Who should be reading this blogging need to knows, updated? Well, if you have a blog, If you’re a blogger, or if you write posts and publish them. If somebody or a whole bunch of somebodies read posts that you have written online. Cool, you need to check out these blogging need to know updates. I’m sure you will appreciate this post update on some of the newer guidelines.
A note of introduction:
My readers include a vast array of different types of readers, including various kinds of other bloggers. Some of my readers are even professional bloggers who cruise in from Twitter, mostly, have a quick read and look and then drift back out again. Others are WordPress.com bloggers who are blogging for purely personal hobby reasons.
This last group tends to stay within the WP.com geographical area, and they’re the ones who often have more time to leave “likes” and comments on posts.
I live in somewhat of a split world between my followers from social media and my WP.com followers. Both groups have very different interests and enjoy different levels of understanding of the intricacies of blogging and social media. I am writing this post for my WP.com friends, newer bloggers, and anyone who feels they need some blogging tips.
Top Blogging Basics and Guidelines:
- #1. Almost everything else that is listed will relate to this point in one way or another. The top #1, can’t get around it no matter what, thing you need to know, is that you and your site’s ranking is now based on trustworthiness.
- This entire concept means you need to be a 100% trustworthy and transparent owner and have a 100% credible and transparent, independent and open ownership. Darren Rowse of Problogger even suggests that it is beneficial to register your domain publicly, not privately. Also, everything else including your author(s), About page, posts, content, visual media, keywords, references, proper and appropriate internal links, authority, and high-level but low quantity backlinks should all be trustworthy and transparent.
- To summarize in English: Google (the primary ranking system) expects you personally (yes you as a person are now ranked and keep that rank) and your site: to be and have the best possible, high quality and well-organized structure and information. That means no crap, fake, cheating, cutting corners, or anything that isn’t properly referenced. They believe that this standard helps ensure better customer satisfaction and that is the top priority of Google.
- The old days of cheating and buying backlinks, for example, are gone. It is much better to have fewer, high-quality backlinks now. In fact, a large quantity, of low-level backlinks is automatically suspect.
- Google’s stance is that any site found breaking the above standards will be penalized. The penalization depends on the site in question. It has been known for a site to disappear overnight. Jon Morrow tells a good story on Boost Blog Traffic about his experience in a similar situation.
- Engagement and promotion in social media are also expected and in fact, needed for the benefit of your site’s survival. Stick with the big social media platforms and don’t bother wasting your time and efforts on the smaller and so-called insignificant ones. Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are all you need. Avoid all of the junky ones like Reddit, Stumbleupon, Bloglovin, etc. There’s too much room for lousy promotion instead of good promotion on most of the junky platforms. I have personal experience of content scraping from and through these last platforms and in my case also from Tumblr.
- It seems as if this point needs to be beaten to death and people still refuse to listen or believe it. When you use social media MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SHARING THINGS OF INTEREST TO YOUR FOLLOWERS BESIDES YOUR LATEST POSTS OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL.
Check out some of my friends who ate top social media influencers: Jan Gordon, Susan Gilbert, Lisa, etc. They all share much more than self-promotional stuff. In fact, if someone is only sharing their posts etc., it’s almost a red sign that they’re not fluent and competent in social media. Robert Caruso taught me to try and keep it to around a 30%/70% ratio of your material versus other related and interesting content. That’s a ballpark, but you get the idea.
There are probably hundreds of more guidelines that I could spend pages or books listing. But I won’t for a number of reasons. I believe in KISS! Most of you aren’t striving to have the #1 blog and make millions. Plus there’s always next time.
I would like to include some great information and guidance from Kevin Spacey via Kissmetrics. Yes, Kevin Spacey the Actor! But it is great advice when it comes to content curation.
“Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”
Authenticity is the next essential ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing only because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.
Audience may be the hardest part of all. To gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique, and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.” Kevin Spacey via Kissmetrics
I love the fact that he hits it right on the nose when it comes to what makes content work. You have to admit this guy knows about stories and what works.
So to summarize things here, it’s quite simple. Be honest, organized, don’t cheat and write good original stuff, use visuals, and use social media. Easy eh? Have fun!
Moz. Search Engine Ranking Factors is a great resource and one I use often.
Blogging Basics 101: A good bare bones fundamental resource for beginning bloggers.
Note: There are hundreds of sites with advice and “guidelines” and “suggestions” listed, even on Google, but beware! Not all of the so-called expert sites will guide you in the right direction. Stick with the top well-known sites.
Note; This post has been updated in June 2018.
Sowing Lightening. Photo and Quote.