Blog Structure for Success

Blog Structure for Success

Many businesses reap the benefits of posting regular blogs to their website in order to keep a library of relevant brand content available online for their customers; both potential and existing. Routine blogging is also important to support SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) rankings and website performance as well as position a business as a thought leader, providing valuable resources for those looking for related information and data.

Yet posting blogs regularly can quickly become something done ‘just for the sake of it’ and this attitude can rapidly deteriorate the quality and usability of the content as the focus wanders and it’s no longer deemed a top business priority. However, there are some easy steps that can be followed with blogging to ensure the copy is of high quality, it’s useful for those reading it and that there will be benefit to the organisation from it being posted.

Follow our recommended tips below to ensure you’re applying a blog structure for success, every time.

1. Establish Your Goals

It’s important to keep a blogging schedule regular so that readers are able to return to up-to-date appropriate content.

Establish what is to be achieved through the publication of the blog and what benefit it presents to the reader. Who are the audience? What’s important to them? What question or problem does this blog answer or resolve for them? Once a piece’s purpose has been identified, it can be written in a way that encompasses its derived value.

2. Create a Catchy Title

The targeted SEO keyword or phrase should be included in the title for SEO purposes – and the title itself should be descriptive and catchy. No one likes a purely clickbait title that bears no resemblance to the content within (and indeed, search engines will only punish a website for it) but the title should give the reader a reason to click through.

Keep a title short and direct – and don’t be afraid to us it to post a question. You can revisit the answer to that question and others related to it within the body text.

3. Hook Readers in with a Great Introduction

Once the title has achieved the click through, content has a very limited time to capture the reader enough to encourage full readership – so the introduction must hook readers in, fast. A short introduction to let users know what the blog will cover reinforces that what they’ve clicked through to is in fact what was advertised, and that they have value to gain from reading it.

Ideally, sentence structure in an introduction should be short and concise; encouraging the desire for more information to be gleaned from further interaction.

4. Break the Blog Structure into Sections

A huge block text is unappealing to the eye and will immediately put a potential reader off as too wieldy and difficult to absorb. Instead, blogs should be broken into smaller sections with relevant sub-headings; allowing for skim-reading as well as easier comprehension of the piece in its entirety.

Sub-headings provide further SEO benefits and should include keywords or phrases where possible.

Each section should be no more than a few paragraphs so if it does require longer or more technical explanations, create further sub-sections to make the article even further comprehensive. Don’t allow blog sections to run so long they lose focus on the topic – this will just encourage the reader to stop and leave.

5. Include Internal and External Links

There are benefits to including both internal and external linking within blogs, with both playing a role in SEO. Internal links to other resources on the same domain encourage further browsing and more time on the organisation’s website; and can be optimised to best include a desired call to action or user journey.

External links are often avoided as people don’t wish to direct readers away from their site – yet they hold powerful SEO value. Linking to reputable sources with a high Domain Authority (DA) is positive as it demonstrates to search engines that the business is dedicated to providing quality content for its users.

Always designate external links to open in a new tab or window, keeping the original website open elsewhere on the browser, and as not to encourage readers away from the original blog.

6. Draw a Strong Conclusion

No blog should finish abruptly and instead should draw a proper conclusion that summarises the main points of the article. If there is no clear ‘one way or another’ conclusion, businesses may wish to mention the topic’s questionable or controversial nature, or end with a bullet-pointed list of relevant considerations.

7. Mention your Business

Blogs on a business’ website are not only read by existing site users or those who are already familiar with the organisation, and this should be taken into account.

A small paragraph about the business should, therefore, be included – ideally with internal links around the site for further information. Ideally this should be included organically within the content or as a standalone explanatory portion after the conclusion.

8. Add Sharing Buttons

Giving readers the opportunity to share blog content with friends, colleagues and social media connections is a simple but valuable addition.

Adding sharing buttons at the top or the bottom of the pages can be done through the inclusion of a basic widget or coding – and the more content is shared, the higher the traffic will be, the more value will be demonstrated to search engines and the more likely the content is to ‘go viral’.

9. Add an Image

Including photos, infographics or other imagery throughout blog text content not only helps break up the aesthetic of a chunky piece to read but also holds SEO benefits. Research shows that social media users are much more likely to click through on a post with an image than one that is text only, and indeed, social media algorithms are more likely to display it.

