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.
Justin - thanks for a great article, which I will reference for blogging.
Thank you for your tips today, my gosh every day on AR there is something about blogging . There aren't enought hours in the day to check on all that is written and out there.
Portsmouth NH Real Estate
Justin,
Thanks for all the useful tips. There are so many, that I bookmarked your article. My resolution is to figure out how to upload an email subscription form.
Thanks,
Sandy
While this all sounds great, I am very confused. I clicked on the icon link and was totally lost. I need a course in language I can understand. I guess I should just be happy that at least I now know what a blog is. A year ago I thought it was something from an old Hitchcock movie hahaha....
Happy Thursday,
Lori
Great tips, I am going to reblog this so I have it somewhere close, also going to subscribe to your blog. Thanks for the info and I look forward to learning more!
Justin,
After downloading the flavicon, how do I get it to become an integrated part of a specific site?
Thanks
Sean
So much to do, so little time. Bookmarking for a non-crazy week. Everyone wants to build a house this spring!
Checking out the full version. Thanks for the tips!
I just LOVE this list...so of course it's bookmarked! Thanks for the information.
Hi Sean,
You have to upload it to the root directory of your website.
As usual Justin some awesome advice!
Hi Justin: Thanks for all these tips, after I read your posts and implement your ideas I know that my blog is getting better and better (at least I hope it is). Your call to action ideas are great, I think the one I forget to do most often is include links to related articles.
Have a great day!
--Anne Rains
Gosh, I have so much work to do:) I've bookmarked this post and will work on one thing at a time. Thanks for the tips.
Hi Justin - Thanks for the tips. Most of them - I don't even know what you are talking about. But the one about updating the look of my blog - that I can do! Thanks!
Great post.
Justi, thanks very much for the tips. I'm saving this for future use.
WOW! Great information. Thanks so much.
Great suggestions. I'm working on the call to action in every post--otherwise, the reader may leave and answer someone elses call.....
Oh this is great stuff Justin...keep it coming! I have far too much learning to do, still. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Mucho appreciated:)
I'm coming back here when more awake. I need to concentrate when I ready you suggestions and I'm intrigued by a post that you keep updating (or is it a page?)
Justin - here's something I try to do in my blog...when referring to a previous post or an idea from someone else's post, always provide a link - that way the reader can reference it (or see what sparked the idea for the post).
I had been looking for this kind of information for a while. Excellent tips. Thanks a million.
I can see why you are a blogging coach, you give brilliant advice!
You always seem to have the right combination for writing blog content, Thanks for sharing
Justin, Thank you again, now I jsut have to figure out how to do that invitation form to my blog. Slowly but surely I am getting there:)
Jason, I just put this article up on LinkedIn, hope it helps.
Just when I thought I had a handle on this stuff...
Justin, this is great information. Some of the tips I already use; i.e., links to social networks, but branding is something I know I need to put more emphasis on. You are a resource I will be coming back to.
Justin - as always, great tips ! I think a call to action to your specific website is great too. We like to link our blog and our website back and forth to maximize traffic on both. Will bookmark this post to come back to to integrate all of the tips !
Justin, This has wonderful information and thank you for sharing it. I haven't done much at all with my outside blogs and I know I need to get at least some of these things done. Thank you!
I, too didn't know what a blog was until a year ago. Goes to show ya, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Just trying to stay ahead of the curve is really difficult. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL of your useful TIPS. I bookmarked 'em! I am looking forward to the next blog.
Diane Lombardino www.findwowproperties.com
Justin, Thank you for the tips on blogging better on this site, your knowlegde definately helps us all
Justin-Thank you for your wonderful tips. It's a really good resource for a learn as I go person like me! Best to you in 2009
I must admit I'm overwhelmed by the options available, and a bit at a loss on the learning curve of all this. Baby steps, but at least I'm trying it!
thank you for the great bookmark.
As I had said in previous posts, that there is just so much to learn online just to keep up! I also find that I like to watch the how-to videos at YouTube just to get a visual. I find that helpful too.
Thanks again.
Oh my goodness, my head is going to explode...this is great information. THANKS much, now to just pick one or two and get started...humpfff...
I had just updated the look of my outside blog today. Made it go from fall to spring. Don't much like winter so I just skipped it. The call to action idea is fantastic. I do that in person with clients, I do that in mail outs to clients, why in the heck had I not implemented that idea into my blog? Thanks for helping me.
