In a lot of ways, a blog is to Internet marketing what a spleen is to the human body. In other words, most relatively-informed people will know you need one, even if they can’t exactly say why.

This matters a great deal because lots of blogs aren’t doing the jobs they should be. But, the companies that have them aren’t doing anything about the problem because they aren’t truly sure what sorts of results they should be getting. They know they need a blog, but they couldn’t give you a convincing reason why that’s the case.

To help you understand what your blog is really for – and to help you fix yours if it’s underperforming – here are a few key benefits you should be getting from your posts:

Your Blog Should Attract Search Traffic

The one thing your blog absolutely must do is add numerous topical and keyword-rich pages to your website. That, in turn, builds your search visibility and moves you high on Google’s rankings. It takes more content than business owners realize to make an impact in search engine optimization, but a few weeks or months of steady posting can make a very significant difference.

Your Blog Should be a Source of News and Ideas

One thing you should never forget is that your blog articles aren’t just there to serve as “keyword holders.” While search visibility is always part of the equation, your blog article should be readable, informative, and timely. In other words, your blog should be something that prospects, vendors, and even colleagues would turn to in order to find out what’s going on in your industry.

Your Blog Should Build Your Credibility

When you have lots of interesting and well-thought-out articles on your blog, a funny thing happens: not only do searchers arrive at your website, but they come away impressed with your ideas. That builds your credibility (as an individual and/or company) and increases the odds that prospects will decide to work with you in the future.

Your Blog Should Encourage Conversations

While a blog can start to feel like an online diary, the truth is that it should be something closer to a two-way conversation. What that means is that you want to encourage others to comment, and you should follow up on those comments. When you do, your blog becomes a source of lively discussion, and you benefit with lots of extra fresh, topical, and keyword-rich content at the same time – and that starts the whole process all over again.

If your blog isn’t performing these four jobs, then it isn’t working nearly as hard as it could be for your company. And if that’s the case, why bother posting at all?

The answer isn’t to get rid of your blog, but to make it more effective. That requires fresh posts on interesting topics, the right formatting, and lots of targeted calls to action. If you have questions about the way these pieces should fit and work together, maybe it’s time to schedule a consultation with our creative team.