I have been blogging for almost a decade (wowza!), and Bucket List Journey has come a LONG way in that time. As a beginner, there was so much excitement about creating the site that I forgot to do the necessary research in order to make it successful from the start, or at least a lot quicker.
Over the years there have been many blogging mistakes made (or rather-learning experiences) and here are the top 10 to avoid falling into as a beginner blogger.
Blogging 101 Tips: 10 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
(& How to Fix Them)
1. Starting with a Free Blog
In the beginning, I did not want to spend my money until it was clear that this blogging thing was gonna be for me, so I started with a freebie blog. This is not that bad of a mistake (or even one at all) if you are just a hobby blogger or someone who simply wants to share your vacation stories with family and friends.
It may not be until you start to grow that you realize how limiting free hosting can be (this is especially true when it comes to making money through advertising!). But, if your intention is to look and be more professional, it’s easier to do it the right way from the get-go.
Some of the drawbacks for me were:
- Limited Advertising Opportunities: Most of the free hosting sites will limit your amount and type of advertising that can be placed on your site.
- No Selling Allowed: At this point, my blog has a substantial monetary value and can be sold just like any other tangible business. This would not be the case if it were a free blog.
- Lack of Customer Support: My current host offers 24-hour phone support. Most free blogs will have limited support that is usually through forums or email.
- Slower Loading: With so many blogs on the same server load times can be significantly slower (which results in a higher bounce rate!).
- Limited Design Choices: Many free websites only have a handful of themes available and limited tools, which can make your blog look unprofessional.
A couple years after beginning my site I wanted better flexibility, a more professional look and to actually own my blog. The switchover was done by a professional blog technician, so not only did it cost me some money (probably as much as I would have spent for hosting in the beginning), but also resulted in a temporary loss in readership.
SOLUTION: Buy your own domain name (a unique url) and pay a legit hosting company for your blog to be online. Domains average around $9.99 per year and hosting can cost as little as $3.95 per month. Though you don’t have to buy both from the same company, I purchase all my domain names and monthly hosting for this blog at GoDaddy. Due to the higher traffic on my blog my hosting plan is their Business Managed WordPress and currently costs about $20 per month.
Two other hosting companies that are popular amongst my blogger friends are Blue Host (starting at just $3.95/month!) and SiteGround.
2. Choosing a Difficult Domain Name
This may have been the biggest of all my blogging mistakes and it wasn’t even realized until I was doing a radio interview about bucket lists. The host simply said “tell us how to find your blog.”
“You can find it online at www.mslistologist.net. That is M S, not M R S. And list-ol-o-gist. List O L O G I S T dot com.” How many people do you think visited my blog after that interview? Zilch.
Again, just like when my blog was switched from a freebie to paid, I had to hire a computer tech to change the domain name of my blog to www.bucketlistjourney.net. And again my blog took a dip in traffic which took about four months to recover from.
SOLUTION: There are so many blogs in the world that your first, second and third choice for a domain name may already be taken. But, don’t give up on finding something easy to say and spell! At GoDaddy you can search names easily and purchase one that’s available. Don’t be afraid if you don’t get the .com because there are many more extensions that have been added to websites like .net, .co, .biz or .info.
3. Naming the Blog Different Than the Domain Name
Prior to changing my domain name, not only was the web address too difficult, but I also named my blog something entirely different than the url address. My domain was www.mslistologist.net and the name of my blog Bucket List Journey. Brilliant.
Why is this a mistake? First, it’s hard enough for people to remember one name, much less two. Secondly, and most importantly, my main keyword is ‘bucket list’, so having that term both in my domain name and title is extremely important for SEO (search engine optimization-getting traffic from Google). After both were aligned for a few months my traffic grew significantly and continues to do so.
SOLUTION: Choose a blog and domain name that are the same. If they are not exactly the same, at least make sure they are close. For example, www.annettetravels.com for the domain and Annette Travels the World for the blog name. It is also smart to have your main keyword(s) in your title and domain.
4. Not Responding to Reader Comments
As a beginner blogger I never responded to comments. What a mistake! It shouldn’t take a genius to realize that if you want readers to stick around and leave more valuable comments, you need to engage with them. If you don’t ever respond, what is the incentive for them leaving their opinion?
Here’s a few other reasons to respond to EVERY legit comment:
- It helps to build credibility as an authority in your niche.
- It encourages others to comment too and more often.
- Comment can add quality to your post. Many times people will leave tips, ideas and helpful suggestions related to the post.
