Wednesday, July 24, 2013

"You’ll screw any chances of your post ranking

  • Burgo


    "You’ll screw any chances of your post ranking if you forget to fill out the page title and description fields for each post."
    I think we need to be careful with phrasing here, considering the audience on SEOmoz. Your meta description is incredibly important when it comes to influencing your CTR from the SERPs... but to say that you will "screw any chance of rankings" without filling in your meta description field is misleading.
    Just an FYI for those who might be confused by this, from http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com.au/2007/09/improve-snippets-with-meta-description.html
    "And it's worth noting that while accurate meta descriptions can improve clickthrough, they won't affect your ranking within search results"
    Sorry for being nit picky, but I think there's a responsibility here to be accurate when a lot of readers here are new to SEO.
  • Steve Webb
    Great post, Neil!
    Here are a few more things that will kill your blog post...
    Too Much Self-Promotion - One of the easiest ways to kill a blog post is to make it read like a sales pitch.  A little self-promotion is fine, but you don't want it to be the post's dominant theme.
    Bad Writing (e.g., Misspellings and Poor Grammar) - Your prose doesn't have to be Shakespearean, but it does need to be readable.  You want your audience to focus on your message - not your inability to run a spell checker.
    Not Including a Strong Call-to-Action - #10 (above) is a specific example of this recommendation.  You want to give your readers actionable advice, and ideally, you want to end your post by telling readers what their next step should be (e.g., continuing the conversation on Google+, leaving comments, etc.).
    For even more blogging mistakes, here are a few resources you might find helpful:
    7 Fatal Business Blogging Mistakes (And Easy Fixes!)
    21 Dangerous Blogging Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
  • Alessandro Corazza
    Seth Godin replied to this post with an interesting (and completely opposite) take.
  • Associate
    gfiorelli1
    Looking at my blog after reading your post and feeling guilty, so much guilty.
    Procrastination, this is the big problem when it comes to blogging; at least is mine. Somehow it is like starting a diet: "I will start on Monday...".
    Maybe it is really the time to stop delaying and stick to a publishing schedule and fix objectives, also "at-first-superficial" ones as to see my blog again  as one of most promising blogs came out along the year :). Let's say, to apply some sort of gamification principle to myself in order to not forget my blogging objectives.
    Finally, answering to your question, Neil, I've found that using charts, embed quotes, videos or images I've previously curated about the topic of the post I'm writing, make it stand better than simply text-only ones.
    And I've seen (just a my little give it up tip) that adding correct descriptions to the images so to put them better into the context of the post is making them even more relevant, also those ones we use apparently just for "cosmetic" reasons.
  • Mavenface
    I actually disagree with Patel as well.
    But I think it has more to do with "writing for your audience". Patel's strategies are more for "the newbz". Who googles SEO strategies? People that don't know where to go for that kind of information. Hence, SEO.com ranks.
    People that know their stuff, already know the basics. The stuff I read online from Godin to Lefsetz is stuff that would never rank for anything but I keep checking everyday because it's made for the expert community.
    I'm so tired of post that start with "10 ways to" and I know I'm not alone. It's boring. I've seen it before. But to people who are wet behind the ear, it's exciting for them to click on in google. And yes sure it gets traffic and Neil's work ethic is incredible.
    But I think in the long term his strategy may only be focusing on roping in the suckers. And it's not his fault, it's Google's fault. Google's whole purpose is to help people at the beginning of the learning curve. If you didn't know something, you google it.
    But where do people who already know their stuff go? Where do the experts in each niche go that just want to interact with a community and keep up to date? We don't go to SEO.com, we go to SEOMOZ. Who ranks for "seo tips"? See what I mean?
    Godin's blog is a perfect example of someone that writes like a human being for humans, not google's monkey robots. Using search to find interesting content is the worst way to find interesting content, and Google knows it, that's why they bought Youtube.
    A person didn't one day google "funny cat videos" and funny cat videos appeared in google's results. No someone made a funny cat video and it spread on facebook, twitter, and blogs and then people in real life showed other real people this funny cat video. It was only then that you went on google and searched for "funny cat videos" because you wanted to show your friend.
    It's ironic that Google is making sites brand themselves, because their will come a day when most people skip search and just go to Wikipedia for the facts or just go to an expert site for the interesting content. I know I do.
    • RCamper
      Interesting response, Maven. I actually came to this blog for the first time because I had just read Seth Godin's post. I found Patel's points to be mostly dead on, and yet, I didn't find anything at odds with what Godin is saying, either. Godin is far too clever to simply throw a blogger under the bus to make his point.
      Funny thing - Seth actually scores high on nearly all of the criteria (except that he rarey follows #10 and solicits comments at the end of his posts. When you're a multi-best-seller and already branded a guru, you probaby don't need to).
      I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Seth was making the point about approach. And actually I'm going to make the same points you just made:
      He doesn't set out to "get up and running with critical mass."
      His headlines DO NOT (thank God) have the oh-so-tired "10 Ways to...," "25 Great Tips for... blah, blah..." You're right - these titles are not for a brand-loyal blog audience. They're for blogs who see themselves as a commodity.
      Godin's titles clearly fall into the Unique, or Urgent category. Godin doesn't need to think about Patel's system because he's beyond it and is instead, refusing to work the system (from an approach POV).
      When he says he misses 7 of his 12 rules rules I don't buy it. I think (and I can easily be wrong here) is that he doesn't care about those 7 out of 12. It's kinda like the scene in The Matrix with Neo and Morpheus: Neo: "You're saying that I can dodge bullets?"  Morpheus: "No - I'm saying that when you're ready - you won't need to."
      Totally agree with your points about google and what it perpetuates.
      Rob
  • friendlymachine
    Another great post, Neil. It got Seth Godin's attention and he posted his contrarian point of view here:
    http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/03/doing-it-wrong-relentlessly.html
    Pretty interesting to compare the two perspectives. Of course if SEO is your thing, Seth's advice isn't really that helpful. His formula for success is much harder to replicate in my view. All the same, interesting stuff.
  • Member
    UnderRugSwept
    Another way to breathe new life into old posts is to share them again on social media after maybe a year has passed. This can get the post out there to new followers or followers who missed it the first time. I do this a lot.
  • Member
    Sha Menz
    Thanks for the post Neil, and most importantly, the figurative "poke with a sharp stick" to make me get my blogging schedule back on track :)
    I'll share just one more thing that I believe will kill your blog post every time.
    Operating in a vacuum
    It's as important to READ blog posts within your space as it is to WRITE them.
    Reading other people's posts, both good and bad, will help take care of some of the things you mentioned, like not plagiarizing or going over the same ground. It will also help you to do some other important things:
    • Analyse and learn from the best in your space (blogging techniques and new skills)
    • Learn exactly what not to do from those who really aren't cutting it
    • Gain inspiration for new material, reaction pieces etc
    • Help to keep you on pace with your own content production (yes, I've actually noticed that when I archive other posts to read later, my own sense of blogging urgency falls away)

