Whenever someone approaches the Graphic Assembly to build them a website, my first question is usually “Why do you need a website?”
The reason I ask this question is basically to get a feel for what they expect from a website and also to get an impression of how serious they are about growing an online presence.
Invariably the answer I usually get is “because I want to rank in Google.”
Ah, don’t we all? Google has become the holy grail of Internet Marketing, good search engine rankings usually mean more visitors, which builds sales and leads, which ultimately increases profits.
Google isn’t the only source of Internet traffic but it is very difficult to ignore and as the vast majority of online buyers will head straight to Google to research a local business or to find the best price for that hotel room, it’s influence is hard to escape.
It is at this point I usually say “Well you’re gonna need a blog”. After making this statement I can usually see my potential customers face drain of all colour, their eyes glaze over and they have difficulty stringing words together, wh … wh … why do I need a bl … a blo … a blog? They exclaim.
Then the excuses start:
- I can’t write
- I don’t have time
- I can’t do technical stuff
How to get on page one of Google?
top secret method to dominate Google search results revealed
Here it is folks the secret to ranking on page one of Google, finally, the hidden method revealed … HARD WORK!
Sorry to disappoint but there is no push-button rank in Google method if there was everyone would be on that first page, oh hold on, at best there are only ten organic results on any Google SERP (search engine results page) so those companies who guarantee the first page Google results will be in a bit of a pickle if they have 11 customers who want to rank for the same search phrase, at least one of them will be disappointed, well actually I have a feeling all of them will be disappointed.
Google is basically a website that lists other websites according to the relevance of that page to the search query.
The only way to influence Google is to create the most compelling, relevant content you possibly can, making sure Google understands what your page is about by employing good search optimisation to your pages and carefully choosing relevant keywords.
When the Graphic Assembly builds your website, we will properly optimise all of your pages and advise on keywords that will give you the best possible chance of ranking in the search engines.
With a little luck, depending on what niche you are working in, this may be enough for your main pages to start ranking for your chosen keywords. Happy Days.
However, owning a website is not a case of build and forget, to create a profitable and rewarding online presence either for yourself or your business, your website will need fresh content on a regular basis.
That’s why you need to blog.
Why do I need Fresh Content for my Blog?
There are numerous reasons for keeping your site up to date and relevant:
- It allows you to connect and bond with your customers, tell them about your special offer, publicise your next event, create a community.
- Google loves fresh content and will visit your site more often if its crawlers keep discovering new stuff on your site.
- The more pages and posts you have, the more keywords you will start ranking for and the more visitors you will get.
- You will be seen as an authority in your niche
- Blogging can open up new revenue streams.
- It can actually be fun.
I'm too busy to Write a Blog
Writing a Blog is not for everyone and you are busy building your business. I do understand that but as we move more and more into the digital realm, your website will become more and more important to the success of your business
As a web designer, it would be remiss of me not to point out how important it is for your website to rank well and to inform you that this process will take time and dedication, especially if you are a new business.
If you truly don’t have time to invest in growing your website by blogging, then my advice would be to employ someone to do this for you.
