Search engines are getting smarter every day.   Keywords and meta tags are no longer enough to drive traffic to the website for your small business.  Search engines are looking for real, relevant and timely content.  The best way to do that? Blogging. That’s why we include blogs into every site we design.

You know  you should be blogging regularly but have no idea what to talk about every day. It’s okay, we’ve got you covered. We believe in continuous ongoing education for all of our website design clients, so we’re offering a crash course on blogging strategies for our second seminar in the Press Refresh series. We’ll talk about why you should blog, what you should blog about and how to get the most bang for your buck from the blogging process. Join us for this fun, interactive workshop February 21, 4:00 at the Roundpeg offices, 1003 E. 106th St, Indianapolis.

Press Refresh is a series of classes offered on the third Tuesday of every month. These courses are open to any past Roundpeg web design clients. It’s our way of helping you keep your website relevant and viable as a part of your marketing toolkit.

Effective blogging starts with a strategyand an action plan. If you don’t have a plan in place, you should, and we can help. Join the Roundpeg gang and let’s talk. This is a class web clients won’t want to miss!

For more information on the rest of the Press Refresh series or to register, click here. We hope to see you soon!

Over the years we have written quite a few blog post about blogging.  Here are just a few you might find helpful :

• Blogs build better web sites 
• The 70 / 30  Traffic Rule
• Blogging Made Simple

The Roundpeg blog is four years old. In that time, the blog has evolved and expanded, partially because my writing style has changed (although Allison will argue my use of commas hasn’t) and partially because I have added other voices to the mix.

This was not my first blog. Indy-Biz.com and LorraineBall.com both preceded it. With Indy-Biz for local news and LorraineBall as an outlet for my humor and occasional rant, Business Notes from Roundpeg was a “serious” business blog.  It was filled with checklists and links to informative articles. The tone was formal and the content was solid. Unfortunately, it was a little dry and kind of dull, like reading a textbook.

I started reading lots of blogs on marketing, social media, web and graphic design and  technology. The ones I returned to over and over again blended information and personality. While they often included formulaic  lists (10 ways to do anything) they did it in an engaging way, which held my interest. I started to copy that style as I worked on my voice.

It took me a while to get comfortable letting my personality come through my writing. Once I did, I no longer needed to maintain a separate blog for my rants. If something  is wrong, I share it here, always looking for the lesson to make it relevant to my readers. The posts were easier and more fun to write. And the more of “me” I let come through the blog, the more popular it became.

Adding guest posts and features from the entire Roundpeg crew expands our voice, allowing us to offer something for everyone. It also  means I don’t have to write as often. While I miss the challenge of creating something new every day, it is nice to take a few days on a post if I really want it to be memorable.

The informal voice may not be right for everyone. Lawyers and accountants may struggle more to find the balance.  The key is to find a style which is natural for you.

Stumped for blog content? Think about the questions your customers ask you again and again. These FAQs are a great source of blog content. Typically, companies create a page of FAQs. While this is helpful, you are missing out on the SEO benefit of this content.

According to Michael Gray putting one question on a page or post works much better. He says:

Unless your questions and answers are very short, ideally you want to create a single page optimized for each question, this gives you the ability to create narrowly focused posts around specific keyword phrases that will rank better and drive more traffic.

Some of these posts may be very short or not as popular as other.  That is fine you can create a summary post like we did for Randall Beans, with links to each question.  Another strategy is to create a custom search. This will work if you are using a custom menu which allows you to link the search to the navigation bar.

How to get started? The next time you find yourself answering a question in an email, stop. Is this something other people will find valuable? If so, you have the makings of a blog post.

Dr. Greg of Leo’s Pet Care used this strategy recently. We were talking about treatment alternatives for our office kitty, Maybee. He researched and wrote a post about her condition. I read the article before I went to see him, so I was more prepared for the conversation. And the next time he is asked about this issue, Dr. Greg can simply send the link.

Do you have FAQs?  Do you have the answers written down? If so, you have great content for your next few blog posts.

Roundpeg, an Indianapolis social media firm, helps our clients construct blog calendars, brainstorm content to keep their readers coming back.

