How to Blog as a Small Business in 2024
In 2024, blogging is moving at a super rapid pace, with big changes in SEO, AI integration, and content strategies. It’s no longer enough to publish keyword-stuffed, generic content to get noticed by Google. But if you are interested in keeping up with the changes and are ready for the challenge, then this blog is for you!
To thrive as a blogger today, you must stay updated with the latest best practices in writing for search engines and your audience. This article will walk you through how AI has changed the blogging space, what Google now values, and how to build a kick-ass effective blog that ranks well and engages your audience.
Side note: I have personally have decided that this year (2024) will be the year where I set out to learn as much as I can about SEO, Google Ads, and Newsletters so that I don’t need to rely on the ever changing social media world for my business.
Ok lets get into it!
The Rise of AI in Blogging changing the content creation game
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has drastically altered how bloggers create and optimize content. Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) have transformed the writing process, making it easier to generate content even faster. With AI writing becoming increasingly common, human oversight and authenticity are more important than ever.
AI Content Creation: Many bloggers use AI tools to outline, draft, and even write entire posts. While these tools are convienent, Google's algorithm is becoming better at detecting AI-generated content and ranking human-authored, authentic, high-quality content higher.
Human touch doesn’t just feel nice to humans; it also gives Google’s algorithms a little extra love: Google's recent updates to its search algorithm focus on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). AI-generated content lacks the nuanced experience that real writers bring to the table. For instance, a travel blogger sharing personal tips or a marketer explaining strategies from their own experience will rank better than generic, AI-generated copy.
AI should be an Assistant, Not a Replacement: While AI can assist with tasks like research, editing, and outlining, it should not replace the unique insights and great personality that a human writer brings. Google rewards blogs that provide real value to readers, written from an authentic voice. Plus, you don’t want your business to come across like a robot owns it!
What the Google machine is looking for in 2024
In recent years, Google's updates have focused more on user intent, experience, and relevance. Understanding these key factors is important if you want your blog to appear high in search engine results.
User Experience (UX) and Engagement: Google now places higher importance on how users engage with your content. This includes, time on page, bounce rate, and interaction with multimedia elements. A blog that readers spend more time on, interact with, or share is more likely to rank highly. SO don’t forget those share buttons!
Helpful Content Algorithm: Google's 2022 Helpful Content update highlights that quality content wins. Google wants to see valuable content that is clearly written for its readers and not for the search engine.
E-E-A-T is muy importante: Google places increasing emphasis on E-E-A-T. To rank well, your blog must demonstrate:
Experience: First-hand knowledge and real-world experience on the topic.
Expertise: Deep knowledge in your field, supported by accurate, up-to-date information. (So put the date in your blog title like I did)
Authoritativeness: Cited sources, expert contributors, or well-known authors in the field.
Trustworthiness: Accurate, honest information that can be trusted by the reader
Keywords in 2024
In the early days of SEO, simply stuffing your blog post with keywords was enough to rank highly. In 2024, keyword usage is far more nuanced. While keywords are still important, the focus has shifted to natural language and search intent.
Search Intent: Instead of simply sprinkling your post with specific keywords, you need to understand the search intent behind those keywords. Are readers looking for an in-depth guide, a quick answer, or a product comparison? Catering your content to fulfill this intent helps boost rankings. So figure out how you reader wants to learn this information.
Long-Tail and Conversational Keywords: With the rise of AI and voice search, long-tail keywords and conversational phrases are now critical. AI tools like Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) use natural language processing to match queries to results. Including phrases that mimic how people speak in real life can improve your chances of being featured in rich snippets or voice search results.
Topical Relevance and Keyword Clustering: In 2024, it’s important to create content clusters around a topic. This means that you should be writing on different angles of one subject and linking them all together. Literally.. link your blogs to one another. Google will start to look at you like you are the master of your topic and it will improve your overall rankings.
Including Multimedia Integration
Yes, even in our written content we need to be including entertainment! Because in 2024, Google is not happy with text alone. Google increasingly rewards multimedia-rich content that includes images, infographics, videos, and even interactive elements.
Videos and Infographics: Embedding videos, infographics, or slideshows can make your content more engaging. Tools like Canva can help you create visuals that complement your blog posts, making them more attractive to both readers and search engines.
So, how can you stay visible in 2024
A solid blog needs more than just great content—it also requires technical SEO to ensure Google can crawl and index it properly. While technical SEO can get complex, the basics are essential for every blogger.
Page Speed and Mobile Optimization: Fast-loading pages are non-negotiable in 2024. With more users accessing the internet on mobile devices, Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing. Your blog needs to be optimized for mobile viewing and have a fast loading time to avoid penalties from Google.
Core Web Vitals: Introduced by Google, Core Web Vitals focus on user experience metrics like page loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Ensuring that your blog meets or exceeds these metrics will help maintain and improve rankings.
Structured Data: Using structured data (or schema markup) can improve how your blog appears in search engine results. Structured data helps Google understand your content better and enables features like rich snippets, which can significantly increase your click-through rate.
Blogging Without Social Media
For bloggers who want to avoid relying on social media, blogging, SEO, and email marketing are the foundation of a robust digital strategy. While social media can help grow an audience quickly, a blog-driven approach helps build a long-term, organic audience.
SEO-Focused Blogging: As discussed, writing optimized, high-quality content is crucial for attracting organic traffic from Google. The more valuable your content, the more likely it will rank over time.
Email Marketing: Build your email list with content upgrades like downloadable guides, checklists, or eBooks. Sending out newsletters or promoting new blog posts via email ensures a steady stream of traffic, even without social media.
Guest Posting and Backlinks: Increase your blog's authority by contributing guest posts to relevant websites in your niche. This helps with both SEO (by gaining backlinks) and building relationships with other bloggers.
The conclusion
Blogging in 2024 is all about adaptability friend. With AI shaping content creation, Google focusing on high-quality, user-centric posts, and the need for multimedia integration, bloggers must evolve their strategies to stay relevant. By focusing on E-E-A-T, optimizing for AI and voice search, and delivering valuable, engaging content, you can thrive in this new era of blogging.
