Chapter 4, Blog Content to wow readers
Up to this point before this chapter, we talk about SEO and Blogging and PR in general terms, but here we help you the small business owner, develop worth while blog content. This not just about writing great stories, its about being you, and being professional and focused. We are not going to talk about different blogging platforms, just that you should have a blog on all of them. These include, Wordpress.org powered blogs on your own domain if you have a blog, and a blog on Wordpress.com. You should also have a blog on eBay, with an account even if you don’t sell anything there. You should have a Blogger.com account, and one on MyTypes.com and you should RSS your blogs in our system. No matter where you blog, you should be able to promote your blogs, but that is in the next chapter.
Secrets to eMarketing Part 4: Chasing Elephants & Blog Content
Chances are no one will be able read your blogs, if they can’t find them, even though you might have the best content or best headlines and titles. Why and How can that be? How can they, if they can’t find you? Because most people’s website or blogs are not SEO’ed. Search Engine rankings is how we get most of our clients, and it is probably the easiest way for you to get traffic and customers too. Believe it or not, there is a lot of people and small business that stop blogging and get discouraged because they feel no one reads their blogs. Blogging communities and community blogs are great way to promote your content and blogs, but they can take up a lot of your time. And even before you do that, shouldn’t you build your blog on the proper platform?
Besides Blogger, Wordpress is considered the most popular blogging platform, especially for SEO. It has 1 million blogs on it’s website and the most used blogging platform for thousands of domains. Compare that to Blogger with 9 million plus, but by techies and industry experts the most advanced blogging platform is Wordpress. We are also biased as it has an incredible following, and of course we built our blogs on it. One of the best things about Wordpress is it’s ability to have the best site structure.
Which I believe is the most important thing YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW about your blog content. Site structure is only important for Search Engines spiders to find your content. Choose us and/or Wordpress, because our content will already be SEOed. Blogs are actually the #1 SEO tool for any search marketing firm, agency, and any SEO services company. If you type in Google “Wordpress SEO” guess who comes in at the top 2, it’s us.
Wordpress has many automated functions that search engines prefer, such as Search Engine Friendly URL, site maps, proper meta and Heading Tags etc. With all of these new business blogs, how to stay ahead of the pack? Surely not all bloggers know or care about SEO? Business blogs and marketing blogs really are the new craze, but why you ask? Simple answer is because they are much easier to add content to than websites. As you can see I did by adding video to this blog from YouTube on our blogging platform.
To answer these questions in detail, you have to understand one global paradigm, we are in the information economy. People value information, when buying products or services. The more education and knowledge you have the more financially wealthy you are. Even if you are a country, community or person. So the search engines want to give people what they want, information, so should you!
The media types, marketing and business people are always saying content is king, and it is. The issue with websites and content is that are like water and oil, they don’t mix. Hence the popularity of blogs, and the fact that blogs make it easier, super easier in fact. They also make it fun to write content and add it to your blog site. A recent article in the New York times basically said you don’t need a website, just a blog. I obviously agree. So the more compelling content you write, the more targeted keywords you use, the more photos and videos you add to your blog, the more you will rock!
Do write catchy headlines, add pictures as mentioned before, BUT always provide valuable information, always always give them info, they life Info!
So how to you write catchy headlines? To get noticed, you have to something short, sweet, and different, and yes provocative works. Easier said and done, just try it, try the saying things differently. Now we come to “Chasing elephants” my favorite and most popular blog title. It got lots of people to read my blog, and the most comments. To help you write a better blog is why we started this, so go ahead and read @ writing compelling content in our Stories section.
In the next few days we will cover Part 5 about Contextual linking, Part 6 Getting people & to links to your blog. The next series will be about blog promotion, marketing your blog, and building community via your blogs. All of these will be covered in our next chapter, on promoting your blogs.
Writing Tips for Bloggers: The Building Blocks of Language
The ability to write well and communicate in a clear, precise manner are necessary skills for anyone who wishes to create a compelling blog. After all, email, blog posts, or other forms of written communication are essential to doing business and interacting on the web, so you need to make sure that your words stand out from the rest (in a good way).
The purpose of this series is help bloggers of all kinds make an impact with their words. Quality writing is particularly important when you’re blogging to promote yourself or your business, because your blog is your introduction, your opening statement, and your business card, resume, and other credentials all rolled into one.
