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 2 in this series on Blogging Tips:
Basic Blog Formatting & Structure:
- Learn How to Make a Blog Post Pretty - There is nothing worse than a poorly formatted blog post with alignment problems, multiple fonts, poor use of bolded text etc. Practice aligning pictures, and previewing posts before you publish.
- Proofread - I’m as guilty as anyone in this area… Spelling AND grammar. Frankly, it makes you look like a dork when you mipsel wrds in a poast.
- Use Complimentary Pictures - As opposed to uncomplimentary… think about how a picture can actually add value to an article. What does that picture communicate to the reader? Is it valuable, or is it just wasting space.
- Learn a bit of html - There are great wysiwyg editors on most blog platforms these days, but a basic knowledge of html will save you in some instances when your editor is being uncooperative. I still struggle with line breaks in Wordpress… argh! Focus on basic things such as: bold, headings, hyperlinks, spacing, breaks, etc. Need help? Try this html tutorial site
- Choose Your Categories Wisely - For most blogs, categories act as a sort of table of contents. Try to stay under 15 if you can and use them as an outline to stay on topic.
- Subtitles are Crucial - Big blocks of text are the last thing people want to read online. Even if it’s the best article ever written, people will still only scan it to find what they are looking for. Try to break things up by using subheadings (H2-H4). Don’t go more than 10 lines without breaking it up.
- Create Lists & Use Bullet Points - The list post is a classic way to catch readers attention. One of the reasons they are so popular online is because they are easy to digest. The same can be true of bullet points. If you can condense your ideas into small chunks, your readers will thank you.
- Fewer Words - Don’t use 10 when 7 will do.
- Titles Are Your Most Important Asset - Yes, you heard me right. Titles can make or break a blog. Not only is it the first thing people see on the page, but it is typically the first thing people see in search engines as well when they find that post. Titles have implications with: search engine ranking, click through rates, clickability, readership, subscriptions, popularity, sharing, bookmarking, and more. The perfect title will capture the attention of an audience by using emotionally charged words, and also include relevant keywords to help you rank higher in the search engines. Check out Brian Clark’s blog for ideas. His titles are so good it’s almost sickening…
- Hold Off On Advertisements - Some new bloggers are gung-ho to throw adsense and banners all over their blogs thinking that somehow it will help supplement their efforts. But this is rarely the case. I suggest at least a few hundred subscribers before launching an ad campaign. The last thing you want to do is turn off potential readers with intrusive ads.
- Ditch Your Blogroll - The traditional blogroll appears in the sidebar of your blog… which in turn appears on every page of your blog… bad. If you can’t help but create a large list of your blogging peeps, create a single page. Your internal Page Rank will thank you.
- Set Up Keyword Rich URL Slugs - Some people will argue that using a URL with an ID number is better for usability, such as: http://yoururl.com/post/1234 But I suggest using a keyword rich slug that matches the title of the post. Not only will this improve click throughs in search engines, but it will also help identify your hyperlinks.
- Can’t Help But To Monetize Through Advertisements? - A couple tips ago, I suggested holding off on advertising, but if you simply can’t help yourself, there is alternative. Try some affiliate marketing. This is a super easy way to make money from the sites that you are probably already linking to. Simply sign up for the affiliate program, and when you create links in your posts to different services/products, make sure to include the affiliate code so you make some money if that person converts. This can also work well sprinkled throughout an email newsletter.
- Include Relevant Pictures in Posts - Pictures and visual elements can speak volumes by themselves in a blog post
- Editing Pictures - Of Course Photoshop or Photo Elements are good choices, but if you’re technically challenged in this area (like me), try an online tool like: picnik.com, or a simple editing and screen capture tool like Snag it.
- Finding The Best Pictures for Posts - I prefer to use a site like istockphoto.com where you pay a small amount as a license fee per photo. But there are plenty of ways to get free pictures too. Read this post about licensing before you go “borrowing” pictures from Google Image search.
** 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! **
Justin - why I haven't subscribed to you feed - I don't know? Now I will. Good stuff. ~Rita
bookmarked! I will read your site with great interest. and will be subscribing to you right now
Thats a great tomatoe sauce for success from the one and oly Tomatoe Coach...
Justin, as always you give great advice, now I will just have to implement it one of these days:))
Bookmarked for future reference....thanks, I truly need all the blogging tips I can get.....now if I can learn to work that camera......
As always great tips. I did bookmark the link. Thanks for the info.
Justin,
Great advice. Thank you for a post I will bookmark for many returns to reread!
