If you google “laptop repair”, you’d notice that google lists websites and highlights your search query i.e “laptop” and “repair”.
But, you’d also see that words like “computer” and “fix” instead of your search query also get highlighted.
Can you guess why?
That’s because our boy is improving dramatically. Over the time, it is continuously making its algorithm smart and user-friendly.
This means that you can no longer fool around with poor content.
It’s nothing new. Google changes its algorithm every now and then to make it more user-friendly. New changes are made and rankings change accordingly. But you can be sure about one thing. Google does and always will value quality content.
Now that I explained how important is quality content, let’s talk about how bloggers can improve the quality of their blog post.
Contents
1. Pick good words and good sentences
I am not asking you to pick up jargons here. Your choice of words can impact your blog post to a great extent.
In this cut-throat competition to rank on top for a keyword, bloggers offer “buff up” the content. Buffing up essentially means increasing the word count of content by either adding un-unnecessary words or overusing passive voice.
Trust me, your readers will see through if you buff your content. Rather, you can instead invest some more time on research and add some more actual content to your blog.
2. Write as if you are speaking
I was practicing this thing from a long time, but really got hold of it when I started my podcast.
All the professionals recommend that you write in a conversational tone.
The majority of the freelancers and bloggers use this tip as well.
Now, it applies well to blog posts, but don’t try same if you are writing an application or academic paper.
Writing in “You” and “I” keeps your reader hooked and makes you sound less alien.
You can also keep your readers hooked by including some questions and polls.
3. Research well
If you are writing for travelers, your language would be different from what it would be if you are writing for entrepreneurs. Every set of readers use the different set of slangs, and as a blogger, you have to be familiar with your readers.
Once you’ve figured this out, you can make your blog post interesting by adding relatable slangs.
For example, if I am writing for The Big bang theory fan’s ( I am talking about the show ), I’d definitely include Sheldon’s dialogues or some references from the show, in order to make the post interesting and relatable.
4. Practice makes a man perfect
Being a professional writer, I write almost 3000 words a day ( more or less ).
Still, in the morning, I write 500 words on any topic for practice. These 500 words go nowhere but in my recycle bin. Sounds funny, right ?
Well, we all practice in different ways.
Figure out a time of day which you specifically devote to writing practice. This can be either day or night. I’ll recommend you do it in the morning after you wake up.
5. Read a lot
In the above point, I mention that my daily writing goes somewhat around 3k words.
That’s true!
But apart from that, I consume a lot of content too. I read other writers and analyze their style. Reading regularly will also introduce you to new words and also keep you updated about what is going in your niche.
I don’t think there is any writer who doesn’t spend a good amount of time in reading.
When I read, I don’t limit myself to only what I love, sometimes I also read something that I am totally blank in. This introduces me to new topics and writing style.
6. Give it a personal touch
This is the 21st century, we are living in the age of information overload.
There is literally no topic that hasn’t been covered yet. Blogging these days is more about presenting content in a more well-mannered way.
If you think of this, you’d realize that there is nothing much you can do to stand apart from other than adding a bit of personal touch. I realized this from a post on my blog where I wrote about my trip and it was appreciated by all the readers.
Unless you live under a rock, you must have some stories. Use them in your blog posts and connect your readers better.
7. Be Regular
Writing isn’t like SEO. Where you do things and then relax for some time and things happen on their own. As a blogger, you need to develop a solid timetable and actually sticking to it. If you are a student or work somewhere, dedicate some time to your blog and stick to it.
Now, while you write, avoid facebook and checking emails. You can listen to music, but turning on youtube or television is definitely a bad idea.
Create a peaceful environment while you are writing.
There are music videos which are specifically meant to listen while one is writing. These are referred as white noise. ( check them on youtube ).
The trick here is to download and save them or else you’ll be distracted.
8. Take Blog Writing seriously
Before I left school and took blogging full time, I made almost hundred timetable and never followed any one of these for more than 3 days.
But now, I have a simple timetable and I stick to it.
You too should take blog writing seriously.
Make a content calendar and stick to it. Decide when you will publish blog posts.
Whether you are going to publish them every day, every 3 days, every week or so.
9. Think before you write
A lot of bloggers start writing a blog post without putting any though as of what it would look like once it’s done. In my opinion, it is better to prepare an outline before you start drafting your blog post.
If you prepare an outline, you’d complete your blog post quickly and hence get more time for promotion.
There are two tools that you can use to prepare an outline. First one is Evernote and the second one is bubbl.us.
Evernote is for note taking and later is for mind mapping. ( Mind mapping sounds cool, right ?
10. Proofread – ALWAYS PROOFREAD!
You made a good dish, alright..
But it would be good if you taste it before serving it out on the table.
Maybe you forgot to add a pinch of salt which you will come to know if you taste it before serving.
That serving is proofreading.
Everyone should read his/her blog post at least once after they finish writing it. While you read your blog post, don’t hesitate to make corrections. If you think to remove that sentence would be good, go ahead and do it. This way, you’ll come up with your best blog post.
Conclusion – No one becomes a good writer overnight. It’s much of an ongoing process. It takes time. Keep the above tips in mind and you’ll be good to go. Also, do share your writing hacks below in comments so I can “read” some interesting writing tips.