How Blogging Boosts SEO and Marketing for Small Businesses in 2024

Let’s bust some myths about blogging, shall we? In this episode, I’m diving into why blogging isn’t just “still alive”—it’s thriving, and it can be a total game-changer for your business marketing. Forget the idea that you have to be a “great writer” or that blogs are a one-and-done effort. I’m breaking down why blogging matters more than ever, especially for small businesses looking to stand out online.

We’ll talk about how blogging can help you show up on Google (where people are actually searching for your services), why it’s a better long-term investment than social media posts, and how you can turn one blog into tons of content. Plus, I’ll give you a sneak peek at my new blogging mini-course, which is designed to make blogging doable, strategic, and impactful for your business.

Whether you’ve been blogging for years or are just dipping your toes in, this episode is packed with ideas to help you create blogs that work for you, not just take up time.

Here’s what we’re covering:

• Why Google is a goldmine compared to social media.
• How blogging builds credibility and attracts your dream clients.
• Busting myths like “blogging is dead” and “I’m not a good enough writer.”
• The secret sauce: long-term benefits of blogging you can’t get elsewhere.
• Practical tips to make blogging simple and effective.
• Why small businesses (yes, even solopreneurs!) can use blogging to go head-to-head with the big guys.

Episode Breakdown:

• 00:00 Introduction: Why Google Wins Over Social Media
• 00:25 Why Blogging Deserves a Spot in Your Marketing Strategy
• 01:08 Myth Busting: The Truth About Blogging
• 02:43 Blogging’s Long-Term Benefits (Spoiler: It’s Worth It)
• 04:19 Easy Tips to Get Started (or Reignite Your Blog)
• 05:38 Wrapping Up: How Blogging Levels the Playing Field

If this episode gets you fired up about blogging, get on the waitlist for my blogging mini course!  It launches this Black Friday and you can grab it for up to 60% off!! I’ll show you how to create strategic, SEO-friendly blogs without burning yourself out. Let’s make blogging your business’s best-kept secret weapon!

Listen to my episode on SEO here:  https://dearkatebrandstrategy.com/podcast/simple-smart-seo-practical-tips-for-improving-your-websites-search-rankings/

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Learn more at Howyoupicturedit.com

