Your Blog Isn’t Just a Blog – It’s an SEO Powerhouse (When Done Right)

20 May

There’s a rumour floating around that blogs are dead. That in the age of short-form video, AI, and TikTok attention spans, nobody reads anymore. But I can tell you from firsthand experience - that rumour couldn’t be further from the truth.

Sure, the way we blog has changed. But if you know how to use your blog well - on your website and on platforms like LinkedIn - it becomes one of your most powerful tools for SEO, thought leadership, and actually building trust with the people you want to reach.

Let’s break down why, and how you can make your blog work smarter.

Blog Content = Search Engine Fuel (the Good Kind)

At its core, a blog is a way to answer questions people are already Googling. Not hypotheticals, not clever marketing speak; real, nitty-gritty questions your clients and customers want help with. That’s why blogs are still one of the best ways to show up in search results - especially the kind of “long-tail” searches that are specific and less competitive.

We once worked with a boutique builder who only wanted leads from the southeast suburbs of Melbourne. So we created blog content based on the kind of things local people actually Googled before starting a build. Think:

Tin vs. tile roof: what’s better in Melbourne’s climate?
Brick or weatherboard: which is more sustainable long term?
What’s the average time to build a custom home?

Not only did these blogs show up in search results - they popped up in Google Snippets, those handy answer boxes right at the top. And even years after the business wrapped up, the blog traffic still trickles in. That’s the magic of answering real questions with helpful, localised content - it keeps giving.

LinkedIn Blogs: Your SEO-Boosting Secret Weapon

Now here’s something not everyone realises: LinkedIn blogs are their own SEO opportunity. Unlike standard posts (which disappear in a day or two), blogs on LinkedIn are indexed by Google—and they show up separately to your profile.

That means when someone Googles your name or expertise, your blog post could be what they find first. And the bonus? You don’t need to create brand-new content. Take a blog you’ve written for your website, tweak the intro slightly, and republish it as a LinkedIn article. No SEO penalty. No extra work. Double the value.

We do this all the time with our clients - especially those in professional services. The trick is keeping it personal. Nobody wants to read a university essay or a bland industry overview. Instead, write like you speak, and share a story.

The Unexpected Blog That Went Viral

One of my favourite examples is a blog we helped a client write at the airport - literally. She was heading to Hong Kong with her husband to thank him for supporting her business journey. She quickly texted me a few lines about the trip and how grateful she was for his support.

We turned it into a short, honest blog about the power of having someone in your corner when you’re growing a business. No call to action. No clever sales pitch. Just heartfelt gratitude.

It exploded.

People loved it because it was real. And guess what? That authenticity brought in leads - because people saw who she really was behind the brand.

Don’t Write for Algorithms. Write for Real People.

One of the biggest traps with SEO is writing for Google. You end up with a soulless, keyword-stuffed wall of text that nobody actually wants to read.

The best SEO comes from writing for humans. When you’re honest, helpful, and a little bit vulnerable, people connect. And when people spend more time on your site (we call it “hang time”), Google takes notice.

We saw this with a sports dietitian we worked with years ago. She wrote blogs like:

Should I follow a vegan or carnivore diet?
What should I eat the week before a marathon?

Years later, with zero updates to the site, those blogs still drive organic traffic. Why? Because they’re genuinely helpful - and that’s what search engines want to serve up.

A Tip for Busy Professionals

If you’re in professional services, chances are you don’t have hours to sit and blog. That’s why we use voice notes to get content down fast. I do it myself. I’ll talk for five or ten minutes, then hand it to my team to shape into a blog. You can still review and tweak it, but it saves 80% of the time.

Plus, the result is content that sounds like you; not something an AI spat out or your assistant cobbled together from old brochures.

Final Thought: You Don’t Need to Be Everywhere - Just Useful

You don’t need to blog every week or pump out endless content. You just need to be strategic and useful.

Write about the things you know. Answer the questions your clients always ask. Share your perspective. And put it somewhere Google can find it - your website and LinkedIn.

When done right, your blog won’t just improve your SEO. It’ll bring the right people to your door, already warm, curious, and ready to work with someone they feel they already know.

SEOBloggingAndrew Forde-ttractionSearch engine optiomisationblogging for SEO

Andrew Ford

Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.

http://www.andrewford.com.au/