You've probably heard that small business blogs can help increase your brand visibility. But where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you dominate. Did you know that there are over 70 million blog posts produced every month? With this many new posts coming out it's no wonder there is a ton of competition for any blogger to be seen. You've probably heard that small business blogs can increase brand visibility. The question is where do you start? Keep reading for a few tips to help you dominate.

7 Tips to Help Small Business Blogs Dominate the Competition

If your business doesn't have a blog yet you are missing out on the opportunity to reach a large audience that might convert from viewers to paying customers. Small business blogs don't have to be intimidating when starting from scratch if you know how to dominate the competition.

1. Provide Valuable Content

The more value you provide to your readers the more your readers will come back for more and the more they will share your information with others. Posting relevant information will make your blog the credible go-to to the source. Having regular readers vs sporadic readers will keep your blog above the competition. A few topics that you might consider blogging about include ways to manage payroll, understanding accounting or creating small business growth strategies. Finding and exploring topics in our world and using that knowledge to solve peoples problems is a great way to choose your content. Using python for data science is a great way to take solving problems to a new level.

2. Post Consistently

Posting consistently means don't post sporadically. For example, don't post three times one week and none for the next four weeks. If you aren't consistent your readers stop coming back. The more you get into a blogging routine the easier it will become to be consistent. Setting aside time to blog will benefit your business in the long run and will put you above the competition. Some small businesses hire someone to update and write the blogs to have one less task to think about.

3. Keyword Research

Targeting words that people are searching for is huge when it comes to blogging. There is no point in blogging about something that people aren't looking for. This process involves looking up popular keywords that people are typing into search engines to find answers for what they need. For example, someone might search "How do I manage payroll?" your blog post can be something like " Learn How to Manage Your Small Business Payroll in 5 Easy Steps." You will want your keywords in your title and in your blog posts to give your post a better chance of ranking when someone does an online search and even consider having the keyword in the URL of your post.

4. Establish Authority

Being considered an expert by your readers will put you as the go-to person in your niche. When your readers talk to their friends and family about your niche your blog will come up. People are always looking for the best go-to person in everything from personal trainer to a graphic designer. Publishing consistent, authoritative content that shows your knowledge and expertise will help you establish authority.

5. Invite Guest Contributors

Blogging can be time-consuming especially in the beginning when you are getting the hang of it. To alleviate some of your time you can look for guest bloggers to contribute to your blog once per week. Having a guest contributor will also bring a fresh voice to your blog which might attract new readers. Another benefit to bringing a guest contributor is that your guest will share their posts with their audience giving you a new set of readers and traffic to your blog. Most people are afraid of having guest bloggers because they don't realize the benefits of collaborating which will automatically put you above fellow small business bloggers. Having a guest will also give you a new perspective on something related to your niche.

6. Visuals

Incorporating videos will help your readers engage with your page. Most people have short attention spans which are where visuals come in handy. They help distracted folks stay a bit more focused. When we hear information we only remember 10% of it three days later but when we add a picture we will remember 65%. You can add infographics to your post or a chart highlighting key points from your post. Your readers will stay on your post longer and will more than likely remember it too.

7. Search Engine Optimization

This is also known as SEO. One of the best ways to drive traffic to your website is through using search engine optimization techniques. SEO is how you have your blog content for search engines like Google and Bing to suggest your post above someone else's. If a thousand people are searching for "how to manage payroll" with the right SEO strategies your blog will show as one of the top results if not #1. Improving your sites search engine ranking can be done through some of the following:

• Keyword density: how often your keywords appear in your post.
• Long-tail keywords: using specific, niche keyword phrases to capture specific traffic searching.
• Back-linking: this is having other authoritative websites linking back to your blog for content related to your topic.

Go Dominate

Now that you have read the seven tips above to help small business blogs you can go dominate the online space with your blog. Don't forget that it takes time for a business blog to build momentum and create a loyal following of readers. Patience is a big key when starting a blog.

If you haven't started your blog yet and want to know what to do step by step check out our article walking you through the entire process.