I’ll start with spelling grammar, and punctuation, because those are the building blocks of language, and therefore your blog. Some people argue that these things don’t matter at all because the web is an informal medium, but these people are wrong. Proper grammar and spelling are like clothing - yes, you can wear a ratty t-shirt and sweats everywhere, but you won’t get the respect you would in a nicely tailored jacket. It’s a fact that people judge others by their appearances, and on the net, your words form a major part of your appearance. You wouldn’t wear a wrinkled shirt to an important meeting, would you? Edit and spell-check your posts, and if you’re unsure of something, look it up.
Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com are excellent starting points if you have spelling or usage questions (it’s also a good idea to look up your keywords in a thesaurus in order to find alternate terms and phrases searchers may use in their queries). Of course, if you are using more academic or technical terms, you’ll need to find a more niche-specific resource. Also, don’t overlook the basics: try googling your grammar questions, or search the Grammar Rules: The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (a very comprehensive site on English grammar, including an excellent blog).
Of course, blogging is more conversational than other forms of business communication, so you don’t necessarily need to obey the rules to the letter. Things like one sentence paragraphs, using “and” as the first word of a sentence or ending one with a preposition are all acceptable in the name of style. However, it’s absolutely essential to know the rules before you can break them properly, and it’s just as necessary to be aware that there are few conventions that you just can’t disregard (correct usage of there, they’re, and their, for instance). The Copyblogger has two excellent posts on grammar and spelling rules that you just can’t break without appearing stupid.
Yes, carefully proofreading your posts may take a little longer, but when you’re using your blog as a promotional tool, it’s worth it to make sure your message is being read clearly and correctly. It’s also important to remember that we all make mistakes (hey, that’s what the “edit” button is for), but there is no excuse for sloppiness and lazy writing. Your readers are your most valuable asset and they deserve the best blog you can possible create.
After all, only your reputation is at stake.
****this article was originally written for MyTypes.com, by our previous blogging coach. MyTypes.com is also the owner of this book.
Writing Tips For Bloggers: Appeal To The Senses With Vivid Language
Are you worried about differentiating yourself from the millions of other blogs out there? After all, one could view the blogosphere as a massive haystack with a few valuable, glittering needles hidden inside it - the blogs with valuable content. The search needle in a haystack blogging engines help people discover the needles, but it’s up to the individual bloggers to get them to use the needles to sew and make something great (okay, I definitely stretched the limits of that metaphor).
One of the best ways to be sticky is to create a site that is a feast for the senses - an elegant design and bold images for the eyes, interesting videos and podcasts for the ears, and luscious language that paints a picture in your readers’ minds. Be creative with your word selection and try to choose the most precise, accurate terms to express your ideas.
First of all, a thesaurus is your friend, whether you rely on an printed and bound book or you use websites like Thesaurus.com. Thesauri are especially valuable when you notice that you’ve been using the same words too many times and as a result, your writing is flat, boring, and/or redundant. A quick trip to the thesaurus to find alternative options can liven things up in no time, and you might discover new terms that work even better than your go-to phrases.
You don’t have to neglect SEO and your keywords to writing appealing posts, either. First of all, it’s important to integrate a significant variety of keywords into your posts - using only two or three constantly is a dead giveaway that it’s SEO copy and many people will click away (and it doesn’t matter how much traffic SEO sends your way if they leave within a second or two). After all, don’t you want people to stick around, so you get multiple page views, interesting comments, and incoming links?
Another way to inspire your writing is to keep a folder or set of bookmarks filled with quality writing by people you admire. You can pull it out when you’re feeling unmotivated to get your creative juices flowing. Personally, I use del.icio.us for this - I have tags for “inspiration” and “writing” and “creativity” and more in my account. Social media is for more than just connecting people - you can use it to organize your ideas, sources, and inspirations.
Last but not least, it’s important to remember that the number one way to become a skilled writer is to practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. If you’re serious about improving your work, it’s important to write something everyday, even if it’s just a short paragraph or two, and to read the work of other writers - you never know where you’ll pick up a new technique or interesting insight. Remember no matter how much you SEO, search marketing is still about writing great content.
****this article was originally written for MyTypes.com, by our previous blogging coach. MyTypes.com is also the owner of this book.
Writing Tips For Bloggers: Do The Introduction Last
Taking the first step is hard, whether you’re launching a business or writing a post. You may have tons of good ideas that you’re eager to share, but it’s tough to decide where to begin. So what’s a blogger to do?
Here’s a hint: write your introduction last.