Now, I try to respond to every comment. If I don’t respond, I usually go to their blog and comment on one of their posts. I apologize to all of you for my previous behavior.
SOLUTION: Set aside an hour or two each week that is dedicated solely to responding to comments. Make sure your words are valuable and relatable instead of just a simple “thank you!”. If you want to go one step further (which I recommend, especially for the beginning blogger) head over to their blog if they left a link and comment on that too!
5. Not Networking with Other Bloggers in my Niche
With changing algorithms, challenges of producing quality content and serious competition starting sites everyday, the blogging world can be difficult to navigate on your own. And a little lonely. It’s always nice to have a few virtual friends who understand what you are going through. Here are some reasons why building relationships are so important:
- You can bounce ideas off each other.
- You can troubleshoot problems together and learn from each others mistakes.
- You can share each others work on social media.
- You can be each others cheerleader!
I am a really reserved person, so in the beginning putting myself out there to network with others was scary. But, I learned that it wasn’t necessary for me to have a HUGE network of other bloggers, just a handful of very close ones.
SOLUTION: Find ways and take opportunities to connect with other bloggers in your niche. An easy way to start doing this is by joining Facebook groups for bloggers (there are a ton!), attending a conference or getting in touch through social media.
6. Not Offering Reading Options
Don’t people just bookmark the blogs they want to read and then randomly check back to see when new articles are posted? Nope and nope. Every reader has their own preference when it comes to how they track and view blog posts. Another one of the beginner blogging mistakes I made was to give readers only once choice. Bookmark it.
SOLUTION: Give your readers easy options. Now all my posts can go to an RSS feed or be subscribed to by email (see the right sidebar to sign up!). New articles are also listed on the Bucket List Journey Facebook and Twitter. Make sure there’s no excuse to miss a post :)
7. Not Learning From Other Blogs
You don’t want to copy what other successful blogs are doing, but you do want to learn from them. I always follow a handful of blogs (who are not in my ‘friend’ network-see #5) that can push me to the next level. Take note that I said “next level”. This does not mean to follow the “biggest and best blogger” out there. When you are comparing yourself to a top tier blog it is very easy to get discouraged, so select blogs that you consider a step or two above yours.
SOLUTION: Choose five blogs you admire that are doing something a just a little better than you are (this could be in regards to design, article content or photography). Then analyze each of them to learn what you could do better. For example, I found a blog whose theme I loved and was able to finally find and get the same one.
8. Didn’t Identify with the Proper Niche
In the beginning, I identified myself as a bucket list blog, which in itself is a niche…sort of. Though it could technically be considered a niche, 99% of the sharing and listing websites, like StumbleUpon, do not have a “bucket list” category (hopefully that will change soon!). With that said, saying that Bucket List Journey is just a travel blog was way too broad since there are literally thousands of them out there and it would be hard to compete. Also focusing on bucket lists has been key to my success.
SOLUTION: Identify yourself with a common niche (like lifestyle, travel or food), but also pick a smaller sub-niche that will make it easier to rank and be recognized for.
9. Not Sharing the Love
What? You may be asking, “why should I promote my competition?”. The answer is simple. Because they will do the same for you. Many people in the industry will return the favor if you share one of their articles. Even more so, if a mention of their blog is included in one of your articles, they are definitely more likely to share (aka: brag) that article with their readership.
SOLUTION: Be generous with your shares/mentions of others people’s work while still keeping your brand in tact (ie: only share things that fit within your own branding and niche).
10. Being too Obsessed With Stats
After installing Google Analytics on my site, the standard program used for tracking stats for blogs, I became obsessed-checking my visitor count dozens of times per day. It is very important to know how many hits you get to your site and the demographics of those visitors, especially when it comes to monetizing and forming partnerships. But, checking your analytics 20 times per day is just a waste of time and can be discouraging for the beginner blogger.
SOLUTION: Though 20 times per day is way too much, you do want to check your stats on a regular basis to make sure that your blogging technique is on track for gaining readership and to confirm that your Google Analytics is installed properly and continuously tracking (sometimes updating or installing new plugins can affect GA). Set a schedule for when you will analyze your stats and update your marketing materials related to them. Start with agreeing to check them only one time per day (preferably at the same time each day) and update your marketing materials on the 1st of each month.
