YES! You can get featured in the news for FREE. Here’s how:
We’ve seen logos on the websites we visit for seen on Fox News, as seen on the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, Mashable Refinery, ABC. We see those little badges and we’re thinking, wow, this is a legit website. They know what they’re talking about. It builds immediate trust. I mean, you look more professional.
example what I’m talking about:
Who do I want that?
Well, you know, you can get those for free. That’s right. For free. I’m going to tell you how this website you can visit.
However, you can also pay for a service on there. I like to subscribe. You can get these email alerts for free or you can reach out to these field reporters. Here’s what’s going on with that.
Okay, so there’s about 75,000 journalists and bloggers that are looking for people like you that are experts in something, whether you are a dietitian, a doctor, a psychologist, a schoolteacher, an entrepreneur, an SEO expert like myself. There’s so many people that these journalists and bloggers are looking for to interview. Okay? These people are writing news stories. They want credible sources.
They want to give you in return a link back to your website, a mention of your name, your business, it helps them. It helps you. Everybody wins, everybody’s happy. You get a logo on your website. Yay.
Now that website is helpareporter.com. It’s known as horror as helping reporter out. They have, of course, there’s some subscription packages. You can join it for free. And this works, guys, you can join for free.
How it all works…
Sign up. You’ll get an email every day. It could be annoying, I know. But you can see in that email. Okay.
If you’re someone like myself, an SEO expert, I keep an eye out for my clients. I’m like, okay, I’m looking for anything for my psychiatrist lady. I can send her this email, say, hey, can you go ahead and respond to this reporter? He’s looking for a source. Do you want to write about this?
Is this worth your time? And the submission in this email, they will usually disclose which website they will feature this on, which could be a blog, it could be a major news outlet. It really depends if you’re new, if you need some good backlinks, I would go for anything. Guys. Just you want to get a website that is getting traffic, you want to be cited, you want that citation, that backlink.
It helps. Most of the time these links are permanent, but depending on the website, those links can get flushed out. I’m just being very transparent. I’ve had a link on sites like Market Watch. I am featured organically in the New York Times bustle Business Insider.
News reporter did find me through my content. That’s why I always stress having a blog, have content that potential news reporters can find on Google. They’ll want to ask your permission to cite your content. They want to use your name. A lot of times they’ll put your photo on their website.
Yes, I’ve had features in the news too
For my old beauty blog. It happened to me when I got discovered for the New York Times. They sent a field photographer out to take my picture. I got interviewed by someone on the phone. It’s in New York. It was a lot of fun.
I think every business owner should experience this. You’re an expert in your field, you want to get cited all around the world for your expertise and in return, you get to put one of those cute little badges on your website helps gain you that credibility. Once again that website I mentioned is helpareporter.com. I’ll have it linked in the description of this podcast. But looking at you guys you can always call up your local news.
If you have something new going on in your business call your local news station, let them know hey they might show up to your news. You want to be on the morning news. How fun would that be? And also if you want to go if you have deep pockets you can always hire a PR agency that can help you get something newsworthy to your business and published all over wherever you want. Those PR services are usually they’re going to run you could be a couple thousand or around $300 for one published post.
Yeah, it is what it is. So anyway it’s worth poking around checking out helperreporter.com. Go ahead and register. What do you have to lose? Get those daily emails to see if you can get your name, your website, your company mentioned in the news.
Did this work for you too? Please let me know!
It’s a lot of fun. Alright thank you so much for listening. Hope you have an awesome day. Tata.
BTW, 👋 I’m Jen Ruhman the queen of SEO.. 😂 sure why not? I have an SEO company in San Diego, CA. Called Jen Ruhman SEO. Feel free to check out my SEO pricing and hire me for my SEO services today!
If you’re still hesitating to implement email marketing, here’s the bottom line: email is one of the most cost-effective tools you have for nurturing leads, retaining customers, and building long-term loyalty. Unlike social media, where you’re at the mercy of platform changes, your email list is yours to own. You can use it to promote products, share updates, or simply keep your audience engaged with your brand.
Not convinced? Here are a few compelling stats:
Email marketing ROI averages $36 for every $1 spent. This is higher than almost any other marketing channel.
Emails reach about 85% of their intended recipients, compared to a fraction of that for social media posts due to algorithms.
47% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line alone. Imagine the impact of a great offer landing directly in your audience’s inbox.
Email marketing is still a must for business websites and even blogs.
There have been many claims email marketing is dead but guess what?
In fact, email marketing is still alive and doing well.
Heck, email marketing is still kicking butt for many businesses.
Why should You Collect Email Addresses?
Numero uno – your email marketing is the only platform YOU have 100% control.
That’s the sad truth. If you’re familiar with all the wonky algorithm updates on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, you know it’s true.
Second, an email address is still a great piece of contact information to reach your audience. Many people still check their email in the morning simply by skimming, deleting, reading, and opting to read later. Guess what? Just seeing your brand in their inbox rents a few seconds in that person’s mind.
Many people that visit your website are simply in research mode and not ready to be a customer – you need to keep in touch with them and reel them back in with email campaigns.