    Naturally, this very post is a case in point!! :)
    Sha
    • neilpatel
      Thanks for sharing. You make some valid points as it is really helpful to learn from others in your spcae. Not just blogging, but the new skills part is important. The moment you stop learning is the day you start to fail.
  • Jeffrey Romano
    One thing which I think is very important, not just with blogging but in life in general, is to set clear goals and stick to them. You're right in saying that people shouldn't give up, and I think having short-term and long-term goals really contributes to keeping bloggers motivated.
    Also Neil, as you said recently on Google+, its important to celebrate the little victories, and then raise the bar a bit higher next time. Good work on the article, keep it up.
  • Member
    @BTutterow
    I would add that not editing blog posts can kill your results as well...
    If you have the time, team up with another blogger to at least review the work before it goes out and you can do the same for them.
    Within the editing process it is useful to include a step to ensure that you are talking about one idea and making 3-5 points about that idea, at most.  That way you have created content that is impactful AND easy to consume.
    ...Just my two cents
  • Member
    MattJanaway
    Nice blog post. I am currently working on a project in an industry where it is really hard to be creative and even harder to get people to care about what you write - it is literally as boring as it gets - so getting blog views can be quite hard, getting social interaction can be harder. However, it is not impossible and using this guide (plus a couple of the comment additions) I think I can make it a success. Cheers!
    • UnderRugSwept
      it's true that it's hard to follow the rule of not blogging about things no one cares about when your whole industry is one that few people care about. You have to go in to hyper-creative mode. I'm there with you on that one.
    • neilpatel
      Have you thought about doing a brainstorming session with a small group? It will help spur some creative thoughts.
  • The Search Guy
    Very true and really amazing and informative post. A must read for every blogger that exists in the blogosphere!
  • brianmch3000
    Terrific article.  Bottom line like you said, start with the basics and write awesome content!
  • Ajay Yadav Inbound Marketer
    Neil , that is seriously a Handbook like Post having the necessary guidelines for successful blogging.
    The Pinterest example is perfect for showing the simple and catchy title and its  importance!!  BTW Neil, even your every post published in Youmoz has a unique and eye catching title!
    As you said, Writing big blocks is not good for blogging, as a matter of fact writing and explaining in big blocks in real life also doesn't work. Nobody likes to listen or read long confusing sentences for more than 5 to 10 minutes.
    From your post , I learned some important things, always write in simple language and in clyclic manner i.e. linking the valuable relevant older posts to the new one! And socializing your presence and your content in social media! In Conclusion , The Blogging life is much more like our real life, the way we behave and represent ourselves in real life is same like blogging! By the way I am not perfect enough in Fishing , But I like it!! ;) Nice post and examples Neil, Thumb up to you!!