7 More Common Beginner Blogging Mistakes
- Creating Mediocre Posts
- Neglecting SEO from the Beginning
- Not Using Quality Images
- Not Promoting Your Blog Content
- Not Collecting Emails
- Not Staying on Brand
- Not Optimizing Photos
Are you a blogger? What beginner blogging mistakes did you make?
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Great read for those who are interested in getting started in this whole blogging game…I made almost every single one of those mistakes on previous blogs I've run, my current blog is the first one I've actually designed with these things in mind.
I’m happy to hear that I’m not alone with all the mistakes ;)
You know I think alot of travel blogs are out there. Personally, I haven’t run into any that were dull or boring, Instagram is where I started seeing & connecting. But for sure it does help to use descriptive, positive words. Don’t be afraid to be honest with your stories. People really do appreciate your stories and can relate in many situations. Be encouraging & compassionate sounding. The karma DOES come back to you!
Bucketlist….I really appreciate these tips. I will read your blogs on fear for sure too.?? I’ve got a blogging website but haven’t even began for fear I can’t keep up. And your space for my site url keeps telling me to put it in. So I give up but hopefully I can post this.
Those are some great tips and I look forward to reading your blog :)
Congrats on the anniversary! 3 years of hard work and well earned benefits. I wish you luck with the next three.
P.S. Feel free to reach out to me via email if you need SEO help. Happy to help another bucket lister.
Thanks! I might have to take you up on that offer :)
Congrats on 3 years and thanks for the tips. I'm just trying to get my blog started and these were very helpful!
I hope it helps. I just subscribed to your blog, so I will be able to follow your bucket list journey :)
Annette, that made for fascinating reading, and I’m glad I managed not to make all of those same mistakes-though I’ve definitely made other different ones… I still hope to get added to the bucket list blogs that you stalk ;-)
I need to make the move to .org next…
And as you say, connecting with the blogosphere is über important
Happy you didn’t make all my mistakes!
…and I just added you to my stalking list, because I do stalk you :)
Oh, some of these sound so familiar :) Congrats on three years!
Thanks, it seems like just yesterday…
Wow….after reading this I definitely suck as a blogger! I had no idea Alexa even existed, you can even see your home address on there! Attention stalkers…do not stalk Annette!
That part is kind of creepy. I don’t know how to have the address removed :(
Oh. And you DO NOT suck as a blogger! Your blog is one I truly always enjoy reading. You are always having unique and fun experiences that makes me jealous. Keep it up…please :)
Ok, now I feel stupid :D I've already made so many mistakes!! :D
You haven’t made mistakes, you’ve learned lessons ;)
This is a great post and is really helpful as I've recently picked up the virtual pen and begun my blog afresh (after a blog vacation – yeah, they exist ;-) – These are such great pointers, thanks for sharing – And congrats on the anniversary!
P x
Blogging vacations are sometimes needed (and well deserved)! Happy to hear you are back at it!
A fantastic post – I so appreciate all you've said – Thank you for sharing the lessons you're learnt :-)
Lizzy x
Your VERY welcome :)
Three years – good for you!! I am still such a newbie – I will hit 6 months this week! So excited! Great tips in your list – I have made my fair share of mistakes. Luckily – my url worked out for me – traveldestinationbucketlist – my intent had always been focussed on the travel aspect along with the bucketlist. Networking and SEO are my next projects to learn! Keep up the good work – love following your adventures!
You did do good with your URL, it’s so easy to remember! SEO is a whole other beast, that I am still making my fair share of mistakes with :)
Such great tips and Happy Anniversary!!! :)
Thanks much dear.
Happy blogiversary! And here's to many more years and adventures!!
Thanks much :)
Good tips! And happy blog-versary!
Thank you!
This was very informative…thank you. The biggest thing I have struggled with on my blog was whether or not to find my "niche"…still working on that one. Happy Anniversary too!
Finding a niche was really hard for me too, because I felt like I didn’t fit anywhere :(
But, now I do feel like I have selected a niche and still haven’t compromised what I want to write about.
I cracked up at #5…..I thought the exact same thing! I distinctly remember being VERY disappointed when after posting my first blog, there was not a rush of comments, readers, and loyal followers. I was like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???
I also made the same mistake of calling my blog something different than my URL. dumb!! Thanks for stopping by my site ;)
LOL! Yep, that’s exactly how I felt…whaaaaaaatttt??
Congratulations on your blogiversary! Every year of blogging is surely something to celebrate about. I've been blogging for over a year and I still do make the same mistakes! Here's for an even better year!