People don’t even need to read your emails for them to be effective.
They see them, think about you and carry on – or engage with your email. It’s a win-win.
As long as you’re not spamming them or being annoying with daily emails, email marketing is effective!
Heck, I get emails daily that I subscribed to years ago, some as way back to ten years ago. Do I unsubscribe? Yes but only if they’re annoying! Honestly, I don’t mind an occasional email. It shows your brand is alive and “keeping relevant”.
Third, people are not ready to do business with you. They subscribe because they like your services or products online, but they’re not ready to go forward. They’re waiting for a coupon or waiting to learn more; they’re simply in research mode. It can take as little as a few emails or even a dozen to get an email subscriber to convert into a lead.
How Do I Collect Email Addresses?
I recommend you use one of the following 100% FREE platforms using WordPress, you can add: Sumo Email Capture (the one I use on this site) or Bloom Email Optin by Elegant Themes. These two options simply help you collect email addresses in a pretty and functional platform. Design options such a popup that appears in the lower screen, content unlocks, ebook signups, and more! Next, you’ll need a place to create emails, especially automated emails hence the next step…
1 -Example of SUMO email capture2 – Example of Bloom’s email capture3 -Example of MailChimp’s email capture
How Do I Send Emails to My List?
My recommendation is the 100% free MailChimp. You can use this as an all-in-one email marketing solution by also using it to collect emails like Sumo and Bloom, but they’re not as pretty…yet! MailChimp is great at sending pretty emails using templates anyone can easily use. You can create an automated email response that drips scheduled emails. Or you can simply send out an email blast. Even better, have an automated email sent to your subscribers when you publish a new blog post.
What Do I Send to my Email Subscribers?
Sales – coupon codes HOT New items for sale Brand new blog posts Updated features added to your products / services Tips How-to guides for your products News about your business Happy Birthday Deals There are so many possibilities
Advanced Strategies to Level Up Your Email Marketing
Segment Your Audience
Not all subscribers are the same, so don’t treat them that way. Use segmentation to divide your audience into categories based on behavior, interests, or demographics. For example:
New subscribers
Frequent buyers
Inactive users
Specific product or service interests
By tailoring your messages to each group, you’ll see higher open and click-through rates.
Personalize Your Emails
Beyond just addressing your subscribers by name, personalize your content based on their past interactions. Did they browse a specific product? Send a follow-up email highlighting its benefits or announcing a sale.
Use Automation Wisely
Automation is a game-changer for email marketing. Tools like MailChimp or ConvertKit make it easy to set up workflows that keep your audience engaged without constant manual effort. Some examples:
Welcome emails: Automatically sent when someone subscribes.
Abandoned cart emails: Remind users to complete their purchase.
Birthday or anniversary emails: Offer special discounts or rewards.
Post-purchase follow-ups: Encourage reviews or suggest complementary products.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
Did you know that more than half of all emails are opened on mobile devices? Ensure your emails look great on every screen size by:
Using responsive templates
Keeping subject lines short (40–50 characters)
Ensuring your call-to-action (CTA) is clear and easily clickable
Build Trust with Your Subscribers
Your email list is not just a marketing tool—it’s a relationship. Here’s how to build and maintain trust:
Be consistent but not overwhelming. Sending 1–2 emails per week is usually enough to stay on your audience’s radar without being intrusive.
Be transparent about how often you’ll email and what type of content they can expect when they subscribe.
Provide value in every email, whether it’s a useful tip, an exclusive discount, or behind-the-scenes content that builds a personal connection.
Track Your Success
To make the most of your email marketing efforts, you need to analyze performance metrics such as:
Open rate: How many people are opening your emails?
Click-through rate: How many people are engaging with your content or CTAs?
Conversion rate: How many email recipients take the desired action, like making a purchase or signing up for an event?
Unsubscribe rate: A rising number here could mean your content isn’t meeting expectations or you’re emailing too frequently.
Adjust your strategy based on these insights to continually improve your campaigns.
Ready to Get Started?
Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for growing your business. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to revamp your strategy, I can help you implement a seamless system that collects email addresses, sends engaging content, and drives results.
Don’t wait—start building your list today and take control of your audience! Reach out, and let’s create an email marketing strategy that works for you.
Final Reminder: Social media platforms may come and go, but your email list is forever. Take action now, and secure a direct line of communication with your audience that stands the test of time.
Need help? Contact me today, and let’s get your email marketing system up and running!
Tips
Do not ever buy an email list! NEVER send emails every day!
The reason, you’ll get flagged for spam! This can affect your future emails!
Looking to hire someone to get your website started collecting emails?
I’m happy to help add email marketing to your website! I can set up a beautiful email opt-in, set up automated emails, a list of drip emails and more!
Final thoughts
Email is here to stay. You Need to Be Collecting Email Addresses! Don’t rely on social media alone! We have no idea what their platforms algorithms have planned. You’re showing up one day, the next day – you’re nowhere to be found.
I’ve been asked this question by business owners for years, and my answer has changed considerably.
Years ago, SEO advice often focused heavily on publishing frequency. Businesses were told to publish every week—or even several times per week—because continually adding “fresh content” was supposed to improve Google rankings.
