Where do you find blog topics?

Blogging drives results for business owners.

Google and other search engines strive to deliver the best possible answer to every question, every day. To do that, their spiders are constantly looking for new, relevant and comprehensive information.

Well written blogs provide a steady stream of information for search engines to index and present to potential customers.

So is it worth the effort?  According to SEO expert Neil Patel, companies which blog drive 67% more leads than those who don’t. The data is there, if you want more inbound leads you need to have a regular blogging schedule.

How do you find blog topics?

Blogging takes time. but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming if you break the process down into manageable steps. Brainstorm a list of topics.  The hardest thing about blogging is staring at that blank sheet of paper trying to decide what you should be writing  about. The answer is pretty simple, write  about the things that you know that your customers don’t.

Once you have have a list of topics start collecting pictures and data to help  you flesh out the topic when you are ready to start writing. Looking for some suggestions on potential topics?

Start with industry trends. Customers like to know you’re staying up on the latest industry information. Are there new laws, regulations or technology which will change the way thigs are done in your industry?  Share what  you’ve discovered in your research and how  it will impact your customers. .

Next, look for frequently asked questions.  Dive into your email and find the questions you answer over and over again.  Write a blog post to answer it. The next time the question comes up, you’ve already got an answer.

Write features on new employees . This is  a great way to introduce  customers ito  the people behind your business.  This is especially valuable in home service companies where you will be working inside a customer’s home.

Don’t forget to talk about what you do. Certainly focus on new products and services. also include case studies and testimonials,

Stand out with content only you can write.

At last count there are more than 500 million blogs.  With everyone writing and trying to grab attention for their blog post, how do you get to the top of the pile?   It isn’t by copying what everyone else is doing . Readers will probably scroll right by another post entitled  “10 Ways to Do “X.”

You need to bring your unique perspective and maybe a sense of humor to the subject. Some of my best posts connect marketing to pop culture with topics like:

• Taking a Marie Kondo Approach to Your Files
• Conversion is the New Black

Quality over quantity.

With so many posts being added each day, you won’t stand out with a superficial, 400 word blog post.  Write fewer, more content rich blog posts.  Instead of four short posts a month, write one really long one, with great photos and several social shares.

Not only will this take the pressure off you, it will give you a chance to please search engines with content which hits top key words and some of the more obscure long tail phrases too.