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There are lots of good reasons to blog, the main one being when blogging is done right, it earns traffic and links to your website.

But why is that? How does blogging earn traffic and links? And why does it matter?

Blogging Earns Traffic

Think about how people search.

Blogging earns traffic because it puts the words your audience searches for on your website. If you write about the people, places and things your audience cares about, you’ll put relevant language on your website. The more sought-after words you have on your website, the greater the chance you’ll be eligible to rank when one of your peers, prospects or customers is searching for them.

It’s just simple odds.

An Example

If I type “why blogging earns traffic and links” into Google, 27.4 million results are returned.

results of a Google search for

That means approximately 27.4 million indexed pages and posts on the Internet contain the words (or a semantic equivalent of the words) “why blogging earns traffic and links” and are therefore eligible to rank (because Google knows about them and they’re relevant).

Obviously, not all of them can rank on the first page of search results, but if they want to earn any sort of traffic at all, the first step is to ensure their content contains the sought-after language. Blogging grows the content on your site and, in doing so, increases your chance of showing up in search results for more and varied language. As that grows, so does the potential for increased blog traffic.

Blogging Earns Links

Once you’re eligible to rank because your site contains relevant content, the next step is to earn your way to the top.

Web pages and posts that have lots of incoming links from respected and popular sources rank well because incoming links signal content popularity and authority to Google. It is one indication that your site might deliver quality content because an outsider has effectively recommended you to their readers. If someone has willingly linked to your content, it’s a vote of confidence in Google’s eyes. It boosts your rankings.

Done right, blogging can help you earn ranking-boosting links because you end up giving people the information they want, when they want it. You’re not in their face marketing anything. You have a passive blog that’s just sitting there, freely giving away the information they’re after.

Blogging earns links when you provide original, high-quality content when people are searching for it. Blogging earns links when the information you provide is better than that which can be found anywhere else on the web. Blogging earns links (and trust!) when you do not ask anything in return – you freely give away that which they seek.

If you are sincere, personable and help solve real-world problems for people, they will bookmark, link to and share your content. They will remember you and come back to your site when a similar situation arises. They will recommend you to others.

Why It Matters

Blogging earns traffic and links when it targets the right audience and gives them the information they want and need.

When your content contains the words people are searching for, you are eligible to rank. When it is helpful and memorable, people will bookmark, link to and share your content, earning your additional exposure and repeat visits. Links and repeat visits signal popularity and authority to search engines. The more popular and authoritative your content is perceived to be, the higher it ranks.

It’s a big circle.

What you do you think? Have you had visitors tell you they found your site because it contained the exact words they were searching for? Have you bookmarked helpful content only to return to it again later or recommend it to a friend or colleague? Let us know what’s worked for you. We’d love to hear from you.