I don’t approach blogging that way anymore.
There is no ideal number of blog posts you need to publish each week or month for SEO.
Some businesses may have several worthwhile topics to publish in a month. Others may be better off publishing nothing new while they improve existing pages.
What matters is whether the article deserves its own page and supports the larger goals of the website.
I would rather see a business publish one genuinely useful article than ten rushed posts targeting slightly different versions of subjects the website already covers.
And sometimes the smartest SEO decision isn’t publishing anything new at all.
Sometimes you should improve what you already have.
Quick Answer: How Often Should You Blog for SEO?
There is no universal blogging frequency that improves SEO.
Your ideal publishing schedule depends on your existing website, industry, competition, customer questions, available content opportunities, resources, and the quality of content you can realistically create.
For a newer website with important content gaps, publishing several useful articles in a month may make sense.
For an established website with hundreds of pages, the better SEO investment may be updating, consolidating, or internally linking existing content.
Don’t choose a publishing quota first. Find the opportunity first.
Does Blogging Still Help SEO?
Yes.
Strategic blogging can still be extremely useful for SEO.
A good business blog gives you opportunities to:
Answer questions potential customers search for
Target relevant informational searches
Demonstrate firsthand expertise
Support important service pages
Create useful internal links
Attract backlinks
Reach customers earlier in their research
Expand the useful information available on your website
But blogging doesn’t help simply because you’re adding more URLs to your sitemap.
The point isn’t to turn every article into a sales pitch.
It’s to avoid creating isolated content with nowhere useful for the reader to go next.
What Should You Blog About?
If you’re struggling to come up with useful ideas, start with your customers.
What do they ask you before they buy?
What confuses them?
What concerns do they repeatedly raise?
What do they compare?
What problems are they trying to solve?
Those questions can be excellent starting points.
I also look at:
Google Search Console queries
Google autocomplete
Search results
People Also Ask
Competitor content
Industry changes
Common misconceptions
Cost questions
Comparisons
Problems a service solves
Keyword research can help, but don’t let a keyword tool make every content decision for you.
Some of the best content opportunities come directly from conversations with customers.
If you’re researching topics, my guide to local keyword research explains how I look for search opportunities without creating a separate page for every keyword variation.
What About Blogging for AI Search?
AI-powered search gives businesses another reason to focus on useful information rather than arbitrary publishing quotas.
But I wouldn’t increase your blogging frequency simply because AI search exists.
There isn’t a universal number of articles you need to publish to get mentioned by ChatGPT, Google AI experiences, or another AI system.
Instead, focus on creating accurate, well-organized information that reflects what your business actually knows.
Your website should make it clear:
Who you are
What your business does
What subjects you have expertise in
What questions your content answers
Where your business operates when location matters
Original examples, direct answers, case studies, professional experience, and clearly structured information can make content more useful to people and easier for search systems to understand.
But none of these elements guarantees inclusion in an AI-generated answer.
Don’t judge your content strategy by the number of posts you published.
That’s an activity metric.
Instead, look at what the content is accomplishing.
Depending on the business, I may evaluate:
Organic impressions
Organic clicks
Visibility for relevant searches
Growth in non-branded search
Traffic moving from informational pages to service pages
Leads from organic search
Conversions
Backlinks
Pages gaining visibility over time
Google Search Console is especially useful here.
You may discover that an article you published two years ago is now receiving impressions for dozens of relevant searches.
That could be a much better opportunity than creating another article from scratch.
So, How Often Should You Really Blog?
As often as you have something genuinely useful that deserves its own page.
That’s my answer.
For one business, that might mean several articles in a month.
For another, it might mean one.
For an established website with hundreds of articles, there may be months when the best publishing frequency is:
zero new blog posts.
That doesn’t mean SEO has stopped.
You may be improving existing pages, consolidating redundant content, strengthening internal links, working on service pages, earning links, analyzing Search Console, or improving Local SEO.
There is no prize for having the largest blog.
The goal is to have the most useful and strategically organized website you can build around the searches that matter to your business.
And don’t forget about the content you already created.
Prune that rosebush. 🌹
Some of your best SEO opportunities may already be sitting on your website waiting for attention.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blogging Frequency
How many blog posts should I publish per month for SEO?
There is no required number. Your ideal publishing frequency depends on your website, industry, competition, existing content, available topics, resources, and business goals. Publish when you have a worthwhile topic that deserves its own page.
Is one blog post per month enough for SEO?
It can be. One excellent article addressing an important topic can be more valuable than several weak or overlapping posts. Some businesses may need more content, while established websites may need less.
Does blogging every day improve SEO?
Not automatically. Publishing every day only makes sense if you genuinely have enough useful, distinct subjects to justify that frequency. Publishing repetitive content simply to maintain a schedule isn’t a sound SEO strategy.
Should I update old blog posts or write new ones?
Do both strategically. If an existing article already addresses the search intent and has potential, improving that page may be better than creating another URL. Create a new article when there is a meaningful topic or intent your website doesn’t already address.
Can too many blog posts hurt SEO?
