I’ve been so motivated and inspired since I got back from the Magical Media Retreat that I co-hosted. I can’t wait to share all about it in the coming weeks. Today though, I want to share one of the main things I’ve been working on since I unpacked my suitcase. Updating old blog posts has been one of my main priorities. It’s especially satisfying to update the posts from those first couple years–when I really didn’t know what I was doing. SEO and Pinterest weren’t on my mind at all, I was just writing. And it shows, haha. Today I wanted to share some of the things every blog post should have to save you the hassle of having to update old posts as vigorously as I have.
5 things every blog post should have before you hit publish
To be honest, I had already updated a handful of blog posts before this recent flurry. Sometimes I find opportunities to take better pictures for old posts. Or sometimes I see posts outperforming others so I try to optimize them even more. But y’all–I have been blogging for over 11 years and I have over 1,000 posts on this little blog of mine. Over 800 of those were written and published before I had Yoast downloaded. And the first few year’s worth of posts are often confusing to say the least. No pinnable images, rambling sentences full of commas and semi-colons, and not a focus keyword in sight. So let me share some insight of what I’ve learned over the years of blogging.
1. keywords integrated
I know some bloggers that get bogged down in the weeds trying to figure out the best keywords. Sure, you could spend hours per post doing keyword research. Or you could spend about 10 minutes and call it good. Because honestly? Even with the “perfect keyword” there’s no guarantee you’ll get massive amounts of eyeballs on your post. I like the Ubersuggest Web Browser extension because it helps you do a a quick search of the keyword you’re considering. Once you’ve typed in the keyword (or long-tail keyword) you’ll discover how popular that phrase is, as well as the websites that are ranking for it. Keywords should be in the title, sprinkled throughout your copy, in the ALT text of images, and in a heading or two.
Bonus tip: The WordPress representative at our Magical Media Retreat suggested going after those “middle of the road” keywords so you’ll have a better chance to rank for them.
2. at least one pinnable image
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again (mostly because I still see it so often!)–every blog post should have at least one pinnable image! Personally, I’ve made it a 2022 goal to include three pinnable images in each post. This pinnable image should be portrait orientation and almost always have text overlay. There are exceptions to the text overlay rule, however. For example, fashion posts do very well on Pinterest without any text on them. I know lots of bloggers that use Canva to make their images for Pinterest and love the ease of it. I’m old school and I prefer to use Photoshop. There’s also a great feature on Tailwind called Create that makes it a breeze to design pin images.
3. ads or affiliate links
If you have affiliate links or run ads on your site now but didn’t always, it’s a good idea to go back and insert them appropriately. For example, Custom Ads through Amazon are easy to implement into posts about DIY, recipes, travel, fashion… just about anything! Likewise, updating old posts is also a good time to make sure any previous ads or affiliate information is still accurate and relevant. I have already deleted a few sales and giveaways that should have been removed from the posts years ago!
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4. headings and text breaks
If you have Yoast SEO then you know how much the plugin loves headings and short paragraphs. That’s because “it” knows that short paragraphs are easier for people to read and therefore understand. When I started blogging over 11 years ago I didn’t understand that paragraphs should be short and I should be using headings. Honestly, my writing has changed drastically over the years as I’ve transitioned from college writing to online writing. The jury is still out on rather that’s a good thing or not, haha. It definitely takes some training to begin to be comfortable writing short and concise, at least for me. Luckily, as far as things every blog post should have–making a few tweaks for shorter sentences and paragraphs is one of the easiest.
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5. a call to action
Does your blog post have a purpose? I mean, other than to educate or entertain? What do you want your readers to leave with? Are you asking them a question? Wanting them to click to a sponsored link (don’t forget to disclose it!)? Adding a call to action at the end of your blog post is another good opportunity to work in your keyword also. By the way, the same goes for your Instagram posts too. If you want someone to leave a comment give them a reason to leave a comment.
Do each of your blog posts hit every one of these? Is there something you struggle with?
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