Why Most Business Blogs are a Massive Waste of Money
I’m going to be blunt: most of the "content" small businesses put on their websites is absolute rubbish.
I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane business owners—from electricians in Coorparoo to lawyers in the CBD—spend thousands of dollars paying some agency to write generic articles like "5 Tips for a Happy Home."
Does that get the phone ringing? No. Does it put money in the bank? Never.
If you want to actually grow your business, you need to stop thinking about "content" and start thinking about answering the questions that stand between you and a sale.
When someone has a problem—their hot water system is leaking, their tax return is a mess, or they need a new deck—they go to Google and ask a specific question. If you are the one who answers that question clearly and honestly, you are the one they are going to call.
This isn't about being a writer; it’s about being an expert. In this guide, I’m going to show you how to create "How-To" guides that actually rank on Google and, more importantly, turn people into paying customers.
The Data Doesn't Lie: Helpfulness Equals Profit
We’ve looked at the numbers for our clients across South East Queensland. The pages that bring in the most leads aren't the ones talking about how great the company is. They are the pages that solve a problem for free.
Think about it. If you’re a mechanic and you write a guide on "How to tell if your brakes need replacing (and what it should cost in Brisbane)," you are attracting someone who definitely has a brake problem.
By the time they finish reading your guide, you’ve already proven you know your stuff. You’ve built trust. You’ve moved them from a random person on the internet to a warm lead. This is how you stop wasting time on content that doesn't actually produce a dollar in profit.
Step 1: Find the Questions That Make You Money
Don't guess what people want to know. You already have the best data in the world: your own memory.
Think about the last five phone calls you took. - What did the customer ask first? - What were they worried about? - What was the "pain point" that finally made them call?
Common topics that work for almost any local business include: - Cost: "How much does [Service] cost in Brisbane?" - Comparison: "[Option A] vs [Option B]: Which is better for my home?" - Problems: "Why is my [Product] making a weird noise?" - Timelines: "How long does it take to [Service]?"
If you sell pool fences, don't write about "The History of Fencing." Write about "How to choose a pool fence that meets QLD safety regulations without breaking the bank." That is a topic that leads directly to a sale.
Step 2: Give Away the "Secret Sauce"
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is being stingy with information. They think, "If I tell them how to do it, they won't hire me."
Rubbish.
Most people reading a how-to guide fall into two categories: 1. The DIY-er: They were never going to hire you anyway. But if you help them, they might tell their friends about you. 2. The Researcher: They want to know what’s involved so they don't get ripped off. When they see how complicated the job actually is, they realize they’d rather pay a professional to do it right the first time.
By explaining exactly how a job is done, you demonstrate your expertise. You show that you don't cut corners. This is a key part of how you stop being another tradie and start positioning yourself as the only logical choice in your area.
Step 3: Make it Work on a Phone
Google is very picky about one thing: your website must work perfectly on a phone. If a homeowner is standing in their kitchen looking at a burst pipe, they aren't opening a laptop. They are on their iPhone.
If your guide is hard to read, has tiny text, or takes forever to load, they will leave immediately. Google sees this and will stop showing your site to people.
Actionable Tip: Open your website on your own phone right now. Can you read the text without zooming? Are the buttons big enough for a thumb to click? If not, you’re losing money every single day.
Step 4: Use Real Photos (Not Stock Crap)
People in Brisbane are smart. They can spot a fake, glossy American stock photo from a mile away. If you’re a landscaper in Carindale, show me photos of a project you actually did in Carindale.
Show the "Before" and "After." Show your team in their uniforms. Show the reality of the work. This builds massive amounts of trust. When people see real results, they are much more likely to turn into real leads because they can see themselves getting the same result.
Step 5: The "What Next?" (Call to Action)
Every single guide you write must have a clear next step. Do not assume the reader knows what to do. You need to tell them.
At the end of your helpful guide, give them an out. - "Don't have the tools to do this yourself? Give us a call at [Phone Number] for a free quote." - "Want us to handle the paperwork for you? Book a 15-minute chat here."
If you don't ask for the business, you won't get it.
How Much Does This Cost?
If you do it yourself, it costs your time. A good, thorough guide will take you 2-3 hours to write and polish.
If you hire an agency like Local Marketing Group to do it, you’re looking at a few hundred dollars per piece. The difference is that we know exactly how to structure it so Google likes it and locals click it.
Is it worth it? Let’s do the math.
If one guide costs you $400 to have professionally created, and it brings in just one new customer per month worth $1,000 in profit... that’s a $12,000 return in the first year for a one-time $400 investment.
There is no other form of advertising that offers that kind of long-term value. Unlike Facebook ads or Google Ads, where the leads stop the second you stop paying, a good guide stays on your site forever, bringing in customers while you sleep.
How Long Until You See Results?
This is not an overnight fix. If anyone tells you they can get you to #1 on Google in a week, they are lying to you.
Usually, it takes 3 to 6 months for Google to really start trusting a new piece of content and showing it to people. However, once it starts working, it tends to snowball. The more people click and find it helpful, the higher Google pushes it.
What Should You Do First?
1. List 5 questions: Write down the 5 most common questions you get asked by customers. 2. Pick the easiest one: Write a 500–800 word answer. Don't use fancy words. Write it like you’re explaining it to a mate at the pub. 3. Add a photo: Take a photo with your phone of a job related to that question. 4. Put it on your site: Post it as a blog or a "Help" page. 5. Add your phone number: Make sure your contact details are at the bottom.
Summary
Stop trying to "do marketing" and start trying to be helpful. The most successful businesses in Brisbane aren't the ones with the flashiest ads; they are the ones that people trust.
Answering questions through how-to guides is the fastest way to build that trust at scale. It saves you time (because you don't have to answer the same questions on the phone over and over) and it makes you money (because it brings in pre-qualified leads).
If you’re too busy running your business to write these guides yourself, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making the phone ring for Brisbane small businesses. We don't care about "brand awareness"—we care about your bank balance.
Want to get more customers without the headache? Contact us today and let’s talk about a strategy that actually works.