You may prefer to keep your business blog entries short and sweet—and to a point, there’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t forget, though, that some readers may come to you looking for in-depth thought leadership—and if you help ‘em out, Google just might return the favor.
Julia McCoy comments on the need for long, in-depth, evergreen content in a recent Search Engine Journal post, noting that crafting in-depth and relevant content is not only a good strategy, but—really—it’s non-negotiable.
“Long content ranks better in search engine results, allowing its creators to improve their online presence, boost conversions, and gain superior social engagement and authority,” McCoy writes. “If you’re dying to find out what Google is looking for in today’s content world, you should know that in-depth, relevant content is an indispensable asset that will always stay in fashion for a number of reasons.”
So you need some evergreen posts, then—content that’s thorough, detailed, lengthy (but not rambling!), and made to stand the test of time. We’re talking about posts that are 1,000 or 1,500 words at a minimum, and that address topics that will always be of interest to your audience—nothing too trendy or of-the-moment.
But what are some examples? Consider these six examples of evergreen posts that all small business owners can create.
How-to guides. Did you know that how to searches are among the most prolific on the Internet? People like to use Google to develop their skillsets and figure out how to solve their problems—so if you can guide your customers through a particular issue or challenge, that’s likely to be a popular post!
Lists. A good top 10 or top 20 list never goes out of style. The Top 20 Small Business Apps, the Top 15 Best Accounting Principles, the Top 10 Home Improvement Mistakes—pick a topic that’s relevant to your brand and get listing!
Definition posts. Consider the merits of a post like What is Inbound Marketing? Said post could include a basic definition, some examples, a list of the pros and cons, a guide to getting started—the possibilities are endless. Definition posts can be great ways to provide audiences with an overview of what you do.
Opinion pieces. These may be harder to pull off, but a controversial or unorthodox point of view can lend itself to a really compelling opinion column.
FAQs. Keep track of the questions your customers ask you, make note of the ones that get repeated, and compile a database of common questions along with your answers.
Curated posts. When all else fails, you can build a big post simply by putting together some relevant links, along with summaries or snippets, that all hit on a particular topic—i.e., a collection of great articles on a given subject or issue.
Evergreen posts are the foundation on which your SEO and content marketing success is built—so start composing some today! For help, contact the Grammar Chic team at www.grammarchic.net or 803-831-7444.
The Red Ink 