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So you've got your new website. The experts say you need to update your website regularly in order to engage your audience and to help with your search ranking. But what should you write about?

Many businesses just don't have the time to come up with creative blog posts, nor do they have the time to brainstorm ideas for their website. In light of this fact, we've compiled a few ideas to get you started.

There are two methods for updating the content in your website:

Update Your Static Content

Static content refers to the pages on your website that rarely change. For example, static content on your website might include the company "about us" page or the "services" page that outlines the services your company offers.

To keep your content fresh for search engines, make semi-regular updates to the following static pages:

1. Update Staff Profiles - Have you hired new staff? Has an employee departed? Update your staff pages regularly.
2. Company Information - Have you added your company's mission statement, history, listed possible job openings?
3. New Services - Have you defined all of the services and products that your company offers? Make sure you clearly outline all services in your content with relevant keywords to optimize for search engines.
4. Community Resources - If you're involved in your community, you can highlight those connections in a simple page.
5. Case Studies - Has your business provided a service or product that has had a significant impact on a customer's life or business? Write up case studies with customers that highlight them. Not only can these help with SEO, but they can also prove to be valuable sales tools.

Regular Updates: Once you've gone through the list above, it may be hard to find new ideas. Don't worry---you don't constantly have to add new content to the static pages in your website. Just review the content in your website every 2-3 months to make sure that it's current. Tweak the content slightly, edit a sentence here or there. This will help!

Update Your Blog

Blogs are extremely popular with search engines these days. Companies like Google are in the business of content. The more you update your website with quality content, the more importance Google places on your website. It's as simple as that.

One of the easiest ways to update your website with this type of content is via your blog. Here are a few easy points of blogging inspiration:

1. Tent-pole Articles - Once a month, you should produce a "tent-pole" article that focuses on your business or product. This single blog post should be focused on your area of expertise. For example, if you are an insurance agent, you could write a blog post that explains some of the major changes to healthcare insurance that are coming in 2014. Make a complex problem or topic simple for your customers.
2. Community Programs - One of our clients sponsors an "Athlete of the Month" program. They detail the program in a blog post and share to their Facebook and Twitter pages. It's an opportunity to highlight their community involvement and get searchable keywords into their website.
3. Highlight New Programs & Services - Whenever you update the products and services sections of your website, produce a 2-3 paragraph blog post that explains the new offerings and invites people to call you to discuss them. Articles like this can be shared to your social networks, promoting discussion and inbound links.
4. Seasonal Articles - If seasonal changes affect your customers, write articles that offer advice and tips that correspond with the season. The hospitality industry and service industry can greatly benefit from writing "top-10" type blog articles in relation to seasonal/how-to topics.
5. Holiday Posts - Like sending a seasonal card to your customers, a simple blog post for major holidays can be a great way to stay in touch with your customers. Give a recap of the past few months, highlight new programs and services, or make a compelling offer to them (while avoiding any hard-sell techniques).

Regular Updates: One way to get into the habit of blogging is to involve your staff. Find people who like to write and have them help you produce content for the blog. Start a "Blog Idea Board" in your office and reward employees for writing articles that get the most hits with a Starbucks card. Keep it fun and you'll avoid getting burned out.

Blogging Services

Despite these helpful tips we've provided above, many businesses are simply too busy to create regular blog updates or changes to their website's static content. Should you find yourself in this position, we'd like to invite you to contact us via sales@avelient.com or by calling 888.333.3731 and talk to us about our copy writing and blogging services!

Questions? Discussion?

We'd love to hear your questions about blogging, and your ideas for keeping your content fresh!