Blogging Mistakes That Kill – And How to Avoid Them

The engine of your content marketing effort is the blog. And if you’re new to content marketing, there’s no better, easier place to jump in than through creating a blog. For content marketing, we talk a LOT about the priority of top-notch content. But that high quality content is not the whole story! Another great article by Heidi Cohen lays out 7 blogging mistakes that you must avoid. If you don’t make the effort to avoid or fix these mistakes, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

Blogging Mistakes that Kill – And How to Avoid Them

Mistake #1. Don’t Sweat the Technical Aspects. Sure, you have to focus on your content, but you can’t blow off the technical side of SEO.

1. Set your blog up properly on your own domain.
2. Keep your software up-to-date and secure. Use the latest version of your blog host software, and be careful with passwords and security.
3. Maximize your blog speed.
4. Pay attention to dead links and other navigation issues. Fix ‘em!

Mistake #2. Don’t Worry About the Content Quality. Just post “whatever”!

1. Understand your target persona. Write TO them, and FOR them.
2. Cluster your content around the main theme.
3. Minimize self-marketing. Don’t think of your blog as an extension of your promotional distribution. Bring a benefit to your reader.
4. Write excellent headlines. They’ll never see your content if you didn’t attract them with your title.

Mistake #3. Forget to Lay Out the Content for Easy Reading. Don’t just type it in, and hit “publish”. Make sure it’s easy to skim and that the main points are obvious.

1. Make content scannable. Most readers won’t read every word. Use bolding and outlining to guide them through your information quickly.
2. Use photographs and other visual content to support comprehension.
3. Streamline each post. The goal is to eliminate extraneous and flabby wording.
4. Check your grammar, punctuation and spelling. Remember, you’re trying to make it EASY to read!

Mistake #4. Don’t Bother Optimizing the Post for Search.

1. Focus each post on a different keyword phrase.
2. Use your keywords to tag images and videos.
3. Use internal (cross) linking and outbound linking.
4. Shape the url to use relevant keywords.
5. Purchase your own domain. You want your main URL to support your search efforts.

Mistake #5. Don’t Encourage Readers to Take Action. Just posting content on a regular basis is insufficient to drive measurable activity. You must use a targeted call-to-action related to your business goals.

1. Determine what you want readers to do. Then ask them!
2. Promote your email list on your blog.
3. By the way, please “like” or “Tweet” this article below!

Mistake #6. Keep your Blog Posts a Secret. Just publishing isn’t enough.

1. Distribute your blog posts via email and RSS.
2. Share your content on social media.
3. Add your blog content to your other digital media.

Mistake #7. Just Let it Get Stale. Set it and forget it.

1. Update your About page and design occasionally.
2. Post on a regular basis.

Author: Ron VanPeursem     Ron VanPeursem on the Web Ron VanPeursem RSS Feed

Ron VanPeursem is Director of Asia Operations for Shift Digital Media, and manages the Content Marketing and SEO center in India. He writes about Content Marketing on his personal blog.... View full profile

This article originally appeared on Content Marketing & SEO and has been republished with permission.

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