To blog or not to blog

[jezza]

Hello,

I've often read that having a blog along with your regular website is good for SEO. I'm wondering if it is important that it is an actual blog which helps or just that having a regularly updated page is important.

As it is, I have a regular website and I frequently add new pages and articles. I don't use a blog. Am i missing out? Do blogs (e.g. Wordpress) have some magical code which Google loves? In a nutshell, should I add a blog to my site to get some more google juice or am I just fine having a regularly updated website?

Thanks in advance!

[dreamingrahul]

Hello,

I've often read that having a blog along with your regular website is good for SEO. I'm wondering if it is important that it is an actual blog which helps or just that having a regularly updated page is important.

As it is, I have a regular website and I frequently add new pages and articles. I don't use a blog. Am i missing out? Do blogs (e.g. Wordpress) have some magical code which Google loves? In a nutshell, should I add a blog to my site to get some more google juice or am I just fine having a regularly updated website?

Thanks in advance!

The most important thing is that your site is regularly updated. No need to add new blog. Just keep it up and do updation as you do.

[ChillDot]

The most important thing is that your site is regularly updated. No need to add new blog. Just keep it up and do updation as you do.

Yup I think it depends on what business you are in to determine whether or not it would be useful to have a blog or not.

For example a plumber wouldn't have much to put in a blog, maybe the odd news story here and there but generally it wouldnt attract much attention.

If your blog will not pose as useful to many people then it may be a waste of time and resources that could be more effectively spent elsewhere

[TedWestie]

For example a plumber wouldn't have much to put in a blog, maybe the odd news story here and there but generally it wouldnt attract much attention.

I think a plumber could possibly put quite a bit in his blog. How to's, case studies, that kind of thing!

[ChillDot]

I think a plumber could possibly put quite a bit in his blog. How to's, case studies, that kind of thing!

hmm good point, ^^ id like to point out im not a plumber, that was just the first thing that came to mind.

Either way, other point still stands about relevance of a blog depending upon the business you're in

[eddyf]

I'm very interested in the OP's question.

I don't think his question is whether you can come up with material to blog about. Let's assume you have enough fresh material.

I think his question is, given that you periodically create new material, is there any SEO benefit to placing it on a blog vs placing it within your web site?

Does Google see blog material as more valuable than web page material? Or is a blog's value just in the subscription aspect?

Ed

[ChillDot]

I'm very interested in the OP's question.

I don't think his question is whether you can come up with material to blog about. Let's assume you have enough fresh material.

I think his question is, given that you periodically create new material, is there any SEO benefit to placing it on a blog vs placing it within your web site?

Does Google see blog material as more valuable than web page material? Or is a blog's value just in the subscription aspect?

Ed

I think the two go hand in hand, if you can come up with consistent fresh material then you need a way to periodically announce this information.

A blog is just a method of doing that and is pretty organised. As is well publicised google likes new content, hence imo this is why a blog is a good thing.

As you mentioned it also gives the user an option to subscribe and therefore allows the company to reach out to more people every time you blog and the more subscribers then the more likely you are to gain natural links back to those blog posts because more people will see it.

I know i wouldnt keep checking back to a website all the time incase they had added a new article, but if i get a tool that tells me when they post a new article i would proabably go and read it.

That would be the only SEO benefit of having a blog over just inserting web pages that i could see.

[DarrenHaye]

Watch this recent video from Matt Cutts

The title is - Is freshness an important signal for all sites?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4hH4ZQ_19k

[joshz]

Yup I think it depends on what business you are in to determine whether or not it would be useful to have a blog or not.

For example a plumber wouldn't have much to put in a blog, maybe the odd news story here and there but generally it wouldnt attract much attention.

If your blog will not pose as useful to many people then it may be a waste of time and resources that could be more effectively spent elsewhere

Disagree 100%. I used to think this, but I was wrong.

A blog can and will help your SEO - hands down, I will argue this until my death. I cannot tell you how many clients sites just blow up from long tail traffic because of a blog.

A plumber is perfect. I have a plumber site now I'm working on and his long tail is KILLING IT from his blog. "Winter tips on your pipes" would be a great topic

[DarrenHaye]

Disagree 100%. I used to think this, but I was wrong.

A blog can and will help your SEO - hands down, I will argue this until my death. I cannot tell you how many clients sites just blow up from long tail traffic because of a blog.

A plumber is perfect. I have a plumber site now I'm working on and his long tail is KILLING IT from his blog. "Winter tips on your pipes" would be a great topic

I agree, but I'm not sure you need a "blog" per se

It's just good to have have great content on your site, however format you want to put it on there, be it a blog, or creating FAQ pages with questions relating to your industry, or how to's.

Blogs don't have exclusivity for creating additional content, it's just one way of going about it.

[joshz]

I agree, but I'm not sure you need a "blog" per se

It's just good to have have great content on your site, however format you want to put it on there, be it a blog, or creating FAQ pages with questions relating to your industry, or how to's.

Blogs don't have exclusivity for creating additional content, it's just one way of going about it.

\

As true as this is, blogs, eg WP just seem to function so much better in SE's than having, say, an article 'archive' or something. Not to mention the URL structure, tags and categories really help as well. I used to be anti-blog as a stream of SEO, but I've had to bite my words with proven rankings (for LONG tail keywords).

Edit: Check this out: http://searchengineland.com/need-a-s...logging-138067

[jaspersam]

Hello,

I've often read that having a blog along with your regular website is good for SEO. I'm wondering if it is important that it is an actual blog which helps or just that having a regularly updated page is important.

As it is, I have a regular website and I frequently add new pages and articles. I don't use a blog. Am i missing out? Do blogs (e.g. Wordpress) have some magical code which Google loves? In a nutshell, should I add a blog to my site to get some more google juice or am I just fine having a regularly updated website?

Thanks in advance!

DON'T KNOW ABOUT MAGIC CODE BUT HAVING A BLOG ALONG WITH A REGULAR WEB PAGE DEFINATELY HELPS IN PR PROMOTION.

[e2_solutions]

Hello,

I've often read that having a blog along with your regular website is good for SEO. I'm wondering if it is important that it is an actual blog which helps or just that having a regularly updated page is important.

As it is, I have a regular website and I frequently add new pages and articles. I don't use a blog. Am i missing out? Do blogs (e.g. Wordpress) have some magical code which Google loves? In a nutshell, should I add a blog to my site to get some more google juice or am I just fine having a regularly updated website?

Thanks in advance!

Well! Its perfectly ok! and I would say you are on a right way ahead. But still if you have some doubt then I would suggest you that yes! a blog will give you good exposure to the people you want to reach to. It wont backfire rather it will be of added advantage only.