You've invested a lot of money into your website. You've gotten everything just right – layout, pictures, content. You've successfully launched the site and you're done, right? Wrong.
As much as busy professionals might like to, you can't just leave a website alone and expect it to continue to provide a return on its investment. That would be like paying a graphic designer to create a newspaper ad for your business, but never putting it in any papers! You need to keep it fresh.
The Google search algorithm is designed to bring your readers those parts of the web that are most relevant to what they are looking for. There are a lot of variables in that math problem, but one important factor is freshness. It ensures that the information is up to date and accurate. If your website sits idle for months, or even years, Google can't be sure your content is reliable.
To keep up with Google's freshness factor, make a point to add something new to your website at least quarterly. This could be new content pages, customer endorsements, Frequently Asked Questions, or a blog. The important part is to give Google new, keyword rich content as often as you can.
A blog is a great way to do this. An authoritative blog provides fresh SEO content for your website every week, while at the same time building a following of real people who know you and your reputation. By blogging from the headlines and using timely topics, you can take advantage of search trends on Google, adding highly relevant content while the iron is hot.
A weekly professional blog can take time, but it is worth it for the high volume of quality content it provides to your readers and the search engines. By making the commitment to regularly update your blog, you will give your website a big SEO boost by keeping your content fresh and relevant.
Unlike the personal blogs you may have read, a professional blog does not have to be in your own voice. It doesn't have to be written by the owner or delve into the personal aspects of your life or business. Instead, a professional blog is, at its core, about delivering information. It is about demonstrating your company's value to readers and potential clients. If you don't keep a marketing person on staff, a ghost blogger can come on to your marketing team and provide that content for you.
Don't let your investment in a high-quality website stagnate. Commit to regularly updating its content. That way you will make the most of SEO marketing and get a better return on your marketing dollar.
Lisa Schmidt is a writer for Legal Linguist. She provides ghost blogging and web content services to law firms and small businesses. She partners with Provisio Technology Solutions to provide ongoing web content services. To freshen up your website, contact Provisio Technology Solutions today.