With Justin's coaching, my blog is #1 in google search engine results for "Crofton Maryland real estate" - in other words, pay attention and do everythng Justin suggests! (Unless your target market is Crofton - then you should just move on to the next post and forget you read this. LOL)
Justin,I will definitely bookmark. Excellent information - short, concise, Thank you
Justin, your posts are always so helpful and full of great advice for all. Bookmarking for reference and reminders. Thank you ~Anne Marie
Justing, I really appreciate the post. I teach blogging classes and it looks like you will be one of the blogs I recommend. Thanks again.
Thank you for the post Justin. This is very helpful to newbies like us.
Thanks for the tips and help. Like some of theothers who have commented I just need to take the time to oput your advice to work!
Great post-thanks. My problem is putting pictures on my page-I try cutting and pasting from my own pics stores as jpegs but that does not work sometimes
I enjoyed the list. I'm continuing to learn more everyday and enjoy all the educational information I can get. Thank you.
Justin, Thanks for sharing this useful information. I can never get enough blogging tips!
Justin you always do a great job of explaining things to newbies and veterans alike.
Justin, thanks for the blogging tips. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Thanks Justin, excellent tips. Now I just have to put them into practice.
Thanks for the useful informatin. I m a novice at this so I will be referring to yoyur guide.
Thanks for the post. Now just to be able to retain it. Any helpful hints for that?
I appreciate the helpful link to the html site. This is something that I didn't fully understand, now where did i file that link? Just kidding! Have a great day!
Justin - everytime I read your blog, you give me homework. I'm really excited about going back and learning the html. I had to make myself keep reading and not click away right then! Thanks for all the good tips.
Justin,
These tips are so powerful. I appreciate the advise and am using your information when constructing my posts. I feel confident my posts are really improving. I look forward to seeing the rewards.
Justin,
So many good tips and points. I need to keep growing in this realm and I am sure that the pointers will help alot.
Thanks for the great tips Justin..now I will go back and read part I. Look forward to all of your future helpful posts.
Justin,
Thank you for these great tips, especially the HTML tutorial site, I've been using another limited site, but this one is so much better.
Hi Justin, I've read many of your posts. Here's my questions...if you are on Active Rain and typing the normal way, can you still use HTML to make it "pretty" or do you have to switch to the HTML tab. I'm always confused by this....
Justin - thanks for this information, and I really appreciate the tips!
I'm a subscriber now! Great stuff!
Terrific info. I'm subscribing today to your blog and following your rules of the road! Thanks
Justin, I love your blog posts because they are great "how to's" that anyone can follow. Thanks for sharing!
Justin - This is a terrific list for blogging and AR newbies. You might get even more attention if you put it in the Active Rain Newbies group. Just a thought -
Justin -
Good stuff, of course.
Here's the deal, however. I sell real estate - and am not an expert in SEO. I don't want to get caught in the trap of spending my whole day on blogs, or recreating blogs I have already created to take advantage of the latest optimization tips.
Is there anyone out there that can help me actually manage this stuff, without it costing an arm and both legs?
Would love to know - email me directly, if you prefer - and, of course, post publicly here.
DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
great tips and ideas to maximize our efforts, - maybe you could help. Are trackback links from our comments on outside posts considered (by google) incoming links to my blog
Justin - HTML is on my list for this year to take my blog to the next level and voila! you have provided a fantastic resource THANK YOU so very much! May you have a very prosperous 2009, for you cetainly are paying it forward!
Hi Justin,
I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this..
We built the Blog Comment Assistant for Real Estate to help real estate pros genuinely participate with other bloggers, establish a valid relationship with other blog owners, and, yes, to get links.
Please give it a review, if you would.
http://www.domaindrivers.com/BlogCommentAssistant.html
To start a fully-functional, ten day FREE trial, please go here: http://www.domaindrivers.com/BlogCommentAssistant/BlogApp/BlogApp-NewAccountFS.asp
Links to instructions are included throughout the tool.
Thanks!
Dirk
Jason, sounds like very sound advice and I must go check out all 100...
Thanks for the tips, I can always use help with HTML!
Thanks for the great tips, your blogs are always well read and well thought out. I look forward to reading them when you post
Hi Dean,
You bring up a problem that every real estate agent in the country struggles with to some extent. You want to achieve some level of marketing success online, and search engine ranking is usually a big part of that for most people. But many don't have the time/money/expertise to implement a full SEO or blogging strategy.
I won't sugar coat it for you... real estate is one of the most competitive industries in the world when it comes to SEO. Typically, I won't even deal with real estate SEO projects because they can be extremely difficult.
The good news is that, with innovations in blogging platforms and other website platforms, you can build a very search engine friendly website without much trouble. It takes much of the technical onsite work out of it, and you simply need to concentrate on good quality content and promoting that content.
So, if you want my honest advice.... you don't need a manager, you just need to learn the basics and create a web presence thats centered around great value. Your search engine traffic will come in turn.
