5 simple ways to make your blog better now

Here’s a list of five simple, actionable ways to help your blog. They’re all easy, take just a few minutes or less, and will improve your site.

As bloggers, we all want to make our sites better. We want our content to be top-notch and we want our photos to be magazine-quality. There are dozens of websites and books out there designed to help you improve both of those things.

For all the big things you can do, there are dozens of small actions you can be taking, too. Here’s a list of five simple ways to make your blog better now.

include links to pins on facebook

When you share your mouth-watering recipes, or your brilliant parenting tips, or your life-changing cleaning hacks on Facebook, go ahead and share the link to the post’s pin, too. It’s all about making things as simple as possible for your readers and, for all those followers browsing from their cell phones, linking to the pin is the best way to ensure they pin it.

brag

Sometimes its embarrassing to talk about having a blog. For whatever reason, answering “it’s on my blog” when asked about a recipe seems boastful or like you’re just another bandwagon writer. Push past it, though. If someone genuinely wants to know the secret behind your DIY project, don’t be afraid to direct them to your site.

If you share your blog content exclusively on your blog’s social media accounts, try sharing a few of your favorite posts on your personal accounts, too. Your friends won’t mind that you’re sharing your passion.

backlink your posts

You know when you’re writing a post, and you make reference to a previous post? Link to it! For a lot of people, this might be a no-brainer, but make sure you’re intentional about doing it at every single opportunity.

Are you sharing a chicken recipe? Mention and link to your other chicken recipes. If you’re writing a post about refinishing furniture, mention and link to your other refinishing projects. Don’t miss the opportunity to share old content with readers.

beef up your “about me” section

Many bloggers and blog readers will tell you that, when they start clicking around a new blog, one of their first stops is the “about me” page. It’s natural to want to connect with the writer behind the content, which is why it’s frustrating when that page only offers minimal details.

I understand the desire for privacy, but there are always vague details or random bits of information you can offer without giving away more than you’re comfortable with.

Watermark your photos

This tip won’t increase your traffic or interactions, but it’s still important. Every photo you put on your site should be marked with your blog’s name or logo in some way. My photos just get a small line of text in the lower right-hand corner: Some bloggers, like Stephanie from Sustaining the Powers, use their logo to create a consistent look: Watermarking is important for a couple reasons: 1. It’s too easy for someone else to copy your photos and post them as their own. Sure, your watermark can probably be cropped out, but that’s an extra step that might make someone think twice before stealing it. 2. Consistency: branding your photos, in the same place with the same logo or the same font, creates a consistent look that will allow readers to identify your pictures immediately.

What quick tips do you have for making your blog better?

Want more blogging help? I’ve got a whole page with helpful resources.