    Ajay Yadav Inbound Marketer edited a year ago
    • neilpatel
      It's also important to use simple language. Trying to use big words and acting all smart will just turn off your readers.
      • content muse
        Very true, Neil.  I see that a lot in the literary criticism circles.  I had a grad teacher quip once, "I think (author not mentioned) would have been severely disappointed you made sense out of his paper." Requires more intellect to deliver digestable information to your reader, inspiring them to turn on their 'head lights.'
  • david305
    Great post Neil. I always look forward to reading your posts.

    Back to what you were suggesting about google+ , if you have a blog on a certain niche, is it  neccessary  to create a google+  account just for the blog itself, or is it just fine using yourself ( and potentially others ) as "authors" that link back to your/their google profiles.
    Basically what I am asking is should we have a sort of "fan" page on google+ for the blog.

    thanks again neil
    • neilpatel
      You don't have to. With Google + I just use my personal one for my blog, myself, my company blog...
      They aren't setup to have fan pages yet (or as far as I know), so I wouldn't do that until they have that feature.
  • GrowTraffic
    Great information, I must admit I'm guilty of reverting to my old seo mentality of NEVER linking out if you want the site to rank for something.
    I know it doesn't apply anymore but old habits die hard.
    Nice post some valid points there.
  • Dave Gee
    Neil-
    Great thoughts on blogging. Unfortunately I realized we are violating about 5 of your 10 rules. As the CEO (and chief blogger) time is extremely limited but there is no sense in blogging if we are not generating more traffic. We pride ourselves on delivering pragmatic insights to our clients but clearly that is not enough.
    Thanks much-
    Dave Gee
    CEO-Bungee Loyalty Programs
    http://www.bungeeloyaltyprograms.com
  • Brian Reynolds
    Thank you for some really good insights that I am actioning on right away.

    Question:

