Chris Baggott, a content marketing expert, pointed to updated blogs as an easy method of keeping web content fresh.

Speaking at the ongoing Content Marketing World conference in Cleveland, Ohio, Compendum CEO Chris Baggott pointed to the blog as a critical element of content marketing initiatives launched by B2C companies.

As businesses turn to content marketing to boost their SEO and provide original insight for website visitors, it’s important that their blogs remain visible and are updated. Updates to Google’s search algorithms, including Panda, have placed a premium on regular, original content updates. Additionally, Brafton recently reported 26 percent of online shoppers visit a website to learn before making a purchase.

A strong blog, however, requires more than just frequent content writing – it requires investment in quality.

Baggott said that blogs must also serve as a platform for businesses to position themselves as thought leaders. Developing trust with potential customers is important if a business hopes to turn web traffic into frequent, conversions.

At times, it can be difficult for companies to ensure frequent updates; Brafton has reported that finding the time to produce original articles is a top content marketing challenge. However, the step is critical if a blog is going to serve its ultimate purpose for a company.

According to Baggott, 80 to 90 percent of all business blog traffic comes from first-time visitors.It’s important for businesses to make a good first impression with content and to include relevant calls-to-action within each article to boost the likelihood of conversion.

Brafton reported early on Wednesday that industry expert David Meerman Scott considers timeliness among the most important elements of content marketing. A well managed blog is one piece of a content marketing strategy that can ensure rapid updates. Whilein-depth pieces that require extensive editing and fact-checking should be part of a content mix, a near real-time, short and informative blog post will keep a page fresh.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.