How many times have you hopped on the internet to look something up and stumbled across a well-written, informative blog post that answers your question and then some? Blogs (a portmanteau of the words “web log”) are online spaces where you can share text, photos, images, and videos. They can be casual or more formal, and successful blogs are updated on a regular schedule (at least monthly or bi-weekly for best results). Most blogs are primarily text-based, but in recent years a new term, vlog, has also emerged. Vlogs are “video blogs.” While both are important, we’ll be talking about traditional text-based blogs in this article.
Blogs for SEO
Blogs are great for SEO purposes. One of the criteria Google uses in its algorithm when looking at the credibility of webpages is how recently the site has been updated. A site updated a week ago is going to perform better than a site last updated in 2015 because it means the owner of the site is still actively engaged in running their website. Blogs are an easy way to update a website regularly.
Blogs are also excellent for targeting keywords. You can use them as evergreen content (content that is always relevant), or you can make time-specific posts that relate to events, seasonal trends, or time of year. For example, blogs about metal types or engagement ring styles would be evergreen content, while a post about the best graduation gifts would probably be best to post in April or May.
You can find keyword search volume by time of year in order to post your blogs at the best possible time.
Blog Content
What to Post
Your blog is yet another aspect of your site that can be tailored to your clients' needs and wants. If you host a lot of events, you might consider writing blog posts to either promote the event before it happens, or to recap it afterwards and encourage those who didn’t come to attend the next event. Talking about the brands your carry or the skills of your jewelers is a great way to highlight what makes your store unique. Use your blog to share your store culture and build your brand.
Blogs are also great for educational content; from informing readers about different metal types and the properties of each to providing guides to natural vs lab-grown diamonds, you can use your blog to discuss jewelry topics unique to your store or widely applicable topics with your perspective and spin on them. These often do well for SEO purposes, because they answer commonly-asked questions. Incorporating target keywords into these posts is a breeze!
A helpful strategy for generating content is to write a blog series. A series revolves around multiple aspects of one topic, such as a guide to the pros and cons of different types of engagement rings (natural diamonds, colored gemstones, moissanite, lab-grown diamonds, etc).
When thinking about what to post, consider who your customers are and who you want to attract as potential buyers. Do you see a lot of couples looking for engagement rings that don’t have a clue what they want? A post about the basics of fine jewelry might be applicable for those clients. Well-informed clients may prefer blogs about store specialties, new brands, or seasonal trends you love. Whatever you post, remember that you’re the expert, and clients want your opinion!