Transcript

ATR2100x-USB Microphone & Kate 15pro Camera: 0:14

When was the last time you had a question about something and went straight to Instagram? Probably never. Right. You went to Google and that's exactly where your potential clients are going to they're there searching for your industry, your services and their problems. Here's the thing while everyone's chasing trending audio and perfect reels, they're missing out on the one type of content that works for you long after you hit publish. Content that shows up exactly where your ideal clients are searching for you. I'm talking about blogging. And before you roll your eyes or click away, stick around because I'm busting Six myths. That might be costing you clients right now. Hey friends, I'm Kate with dear Kate branch strategy. Today, we're diving into why blogging. Isn't just another thing you have to do. And why it's most likely the most important thing in your marketing arsenal? Here's what we're covering. Why blogging isn't dead and is more important than ever going into 2025. the truth, about how long it takes to see results. Y you don't need to be a writer to blog effectively. How to make blogging work with your existing content strategy. And the game-changing way to make blogging work even harder for you. Whether you've tried blogging before and given up, or you've been putting it off thinking it's just too overwhelming. This video is for you. Let's bust these myths. Myth number one, blogging is dead. This is the biggest one and I hear it all the time. And it's mostly from people who are all in on social media. And it just couldn't be further from the truth. websites with a blog have 434% more index pages than those without. That's a lot and what that really means you have 434% more chances to show up in a search result, then websites without a blog. Think about it when you need a service, where do you go? Instagram? Maybe sometimes, but most often it's going to be Google. And guess what shows up in Google blog posts not tiktoks, not Instagram carousels. Blog posts. Blog posts, give us a place to share our expertise And meet people where they are. Myth number two. Blog content is one and done. This is just not true at all Your blog posts are not single use content They're the foundation of your content strategy. One blog post can turn into Multiple Instagram, carousels or static feed posts. They can turn into reels. email sequences, YouTube videos. Lead magnets and more. all of that social content email can point back to your website, helping you grow traffic there And show Google that your content is valuable, Increasing your rankings even more. Myth number three, it's faster to post on social media than to write a blog post. Okay. Let's be honest. How long did you spend making that carousel post last week? You still have to research the idea. Come up with all of the copy, the caption, design the post, and that takes a long time on Instagram sometimes. then you post the carousel and maybe it's just not the right timing for the algorithm. It doesn't hit. Right. It doesn't see the right people. And that post is gone in like a 24 hour cycle. When you transform that content into a blog post, it lives on your website for years and Google drives traffic to it. So that quick win we feel, when we post something to Instagram and get likes or comments on it right away is really misleading because it's not really providing us anything in the longterm. We're not getting the clients from it. We're getting feedback and engagement, but it's not necessarily bringing us clients. Myth number four, you need to be a great writer to blog. The truth is if you can talk about your business, you can blog about it. And here's an insider tip. You don't even have to write. You can record a video and get it transcribed. you can turn your podcast episodes into blog posts. You can use voice to text to get your ideas and thoughts out onto the paper. And you can use AI to then transform that into blog content. That's going to hit people just at the right place. Plus when you write, like you talk, it's more engaging People relate to it more and it builds that know like, and trust factor. Myth number five, I've tried blogging before and it just didn't work. I hear this one a lot. typically it's something like I tried blogging for a month and I didn't get any inquiries. Or. I shared all my client galleries, but nobody found them. I get it. When you're putting in the effort, you want to see results. But here's the thing. Blogging is a lot like growing a garden. You can't just toss some seeds out and expect a harvest. Next week, You've got to prepare the soil and that means optimizing your website. You've got to plant the right seeds, which is like creating strategic content. You've got a water at consistently, meaning post pretty regularly. And then we've got to give it time to grow. We've got to give Google some time to crawl our site. Start serving our results to different audiences and see who it connects with. Typically it takes about six months to see traction on your blog posts when you're working consistently at it. But I promise it pays off in the long run. When I started blogging for my photography business, I didn't see results right away, but I kept at it and focused on things that my clients were looking for. I didn't have a ton of sessions to blog. So I learned to blog other topics. like what to wear or how to prepare for your session. those were things that people that needed my services were looking for. I have posts that are years old now and consistently bring me in inquiries into my photography business, even though I'm not currently marketing it. This is exactly why I created my blogging mini course, Cause, I don't want you to spend months figuring this out through trial and error. Like I did. In the course, I walk you through exactly how to Find topics, your ideal clients are actually searching for. Create content that converts readers into clients. and build a sustainable blogging system that doesn't burn you out. whether you join the course or not. Here's what I want you to remember most after about six months of consistent strategic blogging. Things start shifting. Your posts will start ranking in Google and bring in steady clients for you. And honestly, the people that come from those blog posts are people that are already qualified. They're ready to buy. They're warm leads, and it's so much easier to book them. And they're typically more ideal clients then somebody who found you on an Instagram post or in a recommendation. Think of every blog post as a little employee working for you, 24 7. They might start out as interns, but give them time and the right training. And they'll be bringing clients to you 24 7. Myth number six, only big businesses benefit from blogging. This last myth might be my favorite to bus because it's absolutely the opposite of the truth. Small businesses Have an incredible advantage when it comes to blogging. Here's why. Google doesn't care about the size of your business. They care about providing helpful relatable content to their users. And that's exactly what small business owners like us are perfectly poised to create. Think about it. When someone searches for information about your services, they're not looking for that corporate jargon or generic advice. They want real insights from someone who understands their needs. as a small business owner, you can Share authentic stories and experiences. Provide specific local expertise. Connect with your audience in a personal way. And offer unique perspectives from actually doing the work. And the best part, the know like, and trust factor you build through bogging can actually help you outrank those big businesses and corporations. Especially in local searches. You don't need a massive marketing budget Or a team of expert writers. You just need to understand some basic principles of SEO. and share helpful relevant content.

ATR2100x-USB Microphone: 6:54

Speaking of SEO. I know that it might sound super overwhelming and technical, but it can actually be much simpler than we think. I break down the basics of SEO specifically for creative entrepreneurs, just like, you know, complex jargon, no confusing tech speak, just practical steps to help your blog posts get found by your ideal clients. You can find that podcast episode linked in the show notes below it's called simple, smart SEO practical tips for improving your websites. Search rankings. You'll find it again in the description in the show notes below here. I can't wait to talk to you over there. Have a great day.