Think about it - by the time you’ve written everything down and organized your thoughts, you’ll have a very good idea of where your post is going - after all, it’s almost done! You might also come up with an excellent idea for an opener while you’re writing, plus you’ll have a better understanding of your piece should be introduced - have you ever written something that’s gotten totally derailed, and the conclusion and introduction say completely different things? It happens to the best of us. However, by writing your first paragraph last, you’re preventing this problem and ensuring that you’ll end up with a more cohesive, coherent post.
We all know that the headline (your title) and the opening paragraph (in publishing it’s called the lede) are some of the most important things to consider when you’re composing your posts. Of course, these things are also some of the most difficult things to write well (related: North x East has an excellent list of 10 Ways to Write a Great Lead for a Blog Post), so it does pay to devote extra time to your intros.
Just make that extra effort at the end of your post composition time, not the beginning. You may be pleasantly surprised at how productive you become. ****this article was originally written for MyTypes.com, by our previous blogging coach. MyTypes.com is also the owner of this book.
Writing Tips For Bloggers: Active Voice Versus Passive Voice
Yesterday I talked about the importance of using the correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation in your posts, because it seemed logical to start a series on writing with the basics, and because words are the backbone and the heart of your blog. Now it’s time to discuss how you can use those words to make a powerful impression.
One of things that makes writing compelling is the active voice. Using the active voice is attention-grabbing and usually results in clearer, more direct prose than the passive voice. You should use the active voice when you’re telling a story and you want to draw the reader in. Here’s an example of each voice:
In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject acts:
The smart business blogger wrote an excellent post.
In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon:
The excellent post was written by the smart business blogger.
Although writing in the passive voice is not necessarily wrong or always a bad idea, using it all the time can lead to flat, uninteresting writing or awkward sentence construction. The passive voice is a good call, however, when you’re writing about observations or research and you want to maintain objectivity- academic and scientific writing is typically done in the passive voice. Also, sometimes it’s just the best way to convey your intended meaning (check out this article from Essay, I Say for more advice on when to go with the passive voice).
That said, there’s no denying the fact that the active voice is more compelling. It’s clearer, more comprehensible, and less wordy, and when it comes to blogging, simplicity and brevity are key. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of your favorite bloggers - I’ll bet they use the active voice more often than not. **this article was originally written for MyTypes.com, by our previous blogging coach. MyTypes.com is also the owner of this book.
Do you photo? Jazz up your blogs:>)
I have a confession to make, I don’t do photos as much as I would like. I love photos and blogs, and actually photography has been one of my favorite hobbies. Now with 2 kids, a mortgage, a few high tech ePeople to manage, who has time? I have been coaching and evangelizing blogging for a long time, but until last week I did not add photos to my blogs. That was a mistake, I want to help you avoid.
I think it’s important to write about photo blogging, and everything we can share to help us make our blogs more impactful. The problem, I use to believe was, well, I don’t really have a lot of photos, do you? Most people don’t know how they can use photos for their blogs. The biggest news I can tell you, Yes you can, and it’s easy.
Yes, you can Jazz up your blog with a photo or two. Here are some tips on jazzing up your blogs with Photos.
1. Do any Google search on “Free Photos” and you will find many small to big photo sites providing amazing photos you will love. My favorite is Flickr, just love the name, what can I say.
2. Every time you blog, spend at least 5-10 minutes looking and finding the best photo for your topic, make it a unique photo and beautiful.
3. Give credit where it’s due. Always give the website and the photographer if you can, credit by mentioning their name. Do it with your name of the photo saved as for example the photo above, has the website name in. I did that for them, they didn’t require it.
4. Be contextual, pick your photo on the blog topic. This will help with the search result and Google search marketing, and SEO. Be as descriptive as you can, but don’t over do it. Yes, that will actually have a positive effect and get your website ranked higher in the search engines too.
5. Use an Alt Tag, on every photo even your blog every time. But, What is it you say? You are right, that could be another post on it’s own. An Alt-tag describes the image for search engines so they can index it. It’s the same for a video blog too. Alt-tags use to be a big craze a few years ago for better search rankings, and SEO. Here is a few don’ts: Don’t stuff keywords, don’t upload huge files, don’t place weird or strange photos. Make them beautiful, as we are professional bloggers here:-0)>
I believe that photo and video blog sharing along with blogging are some of the top reasons for the success of the Internet. The Web 2.0 social networking world is full of blogs with colors, photos, videos, empowering the human network. Go blog your way to the top!
