10 Things People Actually Google About Blogging for Their Business

Blogging
Written By Natalie Davis

If you've ever typed "how do I start a blog for my business" into Google at 11pm, you are NOT alone. Blogging is one of those things that everyone tells you to do, but almost nobody tells you HOW to actually do (or why it even matters in the first place).

But that’s not how I roll around here! I’m very much the blog writer and strategist that tells you to pleaseeee blog for your business, but I also don’t leave you hanging on how the heck to do it. 

So even though I already have loads of content about blogging for your business, I decided to look into what people are actually Googling and round up the top questions!

You can consider this your one-stop shop for everything you've been wondering about blogging for your business, so let’s get into it.

10 Things People Want To Know About Blogging For Their Business

What is the purpose of a blog for business owners?

This is a great question to start with because a lot of people think that the only reason you need a blog for your business is for SEO purposes. But if there’s one thing that I believe to my core as a blog writer and strategist, it’s that blogs serve SOOOO many more purposes for business owners than just SEO benefits. 

Now don’t get me wrong – SEO is a huge purpose of blog content for business owners. When you blog consistently, you do have a higher chance of ranking in search results for specific things. 

But in addition to that, blogs also serve the purpose of:

  • Building a home base of content you actually own – unlike social media (aka rented land, where the algorithm can change the rules overnight), your blog lives on YOUR website, working for you 24/7.

  • Establishing you as a go-to expert in your space that people can rely on for education, information, and guidance

  • Warming up your audience before they ever hop on a sales call or hit "add to cart”

  • Nurturing your email list with long-form value that builds trust way deeper than a 15-second Reel ever could

  • Giving you content to repurpose across email, social, and Pinterest, so you're never staring at a blank page wondering what to post

  • Answering your people's questions (and objections!) before they even have to ask, which makes the whole buying decision that much easier for them

What are blog content pillars and why do I need them?

Blog content pillars are foundational categories or themes that your blog’s content strategy is built around. They represent the key areas that your blog covers and give you an easy way to organize and structure your content, so that your audience can easily find what they need at any given time!

Your blog content pillars serve 3 main purposes:

  • Organization

Blog content pillars provide a framework for organizing your blog content under specific themes, making it easier for your readers to navigate and find the content they’re most interested in.

  • Content Strategy

Another way to think about your blog content pillars is “content buckets.” Your pillars essentially guide the type of content you create and allow you to brainstorm topics much more easily! 

  • Brand Strategy 

Your brand strategy is the foundation of your brand as a whole and includes things like your brand purpose, values, mission, differentiation, positioning, and your target audience.

All of these things play a huge role in the types of content you create, which is why your blog content pillars should ideally stem from your brand strategy by reflecting the core themes of your brand, thus helping you stand out in the crowded online space.

For a deeper dive into blog content pillars, CLICK HERE!

What are different types of blog posts that I can create?

One of the best parts of blogging for your business is that there’s so many different types of blog content you can create, which keeps things entertaining and fresh for both you and your audience.

In fact, I always tell people that if they’re feeling bored with their blogging, it’s likely because they’re writing the same types of blog content all the time and it’s time to switch it up!

Here’s a general list of types of blog posts that most business owners create:

  • How-To Posts

  • Listicles

  • Educational / Informational

  • Interview Style Content 

  • Diary Style Content 

  • Checklists

  • Case Studies

For a deeper dive into each of these types of blog posts, CLICK HERE!

How do you come up with blog topic ideas?

This is a question that keeps a lot of people from starting a blog for their business because they “don’t know what to write about.” And while sometimes, it’s totally real for writer’s block to hit, most of the time, you’re simply overthinking it.

The truth is, you likely already have more topic ideas than you think – you just need a system to pull them out!

Here's where I'd tell you to start:

  • Go back to your blog content pillars. Every pillar can spin off 10+ topics on its own, so this is always my first stop when I'm brainstorming for a client.

  • Steal from your inbox and DMs. Whatever questions your audience is asking you on repeat? That's a blog post. This literal blog post you're reading is a perfect example!

  • Peek at "People Also Ask" on Google for keywords related to your business. It's basically a free brainstorm dump from the exact people you're trying to reach.

  • Think in seasons and launches. What's coming up in your business over the next quarter? Reverse-engineer blog topics that support it. (This is one of the key steps in my signature blog planning process that I follow for myself and clients and what I teach others to do!)

  • Repurpose what's already working. Turn your most popular Instagram post, email, podcast episode, etc. into a longer-form blog post.

And if brainstorming topics on your own still feels like pulling teeth, that’s what I’m here for! I have a custom blog strategy service called The Manuscript that’s dedicated to this very thing – click here to learn more!

How do I write a good blog post?

Writing a “good” blog post most often means that your content is formatted and structured in a way that’s easily readable for your audience, which also just so happens to be something that’s important for SEO too!

