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9 Things Pro-Bloggers Know about Blog Content Creation

Content is King! Bloggers know… but do you struggle with planning quality blog content?

Blogging for beginners - What the professional bloggers know about blog content that you should know too.Regardless of any angst, content creation is the most important thing you do as a blogger. The majority of your time should be spent on planning and developing amazing content.

Optimizing Your Blog Posts

One of the printables that you receive with the Blog Success Planner is the Blog Post Optimization Checklist. This printable prompts you to review your current and old posts for maximum impact.

1) Check for errors.

First of all, you want to review your content for obvious errors. I understand that life happens and you cannot always write your blog content weeks in advance. However, you should write your post and save it as a draft. Then go back in the next day – or maybe a week later – and read the blog post to check for errors.

Why wait that long to review the post for typos?

Because if you are like me, you tend to get glazed over. You know, I write it all out and think, “There are no mistakes here!” Then, I will proof it quickly and will not see anything. I hit publish and sure enough… somebody is going to email me to say, “I think you didn’t mean to say ‘you.’ You meant to say ‘your.’” You get numb to your typos.

So go back and check for obvious errors:  punctuation, spelling, grammar. If you are not great with grammar, I recommend Grammarly.

Grammarly is a FREE browser extension that automatically checks for up to 250 types of grammatical mistakes, contextual spelling errors, and poor vocabulary usage.

2) Review for relevance.

This step is very important especially if you are going back and reviewing an old post.

An evergreen post that means it is going to be great information over and over and over again. The post might be seasonal but the content will still apply later. For instance, if you write a post this December that will also apply next December. I consider that an evergreen post.

It is very important to revisit old posts seasonally. Review your evergreen content and cycle
the posts through your social media again. Just make sure it is still relevant.

3) Use quality images.

Look at your post images through a fresh set of eyes. Create your featured image and then ask a blogging friend to take a peek.

Your images should be used legally. If you have questions about copyright, Creative Commons, or where to find free stock photos, download The Blogger’s Guide to Royalty Free Images.

Your featured photo also needs to be pinnable. What does that mean?

Pinnable images are long, not horizontal but vertical. Edit your photos in ratios of 2×3, 4×6, 4×5, and 5×7. Vertical images take up more real estate on Pinterest, and you will get you more attraction from the feed.

Are you Pinteresting? Audit your blog and Pinterest account using this step by step assessment.
Are you Pinteresting? Audit your blog and Pinterest account using this step by step assessment.

Horizontal images do not capture as much attention in the feed because everything else is long, beautiful, and vertical.

But, I think having a horizontal image optimized for Facebook is also a great strategy. The two images (one for Pinterest and one for Facebook) do not need to look exactly alike but they can.

If you do not want duplicate images in different sizes within your blog post, there are ways to hide images behind the background. If you upload an image to the social tab of WordPress SEO by Yoast, you can use a different image for Facebook that is seen only when shared.

4) Check your SEO keywords.

As you are reviewing your content, make sure your keywords are in the:

  • title of the blog post
  • URL (or permalink)
  • image alt
  • etc.

We have a separate checklist for SEO is in the SEO section of the Blog Success Planner.

5) Insert monetized links.

Have at least one or two monetized links in each post. These links include your affiliate links,
referral links, some type of commissionable link where you are directing traffic towards that click so if you make a sale you get the credit for it.

6) Include links to related blog content.

Do you have links within your post to other related content on your blog? Ideally, you want to keep people on your blog for as long as possible.

If you review your Google Analytics and notice that readers are not clicking on additional pages, you need to go back and evaluate whether your post is linking to other content on your blog.

9 Tips for Better Blog Post Creation
Get the Blog Success Planning Pages for FREE when you subscribe below.

I recommend including a list of related content at the bottom of your post. For instance, let’s say your post is about homemade Christmas decorations. You know that you have two or three other posts about homemade Christmas decorations or something else related to Christmas. Then, at the bottom of your post, you would type “Other Homemade Christmas Ornament Ideas” as a subheading and list posts.

Anyone who makes it to the bottom of your blog post is a perfect candidate for subscribing.

Why place this list at the bottom? Because if the reader has reached the bottom of your post,  they are willing to click around and see if you have more content on that topic. Anyone who makes it to the bottom of your post is a perfect candidate for subscribing. The more readers see that you have related to what they like, the apter they are to subscribe.

Managing the Frequency of Your Blog Content

How often you post is a personal decision. You might only post once a week. You might only post once a month. However, whatever you choose to do, do consistently.