Fact: The Internet is filled with jerks. The anonymity and the faceless nature of the Internet seems to unleash something deep inside people. They’ll spew venom and hate about everything from the most trivial (your favorite TV show, for example) to the most important (politics and religion) to the most personal (you, your business, your profession). They’ll post things that are flagrantly untrue, hurtful or just foul and full of profanity and lies. And just as it’s easy for them to pound out a scathing attack on something you hold dear, it’s incredibly tempting to sit down and immediately pound out a devestating counter attack.

Don’t. Stop. Wait.

Why? Because if you let that flaming response fly, you might wind up looking just like the owner of Boner’s Barbeque, who posted a profanity-laced tirade against a customer who left a negative Yelp! review, complete with a photo of the customer in question. The company instantly became an Internet laughing stock, the poster child for how not to deal with customer service issues on social media. But the problem goes far beyond customer service: it goes to the heart of how we see people and interact with them in the digital world. Because we can’t hear their voice or look into their eyes, we suddenly give ourselves license to say and do things we would never, ever do in the physical world. So the next time you’re faced with a blog post or social media comment that makes your blood boil for any reason, follow these simple steps:

1. Remember, it’s just the Internet. I know this runs counter-intuitive to a digital marketing company that makes its living selling people on the importance of the Internet, but at the end of the day, one negative comment isn’t going to sink you. What might, however, is your response. Remember: it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

2. Weigh the pros and cons of responding. If someone has written a negative review or comment about your business, you need to respond quickly and helpfully, without anger. However, the whole issue gets a lot more complicated when you just read a blog post that pisses you off something fierce and you just HAVE to show the other person how wrong they are.

Before you hit “reply,” stop and think about what leaving that comment will really accomplish. Is it going to reflect well on you? Is there actually any chance that it might persuade someone to change their view? Is it going to help you get new business? If the answer is “no” to all of these questions, ask yourself what you’d really be accomplishing by responding, besides making yourself feel better.

3. Give it a positive spin. If you must respond to a negative blog post, be better than your opposition. That is, don’t respond with a relentlessly negative attack from which no one walks away unscathed. Instead, look at the post for lessons, and respond to them in a positive way.

Recently, an Indianapolis business owner came to me for advice on dealing with a blog post about his industry that made him furious. I encouraged him to take what made him mad about that post and turn it into an educational, positive post for his clients. Transform someone else’s hatred into something useful, and you’ve truly won the day.

Remember: Breathe. Stay cool. Recognize that arguing on the Internet rarely ends well, and you’ll keep your online reputation on course.

Do you have an idea for a great blog post?   Today I am going to suggest you think about the numbers to help make it successful.

1.   Word Count – Finding a balance is tough. Posts that are too long (1,000 words or more) lose all but the most committed readers before the end.  Posts that are too short (less than 250 words) don’t offer enough content or key word density to attract the attention of the search engines.

So what’s the magic number? I typically shoot for between 300 – 500 words. I don’t let word count drive my post, but a quick look at the number in the lower left hand corner of my screen keeps me on track. Too long, I probably have a second post in the works. Too short, I might need to do a bit  of research on to expand this topic. ( More on this topic from ProBlogger) 

2.   Length of the Title  - Keeping your title under 70 characters has two key benefits. First, it is easier to share the title with a link on Twitter. With a limit of 140 characters, a short title and short link can easily be retweeted without losing content. Also most search engines will crop your title at 70 characters.

3.   Links in Your Post  - Internal links in your posts drive readers to other related content. External links build community by making connections to other relevant sites. But how much is too much? How little is not enough?  While SEO MOz says you can have up to 100 links on a page, this is clearly overkill for the average reader. Scribe SEO encourages you to have at least one relevant link near the top of your post.

So what is the right answer? I typically think one link per hundred words works well. It shows the post is well-connected without being overwhelming. When you add a link, be sure to include a trackback as well.