Thanks much!! I do hope that this year will bring many more amazing adventures to blog about :)
I think the "not replying to comments" thing is a big one a lot of bloggers don't do. And I don't understand why not! Isn't the point of blogging to actually engage in conversation? And spreading the love/stalking others is a biggie for me; I love our little "community" and think that's the best part of blogging!
I have had some of the best experiences because of our “community”, it is wonderful!!
Great article, Annette! I just experienced No.1 and am still thinking about No.3 :-) My blog has the same URL and Name but the Blog is on a sub-domain which I am wondering since a while if it would be better to change this. Alexa doesn't track sub-domains and I wonder how important Alexa is for me. An how much would change if I changed it to the main domain.
Congratulations to your successful 3 years!!
The reason that Alexa is important to me is because it is a stat advertisers and pr peeps ask me for. Though, this may change because there are several other ways to gage a blogs traffic too and technology changes so rapidly.
Thanks for the congrats :)
Annette this is a fab post – I think it's a must-read for not only people who are new bloggers, but established bloggers too!! I read a few of my first posts the other days and was actually laughing at them because they were so awful – and I'm sure I'll continue to do so over the years lol x
I have done the same thing! I sometimes want to delete the old, terrible ones, but I like to look back and see how far I’ve come :)
Fully enjoyed reading this post. I've had a food blog for a while but since my boyfriend and I recently started our travel blog it's great to read a post like this and hopefully learn from your mistakes!
thank you! Blogging is definitely a neverending learning experience :)
At least you realized your mistakes, a lot of bloggers never do. The most important part about most blogs (other than your content), is interaction with your audience. If your readers feel like they have some sort of personal connection with you, they will keep coming back.
I do agree with that. It is so important to make connections and network.
Hi Annette!
I really enjoyed this post for two reasons: 1) I am struggling as a beginner blogger desperately trying to get people to read and follow my blog and 2) you have given me several tips I hadn't already thought of to use! I especially realize I NEED to start commenting on fellow travel blogger's posts so that people will actually see my name out there.
I've been using Twitter to connect with bloggers (you're one of them actually!), but I'm not sure how useful it has been in drawing people to my blog. What specifically have you done with social media? What platforms have you been most successful in getting a strong following for your blog? And how long did it take you to start seeing an increasing success of your blog?
Thanks!
Megan
(@thetomkidtravels)
Hey Megan!
Firstly, thanks for following me & kudos to you for starting a blog :)
Secondly, to answer your questions, the social media outlets I use are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. The best for referral traffic has been my Facebook Fanpage, followed by Twitter. I don’t really use Twitter for referrals as much as for networking with companies and other bloggers (I am following you now). Commenting on the leading blogs in your niche is a GREAT way to get noticed! Also, look for opportunities to contribute to travel blogger posts. There are several Facebook blogging groups you could join that randomly ask for blogger contibutions and these groups are also an incredible source for learning.
Lastly, I have been blogging for 3 1/2 years and just starting seeing a level of success within the last year. With that said, I was not actively seeking out help in the first couple of years. It does take a lot of dedication and passion. At this point, if I could recommend one thing it would be that you are passionate about what you are writing about in your blog.
Hope that helps!
Hi Annette,
Thanks for the great tips. I'm still at the free hosted site stage at the moment, and slowly losing patience with how little flexibility I have with it. Somehow I don't think it will be long before I move over to my own site! One thing I love though is the journey and networking that blogging takes you on. It's such a great community to be involved in. Did you switch to self-hosted by yourself or did you get help? I'm tossing up between these at the moment.
Cheers!
Hello Sammy!
I agree with you about the community and networking opportunities. Now, everywhere I travel I meet up with someone I met through blogging. Pretty amazing!
I switched to self hosting myself. I did it pretty early on, so it wasn’t too terribly hard. But, I went from free Wordpress to self-hosted Wordpress. I am not sure how the transition would be from Blogger to Wordpress. I can’t imagine it would be much different if they have the ‘export’ feature in blogger. It is worth it, if you plan on progressing to the next level. Good Luck!
Just bought my domain name. Now I'm one step closer!
YAY!!! Hope the transition will be easie-peasie :)
Thanks for sharing your personal blogging blunders. I sure have made many of my own! It's all so overwhelming and when you think you know everything there's always so much more. I'm going to go check my Alexa now :-)
I am pretty sure blogging will be a neverending learning experience. That is probably why I am addicted to it ;)
Yowsers! I am clearly a complete novice! Just checked my Alexa score and its in the 4 millions! YIKES! How the heck do you reduce it?
