There are definitely more than 7 blog mistakes people make, but having coached a lot of people in blogging, and owning a high traffic blog myself, I have identified these as some of the worst offenders.
It’s estimated that there’s 115 Million blogs online, and let’s face it, most of them suck. Not to be too harsh, but it’s just a reality. The sad part is, having a high traffic, lead grabbing blog really isn’t that hard, it’s just a matter of applying effective principles over a period of time. Sounds easy, right? The problem is, most of the Bloggers in the world don’t have the knowledge.
That being said, here are the 7 worst blog mistakes that I see:
1. Bad architecture. Too many people go to the free blogging platforms to create a blog. Yes it’s easier, and cheaper, but it’s also the difference between OWNING your blog, and RENTING one. It is critical that you register your own domain, and build your blog on wordpress software. Argue with me if you like, but very few of the worlds top bloggers do it any other way. With a hosted Wordpress blog you have more control, better SEO capabilities, and a vast array of plugins and widgets available.
2. Lack Of Focus. Too many bloggers don’t take the time to identify their niche, and their Tribe. The niche is the market category they want to compete in. Their Tribe is the group of followers they are trying to build, whether it be customers, fans, donors, etc. It’s imperative that you take the time to identify exactly who you are blogging too. What are their likes and dislikes? What are their concerns and fears? What are their hobbies, interests, and desires? The better you relate to them, the more likely they will be to frequent your blog and join your cause.
3. Lack of keyword research. This is a killer. Google, Live, and Yahoo are anxious to send their traffic to the best posts. The challenge is, they can only do this based on key words their searchers are using. If you don’t identify the keyterms your Tribe is searching for, and optimize your blog for them, you are leaving money on the table. You should have a primary term you want your blog to rank highly for, then a bunch of “long tail” keyterms that each post is about. There is a very high rate of return on key word research.
4. Writing Style. It is important to remember that you are writing to two distinct “audiences.” First of all, you are writing to your niche, and must engage, entertain, educate, or supply whatever type of value you are striving to provide with your blog. Secondly, you are writing to the search engines, and must include your keyterms in your URL, first sentence, and once or twice more if it makes sense. With practise, you can easily create entries that satisfy both the Search Engines and your visitors.
5. Frequency. Most bloggers just don’t blog often enough. Bloggin daily is ideal, a few time a week is acceptable, but consider once a week an absolute minimum. Any less than this simply won’t get the job done.
6. Capturing leads! Too many blogs just don’t have any sort of lead capture! Giving away a free report, book, or other offer is mandatory to making your blog a list building machine!
7. Value proposition. Too many bloggers don’t offer enough value in their posts. The blog is too “salesy,” or just too much about them. Remember, people don’t care what you ate for dinner, where you went on vacation, or about the cute pictures of your dog. Make sure every post gives value to your visitors!
The key is to develop overcome these blogging mistakes as early in your blogging career as possible, so that the time you spend on your blog is rewarded with leads, branding, and sales!
