I don’t blog to get page views. I blog because I love it and I need an outlet (let’s be honest, my friends and family are sick of hearing me talk about this stuff so much). However, getting pageviews would be nice… But how do I do it? Some of the blogs I’ve been reading suggest a few things, mainly: SEO (search engine optimization), social media, quality content, and engagement. But what do those things mean and how do I do it?
Search Engine Optimization
This means using keywords, titles, and tags that are search friendly—i.e. when people type stuff into a search engine, your blog should come up. This is something that I am working on. I’m trying to add tags to my images and catchy, helpful titles to my posts. How do you think of words and tags to use? Think about the way people use search engines—what questions do they ask and words do they use? Keeping that in mind helps think of what words to use.
Adding tags to photos was something I didn't even know existed! You can add searchable tags that aid with SEO that are not visible in your posts. If you, like me, don't know how to do this, here's how (if you're using Blogger):
Step 1: Select the image, and hit properties.
Step 2: Enter your tags in the box titled "alt text."
Social Media
I put my blog on Facebook and Twitter a few months ago. I don’t have a gazillion followers or anything, but I have reached the triple digits, which is encouraging! I’ve linked up both these accounts to my blog so a link to my posts shows up there. I always try to respond to any mentions or comments! I have a Pintrest page as well, but I always forget about Pintrest. I bet being consistent probably helps… I’ve also recently added a link to my Instagram. I’ve been a bit hesitant to put my personal stuff out there. However, I think as long as I am conscious of what I’m posting it will be okay! (So, follow me on Instagram for some fun bookish/kitty pics:P). I think it's important to remember to be consistent, engaging, and be relevant! Don't spam!
Quality Content
This is a tough one because I have no idea if what I’m writing is any good at all. However, I am trying to branch out from just book reviews because, while reviews are awesome, there are other awesome things out there. I have begun participating in some memes (like Top Ten Tuesday) to join in with the blogging community! I have also started this feature. So that’s something. To help ensure that my content stays "quality," I'm going to do my best to heed this advice:
- Don't spam
- Keep up on all things bookish. Know what's going on in the book world! Especially in relation to whatever your niche is!
- Have a diverse range of post types: don't do all memes, or all reviews, etc, if you want people to stay interested.
- Be original and creative. Don't copy others ideas, and don't just do the same ole same ole all the time.
Engagement
I think I’m pretty good at this one. (Mainly because I don’t get a lot of reader engagement, so it’s easy to keep up!) Making sure you respond to readers is pretty important. I try to always respond on social media and individually to comments on any of my posts! It's also important to engage with other bloggers. They can send traffic your way and vice versa (plus it's just fun to make new blogging friendies!).
There has been some slow but steady improvement in my number of page visits, and this is really encouraging! The only thing to do is keep up what I’m doing and try to be more consistent with it! Thanks to all the seasoned bloggers out there who post blogging advice!
Special mention to Parajunkee, River City Reading, and Book Nerd Canada!
Join me next week for another edition of Adventures of a Book Blogging Newbie.
Labels: Book Blogging Newbie
