Do blogs get SEO bonus?

[simonlondon]

Hello,
I probably know the answer but if I could just get this confirmed. When we talk about how you should have a blog for good SEO, we are talking about creating awesome content regularly and promote them right? Does it mean that that thing, whatever it is, has to be named blog? Or, do you have to use a popular blogging tool, like wordpress? What if I have a resources section on my site where I regularly publish useful content? They only difference I see, apart from the name, is I may not be displaying publishing date.

Could you settle it for me once and for all that Google doesn't give any favour to the tool you use or the anchor that has "blog" in it?

Thanks,

[keyplyr]

Do blogs get SEO bonus?

No

...you should have a blog for good SEO

Don't know where you are getting that advice, but I disagree.

First, it depends on what you mean by SEO. Typically SEO means Search Engine Optimization, however many (if not most) of SEO techniques no longer are effective as the SEs have moved on and rank differently now.

However, I do agree with your assumption that creating new & rich content often is a good thing.

[goodroi]

Blogs aka CMS aka content management systems like wordpress can help you rank better. This does not mean blogs get special treatment. This is more about blogs having many SEO benefits built into them so they can help make it easier to optimize your content for better search rankings. For example, blogs have trackback functionality which can help build backlinks to your site. Blogs also tend to make it very easy for your internal content to be interlinked (via archive pages, previous post links, breadcrumb trails, etc). Google does not really care about the keyword "blog" unless a user includes the term "blog" in their search term.

Google and users like to see fresh relevant content. You can do this manually with static html or use a blog. If you follow SEO best practices you will have about the same chance of ranking well regardless of how you publish your website.

[Storiale]

The benefit of a blog is to provide a place to allow you to write and post useful content. That content, when conducting proper outreach, will attract readers and also a certain percentage of readers will link to your blog post - and therefore your site (if the blog in on the same domain name).

This CAN help with building popularity to your site and if your popularity and content is better than your online competition for certain keywords, you will outrank them for those keywords.

So if you are running a site for a plumbing company, it is very likely that you will beat your online competition (other plumbers) in the rankings if you are blogging weekly and providing useful content, answering question of potential customers, posting videos of how to fix things...and the like. Why? Other plumbers aren't doing that, so by default you have the best site, more links to the site and therefore will be given higher rankings for local keyword phrases [city+service] (moline plumbing company), (moline plumbers) and the like.

When you are in a city with a lot of competition like new york, the requirement goes up because everyone is competing for top ranking so they naturally are trying to create more links, more content, etc.

A blog helps to create that content, but it is one way to do it. Google has said that they do not favor a platform. However, there are things about certain platforms that affect ranking. For example, speed in which those pages render, does the platform allow mobile responsiveness?, clean code, using text (not certain types of JavaScript), and the like. However, every platform can be used to be optimal.

I hope this helps!

[martinibuster]

When we talk about how you should have a blog for good SEO, we are talking about creating awesome content regularly and promote them right?

Correct. What makes that content awesome is how useful it is to the users of your product or service or to those who are likely to recommend it.

Does it mean that that thing, whatever it is, has to be named blog?

Does not need to be named blog. The word blog simply means Web Log, like a public diary. That's the origin of the word blog. The name of the section could be anything that accurately describes the section. One way to think of it is to consider the benefit a reader will derive from that section and simply name it accordingly. Another way is to name it exactly what it is, News, How To, Tips, Learning Center, etc.

Or, do you have to use a popular blogging tool, like wordpress?

Doesn't have to be WP. WP is just the way you publish it, like choosing which typewriter to write with. Use whatever works best for you.

What if I have a resources section on my site where I regularly publish useful content?

If that makes sense for your users, if that's what they will find the most useful and helpful then that's what's best.