Don’t get me wrong, I make plenty of mistakes. These mistakes happen while parenting, being a wife, woman, daughter, friend, and a blogger. We tend to learn from our mistakes, or at least we try our best.
There are a few things that I have learned as a blogger and I want to pass along some of the tools and knowledge that I have gained thanks to my screwup’s. Maybe you will discover a blog mistake you are making on your blog right now, but you had no idea and would have likely continued on as you were forever!
Here are ten mistakes that bloggers make on their blog posts – and how to painlessly fix them!
#1 Plagiarism
This deserves the #1 spot for many obvious reasons. Plagiarism is a HUGE no-no in the blogging world (and everywhere else, of course!). Finding ideas for blog posts can be difficult and especially hard to write when you are feeling some bloggers writing block.
Writing a blog post can be time consuming and half of the battle is usually trying to think of a great post idea. I had difficulty in the beginning and sometimes I get the feeling of writers block now that I have been operating MamaNYC for nearly 2-years. However, I never hit the search engines for a post that I can copy. No way. Finding inspiration in other places is possible — and you can do it.
I spend a lot of time and energy publishing every single post on MamaNYC. How did I think up ideas for over 20-months of blog posts? Not easily. I can tell you that I do sleep like a baby at night with a clear conscience. I have been a victim of content and image theft, so I know firsthand how upsetting it can be to see your ‘stuff’ on another blog. It hurts, a lot.
Copying another blogger will kill your reputation (amongst many other things). There are a lot of conspiracies and drama behind the blogger scenes that have ruined many bloggers that could have been amazing bloggers (or, were great)!
There is a big difference between looking for inspiration on another blog
. . . and ripping off a blog post.
#2 – Not Published Enough Content/Posts
We all have a lot on our plates and I understand (all TOO well) how much time and effort goes into composing blog posts. You have to think of a topic, write your post (which is the largest battle of all!), spit out the words and put them onto your screen, and insert photographs or clipart files to help tell the story. However, I can alo be the first person to tell you that your blogger success depends on the quantity of posts.
Let me back up my previous statement by stating that the quantity is a major factor, but don’t let your quality suffer. The more blog posts you are able to churn out, the greater your traffic and readership shall grow.
Publishing one blog post every two months is just as good as shutting your blog for good!
Why bother? Plus, Google is going to frequently stop by your blog to check for new content. Google will back off and stop checking in for new content eventually, which will hurt your new posts and the traffic for your older content.
*Read tips on how to publish blog posts faster if you need some help churning out content!
#3 – One Paragraph Posts
Writing big blocks of content is hard on the readers eyes and brain. Keep your readers coming back and interested with short, easy to follow and understand paragraphs. Basic blog post writing laws call for short paragraphs. Readers like simple words (7th grade reading level, please!) and short sentences. Don’t get me wrong… I know it is your blog. You can do whatever you want with your blog. If you think long paragraphs of text look cool.. go ahead! However, I personally have a much easier time reading your blog if you know how to break the paragraphs up into shorter, easier to read paragraphs.
Was it fun trying to read a long paragraph?
#4 – Skipping Keyword Research [either before or after you write a post]
Researching keyword rankings, importance, relevancy, and interest is important. However, I don’t want you to get into the habit of only writing posts because Google said it is okay. No. That’s wrong. However, I do think you should consider effective keyword usage from time to time. How is this making any sense? Here’s a simple approach that I take when it is time to think of a good post subject
"Self.. what do you want to write about?"
"I don’t know. Maybe something about Fathers Day?"
"Self.. I think Fathers Day is a great idea, especially since it is coming up in about two weeks!"
"That’s exactly what I thought. However, I wonder if it would be better to write Father’s Day quotes or about the history of Father’s Day."
"Self.. I think we should do some keyword research!"
"Great idea!"
*Next, I will head on over to Google Insights and check to see which phrase has been searched, or will provide a higher level of traffic
According to these two Google Insight searches for keyword popularity and interest, I would be much better off composing a blog post with Fathers Day QUOTES. I changed the filter to "Last 30 days" because it is May 26th, so I want to know the relevancy for Fathers Day related posts this time of the year.
Another useful tool is Google AdWords Keyword Ideas! Use this tool to discover post ideas, effective title keyword usage, and which words or phrases will work best as links within your blog posts. I also use AdWords and Insights from Google when I am putting together the post META description and keywords with my Yoast plugin for SEO and WordPress tags.
#5 – Using SuPer Cute [or.. short] TiTLes… that don’t do anything for your SEO!
