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Not all blogs are equal.
There are some that have a touch of class, an expression of
individuality. It is always interesting to read such blogs, as
if each time there will be a new revelation, a new way to know
things that you’re already aware of. More than writing prowess,
it is the passion that drives blogs. So if you’re passionate
about something, you’re most likely the ideal candidate to make
your blog a success.
There is a growing concept
that blog needs search engine optimization as much as a webpage
does. This has proponents both for and against. And there is a
reason for that. Many websites are in fact blog-sites in the
sense that they are built on the back of content management
applications, like Nucleus CMS and Wordpress (you need to
download on to your server) or the ubiquitous Google’s Blogger
(you don’t download anything).
In these cases, since each
blog-post makes a separate webpage, it perhaps makes sense to
optimize it with a chosen keyword for better search engine
ranking. Those who speak against optimizing blog-posts hold the
oft-repeated view that it will spoil its spontaneity, which is
so necessary for a blog to be liked by viewers.
What then are key points
that go to make a blog eminently readable? Here is my take.
Discover a niche
It’s not uncommon to find
people having experience in diverse fields. For example,
landscaping and philately. While that may be symptomatic of your
personality, you’re not expected to explore both in the same
blog. Instead, it is always wise to discover a niche topic, say
landscaping roof-top gardens or 19th century philately in
Europe. As you can see, your topic is very focused. That would
be ideal, given today’s mushrooming of blogs everywhere.
Name yourself
Often, blogs are kept
deliberately anonymous or given strange names. This has been the
style in the beginning when blogs have just come into fashion.
This doesn’t work anymore. The point is you want to connect with
your viewers, listen to what they have to say, and so a blog is
served well when you let your viewers know who you actually are.
Any ambiguity on your part will hasten lessening interest in
your blog, even if it is well-modulated and well-written.
Develop your style
Your blog is the ideal
place to leave your imprint. You may be good in narration, or
you may be good as a critic, or perhaps you are a good
story-teller, or may be you’re a combination of more than one
trait. It helps to remember that there are readers of any style
that you adopt in your writing. If you are adept in weaving
words, you may try switching between 2 or more styles, but a
single style is more preferable if you look at it from your
readers’ viewpoint.
Say something of value
This is very important.
Unless you’ve something fresh to add, why do you think your
readers will find your blog interesting to read. It is tempting
to gloss over this matter for the simple reason that it is
difficult to write value-posts every time. It perhaps is. But
keep telling yourself that you can always give a small twist to
a tale already told. That may not be as difficult as you like to
imagine.
Write regularly
It’s surprising that among
several thousands of blogs debuting everyday, only a handful
makes it beyond a month, even less beyond 6 months. One reason
may be lack of preparedness, which means many blogs are started
on the spur of the moment. If you wish to slog it out, ensure
that you write regularly, perhaps every alternate day or 2 to 3
days a week. There are 2 important issues here. Not only you
signal to your readers about how frequent to expect your posts,
the search engines too will pay regular visits, which is good
for overall ‘health’ of your blog.
Link, link everywhere
Be generous with your
links. If you’ve taken an idea from another site (no bad that),
give a link there, albeit opening in new window. It’s a mistake
to believe that you cannot hold your own if you give away links
where they matter. On the contrary, you may emerge as a good
reference point whom your readers will come to trust in course
of time. The other necessity is to link to your own earlier
blog-pages whenever there’s a chance to do so. As much as this
strategy helps your readers, it’s an important fodder for search
engine spiders who prefer links like nothing else.
Coming back to the heading,
“How to make your blog lively?”, suffice it to say that a blog
is the wholesome fruit of all your efforts above, a sum-total of
your ability and willingness to do it well. If one of these is
lacking, your blog is likely to suffer, but more than that it is
your valiant effort that will go waste. You don’t want that, do
you?
Suggested readings:
5 ways to building
a better blog
Make money online
with ProBlogger blog tips
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Partha Bhattacharya
is an experienced
web content provider.
Partha's
blog on search
marketing is a big help for small website owners. |
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