Having a large blog isn’t inherently harmful. Problems arise when a site accumulates overlapping, outdated, redundant, poorly organized, or low-value pages. Regular content audits can identify pages that should be improved, consolidated, redirected, or left alone.
How long should an SEO blog post be?
There is no ideal word count that guarantees rankings. An article should be long enough to answer the question properly without adding unnecessary filler simply to reach a particular length.
Does updating old content help SEO?
It can when the update genuinely improves the page. That might include correcting outdated information, improving alignment with search intent, adding useful examples, strengthening internal links, consolidating redundant information, or improving the overall experience.
Is blogging still worth it?
Yes—when there’s a strategy behind it. Useful articles can attract relevant searches, demonstrate experience, support important pages, earn links, educate potential customers, and give your website a deeper body of useful information.
Need Help Building an SEO Content Strategy?
If you’ve been blogging consistently but aren’t seeing more rankings, leads, or customers, publishing even more content may not be the answer.
You may need to look at the bigger picture.
Are you targeting the right searches?
Are several pages competing with each other?
Are your most important service pages strong enough?
Does your internal linking make sense?
Do you already have content that should be improved or consolidated?
That’s the kind of work I do every day.
I’m Jen Ruhman, and I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years. I help businesses improve their visibility across Google search, local search, and today’s evolving AI search environment.
If you’re looking for an experienced SEO expert in San Diego, I’d be happy to take a look at your website and identify your strongest opportunities.
Call or text me: (619) 719-1315
— Jen Ruhman SEO Expert & Founder of Jen Ruhman SEO
If your website isn’t getting traffic from Google, there’s usually a reason.
I’ve worked on SEO for more than 20 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that low organic traffic usually isn’t caused by one mysterious Google algorithm. More often, I find a combination of problems: Google isn’t indexing important pages, the website is targeting the wrong keywords, the content doesn’t satisfy search intent, the site lacks authority, or technical issues are making it harder for search engines to crawl and understand the website.
The good news is that most of these problems can be diagnosed.
If your website traffic has stalled—or you’ve published pages that seem invisible in Google—here are the things I would check first.
Quick Answer:
If your website isn’t receiving organic search traffic, check indexing, keyword targeting, search intent, content quality, internal linking, backlinks, technical SEO, mobile usability, page speed, canonical tags, local SEO, and whether you’re actually ranking high enough to earn clicks.
You might have an excellent page, but if you’re trying to outrank businesses that have spent years building topical authority, links, content and brand recognition, you’re facing an uphill battle.
Instead of only targeting extremely broad terms, look for specific searches that closely match what you offer.
For example, a computer repair company might have difficulty ranking immediately for:
computer repair San Diego
But it may have opportunities around more specific searches involving particular devices, problems, neighborhoods or services.
This is where long-tail keyword research can be useful.
The goal isn’t simply finding an “easy keyword.”
The goal is finding searches where your website can realistically compete and where ranking could actually produce useful traffic or customers.
3. You’re Ranking for the Wrong Keywords
Here’s another problem I see:
A business tells me, “We’re ranking!”
My next question is:
Ranking for what?
Being #1 for a phrase almost nobody searches—or a phrase that has nothing to do with hiring your company—isn’t particularly valuable.
Traffic alone isn’t the goal either.
You want relevant organic traffic from people who could realistically become customers.
Look at Google Search Console and identify:
Queries generating impressions
Queries generating clicks
Average positions
Pages receiving those impressions
Whether those searches match your services
This is one of the reasons keyword strategy matters so much.
Sometimes Google indexes a page perfectly well but doesn’t rank it highly because another page better answers what people are actually looking for.
That’s search intent.
For example, someone searching:
what is SEO?
probably wants educational information.
Someone searching:
SEO company San Diego
is much more likely to be comparing companies or looking for professional SEO services.
Those searches shouldn’t necessarily lead to the same type of page.
Before optimizing a page, look at what Google currently rewards for the query.
Are the results primarily:
Service pages?
Guides?
Product pages?
Local businesses?
Videos?
Comparison articles?
List posts?
Your page should make sense for the person performing that search.
5. Your Content Isn’t Good Enough to Compete
Sometimes there’s no technical problem.
The competing pages are simply better.
This is something business owners don’t always want to hear, but it’s important.
If the pages ranking above yours provide clearer explanations, stronger firsthand expertise, better examples, original information, useful visuals and more complete answers, improving your content may be necessary.
Don’t obsess over reaching an arbitrary word count.
A 3,000-word article isn’t automatically better than a 1,200-word article.
Write enough to satisfy the query thoroughly without padding the page with information people don’t need.
6. Your Internal Linking Is Weak
Internal links are one of my favorite overlooked SEO opportunities.
They help users discover related information and help search engines understand relationships between pages.
They also help establish which pages on your website are important.
If you publish a new service page or article and nothing else on your website links to it, you’ve made Google’s job harder.
I recommend creating logical connections between related pages.
For example, my articles about keyword research, indexing, content optimization and backlinks should naturally connect to other relevant SEO resources on my website.
