Editors note: The following is original business blogging article by the Net Performance Group. It was written to give new small business owners a better idea of how easy it is to market their products and services over the internet using a company blog and a little imagination. We hope you enjoyed it and find the information useful. If you would like to republish it just leave the following author tag intact

Business Blogging
Why Every Business Needs a Company Weblog

In today’s business climate you need every edge you can get. Your competitors are out for blood and with today’s financial climate consumers are looking for the very best deal possible. You have already made the wise choice to put your business on-line now how do you get the word out? Besides the SEO & SEM techniques that you have discussed with your NPG Account Executive and hopefully contracted for, there is one very easy, cost effective, and fun way to increase your companies search results and polish your image at the same time. Create a Weblog!

What is a Weblog?

Simply put a weblog or “blog” as they are more commonly called, is a log or diary that is published on the web. Weblogs are not just for geek's, businesses of every sort are being empowered by this new publishing format.
The weblog interface allows you to instantly publish anything. Individuals use blogs to express their  thoughts, interests and opinions while business owners are finding that a blog gives them an advantage when it comes to getting the word out about their newest products or services and to exchange information in new ways,  (think press release on steroids).

What About Google? Will it help my traffic or ranking?

Google, the world's most popular search engine, has recently taken to listening in to the global conversation taking place on blogs all over the world, which is what most of the excitement in the commercial sector is about. To put it briefly, your audience does not have to know about weblogs for you to reach them via a personal or business blog.
So how does your message reach your target audience? Well, this is where Google comes in. Google, as we said, listens into your conversations or “posts” as they are called. By opting to index weblogs daily (because they update daily) Google has provided a function that brings forward the most recent information available.
Google actually rates ”buzz” as an important factor in it search term results.

Example; If your company was the leading authority on the use of “widget filters” and you wanted to publish that the use of your new “Teflon widget filter” would increase widget productivity and profits by an amazing 65%, that would be fantastic news. In the old days it took you 3 week to get press releases published and an article in the monthly trade magazine, and another 2 weeks for the ”buzz” to trickle down through the industry.

Now, with the Internet and today’s blog technology you can post your announcement and send out an email blast and within hours as little as three other industry weblogs can link to your article and have a significant effect on the search results for that subject in the coming days and weeks.

The more highly regarded your company is on the Internet, the more likely you will be seen to be relevant by Google - and the more likely people will be to refer you on a direct and personal basis.

Michael Klasno is an Assisted SEO Marketing Specialist for Net Performance Group. For more articles by this author please visit: http://www.netperformancegroup.com/Articles/articles.htm