Simplify Your Blogging - Step II
Blogging Step I was a great success with much interaction from the readers. That is great!!! I love to hear that if just ONE person got something out of my writing, it is worth my time...(Unless it's my mom reading my blog so I don't feel left out!)
So Step I was about Planning. Each of these Steps will have some overlapping areas or issues, which is why the Simplification is 5, no 6, Duh, maybe just 5 Steps! We will see.
Because the process of blogging is important to the results, understanding why you are doing what you are doing is important and can be of great value later.
STEP II
Using the right tools. Don't overcomplicate your blogging by using more tools than necessary. In Step I we discussed the blog platform, getting a domain and actually paying for a hosted blog. IMHO, these are all necessary. Return to Step I if you have forgotten why!
One of the greatest tools to be inveneted is the URL shortener!!! I'm sure you have seen URLs (especially the URLs to older posts) that are 100 characters (or more) long! Who in the world is going to remember that url? So today you may use any one of several URL shorteners.
Here is a link to a login page for LinkedIn:
Using a URL Shortener (in this case Bit.ly) I was able to condense that URL to: http://bit.ly/1Mh9aND
The three most popular URL shorteners right now seem to be Bit.ly, Ow.ly and Goo.gl. The way they are written here are exactly the way they should be entered into your browser. (no .com or .net...just the exact way you see them here.)
SEO Option Tools. You might be using a Quick Website Analyzer to analyze your SEO and it is working great. You understand the data returned and you understand how to use it. Then, along comes this shiny new tool that you hear you just must have! But you really don't need to change tools if you are happy with what you are already working with. It's not that you should be against trying new tools or services, but these things take time to learn and implement...how much time do you have?
Also, you may find these SEO tools built right into some of the other tools you may be using. For instance:
Some of the best tried and true (and FREE) tools come from Google and Bing. If you go into their webmaster areas, you will find things you have never even known about (and that's probably fine unless you are a webmaster!)
Google Webmaster Tools helps you to identify issues with your site and can even let you know if it has been infected with malware. TheGuide to Google Webmaster Tools will walk you through the various features of this tool, and give you insight into what actionable tools are available.
Bing! Webmaster Tools is very similar. Bing can help you identify issues within your site and knows which items to adjust on your website can help take the anxiety out of making changes.
Both of these tools are free and simplify quite a bit of the behind the scenes leg-work that you don't want to be doing. There are tons of other tools out there that do the same things that Google and Bing do. Some of these tools are free and some are paid. And then there is the actual thing you might be thinking...
"I'm not a webmaster so I really could benefit from paying someone to review this information for me."
This is the direction people who have better things to do take!
Length of Post:
It used to be said that a blog must be at least 500 words to get search engine traffic. Now it has been changed. A blog is typically 300 words and can be longer ... IF ... there is more to say. If you can wrap up what you have to say in 300 words! Yippee! Readers like short and sweet. Get to the point and don't drone on to reach 500 words! I LOVE THIS CHANGE! I tend to write more than normal, but if I only have a few things to say, I don't like the idea of dragging it out forever. So Yippee for 300!
Yoast: Yoast is a WordPress Plugin that helps you do soooo many things! The main reason people download Yoast to their WordPress Blog is because it helps the writer see the results of the SEO in their writing. You get a Green light is Yoast sees good keyword content, Yellow if it's just 'eh. And obviously red if you haven't even come close! Not only does Yoast tell you how successful you are, but if you click another tab within Yoast, it will tell you how to fix your errors so you, too, can get the green light.
I feel like we haven't even touched on simplifying your blogging, but I we are getting closer.
Step III will help sort this out a bit. There are tips and suggestions to guide you on your journey as well.
We will begin with the segments of the post and why each is important and should be done in a certain way....
It's all about you folks, so I don't need your flak that we still haven't finished yet! This is like being in the car..."are we there yet? are we there yet?"
I will stop this training right this minute if you don't quit complaining!
Comments(2)