8. Multiple Pages Are Competing for the Same Search
This is commonly called keyword cannibalization.
Suppose you have five pages that all essentially target:
SEO services San Diego
Google may have difficulty determining which page is the best result.
Instead of strengthening one excellent page, you’ve spread related signals across several competing URLs.
When I see this, I evaluate whether the pages should be:
Consolidated
Repositioned around different search intents
Internally linked differently
Canonicalized
Redirected
Or substantially differentiated
More pages aren’t automatically better SEO.
Every page should have a purpose.
9. Your Titles Aren’t Earning Clicks
Ranking is only part of the equation.
People still need to click your result.
Your title should clearly communicate what the page offers while naturally incorporating the primary topic.
Avoid writing titles purely for Google.
Think about the human being looking at ten different results.
Why should that person choose yours?
Google Search Console can help here too. If you’re receiving significant impressions and decent rankings but very few clicks, your search appearance and relevance deserve closer examination.
10. Your Website Is Too Slow
Page speed isn’t something I optimize simply to chase an SEO score.
I care because slow websites frustrate users.
Large images, bloated plugins, unnecessary JavaScript, poor hosting and badly configured caching can make pages painfully slow—especially on mobile devices.
Some common improvements include:
Compressing large images
Serving appropriately sized images
Improving caching
Removing unnecessary scripts
Reducing plugin bloat
Using better hosting when appropriate
Using a CDN when it makes sense
Don’t sacrifice the usefulness of your website merely to achieve a perfect speed score.
The objective is a fast, usable website.
11. Your Website Has Mobile Usability Problems
Google uses mobile-first indexing, which makes the mobile version of your website extremely important.
But there’s an even simpler reason to care:
Your customers use their phones.
Check your site yourself.
Can you easily:
Read the text?
Navigate the menu?
Tap buttons?
Complete forms?
Call the business?
View images?
Understand the page without zooming?
A technically responsive website can still provide a terrible mobile experience.
12. You’re Accidentally Blocking Search Engines
This one sounds ridiculous until you see it happen.
I’ve encountered websites where search engines were unintentionally discouraged from indexing the site after development.
Check for:
Noindex tags
Robots.txt rules
Password protection
Incorrect HTTP status codes
Staging-site configurations carried onto the live site
WordPress users should also review the Search engine visibility setting under Settings → Reading.
If something is preventing Googlebot from accessing or indexing an important page, content optimization isn’t going to solve the underlying problem.
13. Your Canonical Tags Are Wrong
Canonical tags help search engines understand which URL you consider the primary version when similar or duplicate URLs exist.
A bad canonical configuration can create confusing indexing problems.
For example, an important service page could accidentally canonicalize to another URL.
When diagnosing stubborn indexing problems, I check:
The page’s canonical tag
Google’s selected canonical in Search Console
Redirects
Duplicate versions of URLs
HTTP vs. HTTPS
WWW vs. non-WWW
URL parameters
Technical SEO isn’t glamorous, but mistakes here can undermine otherwise excellent content.
14. Your Local SEO Isn’t Strong Enough
If you’re a local business, traditional organic SEO is only part of your visibility.
You also need to think about Google’s local results.
For a San Diego business, I’d look at:
Google Business Profile optimization
Business categories
Reviews
Local relevance
Website location signals
Consistent business information
Local citations
Location and service pages
Local backlinks
Proximity and competition
You can have a great website and still leave a lot of local visibility on the table if your local SEO strategy is weak.
If local rankings are the problem, learn more about my Local SEO services.
15. You’re Expecting SEO Results Too Quickly
Finally, sometimes nothing is “wrong.”
The website simply hasn’t had enough time to build visibility.
This is especially true for:
Brand-new domains
Competitive industries
Newly published pages
Websites with little authority
Businesses entering highly competitive markets
Technical changes can sometimes produce improvements relatively quickly, while competitive rankings can take considerably longer.
SEO compounds.
A website that consistently improves its content, authority, internal linking, technical foundation and overall usefulness can become significantly more competitive over time.
How I Diagnose a Website That’s Not Getting Google Traffic
When someone comes to me and says, “My website isn’t getting traffic,” I don’t immediately start rewriting pages or building backlinks.
I first want to know why.
I’ll typically look at:
Whether important pages are indexed
What queries are generating impressions
Current rankings
Search intent
Keyword targeting
Competing pages
Internal linking
Backlinks and authority
Technical crawl and indexing issues
Local visibility
Organic conversions
That’s the difference between randomly “doing SEO” and diagnosing the actual problem.
Rankings Aren’t the Ultimate Goal
One last point:
Don’t judge SEO success only by rankings.
I’ve seen businesses rank #1 for keywords that produce virtually no business.
I’d rather see a client rank for searches that produce qualified visitors, phone calls, forms and customers.
Ultimately, I pay attention to:
Qualified organic traffic
Leads
Phone calls
Form submissions
Sales
Non-branded visibility
Local visibility
Organic conversions
SEO should contribute to the growth of the business—not simply make a ranking report look impressive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my website not getting traffic from Google?