Your headline is going to appear in many different places and it is going to hurt or help your SEO. Which way it will go is up to YOU.
Where is your TITLE going to appear?
- Top of your post
- Search engines
- RSS Feed Readers
- Email Subjects
- … and many other places.
Don’t use a title that is confusing, misleading, or lack vital keywords that will help readers identify your content. Bad versus great blog post titles can make or break traffic and interest. Here are a few examples of a title I would read – and what I would likely skip and miss out on the content you worked SO hard to provide ⇒
How To Blog – Things I Like To Do For My Blog (Huh? Can you tell me more?)
Blogging Tips – 10 Tips for Bloggers to Increase Traffic (Okay! We’re getting there.. I still need a little more!)
Pro Blogging Tips 10 Tips – How To Increase Blog Traffic with Social Media! (Aha! If you are talking about increasing Facebook interaction and using Twitter to increase traffic – tell me in your title! Don’t surprise readers! What if they have NO interest in social media tips, but looking for other ideas? You’ll shock them into leaving your post.. Be upfront and they will come!)
Here are some other examples of HORRIBLE titles for SEO purposes ⇒
Summer Shoes I Like
Jacob Uses a Fork!
WW: Dogs
– Short? Confusing? Lacking keywords?!? Yep.
#6 Not Linking To Your Other Posts Within a Post
Help create a maze, or connection for readers to hop between your blog posts. Why is this important? For starters, I do this with the hopes of keeping a reader on my blog for a little while longer. Perhaps you found MamaNYC because you were looking for tips on how to become a better blogger. You want to know what types of blog mistakes you can fix in order to improve your blog. Before you know it, I might have you reading another Blogging 101 post about how you can use StumbleUpon for bloggers.
- Linking to other posts is also vital for Google PageRank purposes AND it will help drive traffic to older or related posts. They are one of the best ways that you can direct and show off your posts in order to direct those Google spiders to your blog.
You can read much more about why I focus on link building in my post about Google PageRank, but let’s keep moving along (and watch how I keep tricking you into reading other posts! Muhahaha!) The links should also contain keywords that are vital and which will help you rank high on the search engines.
* Don’t link to an old post with a word like "HERE" , "THIS", "Friday", or "why I did"!
BAD
"I have plans with my husband to attend a FREE NYC Memorial Day event on Monday. Our son will sleep at grandmas on Sunday so that we can get to the parade early!
GOOD
"I have plans with my husband to attend a FREE NYC Memorial Day event on Monday. Our son will sleep at grandmas on Sunday so that we can get to the parade early!
Beyond looping your readers to another related or interesting blog post, I am also keeping my posts ALIVE. Just because I wrote a blog post 1-year ago doesn’t mean it has to be buried in the archives forever! Each blog post should be a chapter in your book. It is vital to your story as a blogger and it should always be important enough for you to tell readers about it and show off your hard work!
#7 Not Linking To Other Bloggers or Websites
Whenever possible and relevant, I try to link to other bloggers and websites. Why? Firstly, I want to give my readers a direction on how to find what I am talking about, or read much more about the subject.
For example, I provided a link for Google Insights in the #4 slot for "Keyword Research" above. I wanted to make sure that a reader could find the tool that I was talking about easily and quickly.
Secondly, I am helping my keyword relevancy for this post. Google will know that I am talking about "keyword research" and "Google Insights". Thirdly, I may link to another blog post if I want others to join the conversation (I will get a trackback to my post!), or maybe I want to credit another blogger that wrote about a similar topic.
I don’t want to plagiarize content from another blog, but I want to quote or sample a phrase used by another blogger. If you write something that is based on an idea found somewhere else, you need to give that blogger credit. It’s the right thing to do, and proper manners!
Inbound links will have a high impact on your search engine ranking position (SERP). Whenever possible, I will try to provide a link to an article on Wikipedia.
You get the authority juice – Inbound links no doubt have high impact on your search rankings. But so do outbound links…especially if you are linking to authority sites. Read my The 10 Golden Rules to Attracting Authority Links to learn more.
For example, I recently published a blog post about why it is important to use images for your disclosure policy in each blog post. Stacie over at Simply Stacie featured my post in her Friday Featured Posts About Blogging & Social Media! I had to approve the trackback, so it was found in my Comments on my WordPress Dashboard.
Here is what happens when a blogger links up a blog post in a blog post, trackbacks! trackback looks like on my post about blog disclosure polices:
Stacie linked to MamaNYC’s Blogging 101 post about why you should consider using images for disclosure policies. Every Friday Stacie features different types of blog posts that offer blogging tips, knowledge, and "how to’s".