I am having my blog redesigned at the moment, but did at least start with a custom URL, and am just switching to self hosted…
I am really baffled by a lot of the SEO stuff though to be honest
The easiest way to begin to reduce your Alexa is by installing the Alexa toolbar. SEO is a whole other beast! But, it would be beneficial to do a bit of reading on it or else you will have to go back through all your old posts to properly SEO them, just like I spent the last month doing! Ugh!
Can you give me any useful pointers for a reading list? Also just checked my Google Page Rank, lol I'm definitely a NOOB
This is an article I read on SEO (about a dozen times). It’s great for the beginner.
http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo
But, I’d also make sure to use the Yoast plugin, it makes things so much easier! I didn’t realize that the Alexa toolbar doesn’t work with Safari. I use Internet Explorer. Google page rank is tough to increase, but as you get more people linking to your site it will go up. Good Luck!
Looks like Alexa don't have a toolbar for Safari… Grrr
Thanks for directing me to this post. I know making mistakes is the best way to learn. I am bad with technology. A friend who is a lot better at it told me to get a domain name, but I went with WordPress. I hope to be building something. I know it takes time. I am following you on Twitter and here because I admire your site and how you call it Bucket List. I hope to go through every item on mine. Thanks again.
I definitely believe that a free Wordpress site is the perfect way to start. And once you are sure that you are passionate about blogging, you can switch over. I love that you said “I hope to be building something”. You are building something and the funny thing is that the thing that you think you are building in the beginning may evolve into something equal, or even better, in the future.
Best wishes on checking off your bucket list!
Love your article!!
I just started my own blog, so these tips are very helpful!
Thank you so much!
Lots of love x
Happy to hear that the tips were helpful!!
Hi Annette
Thanks for the great feedback.I am so overwhelmed with all the information I am absorbing to create my first blog. I still haven’t got my head around RSS feed, but that will be next on my list. I am a little concerned about point number 8 and a need to identify with a niche. I too have a bucket list blog and will now have to look at my blog and decide on a direction.
I really like your comments on stalking other bloggers, you have eased my concerns a great deal as I was unsure of how this would be perceived. I am completely new to reading blogs or writing them.
Thanks again for an informative post.
Lee
Hello Lee!
Welcome to blogging and the bucket list life :)
It was very overwhelming for me in the beginning too, but just take one step at a time. I actually wrote this post a little while ago, so I wouldn’t recommend really concentrating on RSS. Instead build up your email list, this will be much more valuable in the future. Having a niche will definitely make you stand out amongst all the others, but the “bucket list” niche might be good enough since there are not many of us out there. Or as you start have new experiences you will start to see a trend of towards what you enjoy doing most. That might become your sub-niche.
Best Adventures to you!!!
Hey
Great list. I’d like to add one! ‘You write in block paragraphs and don’t reformat your post to emphasise certain messages’.
It’s true that people reading a post/article will skip through to find key messages. Why not make their life easier (and allow them to read efficiently) by making words bold, italic, using bullet points, increasing text font, in order to allow key points to emerge.
That’s a GREAT addition. Thanks for the tips.
Good thing you added a “how to fix them” there ’cause I’ve been needing a post like this! Thanks!
Thank you for this article! I found these tips incredibly helpful and several were good reminders.
This was a really interesting post, thanks for sharing your travel experience.
Hi Annette. Just started my own food and travel blog a few weeks ago. While I managed to avoid many of your top 10 blunders, I found several others to take their place.
Biggest two? 1) believing all those people on line who say it’s simple to set up your blog. Not so. It’s easy to say “be sure to set up your SEO” (or whatever), but doing so is quite another matter for this luddite! 2) accuracy. My very first post included a photo cut line that was inaccurate (said it was taken at Machu Picchu when in fact it was Ollantaytambo) and someone called me out. Ouch! Luckily editing my post was something I DID know how to do.
Thanks for your practical advice and encouragement.
First, congrats on starting your blog! I agree with you that setting up a blog the correct way (so you don’t have to go back and fix everything later like me!) is challenging. With that said, we are fortunate that today there are so many resources that can help you. And SEO is a whole other best! Best of luck to you!
