Blogging vs website: which will get you more visibility?
Many entrepreneurs know a website is important for getting discovered online by potential clients. But perhaps you’ve heard about blogging for business, and you’re wondering which will get you more visibility: blogging vs a website?
Here’s the good news: you can get the best of both worlds for your business with a website and a blog. Read on to find out how.
Blogging vs website: the key differences
First, let’s get clear on what a blog is. When most people think of blogs, they think of a type of website where someone uploads regular journal-style entries or ‘blog posts.’ Conversational, relaxed entries that offer glimpses into the person’s lifestyle or interests.
These more personal blogs still exist. They usually belong to influencers rather than businesses. However, businesses are also blogging nowadays. 80% of businesses use blogs as a marketing tool.
We’re also consuming blogs differently these days. We’re more likely to skim blog posts for solutions to problems we’re Googling than we are to read through someone’s online journal entry. Businesses use this to their advantage.
For example, someone might read a blog post about the importance of healthy fats in a balanced diet. Finding this incredibly valuable, they discover that the business behind the blog post offers personalised nutrition coaching services. How convenient!
Meanwhile, a website is a collection of web pages that represents your business. It tells visitors everything they might want to know about you and your services. It lists important information, like your pricing and contact details.
You don’t tend to change your website once you’ve created it. You may add a new web page now and again or make edits to reflect business updates. But your website content will mostly stay the same.
In contrast, blogs are typically updated frequently with new content. Active blogs upload new posts anywhere from multiple times a day to once a week.
You can also have a blog on your website. Many businesses have a blog section where they upload content to inform and attract clients. WordPress is a great option for creating a website with a blog. (We have a WordPress site for this reason.)
Blogging vs website: the winning combination
Either a blog or a website could help you get more eyes on your business. But having a website and a blog can seriously boost your online visibility. Why?
Well, the more you blog, the more fresh content you’re adding to your website.
Google loves fresh content. As we’ve seen, you’re unlikely to change your other web pages that often. So blogging is the best way to tell Google that your website is active and offers up-to-date information.
On average, businesses that blog have 434% more indexed pages than businesses that don’t. They also get 55% more visitors.
If you’re a service provider, you probably have up to seven pages on your website. Aside from your homepage, about page, and contact page, you might have a few service pages or a page for testimonials.
A weekly blog adds 52 pages to your website every year. Way, way more than seven. That’s 52 more opportunities to rank in Google search results for the phrases and questions your ideal clients are Googling.
After all, people are almost certainly not Googling questions related to ‘contact’ and ‘testimonials.’ These common web pages, while important for other reasons, aren’t going to get you found.
Each time you upload a new blog post, you’re inviting Google to crawl and index your website. This improves your website’s visibility. Simply by uploading new content regularly.
Good business blogs get updated regularly with enlightening, insightful content. The best blogs have search engine optimised (SEO) content to improve the business’ chances of appearing in Google search results.
The shopfront and the sales team: getting found via Google
If you’re struggling to visualise the relationship between blogging and a website, consider the analogy of the shopfront and the sales team.
Think of your website as a digital shopfront for your business. Once you’ve got it looking its best, you want to attract as many people as possible inside.
However, your shopfront is hidden away down one of Google’s many, many side streets. You might put up signs in your window that let passers-by know what you offer. Using certain key phrases, like ‘graphic designer’ or ‘business coaching,’ could encourage people interested in those services to notice you and stroll inside.
But that’s about all you can do to get found. Mostly, you’re hoping people stumble across your shopfront in Google search results.
Then you add a blog to your website. A blog is like a sales team that wanders the streets of Google 24/7, chatting to potential clients and answering their questions. A blog tempts people into your shop. It encourages them to stay a while, get to know you, and peruse your offers.
The more blog posts you have, the more salespeople you add to your team. That’s because every new post is an extra opportunity to appear in Google search results and tempt potential clients to visit your website.
Bear in mind, this only works if you use keywords in your blog posts (and in your web copy, for that matter).
Harnessing the power of blogging for visibility
To sum up, a blog is a powerful marketing tool that you can use in conjunction with your website to get more eyes on your business.
Not only can a blog open the door to a steady stream of ready-to-buy website visitors. When used as a marketing tool, a blog can also:
- Position you as a leader in your industry or niche.
- Provide the basis for your entire marketing campaign.
- Simplify customer service.
About Finer Things Editorial
Finer Things Editorial writes for businesses that help others achieve abundance, whether in the form of profit, self-love, or physical health. Our content helps these businesses attract their dream clients, so they don’t have to chase them. Having taken businesses from 0 to 1,000+ primed-to-buy website visitors per day, we take businesses from unknown to really known.