    Is it better to link to an older post, or to a relevant page on your website?
  • thumoo
    A very interesting post. I have the All-in-one plugin but never really considered the options that are shown. I will certainly go back through my posts and use this to its fullest.
  • scbusinesscoach
    Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I have only been blogging for about 3mths now but learning as I go. I don't think I have made too many mistakes..... (fingers crossed) but will add your tips to my blog checklist.
  • Member
    MemoryHub
    Neil,
    Great list, and many of these post-level tactics (1-4,6,8,10) should be included on any new blogger's checklist until they become second nature.  But points 7 and 12 imho are the most important for anyone new to consider before they even start...and it speaks to taking a hard look inside at their own personal level of motivation.
    Just because it's easy to start a blog/website, doesn't mean that it's easy to succeed.  Starting a blog is like starting a business, and whenever I start a new business, one of my top goals is to make decisions based on building "sticktuitiveness" and longevity for the business.  Namely, I recognize that the overall sales, marketing and branding efforts as a new business most likely won't take hold overnight.  They take time, and one of the most important objectives for any new business is to STAY in business, so that a prospect who hears about you on Day 1 of your business can still find you 3-5 years later when they are ready to become a customer.  Building an audience around your blog/site works the same way.
    If you don't see yourself wanting to still be in your niche 3+ years from now, why even start?  If your blog/site is not centered around a subject your are MOTIVATED by, all of the very valuable tactics identified above won't matter.  You won't take the time to research keywords, create engaging titles or post more than once a month. Not only does it take time to build a repository of valuable and authoritative content to gain the trust of the search engines, it also takes time to build your personal reputation and level of trust within your respective community.  Success won't be created overnight, and only the truly motivated will stick it out and trust enough in themselves to keep at it until it is realized.
  • ambrking
    Thanks for those tips Neil. I will try to apply that to my blog as well. One important factor of a blog is to keep readers engage. This is one way to make them stay, read and comment.
  • MB Consulting
    Great post. Some really good tips I have not thought about in a long time.Building out your Blog does take time and commitment.I think it is important to keep a Blogging schedule and stick to it.Thanks again for some awesome tips.
  • Seo Duck
    Good job writing such a post. Though all this information is not new for many bloggers but it opens everyone's eyes again and reminds that blogging is not an easy thing as it might seem. It obviously requires a lot of time and effort to become successful blogger.
  • tickerpirate
    Excellent post Neil.  I have been blogging steadily on a faith driven blog for two solid years and my traffic just continues to grow and on some major keywords I have first page of google without paying for any clicks.  Consistency is the key!
  • Joe Robison
    As far as headlines, how do you feel about making them perfectly SEO optimized like 2/3 the time and then choosing a more creative headline the other 1/3? I just feel like if ALL the post have the exact keyword everytime it can get repetitive.
  • Ithaca Web Marketing
    Great article!! Thanks so much for sharing. I often forget to fill my SEO descriptions and have been thinking about using short URLs but have been too lazy. I will make these changes ASAP.
  • mistermidway
    Hello; sometimes, its great just to hear from an expert that you are doing the things that should bring success.  I was worried that posting only once a week for the last few weeks might be really hirting my blog.  I know I need to step it up, but at least you calmed my fears some.  and pictures are important.  So are video links if you have them.  I recently wrote a blog post just to update a listing with the addition of video and was surprised by the response.  It lead to a major sale that just closed.  thanks again for letting me know I'm on the right track. take care, Max
  • Member
    Explainafide
    I really take the time to get the right images for a post and the better the image the longer people stay on the page. I do write on the Business of being an artist so my audience are higly visual people I should add.
  • Yuki Tokuda
    Hey thanks for the awesome post! I am translating it into Japanese so more people can benifit from it, of course with a big link to your post and your website (hope it is fine with you?). I now want all my blogger friends to read this! Thank you again for putting things together in such logical terms!
  • dakini03
    Great advice!  I just had a marketing expert look over my website and he said that my use of headlines was nothing short of disatrous.  Definitely something I am going to be paying close attention to in the future.
  • NicoleMunoz
    Awesome post!  I think the headline is the number one important part of the blog post as that will determine whether or not people will click through to even read your post!
  • onetime
    I don't blog. I don't tweet. I do not "friend" anyone, +1, or "like" anyone. The only reason I even read this particular blog: It showed up on Google news. Why am I commenting if I don't do any of the above. Not really sure - my time is my most valuable commodity. But to make my point, I have spent 15 minutes registering, activating and now writing. Maybe I'll start a club.
    I only read the section titles of the above post ...and stopped after "clunky URLs". I'm sure it is good advice if you blog. My own feeling is that if you have a compelling topic and write well, people will read your work ...clunky URLs notwithstanding.
    Computers, websites (clunky URLs and all), social networking, etc. - most are a waste of time. Oh, if you enjoy it and you derive some satisfaction from blogging, then by all means do it. I used to waste a tremendous amount of time, energy and money "investing" in the latest website design, the latest software package, the latest ...fill in the blank. My business did well. Until one day I decided not to upgrade ... and the world did not come to a crashing halt. I closed more business that week because I had the time to focus on my customer's needs. Two years later, the result is more money in my pocket and more time to do things like spending time with my family and friends. I also do not stress over which software package is better, or will it be compatible, or any of the related crap that goes along with it. Give me a business card, a cell phone and a $300 laptop and I can do business.
    So if you want people to read your blog, there is probably good advice above. If you want to enjoy your life, I suggest turning off the computer and go talk with your girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, kids, friends, business partners, customers, etc.
    I am not a Luddite. I use technology everyday. I use it as long as it makes my life easier (the iPhone is a perfect example this), I don't have to spend time fixing, upgrading every six months, or wondering about my next blog post. It is no wonder my customers often comment that I'm the only one that actually talks to them.
    I've spent enough time on this. My best to you all - in whatever you choose to do. My girlfriend and surfboard are calling me.
  • Noumana
    Thats one of the most useful post on the tip pf blogging i have ever read.
  • Pinchin Cents
    This is excellent. I have been writing in regular paragraph form because that is what I have always been taught to do. I will work very hard on breaking it up into smaller chunks. I thank you, excellent advice!
  • Dick and Chris

