5 Tips to Get the Most from Your Local Business Blog

Blogging is one of the best, and cheapest, ways to drive traffic to your website and attract new clients, customers, or patients, particularly for local businesses.

After all, a local business has an advantage that those massive corporations don’t – locality. Community. Neighborhoods. A strong understanding of the region.

That advantage is marketable. Google knows this and that’s why local content with strong authority can, and often does, outrank large nationwide (by that, I mean, generalized) content.

Here are 5 actionable tips to improve your local blog, starting right now:

1. Create and Stick to a Blogging Schedule

It wasn’t long ago that experts recommended blogging at least twice a month. Times have changed! Millions of new pieces of content are uploaded on an hourly basis, and Google loves consistency.

Simply put, if you can’t blog at least once a week, don’t even start.

The more you blog, the better, provided your content is valuable, local, and relates to your industry or niche.

Keyword research, particularly long-tail keywords and phrases, are very important, especially for that high-converting local search traffic.

The best advice I can offer is to create a blogging schedule. Do your keyword research and brainstorm topic ideas on Thursday and have your weekly blog article ready to be published by the weekend. Or whatever works for you.

And remember, you can always hire a writer to create blog posts for you. My advice, beyond hiring Akzis VIP of course, is to choose a native English-speaking writer with a proven track record of local SEO writing.

A generalized or national blog can easily get away with non-native English speakers pumping out content, but, local audiences expect a local voice, their local voice. 

2. Give Your Posts Compelling Titles

It turns out that titles can make a big difference when it comes to generating traffic, social shares, and backlinks. If you're looking to boost your website's performance, consider these pointers:

• List posts tend to perform better than other types of content on social media. That's why sites like BuzzFeed have so many lists. People like them, and you can use that knowledge to grab more traffic for your site.

• Give your posts longish titles. One study found that blog posts with titles that had between 6 and 13 words performed the best.

• Ask a question. Another blogging study found that blog titles which asked questions got 23.3% more social shares than posts without a question.

• Be provocative. Saying something surprising or controversial can get people to click, even if they're not inclined to read blog posts. There's a reason they say curiosity killed the cat!

• Use numbers: Titles with numbers tend to perform well, as they provide a clear idea of what to expect from the post. For example, "10 Ways to Boost Your Productivity" or "5 Tips for Better Sleep".

• Use power words: Words like "amazing", "ultimate", "proven", and "surprising" can help to make your titles more attention-grabbing.

• Make it clear and concise: Your title should accurately reflect the content of your post and be easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or obscure words that might confuse your readers.

• Consider your audience: Think about who you're writing for and what their interests and pain points are. Use language and topics that will resonate with them and provide value.

By following these tips, you can create titles that not only attract more traffic, but also provide real value to your readers. Remember that the title is often the first thing that people see when they come across your content, so it's important to get it right!

3. Check Your Word Count

If you want to get your content to rank locally (and you do), the "sweet spot" for blog length is between 1,200 and 2,000 words. Studies have shown that longer posts tend to get more engagement, backlinks, and social shares than shorter ones.

However, it doesn't mean that every post has to be long. Shorter posts still have their place, and they can be effective in providing quick tips or updates to your audience. But if you're in the habit of cranking out 300-500 word blog posts, you'll want to write a long post occasionally to reap the benefits of a more in-depth and comprehensive piece.

A longer post allows you to provide more value to your readers by diving deeper into a topic, offering more examples, and providing more insights. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your expertise and establish your authority in your niche.

But writing a longer post can be a daunting task, especially if you're not used to it. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Choose a topic that you're passionate about but is directly related to your business and that your audience will find valuable.

• Break up your post into sections with subheadings, which makes it easier to read and digest.

• Use examples, case studies, and anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep your readers engaged.

• Include visuals such as images, infographics, and videos to help break up the text and make your post more visually appealing.

By following these tips and writing longer posts occasionally, you can increase your chances of creating a "power post" that generates traffic on social media and Google, while also providing value to your audience.

4. Add Compelling Images

In addition to the important role of length in generating engagement and backlinks, adding images to blog posts is also crucial for driving traffic and keeping readers engaged. While it may seem like a simple step, it's surprising how many businesses overlook this key element.

After all, we're all human and we're all drawn to visuals first. If the content doesn't grab our attention visually, we won't consume it.

Research has shown that people are much more likely to retain information when it is presented with a visual aid, rather than just text alone. By incorporating relevant images (try to use local imagery when possible to connect with your customer base) into your blog posts, you can help your readers better understand and remember the information you're sharing.

But where can you find images for your blog posts?

Two great options are Pixabay.com and Pexels.com, which offer a wide selection of high-quality, royalty-free images that you can use at no cost.

Just be sure to check the licensing requirements and give proper attribution when necessary. It's important that when you use an image on your business website that you have the legal authority to do so. If you don't, you risk a lawsuit.

So adding images to your blog posts can greatly enhance their effectiveness and help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. Don't overlook this simple yet powerful tool in your content marketing strategy.

5. Add Social Sharing Buttons & Widgets

Adding social sharing buttons to your blog posts can greatly increase their visibility and reach. However, it's important to be strategic with which buttons you include.

For example, if your target audience primarily uses Twitter, including a Twitter button and using the "Tweet this" widget to highlight key quotes can be more effective than including a full menu of social sharing buttons.

On the other hand, if your business is a commercial cleaning company or crime scene cleanup service, there's little point to including a Pin This button as your clientele is most likely not on Pinterest.

Additionally, it's important to consider the overall user experience when adding social sharing buttons. Including too many buttons can clutter the page and overwhelm readers, leading to a negative effect on engagement and sharing. A simple and streamlined approach is often more effective.

Another strategy for encouraging social sharing is to include calls-to-action within your blog post itself.

For example, at the end of your post, you can encourage readers to share it with their network by saying something like, "If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and followers on social media."

Ultimately, improving your business blog is all about understanding your audience and creating a strategy that works for you. By regularly publishing high-quality content, optimizing for SEO, including visuals, and making it easy for readers to share your posts, you can increase your blog's reach and impact.

In conclusion, a local business blog that focuses on your related content is a very effective tool to boost your online presence and attract new customers.

By following some simple tips and strategies, such as writing longer posts, adding images, and making social sharing easy, you can make your blog stand out from the competition and drive more traffic to your website. Remember to stay consistent with your blogging schedule and track your results to refine your approach over time.

With dedication and effort, a well-crafted local business blog can help you achieve your marketing goals and grow your business.