an analysis of the top construction industry blogs
TRANSCRIPT
A 2016 Analysis
Top Construction Industry Blogs
on the…
BAM Construct UK
1.
Location
• Easy to locate on homepage • Mobile-optimized• Highlights their latest blog
updates
Layout
• User-friendly font size and design
• Mix of both image and video
• High-res banner images
• Clear links to full articles
Blogging strategy
• Includes visual graphics• Blogging 3-4 times a week• Engaging & relevant topics
include technological changes, apprenticeships, industry events
• But no clear Call-to-actions or internal links
Carillion2.
Location
• Blog section is grouped under ‘news and media’ tab
• Easy to find & segmented well
Layout
• Large, high-res images used throughout• Individual sectors segmented into categories• User can easily navigate towards topic of
choice
Blogging Strategy
• Includes a range of case studies and video content as well as blog articles
• A high focus on internal company values• Could do with posting more general, industry-focused content• Very few Call-to-actions persuading readers to remain on site
Interserve Construction
3.
Location
• Named their blog area as the ‘Knowledge Centre’• Positioned clearly within the main menu
Layout
• The ‘Knowledge centre’ is filtered by content type• Topics for the blog are colour-coded under five key areas
Blogging Strategy
• Topics focus on sustainability, climate change, waste management and biodiversity
• Includes skills and training section to cover apprenticeships• But a lot of focus on ‘case-study style’, self-promotional content –
needs more balance
Call-to-actions…
• Interserve link their blogs through to other relevant articles, with direct links to their contact page
• This persuades readers to find out more about their products and services
Kier group4.
Location
• Kier Group have located their blog within the main menu
• For a new website visitor, this is well positioned and easy to locate
Layout
• Blog section split into key sectors to refine user’s search requirements• Visually appealing with colour-coded options for each category
Strategy
• Blog categories consist of in-depth, industry-related topics, case studies and campaign promotions
• Provide a strong focus on problems facing the construction industry• But style of their blog content can be quite text-heavy and lengthy• Blog activity is not as regular as others
Costain5.
Location
• Costain’s blog is accessed via the small ‘news’ link at the top of the homepage, or within the bottom footer
• Not particularly obvious for a first-time website visitor
Layout
• Can explore content by date or topic
• The layout is refreshing and pleasing to the eye
• Content is personalised by assigning different topics to a range of authors displayed on the right-hand side
Strategy
• Regular bloggers• Posting on upcoming
legislations and educational-type posts
• Whilst a few are self-promotional, Costain have a great mix of engaging and informative content
• A strong focus on providing added value for their audience
Numbered approach to content…
• Costain use the numbered approach in a lot of their long-form content
• This performs well in search i.e. ‘Top 10 things to consider’, ‘5 Key facts about…’
• Helps to condense the main points and makes content easier to digest for the reader
Call-to-actions
• Their call-to-actions include further reading suggestions• Include direct links guiding visitors towards relevant team
members for more information
Conclusion:Do’s and Don’ts
DO• Make your blog easy to find for a new website visitor• Ensure the design of your blog is as visually attractive as possible• Implement video, graphics and images into your blog strategy• Blog atleast 3-4 times per week• Include internal linking within blog articles• Use call-to-actions at the end of each post • Provide a range of industry-focused, informative content• Focus on providing added value by solving common customer queries
DON’T• Rely solely on text-heavy, self promotional
content to attract your customers• Overuse external links that will direct visitors
away from your website• Write for the sake of writing – each post should
have a purpose and tie in to your blogging objectives
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