Your website may not be indexed properly, may be targeting the wrong keywords, may not match search intent, or may have technical, authority, content, internal-linking or local SEO problems. Start by reviewing Google Search Console to see whether important pages receive impressions and whether Google has indexed them.
How long does it take for a new website to get Google traffic?
There is no fixed timeline. New websites often need time to be crawled, indexed and build enough relevance and authority to compete. Less competitive searches may gain visibility sooner, while difficult markets can require many months of ongoing SEO work.
Why is my page indexed but not ranking?
Indexing only means Google has added the page to its index. Ranking depends on many additional factors, including relevance, search intent, competition, content quality, website authority, internal linking and technical SEO.
Can poor internal linking reduce organic traffic?
Weak internal linking can make important pages harder for users and search engines to discover and can make relationships between your content less clear. Strong internal linking helps create a more organized website structure.
Can duplicate content hurt my rankings?
Overlapping or near-duplicate pages can create confusion about which URL should rank for a topic. Rather than publishing multiple pages targeting essentially the same search intent, consider consolidating or differentiating the content.
Do I need backlinks to get Google traffic?
Not every search requires a large backlink profile, but links and mentions from reputable, relevant websites can strengthen authority and help competitive pages. The importance of backlinks depends on the market and competitors.
Does page speed affect SEO traffic?
Page speed contributes to user experience and can become especially important when a website is extremely slow. Focus on making your site fast and usable rather than chasing a perfect performance score.
Why am I ranking but not getting clicks?
Your position may not be high enough to earn many clicks, your title may not be compelling, your result may not closely match search intent, or search features may be reducing traditional organic clicks. Review impressions, positions and click-through rates in Google Search Console.
Need Help Figuring Out Why Your Website Isn’t Getting Traffic?
If you’ve been publishing content, working on SEO and wondering why Google still isn’t sending you the traffic you expected, I can help identify what’s holding your website back.
I’m Jen Ruhman, and I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years. I help businesses improve visibility through technical SEO, keyword strategy, content optimization, internal linking, local SEO and authority building.
If you’re looking for an experienced SEO expert in San Diego, I’d be happy to take a look at your website.
Call or text: (619) 719-1315
— Jen Ruhman SEO Expert & Founder of Jen Ruhman SEO
There’s a blog network that works for every niche. Take a look at each of these paid blogger networks. Every blogger can earn money online! Everybody such as stay at home moms, dads, fashionistas, foodies, travelers, you name it. They all earn money from at least a few of these paid blog networks.
“But I think it’s too complicated…”
I talk to tons of bloggers and many say their blog brand is not established enough or they think it’s difficult or they’re not tech savvy enough.
But they’re wrong.
No blog traffic yet? Monetize your blog now because eventually, you WILL get traffic!
Imagine waking up realizing one of your pinterest pins went viral and one of your blog posts went viral.
Yes—but probably not for the reason many business owners think.
I originally wrote this article in 2019, when a lot of SEO advice centered around publishing more blog posts, targeting more keywords, and keeping a website “fresh.”
My approach has changed considerably since then.
Simply publishing blog post after blog post does not automatically improve your rankings.
I’ve worked on websites with hundreds of articles that receive practically no meaningful organic traffic. I’ve also worked on smaller websites where a carefully planned group of articles supports services, answers real customer questions, and brings qualified visitors into the business.
That’s the difference between having a blog and having a content strategy.
Strategic blogging can still be incredibly valuable for SEO.
A well-planned business blog can help you appear for relevant searches, reach customers earlier in their research, support your service pages, attract links, demonstrate firsthand expertise, and build greater topical depth around the subjects your business actually knows.
But every article should have a reason to exist.
Does Blogging Really Help SEO?
Yes. Blogging can help SEO, but simply having a blog isn’t a ranking factor.
What matters is what you do with it.
A blog gives your business an opportunity to publish useful information around the subjects your customers care about.
That content can:
Rank for relevant searches
Answer questions your customers are asking
Attract potential customers
Target specific long-tail searches
Support important service pages
Create internal linking opportunities
Demonstrate firsthand expertise
Attract links from other websites
Reach customers at different stages of their research
Give search engines more useful information about the subjects your website covers
That’s very different from publishing three generic articles every week because someone told you Google likes fresh content.
I don’t recommend blogging just to blog.
Every article should have a job.
1. Blogging Helps You Rank for More Relevant Searches
Your main service pages can only address so many questions naturally.
That’s where a blog becomes useful.
Let’s say you’re a cosmetic dentist.
Your primary service page might target a search such as:
cosmetic dentist San Diego
But potential patients may also search:
How long do porcelain veneers last?
How much do veneers cost in San Diego?
Can you whiten veneers?
Veneers vs. bonding: which is better?
Do veneers look natural?
You probably don’t want to cram detailed answers to all of those questions onto one primary service page.
Instead, you can create supporting resources when the questions warrant their own pages.
Now your website has opportunities to appear throughout the customer’s research process—not only when someone finally searches for the service itself.
That’s an important distinction.
A good blog doesn’t just give you more pages.
It gives you opportunities to create useful pages for searches your primary service pages weren’t designed to answer.
