I love numbers and graphs, but even I get annoyed with the blogging statistics that bombard us regularly.

• “55% more traffic for companies that blog!”
• “97% more links if you blog!”
• “6x more leads if your website/blog exceeds 400 pages!”
• [Insert crazy number here] with a blog!”

Compelling numbers for sure, but, c’mon man — give me some benefits without all the mathematics. (Amirite?) When I talk to clients or prospects, I remind them of 3 simple reasons to start a blog on their website.

Backed not by statistics, but by common sense that your Grandmother (with rare website savviness) would tell you.

3 Reasons to Start a Blog

Here are the 3 reasons we’ll unpack:

1. Helps search engines understand what your website is about
2. The more blogs you create, the more keywords you’ll be able to target
3. Google recommends it

Reason #1: A blog helps search engines understand what your website is about

Let’s pretend you own a CrossFit box (like my guys Lou & Gabe in Orlando)

If you blogged about CrossFit workouts, nutrition tips for CrossFitters and stories of CrossFit members — guess what Google thinks your website is about?

CrossFit!

The more you write blogs with the word “CrossFit” in them (which will happen naturally as you produce the content), the more you’ll help the search engines understand the theme of your website.

Can Google figure things out without the help? It depends on the current number of pages your website boasts and its overall authority. But, why not do everything in your power to ensure the Googlebot not only figures it out but thinks you’re an expert on the matter?

Reason #2: The more blogs you create, the more keywords you’ll be able to target (and traffic you’ll receive)

I did promise to stay away from statistics, but this reason to start a blog is more about simple math (the type you learned in 1st Grade).

Here’s how this works (assuming you’ve avoided common SEO mistakes):

1. Write a blog post with a laser focus on a keyword
2. Get ranked for that keyword
3. Generate traffic for that keyword
4. Repeat (with a different keyword)

If website ‘A’ has 100 blogs and website ‘B’ has 5, which website will have a plethora of keyword diversity & traffic? Website ‘A’ of course!

Like I said, simple math people.

Reason #3: Google recommends it

If the above two reasons weren’t simple enough, how about this; Google recommends it (indirectly, of course).

Though Google doesn’t explicitly state “Start a Blog” in their Webmaster Guidelines, they do make something crystal clear in 1.4 (Create valuable content). The key to a great website is “original and high-quality content”.

Starting a blog is one of the easier tactics of content marketing because it’s conversational in tone (no need to run every post by your lawyer). It’s also faster to publish than other website content because you don’t have to reinvent the design every time.

If you commit yourself to creating valuable content, both your audience and Google will come to love your website. Everybody wins, right?

Don’t let all those statistics inspire a “Planning to Plan” movement

The love of all these blogging statistics wakes up my left brain. I can’t find a spreadsheet fast enough to forecast traffic and estimate closed deals. But, things don’t stop when I exit my calculator. And they shouldn’t for you either.

Statistics can throttle taking action.

Compelling numbers look good on whiteboards, paper and screen, but sometimes it takes simple reasons to get people talking and buying into this whole blogging thing.