Many people blog to earn income, even passive income, but that requires exceptionally high-quality content.
Even if you’re a great writer, that doesn’t make you a great editor (and it certainly doesn’t make you savvy about link building, SEO, or other aspects of blogging). Luckily, some advanced editing tips just for bloggers can help your content help your bank account.
Remember that editing for a blog is different from editing a school paper or company report. Blogs have specifics for a reason. Your readers, regardless of your niche, want an image-rich blog that’s short and sweet. The search engine algorithms want layouts that are user friendly, error free and consistent.
Before posting your next blog, keep these advanced editing tips in mind:
- Edit with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Most basic blog posts are between 350 and 500 words, which means you should have two or three well-placed keywords embedded. Make sure you’ve done your research and know which keywords and phrases are best for your blog. The ultimate goal is to be Google’s top search result for your niche.
- Images are just as important as written content with blogs, if not more so. Ideally, you’re sourcing images yourself or from your readers and it’s 100 percent yours. Otherwise, ensure that you’re giving proper citations to photos that belong to others and that there’s no copyright infringement. A good, free source is creativecommons.org. Editing photos means citations, checking that they function and that you’re using only the highest-quality images available.
- Of course you should follow the basic rules of grammar, or at least know them. Decide what kind of voice you want your blog to project from the beginning, and write rules for yourself. Are you going to use the confessional first-person I, balance wit with a peppering of sarcasm or avoid beginning and ending sentences with prepositions? Write down your rules, adapt them and look them over before posting.
- When blogging for income or reputation, every character you type counts. Look at every sentence and see if any fat can be trimmed. Never say more than you need to.
- Always write as if you have millions of fans waiting for your next golden blog post. Don’t wait until you have followers to start posting the good stuff. Aim for quality from the beginning, because otherwise you’ll be waiting for those followers for a long time. Remember that basic grammar counts, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
Which blogs do you follow? Are they filled with dry humor, the latest beauty trends or fly fishing tips for beginners? Ask yourself why you like that particular blog, and learn from it. There’s a good chance it’s the ease of use, a friendly voice and incredible pictures that draw you in.
Prefer to leave blogging to the experts? That’s a good call, and by contacting Be Locally SEO for all your blogging needs, you can rest easy knowing your blog (and readers!) are in good hands.
Want more about blogging? Our expert recommends:
5 Reasons Small Businesses Should Be Blogging
Why An Active Blog is Critical to a Strong SEO Campaign
How Blogging Works