7) Accept that seasons change.

The more often you post the higher your page views will be.

I have gone through seasons where I will post every day because there is an ebook bundle sale, and I want to drive traffic to my links. Right now, I am in a season where I cannot post as often.

Did I make that change suddenly? No! I back off the amount of content I am pushing out each week slowly. I might transition from five posts a week to three posts a week for a couple of weeks. Then, I will post twice a week for a month or so before shifting to one post a week.

The point is: if you do need to change the pace at which you post blog content, change slowly.

I want to maintain a consistency and predictability, but at the same time, I know those moments in life are going to happen when I cannot be writing as much content and maintain quality.

The point is: if you do need to change your pace, change slowly. Don’t just make a sudden shift and by all means… do not announce to your readers that you are making a change because 1) they don’t really care, and 2) it shows you are inconsistent.

8) Post to most popular categories regularly.

When you are planning your monthly content in your Blog Success Planner, take into account any special events and holidays but also verify you are maintaining consistency in how often you post to your categories.

Do I post to every category every month? No, I don’t.

Research your most popular categories – where people are clicking most often – and consider it an indicator of what they are really wanting to read.  Then, publish to those categories consistently. Add new blog content to those categories frequently.

9) Plan your publication dates.

As you brainstorm post ideas and know how often you are posting that month, use the blog post schedule to evenly space your content throughout the month.

You do not want to post five posts in one week and then… your readers hear crickets. It’s like choking readers with too much and then starving them for the rest of the month.

No matter how passionate you are about that topic, no matter how badly you are wanting to push that blog content out, space it out evenly.

Content is King. We all know.

Bsp_content_pages

But it sure can feel overwhelming to create amazing content week after week.

With these FREE content planning pages, you’ll discover the secret to creating memorable (and profitable) blog posts. And you’ll feel more organized, less overwhelmed and more productive with your time!

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VIDEO RESOURCES

Worksheets reviewed in this video:

  • Blog Post Optimization Checklist (0:12)
  • Monthly Content Plan (7:16)
  • Blog Post Schedule (8:04)
  • Blog Post Planner (8:55)

Products mentioned in this video:

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Writing Content to Produce a Profit

If you interview the most experienced bloggers, they will tell your that 80% to 90% of their blogging income comes from 1% to 10% of their posts. The most popular posts contain content that converts into a profit.

Are there certain keywords that can increase the profitability of your blog posts? You betcha! Learn how to write posts that will increase your blog revenue significantly.

Meanwhile, you are slaving away and cranking out post after post hoping to get lucky.

How is it possible to write less but profit more? There are two paths you can take.

Path One: The Adsense way to profitability

Don’t bounce off yet. I know… many of you see the word ADSENSE and automatically freak out. I promise to make this as simple for you as possible.

How Adsense works

Google Adsense is a bidding-based advertising platform. Some companies are willing to bid more through Adsense to show up as an advertisement in search results and/or on your blog’s sidebar. When you use search engine optimization on your blog to create a blog post or page targeting these keywords, you can drive traffic to the Adsense ads on your blog.

Confused?

Imagine an auction where people crowd in with their numbered paddles and wait for the auctioneer to open bidding on items of interest… except in this scenario, the crowd is full of advertisers and the auctioneer is Google.

But what are the items up for bid? They are keyword searches based on topics. For example, “easy slow cooker recipes,” “best laptop deals,” and “printable calendar” are all potential keyword searches.

As a hot item – or a popular keyword – is placed up for auction, the bidding begins and is pushed higher and higher until one advertiser trumps all others with a high bid. That advertiser is then seen in two potential places: search results and in space designated for Adsense ads on topical blog posts.

 

When you write a blog post or create a new page, Google sends robots to scan for keywords.

Keeping with the auction analogy, think of the robots as prospectors who are checking out the items before the auction begins. They report back to Google with what they find and Google creates a catalog of the entries in preparation for the auction.

When someone places those keywords into the search bar, the auction begins. When the person selects your link from the search results, the highest bidding advertisers shows in the Adsense placements available on your blog.

We will save how Google chooses who shows up first in search results for another day but this is the point… When a person clicks or views the advertisement (depending on the advertiser’s contract with Google), you receive a payout.

Simply put…

It boils down to how Google makes money. Content that attracts an expensive audience helps Google get paid. When you are using Adsense and writing the content people want, Google passes part of that profit on to you.

[Credit: Wordstream
[Credit: Wordstream]
Using Adsense to monetize your blog

But should you write just to drive traffic from Google and get a payout? No.

