Content is king—that much is obvious to web developers, Internet marketers and SEOs alike. But understanding of the how and why of content’s rule over the search engine results pages is a little bit more elusive. Many SEOs have taken the tip that Google likes "fresh content” and taken it to mean that they should occasionally rejigger the text on their website periodically to make it seem new to the search engine spiders. Move a navigation bar here, alter a title tag there, and somehow the Google juice would start flowing like wine. But those who use this practice may be misinterpreting this hot SEO tip. Search engine algorithms are designed to recognize and reward genuine user value, and most attempts to game the system fall flat sooner or later. The same is true for "fresh content.” The real way to attract traffic and boost your overall search engine ranking is to continue to add substantial content—not just new content. The most logical avenue for this type of content strategy is a blog, social media widget or ideally, both.

The first way that this yields more traffic is completely unmysterious. When you add new content to your site, new users have more to look at. There are more articles to read, more linsk to click on and more content to engage them for a longer period of time (as long as it’s compelling and interesting). Meanwhile, regular visitors may be inclined to check back more often for new content—especially if you update regularly (daily, weekly, monthly).

Building content on your website also encourages more deep linking from external sources, which are particularly valuable for your search engine ranking. Coupled with a social media campaign, your content can also begin garnering more clicks from Facebook, Twitter and Digg. Announcing a new article, interview or some other genuinely interesting content is much more conducive to social media traffic than merely shilling your homepage for the umpteenth time. Lastly, even if your content isn’t massively sticky or entertaining, you’ll at least be expanding your website’s overall footprint on the web (i.e. it’s easier to hit a big target than a small target).

Finding new topics to discuss on a regular basis can be difficult without sounding overly derivative or hackneyed can be a challenge, depending on which industry you are in. But if you are an expert in any particular field—whether it’s cosmetic dentistry, pest control or lawn care—you should have plenty of insight to offer the Internet at large. And if you don’t, then a company blog may be the perfect excuse for you to expand your horizons and continue your education.

All in all, adding content to your website regularly has exponential benefits, both in terms of garnering more attention from the search engine spiders and providing valuable reasons for your readers to visit your site again and again.