When you first start a blog, your sole aim will be to make sure that you get to the first page of Google. If you find that this step is difficult, you might be doing something wrong. There are a few different approaches you can try when it comes to blogging. If you want to be a success, you need to show people that you have what it takes. Make no mistakes, this process will not be easy. It’s not as simple as just setting up a page and hoping for the best. Here are some of the things you should try.
Pay attention to SEO techniques
Ignoring SEO is one of the biggest mistakes you will ever make. Sure, you might think that if your site is good it will be a success regardless of search engines. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you start to work on this aspect of your page, you will see some massive changes. Getting SEO consulting is one of the easiest ways to start learning the art. Remember, you are unlikely to get the hang of it overnight, but if you keep at it, it will get better.
Avoid copying other blogs
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is copying other blogs. The last thing you need to do is be a mediocre version of someone else’s idea. If you set out to copy something else, you will have to work twice as hard as you would otherwise need to. It’s not worth the trouble. It’s always better to come up with an original idea than to copy someone else.
Consider general categories
What you want more than anything is for readers to come back time and time again. That means that you have to give them a reason to love your blog. When you create categories on your site, it means that people know what to expect from you. You could choose subjects that you have an in-depth knowledge of so that you can write about them. The more research you do before you begin writing, the better each post will be. You need to keep that in mind when you start out.
Keep things short and on point
Are you a rambler? If you go on and on without a point, you have a problem. When it comes to writing, you need to keep things as short and sweet as possible. It might help to set yourself a word limit before you start. That way, you will know how long the post should be before you do anything else.
Ask for feedback from readers
Finally, you need to make sure that you get feedback from your audience. You should install a comment function on your blog. You need to encourage people to respond to you online. Once they begin engaging with you, you will find that they return to your blog all the time. It’s all about building a relationship with your readers. Once you reach out to them, it will surprise you how loyal they are.
Jay says
Great tips.
I especially like your tip for ramblers, because I am one, but there is another way of keeping it “short sweet and to the point” while also creating a long, helpful article of 1000+ words or more. How you ask? What I like to do before I start writing is to jot down some bullets, or subtitles. This is to break up the flow naturally. These subtitles help be to write multiple points under the same heading or title. When you do this it’s easy to create 100 to 200 words for each of the subheadings so if you break it up like that it is easier to read (for the reader) and you can generate lots, and lots, of copy. Another great way to help break it up is to add great pictures or graphs.
Thanks again for the post.
Jamie says
Getting on the first page of Google can be very, very difficult. It all depends on the terms you are competing for. If you want to get on page one for “SEO” you might as well forget it because there are so many powerful sites/pages competing for this term that you stand no chance at all. Picking the right kind of keywords to rank for is crucial when starting out. I had to learn this the hard way and wasted a year because of it.
Alicia says
I would add that you should always write about something you have experience in and you are passionate about. When you follow your passion, writing will be very easy, words will flow out and you won’t feel like you are working at all. And never, ever copy other blogs or you will never be successful.