• Write down your ideas the moment you get them- If you’re anything like us you’ll have days where you can’t stop thinking of ideas and sometimes you’ll have days where you can’t think of a single topic. Write down your ideas no matter what time of day they come to mind and keep a “just in case” list handy for when your writer’s block strikes.
• Always have a list of at least 10 interesting, relevant topics- One of the toughest parts about blogging is that you have to keep up with the latest topics and trends. Thus, sit down at least once a week and ensure that you have at least ten relevant, interesting topics on hand to write about. Once you write about one of them cross it off your list and immediately replace it with another relevant topic. This will help ensure that you never run out of ideas.
• Before writing your blog make a bulleted content outline- Sometimes it’s easier to come up with a blog title than it is to develop interesting content. We suggest taking ten minutes to sit down with every topic you plan on writing about to outline the best points to emphasize in your blog. This will help keep your blog organized and make it easier to write (not to mention save you time).

Now, while blogging is a great asset to any website it’s equally, if not more, important to make sure that you are properly utilizing search engine optimization. SEO will help your blog gain popularity and have a widespread audience. What does SEO do exactly? It helps your blog appear more frequently in search engines, making it readily available to those searching for information on a given topic of interest. Below are just a few simple tips that will enable your blog to heighten its SEO.

• Refer to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines- For those new to SEO these guidelines are straightforward and easy to follow. Outlining the dos and don’ts of how you should be handling your site, these guidelines will help you reach a broader, larger audience.
• Use social media to your advantage- Social media and blogging have a strong relationship, often feeding off of one another and starting (or continuing) a given conversation. Use social media sites, such as Twitter, to your advantage to help share not only links to your most recent blogs but also start conversations about a given topic of interest. This will help you create a stronger relationship with your followers/readers and spread the word about your blog in general.
• Choose the correct search phrases in your blog- A great way to increase SEO is to include frequently searched phrases in your pieces. By developing your content around such phrases your site will be sure to appear more frequently in search engines. Use tools like www.wordtracker.com to help you better understand exactly what phrases and words your target audience is searching for on a regular basis.
• Make your blogs link worthy- A great way to appear more frequently in searches is to have your blogs be link worthy. What does this mean exactly? Make your content so interesting that other sites reference it throughout their sites and articles. The more your blog is linked the more frequently it will appear in searches and the more popular your blog will become.

1) Increases SEO
If you desire for search engines to include you in their list of favored websites, you must provide a good amount of content, especially content that is updated regularly.

2) Increases credibility
When you take the time to create content that shows knowledge of your industry, potential clients or customers will gain the impression of your authenticity and the credibility of your business.

3) Increase traffic
Blog posts are generally short and thus can be shared easily through social media tools. This frequent occurrence of your site’s content provides an SEO boost to your e-commerce website, which generates more traffic.

4) Free
If you already have an e-commerce website, the addition of a blog can be cost- free. Most blogging platforms are free for you to host on your own servers. It’s a good idea to employ a website designer to streamline the look of your site and blog, especially if you do not have basic HTML or php knowledge.

1) Limited or no time/ resources
Notice pro item number 2 above. This same reasoning applies in reverse form. If you cannot invest the time to maintain a blog, your business will appear defunct or out of touch. Either impression is obviously not one you want to convey to potential clients. How much is enough? Posting once a week, or even once a month, is generally acceptable. If you cannot commit to at least this frequency, it is best to wait on a blog until you have the necessary time or resources.

2) Nothing to Say
Do you want the traffic and increased SEO, but lack the ideas for content? If so, it’s best to hold off on the addition of a blog to your site. Potential clients are not looking to read your memoir in blog form. Rather, your blog should include valuable information about your company or industry. Still don’t have any idea leads? Check out your competitor’s sites or other blogs in the industry.

The good news is that even if you lack the time or ideas, there are professional writers who will take on your blog for as little as $10 a post. Price generally depends on the technicality of your desired content and the experience level of the blogger.

Blogs can require a significant investment of both time and resources for some businesses to keep up-to-date and maintain.