Contrary to what some may think, blogging is still a powerful and very important part of any business marketing and growth strategy.  At Woya Digital we can help with all your digital marketing needs, including setting up a blogging strategy that really works to boost your business. Contact us today to chat through your content and digital marketing strategy.

Does Blogging Help SEO?

Does Blogging Help SEO?

The word blog is just 25 years old and the acronym SEO only a little less so – but both are now used daily by millions around the world as part of regular vernacular. Optimising content to best appeal to the programming algorithms behind search engines is a full-time job, and the approaches taken vary widely between businesses of all shapes, sizes and types.

Investing time in creating relevant content for a blog is a popular method of demonstrating expertise, positioning a brand as a thought leader and producing content for marketing online but does blogging help SEO or is it an unnecessary time investment?

Blogging: A Definition

The word blog is an abbreviation of the term ‘weblog’, which when launched back in the 1990s referred to a listing of text, images or other ‘objects’ arranged in a chronological order online and normally hosted on its own domain; not dissimilar to the social media feeds we’re all so au fait with nowadays.

Today, blogging refers to the creation of regular content – usually text and complemented with imagery, videos and other content. No longer just subject to a domain of its own, many blogs now sit within other websites. In the case of businesses, a blog is often used to produce and add content relevant to the brand’s product, service, industry or niche, to the brands website.

Why is Blogging Important?

Blogging has many benefits. And to answer the big question, YES – it does help SEO!

Blogs, when constructed properly with relevant content within, can help search engines identify the theme and intended/appropriate audience of the site and brand. This helps improve organic search engine ranking, but isn’t the only benefit to businesses blogging regularly. The opportunity for link building can reinforce authenticity to search engines; offering more potential for increasing traffic.

The algorithm behind Google and other search engines thrives on websites that produce regular fresh content as this indicates ongoing relevance, a willingness to work and a reinforcement of the purpose, theme and status of an online presence. As search engines ‘crawl’ and index websites, they work through internal link structures to further their understanding of the domain.

The creation of appropriate content through a blog allows brands to position themselves as experts in their field and to act as a thought leader, even where they’re a new or emerging business. This demonstration of expertise will appeal to potential and existing customers as well as other interested parties. The more opportunities that search engines have to understand what a website is about, who it’s for and how it operates, the more likely it is to rank more highly on SERPs (search engine results pages), the entire purpose of SEO activity.

Structuring and Optimising Blogs

One of the first cues that search engines use to comprehend relevance and theme is the written text on a site; from which the algorithm selects and analyses the language used. This means that the usage of language appropriate to the blog is critical for SEO. The inclusion of relevant keywords and key phrases are the most popular way for blog creators to demonstrate the topic of their site to a search engine – but there is a degree of science behind it.

Blog creators should carry out keyword research before they begin to write their blog content, and should structure their blogs according to search engine preferences, with relevant keyword usage in headers and body text. However – and perhaps most essential of all –  keywords should only be used in an organic and appropriate manner. If the use of keywords or related phrases simply mean that the text within doesn’t make sense, the search engines will pick up on this and penalise the blog’s SERP rating as a result. Professional blog writers and content creators will be able to work just about any keyword or phrase into their written copy; but this is very much an art and is not a skill held by everyone.

SEO considerations do not just refer to the text on a page, however. Sites must load quickly, be as accessible as possible, be built with responsive design to adapt to whichever browser they’re being viewed on and sit on a secure domain. While these factors may not necessarily sit under the responsibility of a blog creator per se, they should remain under the control of the brand and prioritised as part of their ongoing SEO work.

The Onward Promotion of Blogs

Blogs present the opportunity for marketing across a variety of channels, to reinforce a brand industry leader perception and, they direct users back to a business’ domain.

Links from social media networks, other relevant websites and news sites to blogs all help further demonstrate their use and authenticity to search engines – as well as providing some much needed (and often evergreen) content that can be used as a marketing tool or even lead magnet time and time again.

Regular blogging under a consistent strategy is hugely beneficial to businesses looking to improve their SEO and should not be underestimated in importance of building relationships with customers; both potential and existing. While blogging may seem to some a bit of a wishy-washy practice bound to age, it has lasted the test of time in the virtual world – and will remain a digital priority for anyone serious about ranking well for their audience whenever a relevant query is made through a search engine.

