your field, and then develop compelling blog posts, all kinds of opportunities can come your way. Media professionals frequently use Google to find sources, and when you write about topics that they’re looking for, and you’re blogging on a regular basis, there’s a good chance they will find you. This has happened to me more times than I can count—really!