Though there is some debate about how often a business should blog, one thing’s for sure: blogging once a year just isn’t going to cut it.

The primary thing that you have to think about when considering blog frequency is what the purpose of your blog is.  Is it just going to be there to inform people about new products and services that are coming out every once in a while?  Or are you creating this blog with the intention of making it grow and attracting new readers/leads/customers?

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Before Frequency Comes Content

I have to make one thing very clear here: if the content on your blog stinks, then it doesn’t matter how frequently you post.  If no one wants to read what you have to say, then who cares if you post once a day, three times a week, or once a month?  No one’s reading it.  Before you get too wrapped up in how often you need to come up with ideas and quality content, focus on the content itself.

The Theory Behind Blogging Frequency

The best way to think about blogging frequency is to think about your blog as you would a newspaper: if a newspaper continually published the same articles day after day, would you buy that paper?  Probably not.  The same principal applies to your blog.  If you are dishing out the same stale content day after day, or not updating frequently, then people won’t visit your blog.  If you constantly have a flow of quality, new, and valuable content on your blog, then you’ll get repeat visitors, as well as boost your SEO and have a higher rate of organic traffic too.

What’s that about SEO and Organic Traffic?

That’s right.  As mentioned in our free eBook, “Website Redesign 101”, blogging frequently and regularly will give your website a constant and much needed SEO boost.  There really is no easier way to always have fresh and compelling content on your site than by updating your blog.  Search engines like Google and Yahoo! love websites that always have fresh content and will tend to put them higher up in search rankings than any website that has stale, old content.

For more on the importance of optimizing your website for Google, download our FREE eBook, “Google’s Latest Algorithm Hates Your Website.”

So… How Often should I Blog?

If you want your blog to grow and to give you a strong web presence as well as a strong following, then you want to post as frequently as possible.  So how frequent is “frequent” enough?  Here are some rough numbers for you:

For Maximum Website and Readership Growth

If you really want your blog to work hard for your website, then you’ll want to post multiple times a day.  By multiple I mean 3-5 times a day or more.  This will keep a constant flow of regular readers coming through to your blog every couple of days (if not several times a day), as well as give the search engines a flow of brand new and exciting content which will boost your search engine rankings.

For Steady Website and Readership Growth

This is a good target for a business that has its website up and going already, but still needs a bit of tweaking and tinkering here and there.  Try to post a new blog once a day.

For Slow Website and Readership Growth

I only recommend this option for any website that isn’t too interested in having a strong web presence.  If you want to grow slowly, or if you don’t expect most of your client base to be online, publish on your blog at least 2-3 times a week, and at least once every 3 days.

For Crawling Website and Readership Growth

If you post 2-3 times a week, then you will have what I would call a “hobby” blog.  This type of blog is present with no intention of growing the readership or online presence.

Tips for Fresh Blog Content

I know what you’re thinking; 3-5 times a day? How the heck am I supposed to find time to write those blogs?  One option is to hire on a professional inbound marketing team or blogger to provide the fresh content.  If you choose to write the blogs yourself, then it’s important that you keep on top of what is going on in your industry.  This will give you a ton of great blogging ideas and keep your content relevant and topical to your niche.  Check out forums, other blogs, and social media sites too for additional blogging ideas.

If you’re thinking about hiring an Inbound Marketing Agency, be sure to  check out our FREE eBook, “10 Reasons to Hire An Inbound Marketing Agency.”

Key Takeaways:

The bottom line is, the more frequent you blog, the better it is for your online business.

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