2. Blogging Helps You Target Long-Tail Keywords
Some of my favorite SEO opportunities come from highly specific searches.
These are commonly called long-tail keywords.
A broad keyword might be:
SEO
That’s so broad that I don’t know what the person actually wants.
Compare that with:
why is my service page indexed but not ranking?
Now I have a much clearer idea of the problem they’re trying to solve.
Long-tail searches may individually receive less search volume than broad terms, but they can reveal much more about the searcher’s intent.
The important thing is that you don’t need to create a separate blog post for every slight variation of a long-tail keyword.
One strong article can often become relevant to many closely related searches when those searches share the same intent.
3. Blog Posts Can Support Your Service Pages
This is one of my favorite benefits of blogging for SEO.
Your blog shouldn’t exist as an isolated section of your website.
It should connect naturally with the pages that actually generate business.
Suppose a personal injury attorney has a primary service page about car accident representation.
Supporting articles might answer questions such as:
What should I do after a car accident?
What happens if the other driver is uninsured?
How long do I have to file a claim?
What evidence should I collect after an accident?
When relevant, those articles can naturally point visitors toward the primary car accident service page.
The service page can also link back to supporting resources when they help visitors understand a subject in greater detail.
That’s where internal linking becomes important.
Internal links can help people discover related information, help search engines find pages, and clarify how different areas of your website relate to one another.
The goal isn’t to stuff commercial links into every blog post.
The goal is to create a logical path through the website.
4. Blogging Demonstrates Your Experience and Expertise
This is one of the biggest opportunities business owners have with content.
If you’re an attorney, financial advisor, contractor, doctor, real estate professional, fitness professional, SEO consultant, or another experienced business owner, you probably answer customer questions every day.
Those questions can become excellent content.
More importantly, you know things about your field that a generic writer doesn’t.
You can add:
Firsthand experience
Real customer questions
Original examples
Professional observations
Case studies
Original photographs
Screenshots
Local knowledge
Your own process
Lessons you’ve learned
Opinions based on actual experience
That’s the kind of content I want businesses to create.
Don’t simply summarize what the first ten Google results already say.
Ask yourself:
What do I know because I’ve actually done this work?
For example, I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years.
My opinions about blogging have changed during that time.
I used to put much more emphasis on publishing frequency and individual keyword optimization.
Today, I’m much more concerned with search intent, page purpose, internal linking, content overlap, site structure, and whether a new article actually needs to exist.
That perspective comes from doing the work—not from rewriting someone else’s SEO article.
5. Great Blog Content Can Earn Backlinks
Commercial service pages aren’t always easy to earn links to.
Think about it.
Why would another website randomly link to a page advertising your service?
A genuinely useful resource is different.
People may choose to reference things such as:
Original research
Statistics
Industry studies
Detailed tutorials
Useful checklists
Calculators
Original infographics
Expert commentary
Comprehensive guides
Unique data
Those resources can become useful assets other websites want to reference.
Relevant backlinks can help search engines discover content, provide signals about pages and websites, and send valuable referral traffic directly to your site.
You can have thousands of website visitors and still generate very little business if you’re attracting the wrong audience or don’t give visitors a logical next step.
Suppose you own a computer repair company and publish:
10 Signs Your Computer May Have Malware
Someone discovers that article through Google because their computer is behaving strangely.
You answer their question.
Great.
But what happens next?
If your company provides malware removal, the article could naturally explain that professional help is available.
Depending on the business and subject, the next step could be:
Schedule a consultation
Request an estimate
Call the business
Visit a related service page
Book an appointment
Download a useful resource
A blog should create paths through your website, not dead ends.
That’s also why I care about attracting the right searches—not merely increasing the traffic number in Google Analytics.
7. Blogging Gives You Content for Other Marketing Channels
A good article can become much more than a Google result.
You can repurpose an original article into:
LinkedIn posts
Instagram content
Short-form videos
YouTube videos
Email newsletters
Google Business Profile posts
Infographics
Sales resources
This is one reason I don’t think of blogging as an isolated marketing activity.
You’re creating an original resource on a website you control.
You can then use pieces of that resource across other marketing channels.
Instead of wondering what to post on social media every week, your strongest website content can become the foundation for additional ideas.
8. Evergreen Blog Posts Can Generate Long-Term Traffic
This is one of the biggest differences between organic content and paid advertising.
When you stop paying for an ad, the advertising stops.
A strong evergreen article may continue attracting visitors long after you originally publish it.
I have articles on my own website that I originally wrote years ago and have continued improving as SEO has changed.
But there’s an important distinction:
Evergreen doesn’t mean publish it once and forget about it forever.
Older articles can become inaccurate, outdated, redundant, or less useful.
I periodically revisit content to:
Update outdated information
Improve examples
Remove obsolete recommendations
Add relevant internal links
Improve formatting
Answer new questions
Consolidate overlapping content
Make the page more useful
Sometimes improving an existing article is a better SEO investment than publishing another new one.
That’s exactly why I’ve become much more selective about creating new URLs.
9. Blogging Can Support Visibility Across Traditional and AI Search
Search isn’t limited to a traditional list of blue links anymore.
