Blog Benefits

[NileCruises]

I read a very interesting answer by Andy Solo to a previous question in which he replied:

"Use your blog to create some Tips & How-To's, optimize those blog entries for the long tail keywords and soon enough your blog will be the gateway into your website.

Learn how to target longl-tail keyword searches and how to analyze keyword competition to find the right niche blog posts to create".

With my own company site, www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk which has a long-standing blog attached, www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk/blog I always felt that the blog content greatly aided our top positions in Google.co.uk.

However, over the last 12 months we have slipped right down page one and I wondered if the blog is still helping our site or if the emphasis/value has switched and Google is looking at a lot of other factors where we score badly?

Colin

[NileCruises]

Thanks Andy.

[Andy.Drinkwater]

Don't worry too much about the EMD update Colin as this only really comes into effect if someone has a site named the same as a search term, but doesn't have anything much in terms of content to offer.

Andy

[NileCruises]

Thanks Andy.

I think the Panda and Penguin updates might have affected us and worry about the website name containing the main search term, although there is little I can do about that.

I think that my SEO efforts are being maintained but I will take your advice and look more closely at what I'm doing.

Thanks for your help.

Coli

[Andy.Drinkwater]

If you are noticing a slip Colin, it might help to see if this coincides with an algorithm update. Rarely will a site drop in the SERPs for no reason, and having a blog isn't going to do this on its own.

Have you had a look for issues that might relate to Panda or Penguin? How much SEO have you been doing? Do you think you might have been trying too hard?

It can also be because other sites are performing SEO while you have just been writing blog posts, you might have missed an update that required some additional work.

There are so many possibilities why this can be, but it is always worth starting with a look at the ones that cause the most issues.

Andy