Your content should be a natural extension of your blog’s personality. Otherwise, your tribe of readers will wonder what has happened to you and leave without a second glance. So, consider your current niche, your existing categories, and find the hot keywords related to your content.

Sound complicated?

Lucky for you… there is another way to write profitable posts.

Path Two: Affiliate-driven blog content

A different option for writing blog posts that convert into profit is to think from the outside and work inward.

Choosing your affiliate partnerships

When you consider your blog, what are your readers needing when they land on your posts? Which companies offer products that can solve their problems? And do those companies have an affiliate program?

Not sure? Just search the company name and the word “affiliate” to see what pops up.

Nothing? Be sure to check the major affiliate marketing agencies: Shareasale, Commission Junction, and Linkshare.

Picking the payout

What if there are multiple companies who can offer the same solution and you have no loyalty to either? Choose the one with the higher commission.

Ever wonder why so many blog experts recommend BlueHost over other blog hosting companies? Is it because they are the best? (Insert choice adjective here) no! It’s because they have the highest payout of any blog host.

But, how do you find the profitable keywords?

How do you know which keywords receive the highest bids? Which words should you use in your posts to target the more profitable ads?

Ideally, you want to find keywords with a high popularity and low competition. Google Adsense Keyword Planner is a free tool available for advertisers trying to create Adsense campaigns but it is also available to you.

Keyword Analysis for Newbies

If the idea of using the Keyword Planner intimidates you, other keyword analysis tools are available.

HitTail -This is probably the simplest tool I have found to locate keywords you should target based on your existing blog content.

Have your website analyzed automatically and receive recommended keywords that fit the topics on your blog. You can try it for FREE and export the recommendations in a CSV file (which can be opened by Excel, Numbers, or with Google Drive.)

>>Try HitTail for FREE.<<

If you love it, you can keep the subscription and unlock more recommendations for just $9.95 per month.

HitTail also offers a free SEO crash course available to email subscribers.

SEMRush – You can see the keywords people are using to find your blog content and who is linking to you with SEMRush. Also use SEMRush to research keywords for new categories and see their popularity and the competition across the internet.

>>Try SEMRush for FREE.<<

Get started now! Place your blog URL in the search bar and see your backlinks, popular keywords, referring blogs, and much more.

And a HUGE keyword tip

There are certain keyword helpers – or long tail keywords – that I call “cart triggers.”

As people are searching with the intent to purchase, they go to the browser search bar and look for the item PLUS a cart trigger word or phrase. These long tail keyword are often high traffic and low competition making them prime targets for your posts and pages.

Some of these cart triggers include “free,” “coupon code,” “best,” and “review.”

Are there certain keywords that can increase the profitability of your blog posts? You betcha!
Sign up for FREE Inspired Blogger University membership and get the cheatsheet to increasing your profits!

 

Let’s see how this looks in real life…

Sally goes to her computer because she is thinking of purchasing a new refrigerator. She is budget conscious and searches for “best refrigerators.” If you are have an affiliate relationship with a company that sells refrigerators, this is your moment to let her know by having a post on your website called “best refrigerators.”

Perhaps Sally has narrowed her search and wants to see what others are saying about a specific refrigerator. She searches for “LG refrigerator review.” See how these qualifiers can add value?

As you add cart triggers to your niche keywords, you will see the amount of traffic drops as people are making more general searches. However, the intent to make a purchase increases with specificity and that drives up your profit.

Final tips for converting content to profit

I would fail you miserably if I did not issue some final advice for writing content that produces a profit.

Give your best content

You want your content to convert into a profit? Then give those posts your absolute BEST. Hold nothing back. Fill the page with amazing, problem-solving solutions. Concise. To the point. But undeniably… the best you can write.

Don’t play games, making readers jump page to page. No. This is not about getting page views. This is about getting PAID.

Don’t fluff up your content with adjectives trying to make it sound more interesting than it is. Buyers can see right through that. Offer balanced advice and real solutions.

Do link to other amazing content on the subject. Do give readers a way to subscribe to your blog. Do remember to insert your affiliate links.

Then, promote the heck out of your post.

Abide within the rules

When you signed up with Adsense as an affiliate and each time you commit to a new affiliate agreement, you are agreeing to the terms of the partnership as outlined by that company. Did you read those contracts? If not, do it now.

You want to make sure you understand the rules and keep within the limitations. For instance, Google has limits on the number of Adsense placements you can have on each page of your blog. They also state that you cannot have a drop down menu (or any drop down feature) over an advertisement.