People now discover businesses and information through traditional Google results, Google AI experiences, ChatGPT, and other AI-powered tools.
That doesn’t mean there’s a magic new blogging formula for AI.
There isn’t.
I don’t publish an FAQ, add a heading, or use a particular type of schema because I think doing so will automatically make an AI system recommend the business.
Instead, I focus on creating content that is:
Clear
Useful
Well organized
Factually reliable
Easy to understand
Supported by genuine experience
Consistent with the business and its expertise
I also like direct answers, descriptive headings, strong author information, and consistent business information because they make the website more useful and understandable overall.
I don’t treat those elements as a formula for getting cited by AI.
I use them because they improve the quality and clarity of the website across traditional search and newer AI-powered search experiences.
Sometimes the smartest SEO move isn’t publishing something new.
It’s improving what you already have.
How Often Should a Business Blog?
There isn’t one publishing schedule that works for every business.
Your ideal frequency depends on your industry, existing content, available topics, competition, resources, and the quality you can realistically maintain.
I don’t believe you need to publish every week simply because an SEO checklist says so.
You should publish when you have a useful reason to publish.
I’ve written a separate guide answering how often you should blog if you’re deciding what publishing schedule makes sense.
How I Use Blogging as Part of an SEO Strategy
When I’m creating an SEO content strategy for a business, I don’t start by saying:
“We need four blog posts this month.”
I start by looking for opportunities.
I want to know:
What services does the business actually want to sell?
What are potential customers searching for?
Which searches indicate meaningful business opportunities?
What questions appear during the customer journey?
Which service pages need supporting information?
What content already exists?
Are existing pages competing with one another?
Which topics could demonstrate genuine expertise?
Where are competitors weak?
Can we create something genuinely useful or different?
Then I build the content strategy around those opportunities.
Understanding search intent and creating a keyword map can be particularly useful before deciding that every keyword deserves another article.
That’s the difference between having a blog and having an SEO content strategy.
Don’t Forget What Happens After You Publish
Publishing isn’t the end of the process.
A useful new article should become part of the rest of your website.
That can include:
Adding relevant internal links
Linking to the article from older content
Sharing it through email
Using it on social media
Creating a Google Business Profile post
Repurposing portions into video
Conducting relevant outreach
Updating the article as information changes
Monitoring its performance in Google Search Console
You don’t have to do everything for every article.
The important point is that Publish shouldn’t be the final step.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blogging and SEO
Does blogging help SEO?
Yes. Strategic blogging can help your website appear for more relevant searches, create internal linking opportunities, attract backlinks, demonstrate experience, support service pages, and reach potential customers throughout their research process. Simply publishing large quantities of articles, however, does not automatically improve SEO.
How often should I blog for SEO?
There is no universal publishing frequency. Your ideal schedule depends on your industry, existing content, competition, available topics, resources, and ability to maintain useful content. One worthwhile article can be more valuable than several rushed posts.
How long should a blog post be for SEO?
There is no ideal word count that guarantees rankings. A blog post should be long enough to satisfy the searcher’s intent and explain the subject properly without adding unnecessary information simply to increase the word count.
Can blogging help my service pages rank?
Supporting content can complement service pages by answering related questions and creating useful internal-link relationships across the website. Blog content can also attract visitors and links that commercial pages might not attract on their own.
Should every business have a blog?
Not necessarily. Blogging makes the most sense when potential customers research questions, problems, products, services, or subjects related to the business. A company should determine whether meaningful content opportunities exist before investing heavily in blogging.
Does Google prefer websites that publish frequently?
You shouldn’t publish content simply to make a website appear fresh. Publishing frequency by itself doesn’t make a page useful. Focus on creating worthwhile content and keeping important existing information accurate and current.
Can old blog posts still rank on Google?
Yes. Older articles can continue generating organic visibility when they remain useful, relevant, accessible, and competitive. Older content should be reviewed periodically and updated when the information, search intent, or competitive landscape changes.
Can blog posts generate leads?
Yes. Blog posts can attract people researching problems related to your services. Relevant internal links and calls to action can then help visitors discover services, consultations, appointments, products, or other logical next steps.
Can blogging help with AI search visibility?
Useful website content gives search engines and AI-powered systems more information about your business, expertise, services, and subject areas. There is no guarantee that a particular article will be cited or surfaced by an AI system, so businesses should focus on creating accurate, original, useful content rather than trying to follow a supposed AI-ranking formula.
Is it better to update an old blog post or publish a new one?
It depends. If an existing article already addresses the same search intent, improving that page may make more sense than creating another competing URL. A new article is more appropriate when you’re addressing a genuinely different topic, question, or intent.
Want Blogging to Actually Help Your SEO?
A business blog can become an incredibly valuable SEO asset—but only when there’s a strategy behind it.
I’m Jen Ruhman, and I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years. I help businesses determine what they should publish, what existing content should be improved or consolidated, how articles should support important service pages, and how all of that content fits into a larger SEO strategy.
If you’re looking for an experienced SEO expert in San Diego, I’d be happy to take a look at your website and identify your strongest opportunities.