Here is my post linked on Simply Stacie ⇒
Here is a trackback that I approved, which is now found on the bottom of my blog post for "Why You Should Use an Image For Your Disclosure Policy" ⇒
*Stacie’s post is now linked to my blog post on MamaNYC as a trackback. I think of trackbacks as a method of thanking another blogger for linking to your post – like a Thank You card!
Thank you, Stacie! 
#8 – Not Using a Professional Web/Graphic Designer To Create a BRAND.
Not hiring a graphic designer for a logo or header. I started with a basic WordPress theme and no branding. If you want your website to look professional, at a minimum you need your own logo or header. You can find a graphic designer and get a new logo for less money than you’d expect. Or if you want to get serious, hire a designer to create a custom theme design for you (like the one on this blog).
Hire WebLogic Consulting! As a web/blog/graphic designer, I would love to help you create a brand for your blog! I have over 15+ years experience and worked with small and large businesses, startup’s, and personal bloggers to create and redesign their brand. Affordable prices, experienced designer, creative themes. Contact for rates and availability!
#9 – Using Ineffective URL’s Without Keywords
Having a terrible domain name is bad enough, but you are committing blogger suicide when you use a blog post URL that does not contain effective keywords (or, no keywords at ALL!). Here are some examples of what you should never do to your blog →
- http://www.mamanyc.net/05262012blogpost.html
- http://www.mamanyc.net/?p=204928,002,,2984
- http://www.mamanyc.net/2012/06/me.html
HUH? None of these URL’s are search engine friendly. Google will have no idea what your content is about, or how to direct readers. If someone conducts a Google search about "Lasagna Recipes", I want them to know my post has a recipe for lasagna! Therefore, I will use a URL such as http://www.mamanyc.net/2012/05/italian-meat-lasagna-recipe.html so that the search engines identify with my content.
WordPress users should consider changing their permalink settings in order to help the search engines identify the content within your posts (you can find these options under Settings > Permalinks) →
BEST!
Day and name – http://mamanyc.net/2012/05/26/sample-post/
Month and name – http://mamanyc.net/2012/05/sample-post/
OKAY, but not the best. . .
Post name
WORST:
Default – http://mamanyc.net/?p=123
Numeric ;
I prefer to use the Month and Name approach, which is what I use here on MamaNYC. Other options are confusing, don’t provide enough keyword information, or simply unorganized approaches. "Post Name" is not the best since this is also the format for PAGES. I want to be able to tell a different between my pages and posts on my blog.
Using the month and year approach seems to work best in my opinion. I know when the post was published. Another good option is the day and name [http://mamanyc.net/2012/05/26/sample-post/], but I steer away from this permalink format simply because some URL’s are long enough without adding in another 3 characters.
Here are some good examples of blog post URL’s →
Long form with effective keywords: http://mamanyc.net/2012/05/nyc-circle-line-kids-cruise-series-kick-off-event-in-new-york-city/
Short form (best for blog pages): http://mamanyc.net/blog-advertising-packages-promotion/
Whew, so that’s all I have to do?
No! I could probably make this post a LOT longer than it actually is and write a list of "1,000 Mistakes Bloggers Make". I’ll stop here and let you soak it all in. Keeping your blog updated, on top of SEO for search engine rankings, and well designed is a daily battle. I am always struggling to make sure MamaNYC is the best it can be. Will I ever be happy? Nope. Will I ever feel like my job is done? Nope.
Take these tips on over to your blog and put them to work.
… don’t stop there.
Conduct a Google search to find many more useful blogger mistakes.
You will be glad when you realize there is more beyond MamaNYC!
About Nicole
Nicole is a stay-at-home mom living on the outskirts of Manhattan with her husband and their 3-year-old son. She is also expecting a second child in January 2013.
Wow! I’m not a blogger but sometimes, we just don’t understand all that goes into y9our blogs. I knew it had to be very time consuming but this opened my eyes up to lots of things with bloggers. Thanks for all the great info!
One more thing I wanted to add, just as someone entering giveaways. I have always wondered when I’ve gone into some giveaways about the writing being the same basically as another I entered. I guess I never realized people just copy what you’ve worked so hard on. Since I know nothing about being a Blogger, I wasn’t exactly sure if there was a certain form letter or something one goes by. So, I found this extremely interesting and jsut because I read this, will pay more attention now.
