In this crazy mixed up world of internet marketing in which we work, live, breathe and occasionally sleep, the word ‘authority’ has a dual meaning. From a purely SEO perspective, authority is something that is gained through a combination of age, focused content, click-throughs and incoming link. In a broader marketing sense, the authority that a site and its writers carry manifests itself as some sort of nebulous impression that customers and readers get from the on-page content. The end result of both is the same, however – authority drives traffic. As search engine optimizers, we’re primarily focused on the first aspect; that is, increasing a site’s authority to help give it a boost in search rankings. This is why we spend so long obsessing about incoming links, fresh and relevant content and the like.
There is a way, however, that authority of both types can be built. Weblogs have a mixed reputation across the wider world; the Main Stream Media, conscious of an existential threat, have circled wagons somewhat and tried to represent blog as the unfocussed outpourings of a million teenagers. Nothing could be further from the truth, as it goes; not only are the main producers of blog content on the internet in the 25-40 years age range (hey, that describes me!), but a blog is now regarded by every day users as useful, informative and interesting. Or, if they are not, then they’ll be ignored.
What I’m working towards, here, is the suggestion that a blog on your website can be a real boon in many ways. Its SEO benefits are manifold – lots of fresh new content, a range of keywords (embrace the long tail!) and more pages to which people can be linked. It’s also a stage in an integrated social media strategy – and who doesn’t want one of those, these days?
I have, in the past, worked with clients who have been unsure about whether a blog is suitable for their website. In nearly every case, the answer is yes. One of the driving forces of the internet is the ability of ordinary people to find expert answers to their questions (or, as a callback, to find ‘authorities’ on a given subject). So let’s say you have a website that you’ve built to sell tiles and tile related paraphernalia. What are you an expert in? What do people want to ask you about? Tiles and bathrooms. Tiles and Kitchens. Tiles. You deal with these products, your sector, on a day to day basis – no-one is more intimately connected with tiling, so you’re the best person placed to give a perspective, answer some questions and provide advice. And generate lots of porcelain related keywords.
- Quick aside, philosophy division – how Meta is writing a blog about writing blogs for websites to increase authority and generate keywords? It’s lucky I had time to grab a coffee at the train station this morning, is all I’m saying.
So, ask your tame search engine optimizer about it today. Grow your customer loyalty, raise your search engine rankings, and demonstrate your expertise and authority. Just remember; keep it regular, interesting and relevant.
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