4.   Numbers in the Title – People like simple answers. The promise that you can solve their problem in just 5 easy steps is too tempting to pass up. Blog posts with numbers in the title get more traffic. Look at top social media information sites like Copyblogger and ProBlogger, and you will see titles that look like this:  5 Suggestions for…, 3 Ways to… , 7 Quick tips… The problem? I don’t often write linear posts. If there are no lists, it is hard to have a numbered title.  I won’t sacrifice a good title just to add a number. I simply use this tactic when it makes sense.

At the end of the day, none of these other tricks will make a bit of difference if you don’t offer good content. If the article isn’t well-written, thought provoking, funny or smart, no one will share the article anyway. So follow the rules if they make sense, but never let them get in the way of creating a truly great post. I actually wanted to call this post “5 strategies,” but only came up with 4 ideas, and the post was getting long.  What would you add to this list?

I don’t have time. I don’t have anything to write about. I’m not a good writer. No one would really read it anyway.

Stop the excuses. Stop the hand wringing. Stop the over-thinking. Your small business  needs to be blogging, and if you’re not, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to reap benefits from organic search engine optimization, social media and client good will.

You probably know the reasons you should blog, so let’s just hit the Cliff’s Notes version: it fills your site with useful keywords for search engines used in a natural way. It gives you great content to share on social media which helps drive traffic to your site. And it helps establish you as an expert among clients and prospects.

So why aren’t you doing it? It probably falls into one of two categories: you’re lazy or you’re afraid.

If it’s laziness, let me share some statistics that might spur you forward. We recently started ghost blogging for a small business. They’d never posted a blog on their website–ever. Simply by creating a blog post with great organic keywords and sharing it on social media netted them their best single day traffic numbers in the history of the site. We’ve had other clients triple their submission rates on contact us and other submission forms.

If it’s fear–fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of writing, that’s a harder nut to crack. But please refer back to the title: just blog, dammit. What’s the worst that can happen? If no one reads it, you’re just out a little time (and you need to rethink your strategy). If everyone hates it and attacks you for it, hey, you’re getting attention, creating conversation. There’s value there. If your writing isn’t any good, how will you ever improve it if you don’t just write? If you just need guidance, there are lots of great free resources out there, or you can pay for personalized help to steer you in the right direction.

Whatever your business, it can benefit from blogging. So stop making excuses and blog, dammit.

In Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner built a baseball field to watch the ghosts of old baseball players. Why? Because a voice told him, ”if you build it they will come.”  I loved the movie, but it was just a movie.  The simple advice doesn’t always work in real life.

As we wrap up web design projects we tell our clients, “we built it, but now you have to drive traffic to it.”  That is where blogging comes in.  The steady stream of regular content gives a website owner something to share on social platforms and something new for Google to index and present in search results.

As a starting point, begin adding content. Write about industry trends and company events. Share pictures of products and customers. Once you have a foundation, you are ready for advanced blogging tips:

• Start with a Good Title - Keep it short but interesting
• Promote it through social media – In order for this strategy to be effective, you have to build a community or following first
• Pay attention to what your readers like – Check your stats, look for clues in search terms and popular posts.  If one theme seems to generate the right type of response, add more of the same types of posts
• Connect to other relevant blogs – The inspiration for this post was an article by Jack Humphrey on the Friday Traffic Report
• Add photos – And be sure to title them appropriately. The visual images attract visitors through search, and engage them as they scan your blog
• Engage with visitors.  When someone posts a comment on your blog, respond. And if they have a blog, take a minute to visit their site as well

Want to learn more about blogging for small business owners? Join us for one of our two blogging seminars – Blogging Basics on 2/23  which is part of our Winter seminar series. Of if you are a Roundpeg web client, attend a smaller, more focused session as part of our PressRefresh Series on 2/21. These programs are offered at no charge by Roundpeg, an Indianapolis social media firm providing web design and marketing services for small business owners.

So, how is this Friday the 13th treating you? We’ve had another busy week at the ‘Peg. Our first seminar of 2012 was sold out and several of the other upcoming seminars are already sold out so don’t delay signing up if you’d like to participate. Of course no matter how busy we do carve out time to blog. Check out what made it into the Roundpeg blog-o-sphere this week:

Saturday – Faces of Roundpeg: My Coach Matt
After resisting the idea of a sales coach for years, Lorraine succumbed to Matt Nettleton’s charm

Sunday – Know Thy Busines
Allison explains why it is important to know your business…strengths, weaknesses and boundaries.

