With so much advice about content marketing and SEO (and anything else, really), it’s hard to know which path to follow when plotting your digital marketing strategies.
The advice can be overwhelming. Some pros advise you to do one thing, and the next pro you turn to will tell you the complete opposite.
How can you determine fact from fiction, or, more importantly, which is the best strategy for you? Unfortunately, there is a lot of trial and error in marketing, so there is some risk involved until you find a successful formula.
Keep doing research and staying current on trends, which will go a long way towards developing effective short- and long-term SEO and content creation plans.
The truth is, there are countless myths floating around the digital landscape that are just plain wrong. Blogging is particularly misunderstood as an important piece of a business’s digital marketing plan.
Below, we bust a few of the most common blog writing and SEO myths we’ve heard.
1. Content Doesn’t Matter.
Can we be honest? We don’t get this one at all. Without content, you have no blog or website, for that matter. Now, this is not to say that all content is useful, or even good—it’s not.
But well-written, quality content that provides value to readers will keep your audience coming back again and again, which will certainly help your blog stand out from your competition.
If you’re concerned about your internal marketing or writing team’s ability to keep up with generating regular content, consider outsourcing some of the work to a content writing service.
These professionals understand the importance of good writing, especially as it relates to SEO optimization, and can be a valuable resource to maintain a quality blog.
2. Keyword-Heavy Content Improves Page Rankings.
At one time, keywords were the driving force behind SEO. Although they’re definitely still important, web developers, content writers, and digital marketing strategists have learned that a website crammed full of keywords simply for the sake of populating text with keywords is not the best approach.
Instead, the focus has shifted to the big picture when it comes to search engine optimization—when it comes to a blog, the broad scope of the text, well-chosen, targeted keywords, topics around searcher intent, and backlinks are more effective.
In fact, Google’s numerous algorithm changes that occur throughout the year have homed in on “keyword-stuffed” websites more and more. This practice can actually cause your page to score a lower ranking.
3. SEO Is Not An Ongoing Process.
SEO is not a one-time effort. It’s like the content itself—it’s always evolving and should be kept up-to-date to give you the maximum ROI.
Keywords are still important to search engines, so pay attention to them, of course, but your overall web content is really the key to your success.
4. Blogging Is Not For Everyone.
Now, this claim can mean one of two things: either the task of writing a blog is not for everyone (and we admit, pushing out regular posts can be pretty daunting—thus, many businesses outsource to a blog writing service as mentioned above), or you may feel your industry is not “sexy” enough to warrant a blog.
The beauty of the Internet is that anyone can learn anything about any topic, literally, so why not claim a piece of that digital traffic for yourself and prioritize creating a high-quality blog?
Your industry may not be the flashiest or most creative, but people need tips for practical matters, as well.
For instance, if you are a dry cleaner, your readers will refer to your blog posts for sound advice focused on stain removal, care instructions for delicate fabrics, and other relevant topics.
Readers need “how-to’s” for a wide range of issues. Why not position yourself as a thought leader in your field with blogging and article writing (whose backlinks you can also share) so you can add your expertise to the information that’s available?
5. Your Blog Should Be A Clear Sales Tool.
Nothing turns off readers like a blatant sales pitch, so if that’s how you plan to use your blog, you may want to rethink your strategy. There’s a fine line between including calls to action in your website content that motivate the reader (“Seating is limited! Register today!”) and being intentionally sales-driven or pushy (most of these tactics will immediately turn readers off).
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with using your blog as a passive sales and marketing tool, but you never want to come across as aggressive or clearly trying to sell your product or service.
Rather, rely on relevant, useful content that touches on readers’ pain points and gives them the information they need to make informed decisions.
6. Blog Readers Don’t Become Customers.
…and if you follow our advice for the above tip, you will, in fact, convert some of your readers to customers. The key to making that conversion is to work at building relationships with your readers.
Respond to comments, share the posts you’re most proud of or feel are most useful to your target audience and engage with readers as much as you can. A reader may not need your product or service today, but when they do need it, you’ll be right at the top of their mind.
7. Guest Blogging Is Not Effective.
Backlinks are a beautiful thing when it comes to blogging, and the same can be said for guest blogging.
We already mentioned how challenging it can be to churn out blog posts on a regular basis. Why not feature the occasional guest blogger and alleviate some of that stress?
One of the biggest advantages of running blog posts written by others is that it not only gives you and your team a breather from creating all that content, but it provides the guest blogger with an additional platform for their opinions and expertise.
The post will likely be shared on your mutual social media sites, which will broaden your blog’s reach and connect with new audiences.
What other blog writing myths have you busted along the way?
