It can be lonely to start a blog.
Your goal https://www.parrotfishdive.com is to create great content that provides useful information and inspires your audience.
But how do you get the best from every one of your blog posts?
More importantly how do you reach the people who really want to read what you have to say in your blog?
That's why I'm here to assist you. I have put together a few guidelines that if followed should significantly increase your blog posts reach.
Blog Post Checklist
1. Blog Title
When writing a title for your blog post you need to give it some serious thought. Your title is what people will read. It is the headline that makes them decide whether they want to continue reading or not. Keep your title brief and to-the-point. To improve your SEO, make sure you include your primary keyword in your title. If you are struggling to come up with a title you like try 'Portents content idea generator' for some alternative and often amusing suggestions.
2. Content
Ensure the main body of your post is easy to read. Minimise paragraphs to no more than five lines. keep sentences short - twenty words or less is recommended. Plain English is best - you don't want to display your knowledge of the most complicated words in English. Sub-headings make your text easier to read and your post looks more interesting.
Remember your blog will be read by like minded people who are interested in what you have to say, but never the less you still need to ensure the content is interesting enough to hold their interest.
3. Images
Be sure to include one featured image at the very least. Humans are visual creatures and an eye catching feature image will get their attention. When you upload an image ensure that it is not too large in terms of data size so that it will load quickly. Make sure you fill out the alt attribute box and include your keyword in the description.
4. SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimisation. The higher your SEO, the greater chance your blog post will appear higher in search engine rankings
You can improve your SEO in many ways.
Your main keyword/s should be included in your title and in the first paragraph of any post. Also, make sure you use it often throughout your posts.
Search engines love content that is at least 1000 words.
Include alt attributes in the images you use so this will display in the event of your image no loading.
Also write a short meta description and include your keyword/s. The meta description is text that appears below your main title in search engine result pages.
5. Links
Try and include links in your post whenever possible. Link to external sites as well as directing people to relevant places on your own website or other blog posts they may find interesting. Your SEO will be enhanced by including links.
6. Credit Your Sources
You must credit any sources you used for research or quotes in your blog post. This will give credibility to your content and show readers that you have reliable sources.
7. Social sharing
Make sure you have social sharing buttons on your blog from the beginning. This gives your readers the ability to share to their chosen social platform with just one click.
8. End and Publish
End your post by asking your readers a question in order to encourage them to comment. Alternatively present a call to action related to your post i.e. download your free guide here.
Before you publish, proofread the entire thing. If you need to make changes do so, then proof read the whole thing again to be sure it is all as it should be.