Here’s the format that I recommend people follow when writing blog content:

  • Attention getting, CLEAR title with appropriate keywords 

Your H1 title, which is the title that will display on your website, should do 3 things:

  1. Grab the attention of your audience

  2. Clearly convey what the blog is about

  3. Include appropriate keywords so Google can index your content accordingly

If you struggle with titling your blog posts, CLICK HERE for a free resource that can help!

  • Introduction paragraph

Before you dive into the main point(s) of your blog post, you want to tell the reader what they’re about to learn.

The main goal of a blog post introduction is to captivate and engage your reader and entice them to KEEP reading! The introduction is essentially your hook that sets the tone for the content that follows.

  • Subheadings

If your blog post has multiple points (and most of the time they will), this is where your subheadings (H2 + H3) will come into play.

The main purpose of subheadings in your blog posts is to enhance readability and improve the overall structure of your content. Subheadings break down the text into smaller, organized sections, making it easier for readers to scan and navigate through the entire post.

  • Main body text

The main body of your blog post will contain the bulk of your content and elaborate on the overarching topic at hand.

Each subheading will make up a portion of your main body text and should include relevant information for your main topic, examples, anecdotes, statistics and other insights that deliver value to your reader and guide them to a solution for their problem.

  • Visual elements

Incorporating visual elements such as images, infographics, charts or videos when applicable can enhance your blog post and make your content more appealing.

When you include visual elements, it allows you to break up your main text and really illustrate the concepts that you’re trying to convey.

  • Conclusion with a relevant call-to-action (CTA)

Conclusions are one of the things that I see people skip the MOST in their blog content! But they are truly one of the most important parts of a blog post because it summarizes what you just told them and it tells people what to do next with a strategic and relevant CTA. 

For a deeper dive into this blog post structure, CLICK HERE!

How long does it take for a blog post to get traffic?

I wish I had a magic number for you, but the reality is it depends! Most blog posts start picking up real organic traffic somewhere in the 3-6 month range, but it can take longer if you're brand new to blogging or working in a competitive niche.

I know that's not the instant gratification we're all used to with social media, and that's the very reason why so many people give up on blogging before it has the chance to work.

But here's the thing to remember: blogging is a LONG game, not a hamster wheel. Every post you publish keeps working for you in search results long after you hit "publish," which is very different from a social post that has a shelf life of about 48 hours or less.

The businesses who win at blogging are the ones who commit to being consistent and trust the process, even when the results aren't instant. Slow and steady really does win this race!

How can I increase my blog readership?

Once you have your blog posts live, the goal shifts from "publishing" to "getting eyeballs on it," and readership really comes down to a mix of consistency + quality + a little strategy. 

If you’re wanting to increase your blog readership, I’d recommend:

  • Publish on a consistent schedule

There’s some blog strategists out there who say consistency doesn’t matter when it comes to blogging, but I believe otherwise! In fact, I believe in it so much that the first step of my signature blog planning process involves choosing how many blogs you want to publish per month. 

And there’s no right or wrong answer here. Your blogging cadence solely depends on your time and capacity in a certain season and whether that’s monthly, weekly, bi-weekly or something else, showing up consistently builds momentum (and trust with Google) way faster than sporadic posting ever will!

  • Write with your reader's search intent in mind

If you want to get more eyes on your blog content, it’s important that you’re creating content around the things that your ideal audience is actually searching for. Again, this blog post itself is a great example of this! Everything you’re reading right now is based on what I know people are actually looking for. 

With that said, I do want to reiterate my belief that you shouldn’t just blog for SEO purposes, meaning you aren’t just basing your blog topics off of keyword research alone. I always advise people to create a happy medium in your content by including the 3 main different types of blog content in your blog plan. 

  • Make your posts skimmable

This is one of the biggest pieces of feedback I always give my Writer’s Room members when reading their content each week. 

When it comes to blog content, readers decide in seconds whether they're going to stick around, so strong subheadings, short paragraphs, and a clear structure go a long way. This is why following this blog post structure and formatting is so important!

  • Link your posts together

This is SUCH a big tip and can increase your blog readership a ton! Internal linking between related blog posts keeps readers on your site longer and helps Google understand your site is a legit resource.

It’s for this reason that I will continue to preach blogging consistently because the more blog posts you have, the faster you’ll grow your blog content bank, which means the more opportunity you have to link your posts back together, which is the ultimate goal!

  • Properly promote your blogs once they’re published

Lastly, if you really want to increase your blog readership, one of the best things you can do is actually encourage your audience to go read your content once it’s published. I talk more about how you can do this below!

What’s the best way to choose a blog title?

Titling blog posts is one of the most common things I see business owners struggle with and I understand why – it often feels unimportant or like something that just needs to be checked off the list, but your blog post title is actually one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. 