Brilliant article and wish I had found it a couple of months ago when I set up my own travel blog. My main concern was dealing with technical issues and negotiating my way around the online world rather than thinking about the bigger issues of creating a blog. Yours is brilliant, a great read and easy to navigate. I’m getting there, sloooowly! Abfabtravels.com
The technical issues can definitely be challenging, especially the deeper you get into blogging. But, I just try to conquer one challenge at a time. Congrats on your blog!
I am currently making some of these mistakes and I am happy to read you recommendations. Thanks
Love your blog. I’ve started a lifestyle blog with a travel section but the idea is for the travel section to just be about the unique experiences rather than every trip or holiday I’ve had. Your blog has given me a lot of inspiration.
Thanks so much! I am jealous that you got those great bird pictures in Raja Ampat! I was recently there and forgot to look for birds. Great blog.
I started a travel blog and I realize all think help me to be a better blogger. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful tips, so helpful for beginners like me. Thanks so much.
Great list! I’m currently trying to grow my blog, so you’ve got some really useful tips here :)
Happy to hear it was helpful and hoping it helps a little in growing your blog! Best of luck :)
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blog ƅy chance (stumbleupon). I һave saved iit for later!
Hi Annette!
I started my blog some years ago but I’ve decided to try and grow it now. These are great tips! Thank you for sharing!
Mindy
Congrats on wanting to start to grow your blog! Wishing you much success!
Informative post indeed! Yeah, you mentioned the mistakes are we need to avoid, though most of the beginner’s don’t get to know they are making these mistakes till some time has passed! though never too late to start, but that is essential for anyone who wants to pursue blogging as a profession for sure.
Very good article particularly for a beginner like me, will surely help me in better writing in future. Keep posting these type of interesting articles.This post is very helpful.I have been examinating out some of your articles and it’s pretty clever stuff.I need to thank you for this wonderful Article and aslo Thanks for this valuable information and all the guidelines you provided.
Thanks for the information, new blogger here and a little overwhelmed. Going in so many directions.
When I first decided to write a bucket list blog, I was a little overwhelmed. During my research period, I started looking at other blogs and came across your site…. I became an instant fan. You’ve become my inspiration and what I hope to aspire to. I have recently launched my blog this month and you have already helped me a great deal. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I feel that I am moving in the right direction. Thank you.
https://www.livingmybucketlist.ca/
Many congrats for starting your blog! I know that mine has completely changed my life and i hope yours does the same for you :)
I’m just starting my travel blog. This post has been very helpful. It’s a great checklist for those of us just starting out!
I’m certainly not as adventurous as you, but I’ve enjoyed living vicariously!
Maybe you can help — I’m using BlueHost & WordPress. How did you get this Leave A Comment form to show up at the end of your posts? I can’t seem to find it. And I want to add it before I start promoting the site.
Thanks! And keep up the good work!!
Have you checked your Dashboard > Settings > Discussion area? This is typically where you set up how comments work on your page. But also, if you look at the bottom of each article there should be a “Discussion” Box. You need to click “Allow Comments” under that header. If you do not see the Discussion box, while in your dashboard click on “screen options” in the upper righthand corner. A dropdown will appear and make sure that “discussion” has a checkmark next to it.
Thanks so much for this article and several others I have read on your site. I have “started” a couple of times but didn’t stay with it because of the many mistakes I had made trying to get started. There are just so many scams out there when you are learning so again thank you for your advise and I love love your blog.
I like point 5, not networking with other bloggers. The logic behind it is completely understandable. But, I have never got it to work for me. My experience has been, reach out to contact people, try talking to them, share their stuff and … get nothing in return. Everyone wants to be successful and get their piece of the pie. Many seem to be looking at the next person up the ladder, not at the same level. If you are not higher than them, they don’t want to know you. Network with other bloggers is great, but I can’t get it to work.
Post 3 about having the same website name as the domain used to be a decent ranking signal known as an “exact match” or “partial match” domain. This is no longer the case and the reason you can now rank for “mainkeyword.com” when your site name is “Completely Unrelated Blog Name” for example. Or vice versa.
Hi! All of your information has been very helpful! I have been struggling with how to optimize images. Is there a program that you pay for on your site to optimize them? Or what would you recommend.? Thanks!
Melissa
I use the free plugin Smush that does it automatically.
Thanks for the information, I have a question which is the best plugin for optimizing the images , please tell me
We are using Smush.
Thanks so much for this article and several others I have read on your site.
Hello Annette. It was such a great article, very informative, especially for people like me who just started writing. I will look forward to more such great blogs from your side.
Pro blogging tips. I have found over iNternet. Loved it. Thank you