I'm not talking about setting up your self storage website with a spam blog that is stuffed with keywords, but makes you gag when you read it. I mean a real blog that is useful or entertaining or informative. Something a real human being would read.
Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing
, makes the case on his blog that Blogs are your best search marketing investment.
Using Google's keyword suggestion tool for building a pay per click campaign, you'll see that the search term "Self Storage Sacramento" is likely going to cost you $3.95 per click and there is "High Advertiser Competition" according to Google.
For as much effort as we put into SEO in the self storage industry, this should be a no-brainer.
As Andy correctly points out "if it stops when you stop paying, it's advertising. If it keeps going, it's word of mouth marketing."