Let’s Talk About Blogging

So you have a new website and you’re excited about people visiting it. You’ve set up Google Analytics, your developer has made sure that all the right tags are being used in the code and that you have access to create unique titles and descriptions. You are ready for the hoards of visitors to start pouring in.

But nothing happens. No one comes. A few people here and there, but not what you were hoping for.

So…you decide to blog. This is a good idea. Google and other search engines like to see active and growing sites. Here are some tips to help in your blogging endeavors.

Blog Like the Whole World is Watching

Look, when you first start blogging you’re probably not going to get a lot of people reading your blogs. It’s likely no one but your Mom (Moms are great!), a close friend who just lost his job and his girlfriend and some random person from some country you’ve never heard of (who will try to leave a comment about viagra) will read your blog. Just forget about it. Blog like the whole world is watching, like you’ve got 1000s of people reading it everyday. That’s what I’m doing right now. How many people are going to read this after I post it? I’ll be lucky if I get one and that includes me. But down the road when this section of my site is much larger, it may be more. So carry on and type away.

I’ve been blogging consistently on my wife’s business site for many years and we are just in the last couple of years starting to see the benefits of doing so. Keep at it. Don’t give up.

Have Fun

The reality is in the beginning no one is reading your blogs. Try not to think about it. Just ignore the obvious and have some fun. Amuse yourself. Hopefully you like to write. If not, learn to like it. You should be blogging at least once a week. Doesn’t sound difficult, does it? I’ve been a web developer for many, many years and I have told my clients who are interested in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) this very thing. I can probably count on one hand the number of them who actually do this.

It’s hard. One or two blogs? No problem. 52 a year…that’s another story. So make it fun for yourself and by doing so, you’ll probably make it fun for your readers too.

Keep a List of Topics

When you think of something to write about, write it down. How about a series? Write down the titles or ideas and once a week grab one of them and start writing. It helps to have some topics all ready when you sit down to write. It doesn’t have to be super long. If you don’t consider yourself a writer, maybe a blog that incorporates lots of photos is best for you or maybe you would rather embed a video of yourself talking. What floats your boat? Figure it out and do it. There’s going to be some drudgery involved in this (sorry, it’s the brutal truth), so work through it doing what you like and writing about what you like.

Save Something for the End

When I have my blog essentially finished, I like looking for a photo to use with it. It’s easy, kind of relaxing and for whatever reason I enjoy looking at all the photos and trying to find a good one to relate to my blog. It may be something different for you. I also like formatting the blog and adding headings throughout (I’m a little geeky). Again, you may hate both those things. Maybe it’s going for a walk when you’re done. Or cooking or whatever. Just give yourself some kind of small reward for finishing the blog, something to look forward to.

I hope this helps you in your blogging.

So this is the first in my series for those of you who have your own website but are not developers. Get ready for more!

Anyone out there? Hello? Oh come on, there has to be someone out there? Throw me a bone!

Hi, Mom!