For more information on how our expert blogging team could nurture your brand, contact Woya Digital to discuss service packages and options.

The Benefits of Business Blogs and Blogging

The Benefits of Business Blogs and Blogging

When blogs first arrived, the primary concept was merely to produce an online journal. Nobody considered it a source of generating online traffic, raising awareness, meeting business goals. Or even the importance of business blogs.  However, blogging has gained significant momentum over the past decade. People now use it for a variety of different purposes.

What are Business Blogs and How Can It Benefit Business?

Business blogs are opinion, thought and articles, usually on your website and promoted on social media platforms. The blog resembles an online diary or journal that is maintained by the business owner, manager, blogger or team of bloggers. In business, blogging is a marketing technique that is used to bolster the online visibility of a business.

For business blogs, the blogger creates informative or interesting short-form content of around 300-500 words. This content is then posted on the website’s ‘Blog’ section, which are listed in date order. Simply, business blogs are a collection of articles written by the company to be read by an audience they are looking to attract.

The companies that consider business blogging to be an awesome marketing tool, generally discuss the subject matter that is relevant to their products, services or areas of interest. Something that would attract or interest their customers.

Importance of the Content Structure in Business Blogs

The structure of individual blogs is increasingly important for a website’s SEO. If you intend to improve the traffic on your blog, you should focus on structuring the content so that it makes sense to Google and is easy for readers to navigate.

If your blog is structured strategically, the content will have the best links. By generating links, you are informing Google about the importance of the content. You also indicate that you expect Google to index the content. If you follow a smart internal linking methodology, there is a high probability that your content will rank better on search engines, which is a major goal for all.

Blog Timings – How Often?

Blogging is a commitment that requires effort and perseverance. The regularity of blogs is increasingly important to attract readers and encourage them to come back to your blog regularly. If a reader anticipates your blog posts and you fail to deliver on timely intervals, they are likely to lose interest. This is damaging to your overall credibility and marketing strategy.

While posting regularly is a smart choice, many businesses resort to weekly submissions, considering the amount of time and energy required.

The Benefits of Business Blogs

Many successful companies value the importance and benefits of blogging. Many marketers have observed a substantial increase in their online visibility and conversions after maintaining a blog. The real benefits of blogs include:

  • Boost Business Visibility

A regularly updated and tactfully curated blog aids in bolstering the business visibility. It is an innovative marketing strategy that helps in generating awareness and drives traffic to your website. A blog provides information and knowledge to the readers and subliminally endorses your product and services to them. This helps in building your reputation as a trusted and knowledgeable supplier. A well maintained blog nurtures conversions and boosts the visibility of your company in the digital space.

  • Drive Web Traffic

Blogging is not only used to generate awareness, but will also drive increased traffic to your website. Marketers make use of guest blogging tactics to encourage new readers to their site. A well maintained blog will also motivate your intended audience to access your site time and again. It is estimated that a company that blogs gets almost 55% more visitors on their website.

  • Increase SEO

Blogs are the building blocks of your SEO strategy. A search engine optimised blog can help in improving your search ranking substantially. Blogs can be used for guest blogging, back-linking, keyword indexing and building your credibility online. All this affects your SEO positively, ensuring improved search rankings.

  • Boost Brand Performance

With cut-throat competition in the digital fraternity, a blog with fresh content, insights and knowledge can give you a significant edge over your competitors. It improves your brand recognition and reputation, facilitating your overall business growth.

  • Build Customer Relationships

Your blog becomes your primary mode of communication with your client. A recurring visitor indicates that your blog is being appreciated and your brand recognition is increasing. Your blog can become a great way to build suitable and long-term relationships with customers.

The benefits of blogging are extensive. Marketers that make use of blogs get 67% more leads than those that don’t. Businesses who give priority to blogging are 13 times more likely to get positive ROI, highlighting its increasing significance.


business blogging

Woya digital is a social media marketing agency based in Chichester. We can assist companies of all sizes, anywhere, promote themselves through the internet. Our fixed price offering is straightforward and yields results! We are fantastic at social media management, website design and SEO, all paid monthly, with no upfront investment.