This info was great! I still have so much to learn. thanks!
Hey Justin, Great info as usual! I've bookedmarked the last 3. Whew!
I am doing most but tend to forget the internal links, but guess I can add those later. My readership went up 30% when I put a link on my MLX exchange e-mails telling people about the blog. Finally thought this would be a good link and it was.
Facebook has a new network that seems to be working to get more exposure. Add a couple of readers per day and your blog gets read more. made it to #2 on Yahoo and #3 on goggle for my term. Been at it a year almost. Just passing it along.
Bookmarked Justin! Every little bit helps and you've given a lot of really good tips.
justin...great stuff...you should get paid for this.
Great tips and some good ones in the comments as well.
Thanks so much.
Great information, i will come back tomorrow and follow your tips step by steps! Thanks.
Good article and info about tips -- appreciate you posting them here.
Thank you Justin, I bookmarked it and I know you are an authority. I've been blogging off and on for over two years and I would do well to read and implement many of the things you have said, so all of my hard work isn't for naught!
Thanks again Justin!
Hi Justin, There are a couple of things here that I hadn't thought of doing, and at least one that I keep meaning to do but haven't yet. No excuses - I will do it! Thanks!
Justin: Thank you for posting such great information. I book marked this to refer back.
Thank you Justin. As a 'beginning blogger' I can use these tips. I appreciate your taking the time to share!
Justin - some great tips here. Bookmarked to refer to again when I have more time.
Jeff
Justin, another terrific post full of good solid advice on blogging. Thanks for taking the time to put together these incredible lists for us all. Take care and happy blogging!
Wow, Justin- this is incredible information... thank you!
Hi Justin, I just wanted to say hello again and thanks for the list of things I need to clean up, add, or do on my great RE Tomato website!
Justin,
Great post! I needed something like this to get me motivated to blog more.
Many of those were tips that I hadn't heard before. Thank you.
Thanks for all the tips and advice. Now I have to implement it all
Thanks for the info! ;)
Hi Justin, Thanks for the great tips, I will have to check them out one by one so I can be sure I am using all of them.
Great tips, I'll try to do something with the best post tip! The new design tip I can relate to as well. I've found it's a trade off ~ between how much money you want to spend and how much time you want to spend doing it.
Not surpised at what great tips you have provided. I am working on setting up a Wordpress blog and this is very useful as I move forward.
As often mentioned in the comments...thanks for the tips. I'll have to read all the links later after I have my outside blog setup.
i found this site to be helpful in getting a blog started. www.mlsblogresources.com
It's a lot of work. Getting started is like learning japanese...
Thanks Justin - I'm working hard to implement blogging and social networking into our company, your insight will be great to refer back to. Thanks!!
Thanks Justin. I bookmarked your original blog and will refer to it often. Thanks for the post.
Hi Justin;
Great tips I thank you for sharing with us.
Anthony
Great post Justin, I was just searching for a blog to send my new assistant to to get acclimated with better blogging and stumbled upon this! Thanks for the great tips and making my life easier!
The call to action is definitely the key.....now I have to figure how to program that into my blog......
You mention favicon and social bookmarking but dont say save this to a bookmark or favorites. I am working on a post about that and I think people forget about it.
Great tips Justin, thanks for sharing them with all of us.
Justin, you are such the smarty!
great points on the "call to action" parts - I think we all forget to do that in many occasions
Nice post. I live just up the road from you. Have to meet you when I'm at the outlet mall.
Thanks for the info - I love your blog. I didn't know anything about favicons. Good info!!
Just when I thought I was doing okay on the blog scene I run across your post to let me know that I really didn't know how much I didn't know, LOL. Okay, it's not that bad, but it looks like I need to take some time to study your post. Thanks for sharing these important resources with us on Active Rain.
Justin - this is a great post and resource. It is better than any book you can purchase at Barnes & Noble!
I am not sure about what a favicon is. I am creating a wordpress blog for the first time and not sure if I should use it there or how - do you have an example?
WOW...this is terrific. Thank you for sharing this valuable resource ... I will refer to it often.
my goodness what a lot of good information.. thank you.. it is indeed hard to blog.. at least i think so.. anything you can give me to help is great... i have yet to do the individual blog since i don't feel i am good enough yet at blogging to spend money on it.. i'll continue to blog for free until i get better.. thanks again for the post.
oh wow...thank you for the flavicon...am off to check that out!