A couple months ago, I decided to create a post on my Searching Solutions Blog that contained a giant list of blogging tips on everything from setting up an effective blog, to advanced SEO tactics. It has become a regular feature of my site, and something I update every week with new tips. There are currently over 100.
I'll be posting portions of the list on AR for reference. If you want to see more, make sure to check out the origianl list here: Ultimate Guide to Blogging
** If you plan to link to or bookmark this guide at some point, please do me a favor and link to the original at: www.searchingsolutions.com/blog Thanks for your help! **
Here are some of the categories I cover in the guide:
Contents:
- Tips For Getting Started
- Basic Blog Formatting & Structure
- Blog Design & Features
- Blog Content Tips
- Blog Participation
- Blog & Article Promotion Tips
- SEO For Blogs
- Social Media
Here is part 3 in this series on Blogging Tips:
Blog Design & Features:
- Create a Best Post List - This is an awesome way to help promote some of your best work. There are some posts that will become a legacy so to speak. Your “Pillar” posts that people will come back to again and again.
- Use a Favicon - These are those cute little icons that appear next to the URL in your browser and on bookmarks. They are simply a neat way to brand your site, and I find that they can become quite memorable over time.
- Social Bookmarking Options - Social bookmarking is becoming pretty commonplace in the blogging world. Giving people options in this area can really help. I prefer using the plugin called Share This, but there are a host of other plugins that do something similar.
- Include Useful Widgets - I’m not a huge fan of widgets because they slow down blogs, and are rarely useful, but in some industries there are some very user friendly widgets that can add alot of value. Make sure you think of the reader first, and not just how “cool” a widget is.
- Publish Full Feeds - It is a well known fact that most people prefer to see the full version of your article in their RSS reader and email. Don’t truncate to try to snag extra traffic… you’ll just end up annoying your readers. Give them full access on their own terms.
- Setup A Proper XML Sitemap - This is a basic plugin for Wordpress. If you don’t have Wordpress, you can create a basic page that simply links to all of your posts and important pages. Make sure to use relevant anchor text.
- Update Your Design - Blog feeling a bit stale? I feel that way about every 2 weeks. If you haven’t changed your design in over a year, it may be time for a snazzy new design. If you have the dough, get a custom design or at least a premium theme. Even the simplest design changes can make a huge difference.
- Call to Action | Related Articles Section - This is vital for any blog. Make sure you have a section somewhere on each post (typically near the bottom) that lists articles related to the current one. This can really improve page views, length of visit, stickiness, and overall usability.
- Call to Action | Email Subscription - Every blog should have an easy way to subscribe. For your technically challenged readers, the easiest way is through an email subscription form. You can use a link, but a form looks so much nicer. Go to the email management area on your Feedburner account to find the html for this form.
- Call to Action | Connect on Social Media - Are you a Facebook, Myspace or Twitter user? Make sure you give an invitation to connect via these sites.
- Call to Action | Social Bookmarking - If you ask nicely, your readers and friends just may help you social bookmark your posts on sites like Digg and Stumble Upon. This is good. Giving them easy options can make it a painless process for them.
- Call to Action | Extra feature - Have any extra features on your site? Many real estate based blogs will have a MLS search feature built in. If you have a valuable tool or service on your site, make sure to call attention to it often.
- Call to Action | “The Classic” - Sometimes only a direct in your face call to action will work. Not always appropriate for every post or every situation, but your phone number, email, and contact forms are all examples of the “classic” call to action.
- Calls to Action | Where Do They Go? - Most calls to action will fit nicely into the bottom section of a blog post, but you can be creative. If you can sprinkle them throughout a post without sounding too commercial, you’re in good shape. The goal? Try to include at least 2 calls to action in each post.
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