Since I started this blog I have written about a variety of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) related topics and gained great insight from my colleagues in the industry.  The purpose isn’t just to share my knowledge and experience in managing PPC campaigns, but also to get my name out there.  In other words, I’m not blogging just because I enjoy my profession (which I love); I’m also blogging to help further my career, which I would venture is the ambition of many bloggers.

Making a name for yourself is a great goal, but there are other positive effects of blogging that will help individuals and companies alike.

Blogging can help your organic rankings

Your blog posts can get indexed and show up high in the search engine results page (SERP).  Good blogs produce relevant and fresh content that contain targeted keywords.  Additionally, if you are writing content that others deem relevant you will get inbound links (sites that link to you), which is a major factor in overall search engine optimization (SEO).  Assuming you are blogging fairly regularly, search engines will notice.  According to a recent HubSpot presentation, companies that blog see:

•    434% more indexed pages
•    97% more inbound links
•    55% more website visitors

Granted, these stats relate to companies, but the bottom line remains that whether it is an individual or company blog, worthwhile content will be found and rewarded.

Blogging is a good tool to win business

By writing good, thought-provoking content, you are showing your readers the depth of your knowledge and doing the world a service.  It just so happens that some of these readers will be looking for your services.

Case studies are great resources, but I often point potential clients to my blog entries in order to prove knowledge and competence.  Blog entries are real time and more personal; they show potential clients that you are keeping up with the industry and that you, specifically, know what you are doing.

Of course, just because you blog regularly doesn’t mean you know what you are talking about.  Certainly potential clients need to research vendors and make an informed decision.  By regularly blogging, though, you are telling your readers that you are committed to following the events of your industry.  Ultimately, it is up to the reader to determine your credibility.

Blogging allows you to collaborate with others in your industry

Through blogging you can connect and collaborate with professionals in your industry.  One of my favorite activities related to the blog is reading and responding to the comments I receive.  I am grateful that others in the PPC industry have taken the time to read my content and provide their opinions.  This initial interaction has led me to follow up through social media channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn.  I read and comment on my colleagues’ work and am that much more informed.  I am also able to bounce ideas off them and gain collaborative insights.

Building your name through blogging is a grassroots effort.  It takes time, persistence and consistency, but if you are writing worthwhile posts that readers deem important, you will get noticed.

Why do you blog?  Leave a comment and let me know