Naming your financial blog–Is it necessary?

“Does my blog need a name?” Typically my answer is “no,” but there are cases when naming your financial blog can pay off. Answer the questions below to understand whether your blog needs a name.

Question 1. Is your blog separate from your company’s website?

If  your blog is separate from your company’s website, then it needs a name. For example, if you work for XYZ Financial, but you blog on a separate website, then your blog needs a name so that you can create a website address (URL) for the blog. The name could play off your topic, your name, or the pain point that you help your readers address. For example, some of the blogs named in XY Planning Network’s “8 Blogs for Millennials” include Blonde on a Budget, Afford Anything, and Broke Millennial.

Choosing a good name can be challenging. In “Better Blog Branding: What’s In a Name?” Chris Garrett says

A good name is

Readable
Pronounceable
Spellable
Memorable
Concise
Unique

If your blog is part of your company’s website, it’s okay to add a name. But it’s not necessary. For example, Jim Blankenship’s blog is Financial Ducks in a Row. It is linked to his corporate website for Blankenship Financial Planning, but has a different look and its own website address.

Which is better, you may ask, to publish your blog as part of—or separate from—your corporate website? Most financial professionals whom I know publish their blogs on their websites to help their corporate website’s search engine optimization (SEO). To boost your website’s ranking in online search engines, it’s good to update it frequently. If you keep your blog current, its updates will help your overall website by keeping it fresh. Google and other search engines give higher priority to sites that are updated more often. “Freshness Factor: 10 Illustrations on How Fresh Content Can Influence Rankings” illustrates some of the factors that come into play, even though it’s an older article. “5 Reasons Why Fresh Content is Critical for Your Website and SEO” is a more recent, but less comprehensive review.

Question 2. Does your company maintain multiple blogs?

If your company has more than one blog, then it makes sense to give them names. This situation is most common among larger firms.

For example, investment firm SEI originally had two blogs, although one has been suspended since I originally wrote this blog post:

• Practically Speaking, which focuses on “Common-sense ideas to grow your advisory practice”
• Front and Centered, which discusses “Grounded perspectives to cultivate your inner leader”

In another large-firm example, Putnam Investments, has named its Advisor Tech Tips and Putnam Perspectives blogs. However, it also has a generically named Wealth Management blog. As Putnam’s example shows, you can get away without naming your blog.

Question 3. Are you good at catchy names that also exploit SEO?

Even when a name isn’t required, a good one can help you to spread your message.

A catchy title will help you to attract readers, especially if takes advantage of SEO. If you can incorporate phrases that people commonly search when seeking the services that you provide, you may boost your ranking in online search engines. Of course, most of the good names are probably taken.

A short, memorable name may help on social media. John Anderson demonstrates in the tweet below how SEI uses the name of its Practically Speaking blog as a hashtag.

I think so. Makes it easier to leverage in other forms of social media. #PracticallySpeaking https://t.co/YvK1KnX3VA

— John Anderson (@SEIJohnA) January 28, 2016

The bottom line on naming your financial blog

Naming your financial blog isn’t necessary in most cases, if your blog isn’t separate from your corporate website.

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