Thank you for this article. I am not very blog savvy so I think I made all the mistakes you mentioned here
My blog needs a makeover and the tips on linking and use of keywords are very helpful.
Very comprehensive list- love it! And I got a trackback too LOL!
Haha!
I know! I thought it would fun for you to get a trackback — about a trackback!
I am brand new to blogging and this is so very helpful. I am bookmarking it so that I can refer back to it often. Thank you so much <3
Thanks for this post, Nicole. Loved it! I shared it on my Google+ and Twitter as well. I think all bloggers need to read it.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!
Aww thanks LaVonne!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Another mistake bloggers make is lurking on their favorite blogs and not commenting. Granted it’s not a blog post mistake but a networking one, but creating relationships is an important part of blogging, and most bloggers miss out on that.
OH my gosh I have SO much to learn. My daughter and I are thinking of blogging and I really have no idea how to start. Really, I just want to write content…to ponder…to wish and dream and think out loud. I found blog reading a fun and now passionate hobby. I have to say the graphics to ME are a big pull. I love to see photo posts, links to take me further than I planned if I wish, and fresh content. Thanks so much for some great pointers Nicole.
Can you suggest a publication that actually is helpful? I know there is a blogging for dummies sort out there, but I am looking for something a bit more step by step. I have also heard more lately about legal matters that have befallen bloggers regarding giveaway fulfillment. It is kind of scary to have legal issues to consider.
Very useful post thank you!
Id love to see one on utilizing the toast plug in / writing meta in the future please
thank you!
Very helpful thanks!
I’m not a blogger, but these are some very good tips for all of us, even just for everyday life, we will make mistakes, when I was working, our business office was never wrong, if you pointed out a mistake, they really got upset, I always took it as an learning experience and put it to the good.
The one that struck me is the title/link importance. Links that just have numbers are so confusing. This is from a reader not a blogger.
This was a really great list, especially for someone like me who has been fiddling around with the idea of starting a blog for a while. Thank you.
Great tips!! …and now I want to throw my blog in the trash and just start over, haha!!
Super helpful info! I’ve only been blogging for about 6 months now and I’m trying to learn as much as I can along the way. These are great tips – thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much. As a new blogger, this was very helpful and much appreciated!!!
What wonderful tips and great advice! Thank you so much! I need a rap to get my titles which can be so misleading!
I need to start creating more links to previous posts within my current posts and doing the trackback thing. I was told I don’t have many back links, so this would probably be a good start.
Thanks!
This is a treasure trove of valuable information, thank you! I’m currently trying to shape up my post titles for SEO purposes and work on linking to other posts within my post. So much to think about! I imagine after some practice, though, it becomes more second-nature. Random capitalization titles break my brain, ugh!
Love this and I see some things that I need to be doing more like changing my links. But the problem that I have had is that when I do, my blog sometimes disappears
Need to figure out how that happens and how to fix it when it does
I love this. Thank you so much! I do have a question about adding the date into the permalink. I use WordPress but it won’t allow me to use the forward slashes on the date. It just takes them out when I go to save. Any thoughts?!?
Oh so I got it! I found it in settings. Having a blonde moment…although I’m not blonde. Thanks!
Great post! I’m not a blogger but I follow a lot of blogs and recognize a majority of the issuese you’ve covered. This should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking of starting a blog and a lot of bloggers who wonder why they don’t get a lot of traffic.
These are very helpful tips. I am relatively new to blogging and although I am familiar with some of your insights, others were new to me. Thanks for writing such a useful post about blogging. SEO is a confusing, murky world. I can use all the help I can find.
Thank you I am new to blogging and this is a wonderful post. I appreciate the time you took and the details you gave. I am pinning to save and refer too. Thanks, Amee
A lot of great info here. I think it’s especially important to remember the part about linking between your own posts. I forget to… often.
Great Info
These are great tips… I was totally guilty of number 5 many times when I first started blogging.. wish I would have known better then!
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Just starting my blog, love that I can find helpful articles like this to read
Good luck, Nadine! Welcome to the blogger world!
Hope to see you around MamaNYC again in the future!
This post is extremely useful. Bookmarked! I’m also going to print this out and place it where I can always see it. Thank you for shraing.
This post is really helpful! I know I am negligent in linking to other blogger’s posts. I just can’t keep track of everything when I am writing my own posts. That will be one of my new goals!
Wow, this is great information. I am very new to blogging and still learning the ropes, so I am busy making changes to old posts and trying to make Google like me better! Thanks for posting this – I will be back to read more and incorporate this into my blog!
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