As briefly mentioned above, a great blog post title should do 3 main things:

  1. Grab the attention of your audience

  2. Clearly convey what your blog is about

  3. Include appropriate keywords so Google can index your content accordingly

A common mistake I see is that people will treat their blog post titles like email subject lines or social media hooks. And while you of course want your titles to be enticing enough to catch clicks, you also want them to be CLEAR enough so that your audience knows exactly what to expect. 

If you stray too far from clarity in your blog post titles, you run the risk of missing out on blog post readers due to confusion.

For SEO purposes and for the sake of your audience being able to easily find what they want or need on your blog page as a whole, keep your titles clear versus cute!

Sooo, how do you do that? There’s 4 main ways to title a blog post:

  • Quantify It – Example: # Ways You Can XYZ (Real Life Example)

  • Provide a Transformation – Example: How To STOP ____ and START ____

  • Educate – Example: What You REALLY Need To ____ Before ____ (Real Life Example)

  • Spill the Tea – Example: HOT TAKE: insert statement that people typically disagree with you on (Real Life Example)

For a deeper dive into how to best title your blog posts, CLICK HERE!

How can I advertise or promote my blog to my audience?

One thing that I want more people to understand is that if you’re spending your time and energy writing and publishing blog posts in your business and not TELLING your people about it, you’re missing out.

Writing and posting your blog post is only one piece of the puzzle! The other piece is intentionally and strategically driving your audience to your blog to receive the ultimate value that you have to offer.

Here’s how you can strategically do that:

  • Connect your weekly newsletter to your blog post (here’s how you can go about this!)

  • Use Pinterest as a marketing channel to get your blogs on yet another search engine (YES, that’s right – Pinterest is not a social media platform. It’s a search engine and it’s literally MADE for blog posts! And pro tip: you can create 10-12 pins from one blog post alone.)

  • Marry your blog content with your social content and create dedicated social posts that push people to your blogs (here’s how you can go about this!)

  • Every time you post a new blog post, talk about it on Threads and include the link to the blog encouraging people to read it 

  • Run ads to a conversion style blog post 

How can I ensure my blog content initiates action?

And lastly, this is the question that separates a blog post people enjoy from a blog post that actually WORKS for your business – meaning people take some sort of action after reading it. But that can’t happen without telling them what action you want them to take. 

I can’t tell you how many times people skip this part of the blog writing process and it’s truly one of the worst things you can do! EVERY blog post, regardless of what the topic is, needs to include a conclusion with a relevant and strategic call-to-action (CTA).

Here’s how to go about it:

  • Give every post ONE clear next step

It’s tempting to offer multiple actions for your audience, but when you can, it’s best to simply include one best next step. Whether that’s booking a call, buying your offer, subscribing to your email list, or even downloading a relevant free resource – pick one!

And then after focusing on that one main CTA, if you want to do a roundup of ways they can stay connected with you, that’s fine too. But for your blog post conclusion purposes, pick one CTA and focus on that so that your audience can avoid decision paralysis.

  • Match the CTA to where your audience is at

Someone that’s brand-new to your audience likely isn’t ready to buy your offer, but they are much more likely to join your email list, read another relevant blog post, or download a free resource. 

So keep that in mind based on what the blog topic is and who it’s intended for. For example, if you’re writing a blog post with the intent to reach more people through strategic keywords, you’re likely going to draw in people who have never heard of you before. That’s a cold audience, which means they probably won’t respond well to a “buy now” CTA. 

But if you’re writing a nurture style blog post that’s more intended for those who are already familiar with you, they might be more likely to explore your products or services. 

For a deeper dive into the different types of blog content and their purposes, CLICK HERE!

  • Make it feel like a natural next step, not a sales pitch

When it comes to your blog content, for the most part, you want your CTAs to feel like you're simply continuing the conversation with them, not slamming them with a sales pitch right away. 

  • Actually ask

It sounds almost too simple, but so many business owners write an incredible post and then just... let it end. People don’t want to guess what they need to do next – they want to be guided there and that’s your job! Simply tell your reader exactly what to do next and you’ll be surprised by the actions they start taking. 

If you struggle with knowing what CTAs to include in your blog posts, this free CTA Master List can help you out!

Ready to finally start blogging for your business?

So there ya have it, my friend – 10 things that people are actually wondering about blogging for their business!

My hope is that with these answers you finally feel confident enough to start blogging for your business (or get consistent with it).

And if you’re searching for more blogging related resources, you’re in the right place – here’s how I can continue to help:

And if you’re looking for more hands-on support for blogging in your business, CLICK HERE to learn more about my blog writing services for business owners!

New to my world? Nice to virtually meet ya. 👋 I’m Natalie, but everyone calls me Natty (you can too) – blog and email writer for creative business owners and service providers. 

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Natalie Davis
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