But if you still want to hire someone, be expected to pay alot of money. There are no shortcuts.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHH Thanks somuch for this post. I was trying to find information this morning before posting my latest post. I wanted to add some color to some words, but didn't know how. Now, I have the html site to go to and learn how to do this and much, much more!
Justin,
Thank you for the blogging tips. I am new to blogging and an AR newbie. I look forward to learning even more by checking your past and future posts.
Justin,
Thanks for the blogging tips. Spelling is probably one of the things that drives me nuts. It just looks bad for all of us when there are misspelled words and misused words...
Very comprehensive list, Justin. This is a great post for newbies and oldies alike :)
Justin:
Thanks for all the tips. I'm bookmarking it for later reference. Also, I clicked on the article about Creative Commons licenses on Flickr--very informative, I learned a lot so I appreciate you linking to that post. I already use picnik.com too and love how easy it is, but I bet there's a lot more tools it can do than I'm aware of...have you written a post about this?
Have a great day,
Anne Rains
http://activerain.com/blogs/ladyofrealty
Excellent post. It is posts like this that keep ActiveRain on the cutting edge of blogging. We all need to learn better ways to post. Thank you for the tips.
Thank you for sharing this Justin. Each day I'm working on improving my blogging technique, content and layout. This post will definitely help!
This is an awesome post, one that I will have to go over when I have a little more time. Great job!
Justin...
Totally right on!... And thank you.
Rene'
Love the tips and your blog posts are always some of my favorite. I just checked out picnik and it was a cool site. Thanks for the link.
Hi Justin - thanks for the tips, especially the link to the html tips and to Brian's site. I struggle with titles all the time, and I see others come up with really clever attention-getting ones.
Ann
Love the ideas. I've learned a lot in the past few years that I have been blogging. There's always more to learn
Thanks for the tip. NEW BLOGGER HERE
Great info and education. Flicr info is greatly appreciated.
Justin-Tomato, (yes, that's how I think of you---full of juicy,tasty info!)
I've copied your original BLOG from YOUR site and you're going to be my late night reading companion! Thanks for ALWAYS sharing!
And Margaret Woda's comment made me LOL!
Kathy Opatka, Re/Max , OCEAN CITY< MARYLAND...Where Stress is Less!
I have bookmarked this one. I hadn't heard that regarding the blogroll, is there any consensus in the seo community on this?
HI Chris,
Yes, absolutely. You're just stuffing your site with links, and most of the time they aren't relavent for your readers anyway...
Great to see you Justin. Love my Tomato site and I love blogging. I've tried to add just a widget or two but Molly refuses to help me! I am now on Guy Kawasaki's real estate page on Alltop and wanted help putting the kick ass widget in and Molly took more time sending me a message telling me how to do it than it would have taken to put the widget in for me. Don't get it. Might be the second widget I've asked for help with. The 1 time I tried to put a widget in, I blew up my site.
Thanks for the refresher course and new nuggets!
Thanks! I just subscribed to your blog. I am sure I will learn lots! You are just down the road from me! I love Castle Rock!
Justin,
It's good to read that what little I know about blog organization is reinforced here in your post. Actually, it gives me new ideas how to make them even better.
Justin,
Would you mind explaining the paragraph "ditch your blogroll"
Thanks,
Thanks for your informative blog. This was a long waited blog but totally worth it.
Justin, lately I have been getting requests to advertise on my site. Yep they are willing to pay. What do you think about this? It is not bad things just not real estate related.
Justin, Great suggestions of course and thanks for the pointers. As always I like reading your stuff.
great post! Excellent information. Thank you for the information. All the best!
Justin,
Your posts always give me so much to think about and so much for which to strive.
Justin - as usual, great tips here !! Awesome ideas... your posts are a must read to maximize ones blog potential. Were you at Inman ? I saw a couple of other people and now have 2 Red tomato stress balls !
Wow...what a wealth of information. I am planning to set up my blog this weekend and was doing some research online. Wish I had came here first :)
Justin, This is great. There's a lot of useful information here that I will be looking at again.
Hi Justin,
Thanks for the information on blogging. I have just started and will do my homework by reading more of your valuable ideas. Elaine Gibney, a realor on activerain.com, told me about this site. I am an artist :)
Justin: Again, great post, and tons of practical and very useful information here. As an FYI...I love your visual design, graphics and domain name!
Thanks for the tip. I was confused before about flicker photos now I know which ones to use.
I use bigstockphoto.com for photos. The photos only cost a $1 a photo. I started with free clip art but the photos from bigstockphoto.com are 10 times better and present a more professional image for my blog. One word of caution, there are so many photos to choose from that sometimes I know I spend way to much time deciding on a photo for a blog post.