    Can someone tell me how many pictures to put in a post?  Are 5 too many?  Also, how many links in the post are too many?
  • Garrett Specialties

    Very helpful information.  Thank you!  I like asking the question at the end of the blog to draw your readers to respond. How do you get your blog to be seen? I am using SEO tactics for ranking the main site, but no one has left a comment on the blog site. Any suggestions?

    www.garrettspecialties.com

  • sebastian1

    Very nice article, blogging is very time consuming and you're right, writers block is often impossible to get over! If blogging is like fishing, then it's all about knowing what lake to fish in to catch your desired fish. I've been blogging for a little while now and I found marketing tools, My Viral Web very beneficial in terms of discovering relevant markets.
  • Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl
    Thanks so much for the wonderful tips.  In particular, I want to work more on linking to authority sites.  This always confused me as it seems like you are giving away link juice, so I'm not sure I really understand how it helps, but I've now read this same concept from 3 different people.

    Thx for other tips, too.
  • rethinknow
    Turning yourself into a superhero kills a post every time in my books.  When it comes to travel writing, it's crucial to distinguish between what your mother and grandfather will be happy to read and what the world is interested in.  If your posts, when combined together, turn your blog into an epic about your life, I don't think much can come out of it... and traffic can only remain contained.  Creating posts that are truly useful, even if they do include your perspective and how you developed tips or learned lessons, can cut it!
  • HowToSolutions.NET
    These are some great tips.

    I would add one more. Always add relevant description of the images in alt text attribute, so that you can receive traffic from the image searches.

    But I am wondering about one thing. What is the recommended length of the post? What is considered too short and what too long?
  • waqas ahmed14
    can i post small post in my blog??
  • Koozai_Harry
    Really great post, with plenty of fantastic points.
    I'm a sucker for trying to create smart titles. You're right in saying that sometimes they've got to be focussed right on the point to hook people in though.
    Thanks for the advice.
  • Jatin.chhabra
    Great article and it proves that its the true efforts which make your blog a successful one.
  • OliverCarlin
    Very good info! I especially like what you said about having to hang in there for the long run and that it could take a couple of years for you blog to become successful. thanks.
  • ZoneIn
    Well, it certainly looks like this post has been successfully in garnering comments at least! We'll definitely take your advice when writing blog posts for Zone In -- we just launched the blog at The Zone In Blog. The site itself is a service for people to see what's happening near them. We've also rolled a mobile site, and we're working on an app, so you can see what's going on at any time or place. Makes it easy to be an explorer!
  • R Floyd
    Awesome and VERY helpful information.  Thank you!  I think one thing that I see a lot of people do to kill a blog is when they go crazy with background images, colors, and graphics.  I remember seeing one where the color was  a pink and neon green color - hard to even look at, never mind read.

    Again thank you...I've gained some great knowledge I can put to use right away! 


  • Nicenfunny

    Thank you for the information. I have started to apply your tips on my blog, let's see where I can get with that :)
    www.nicenfunny.com
  • Hunter Valmont
    I must say, I'm a bit stunned at the actual amount of strategic work that goes into a good blog post - stunned that I didn't learn this earlier, that is.
    I have forever made the statement to clients that writing (press releases, media alerts, etc.) isn't as simple as just sitting down and cranking out some copy. Not everyone can be an effective writer just because they can type. Blogging takes this to an even higher level of purpose. It might seem great to see a blog post each week, but it's counterproductive to spend time doing it, only to skip most of the valuable points you mentioned. At some point, someone will have to answer for the blog's ineffectiveness, and all that (paid) time wasted.
    Thanks for such a succinct and informative post. I'm printing it out and giving it a special section in my PR playbook. Clearly, content is nothing without strategy.

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