Monday – Korea Taekwondo Academy – Breathe out the Old, Breathe in the New
One of our newest website redesigns, KTAUSA.com gets a fresh new look.

Tuesday – Are You Really My Friend If We Just Chat Online?
The relationships are real, just different.

More Than a Few Words: No Bullshit with Erik Deckers
Conversation about social media users who are serious about using this tool as part of their business marketing strategy.

Visiting A2 University
Lorraine had fun chatting with Troy Hanna ( @the funsalesdude) on the new A2 University podcast.

Wednesday –  Pinterest: The Next Big Thing or a Waste of Time?
Allison explains why she thinks Pintrerest will be “the next big thing in 2012″.

Thursday – From Real Time to My Time
Perhaps a change for the better in 2012 would be better time management? Check out how Lorraine is making this change.

Friday – I’ld Rather Be Fat….

In response to a blitz of follows and friend requests from IndyFitEverything, Lorraine suggests that this is not perhaps the best strategy for small business owners.

Headlines are my least favorite part of writing. It can be incredibly hard to come up with a good one that grabs the reader’s attention, gets them to click and read your beautiful posts, is short and to the point and maybe even has some kind of SEO advantage.

Heck, I didn’t even come up with this post’s headline–Lorraine did.

But even though they can  be frustrating to write, headlines are one of the most important parts of writing. So here are a few hints, tips and tricks for writing blog post titles that’ll get your post read:

• Keep it short. Today, one of the best ways to promote your blog post is via social media where brevity is everything. If your headline is a bloated monster, it won’t fit into a tweet and isn’t easily shareable. But even more than that, readers have short attention spans. If you can’t tell me in a few words why I should read your blog post, how good can the main event be?
• Lists. Lots of social media expert types are rolling their eyes at this suggestion, but trust me, numbered list blog posts always perform well. People understand exactly what they’re getting, and know they’ll be getting it in short bites instead of huge text boxes. Are they a cliche? Maybe. But they’re cliches that get clicks.
• Negative. This goes against what a lot of people innately feel, but negativity rules in blog headlines. Go ahead, do some A-B testing with two blog titles. For instance, we could say “Do Your Blog Headlines Suck” vs. “Does Your Blog Headline Rule?” Same content. I’ll put folding money on the sucking headline getting more traffic. Why? It plays on people’s fear of failure or their interest in seeing other people’s failings. Failure is just more interesting than success.
• Be true to yourself. Since this blog has many different writers, you’ll notice very different headline styles. For instance, Lorraine loves to use metaphors and similes. I like dumb pop culture references and questions. Jenna tends to be very straight-forward and descriptive. None of these are wrong, they’re just different. Don’t force yourself to conform to any one kind of headline. Write what makes sense for you and your brand, and the rest will fall into place.

This blog, Business Notes from Roundpeg is almost four years old.   Every now and then it is fun to go back and look at some of the early posts, to see what’s changed and what remains the same.

I found this on a post from January 2008

The rules of the web design are changing.   Key words and meta tags are no longer enough to drive traffic to the website for your small business.  The search engines are getting smarter and they are looking for real, relevant and timely content.  Constant updates to your website can be difficult, expensive, and impractical, but incorporating a blog as part of your site will accomplish the same thing.

At the time, this was a relatively new idea, as most business websites were static, brochure sites.   While many companies have incorporated blogs into their business web page, many have not.  I am surprised at how many clients come to us, even now, four years later, without a blog.

Part of the original post was a link to this list of  Ten Keys to Getting Your Blog Right.   The author’s suggestions still ring true.  If you want to have a successful business blog:

1. Have a Goal
2. Understand Your Audience
3. Know What is in it for Them
4. Write Right
5. Readable Blog Posts
6. Link to Peers and Give Credit
7. Encourage Comments and Debate
8. Find Your Audience
9. Measure
10. Take Time

Are you still sitting on the sidelines?  If you are ready to add or update your blog, Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Web Design and Social Media firm can help.