There’s a song by 80’s popstar Shakin’ Stevens called ‘This Old House’, and it goes, “Ain’t got time to fix the shingles, nor to mend no windowpanes’—a shabby house is not a good look. Neither is it a good look when the blogs on your website date back months or even years. It says something about you, and it’s not flattering.
When you look at a house where the paint is peeling, the cladding is weathered and warped, and the garden is overgrown, it doesn’t leave you with a good feeling, does it? The unmaintained house ‘brings the neighbourhood down’, will likely sell well below market value, and, importantly, says something about the occupants.
Like a house that is not maintained, a website with blogs that were last updated months, even years ago, carries a message about your business. It suggests you couldn’t care less that you don’t practise what you preach, and that you may be inconsistent (these are non-verbal cues). Of course, in most cases, that isn’t true, but arguably perception is everything.
Consistency builds trust. Prove yourself reliable, and people will be more likely to do business with you.
- Inconsistent behaviour, no matter how small, suggests (even subconsciously) that we may lack the necessary professionalism.
- Lateness or tardiness (a form of inconsistency) raises doubts about your ability to achieve deadlines or outcomes in the given time frame and budget.
- Failure to keep up to date with anything questions your relevancy and suggests that your business is behind the times.
An up-to-date blog, however, suggests that you are moving with the times, that you’re up to date with the trends and that you are on to it.
Google loves fresh content too. A new blog shows Google that somebody is home. It moves your website up in the search results for relevant keywords and phrases.
A fresh blog also attracts visitors and is proven to increase website traffic. According to research by HubSpot, websites with blogs get 55% more website visitors than those without. Sixty per cent of people read blogs at least once a week.
Your competitors probably do not blog, which creates a gap for you to meet Google searches better than anybody else in your industry. A well-written, informative blog gives you the credibility of an expert.
A word about ChatGPT. Would ChatGPT have joined the dots between ‘Shakin’ Stevens’, a shabby house, and out-of-date blogs? Unlikely.
ChatGPT is a good average writer, but it is soulless, and people are beginning to recognise AI work—the word is that Google and other tech companies are working frantically on algorithms to counter AI work, leading to a loss in SEO rankings.
I am a journalist, writer and PR consultant by background. I will interview you once a month—it takes 15 minutes—and write a blog that is bespoke and personal to you. It’s unique. It’s your message. A custom monthly blog costs $450 per month excluding GST or (if you sign-up for 12 months) just $350 excluding GST ($4,200 excluding GST for the year).
To talk about keeping your blog up to date with consistent, relevant and informative content custom to your business, email [email protected]