Do not risk getting bounced from the Adsense program by violating those rules. You will NEVER (okay… maybe not NEVER but it will be REALLY hard to) be added back.

Place ads in hot click locations

If you are thinking about the Adsense path, you want to maximize your efforts by putting your ads in strategic locations. Using a heat map can help you find those spots on your blog. Typically, the best locations are:

  • below or within your blog header
  • top of the left side bar
  • under your post title (That’s mobile-responsive area too!)
  • within the text of your post (That’s mobile-responsive area too!)

Not sure where to find a heat map? You have one available for free in your Google Analytics account. Just choose Behavior > In Page Analytics. Then, select to “show color.”

Are there certain keywords that can increase the profitability of your blog posts? You betcha!

You can also use the Page Analytics Chrome Extension.

Keep it simple

As you are creating your new blog posts and pages, the temptation will be to load the page down with your affiliate links… but don’t.

Remember how your mother taught you that less is often more? In your blog post, you need to have a clear call to action that motivates the reader to the ONE THING you really want them to do. Often, if you give a reader too many options… too many links… too many ads in the sidebar… they will choose to do NOTHING.

Have a very clear call to action and let everything within your post, around your post, guide the reader toward your goal.

While researching and preparing your content for these profitable posts and pages will take significantly more time, the revenue will make the effort very satisfying.

Now… get busy.

Are there certain keywords that can increase the profitability of your blog posts? You betcha! Learn how to write posts that will increase your blog revenue significantly.

Also read:

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What is Content Curation and How to Do It Well

There has been some confusion in recent weeks about content curation. Some even going so far as to say it should never be done. In this post I hope to show you what it is, what it is not, and how to do it well. For if there were no curators, the world would have no museums, no good way to share and experience the great art forms of another.

 

What is content curation? How can I do it well and correctly? www.InspiredBloggersNetwork.com

What is a “Curator”

An Art Curator

Think of a curator of a museum. What is his role or job?

  • He orchestrates collections of art created by others.
  • He cares for the art and displays it to it’s best advantage.
  • He arranges for collections or exhibitions of the art.
  • And he finds ways to help others appreciate and learn from the art.

Does he create the art? Does he claim it as his own? Certainly not. In most cases he is an art lover and simply facilitates the appreciation of the art by others. It is not normal for anyone who sees an art exhibit to even give a thought to the curator who put it together for their benefit.

A Content Curator

In the case of a content curator, the same should be true. A content curator facilitates the appreciation of the content by others, making much of the art and it’s qualities and making little of himself.

What Content Curation is not:

  • It is not stealing content.
  • It is not plagiarism.
  • It is not claiming others content or images as your own.

All of the above can get you into serious, even legal, trouble.

What Content Curation is:

  • It is appreciation of the content.
  • It is (sometimes) the organization of the content into categories or displays.
  • It is facilitating the appreciation of the content by others, who may or may not have a chance to experience it otherwise. (i.e. introducing your readers to bloggers/writers and/or topics they might not otherwise know about.)
  • It is giving due recognition to the creator (original artist/author).

How to Curate Content Well

There is a right way and a wrong way to curate content. Basically, anything falling into the above categories of what curation is not would be doing it the wrong way.

To curate the right way you write original content that explains why the content you are sharing is important, why it is  relevant to the discussion, and some information about from whom and where it came. This can be done in several ways, the most popular of which are one-post focused and round-up posts.

So, how do you know if you are correctly curating content? Here are some simple rules to follow.

The Rules for Proper Content Curation:

  1. Always create your own original content describing the post(s) you are curating and telling why it is important/relevant and/or what you appreciated about the post or the author or the site.
  2. Always mention the blogger/author and brand by name.
  3. If you quote from the curated post to prove a point or further pique their interest, never use more than a sentence or short paragraph (not over 100 words), and be sure to correctly attribute the quote.
  4. Always link to the curated post (set to open in a new window) and encourage your readers to read the entire post there.
  5. NEVER use their photo in your post without prior written permission.
  6. When you can, leave a helpful comment on their post and mention that you will be sharing it with your people. Don’t be spammy or rude about it dropping links all over, but do say something that adds value to their space.

Need some Examples?

Curating in Round Up Posts by Meet Penny

Curating a Single Post by Cómo Blog

Other Posts of Interest:

Creator vs. Curator

The Top 5 Reasons You Should Curate Content

So now you know what content curation is, what it is not, and how to do it well. But maybe this discussion has raised some other questions for you? Leave them in the comments and we’ll be happy to answer.