How to Run a Successful Blog in 13 Amazing Ways: Update

By: | April 15, 2017 | Tags: , , |

How to run a successful blog 13 #BloggingTips for #bloggers

Are you aware of how to run a successful blog?

Are you familiar with all it takes?
Are you ready to implement and maintain those elements on your blog?
Consider this an update to How to Run a Successful Blog in 8 Amazing Ways which, at the time of this writing, ranks 13th at HubShout.
Clearly, interest is high in how to have a successful blog which means you have a great deal of competition out there.
 Are there factors that will make your blog more likely to succeed?
Absolutely!
This post will present them ranging from conception to monetization.

Consider these comments from a reader:

Now I’m looking forward to your post on Saturday, Janice, you know the one for those of us that are losing our minds over blogging.

and this reader:

I really want to improve my site just that I am at the crossroads and everything is making me lose my mind. What’s your advice?

My advice is in this post. Here are blogging tips for bloggers of all experience levels:

 How to Run a Successful Blog, 13 Key Ingredients

 Follow the tips in this order:
1. Pick a popular niche 

Buzzsumo, Serpstat, and Google Keyword Planner can tell you which topics are currently popular.

Many bloggers don’t want to write about popular, trending topics preferring instead to write about their passions. You can write about whatever you want, but if you choose to write about a topic in which there is little interest, you will have a frustrating journey as a blogger.

2. Optimize your post for SEO
I questioned a reader who commented,
A great blog that starts with great content can get great traffic but it all starts with content.
I asked him,

Do you do SEO research first?

Consider these comments:

I stopped focusing on SEO and keywords for my site because it could be confusing and tiring. You will spend hours searching for a long tail keyword, spend hours trying to get a good article headline. You will also now start writing to suit your keyword so it could appear a few times. It’s exhausting… I’m still searching for a good reason to start SEO and keyword hunting.

Do you agree with the commenter? Are you looking for a good reason to start “keyword hunting?”

Look:

According to Rand Fishkin, if you hope your content will carry you through and ignore SEO, you will lose thousands of visitors.

Rahul Kuntala agrees.

“Old school tricks don’t work”. All I’d say is: old school techniques still work if you do it right. Anyone who’s doing SEO for 5+ years knows that targeting just 1 or 2-word keywords (like fitness or fitness tips) is too BAD and won’t work at all!

This is where long tail keywords come into play.

I’ve used long tail keywords + 2000+ word articles strategy with a ton of my clients and the results were always amazing (it works for any industry). Within 6 months, their search traffic not only tripled but their sales also went up.

3. Have a clickable headline According to the Shout Me Loud blog, the headline is so important it is worth spending a great deal of time on.”Captivate your audience well before they open the article.”
Donna Merrill agrees with the importance of your headline. She explains it should contain your keywords as well as power words and emotional words.
4. Google your competitors According to recent blogging trends, the number of tips you share should be ten times what is already published online. In addition to Google, both HubShout and Alexa.com are free tools that allow you to check on your competitors.

5. Work hard Now that you know how many tips to offer, research to make sure you have enough information.

Consider these comments from a reader about how the length of your blog post:
A good tip about the length of the posts being beneficial to SEO. I made the mistake of writing fairly short specific posts around my core subject. They got nowhere in the rankings. When I combined four into a 3000-word article, like magic a couple of weeks later I was showing way up the rankings on page 3. So I can testify that post length does work the magic. 
According to blogger and SEO expert Hemant Kumar, it is better not to do any writing at all than to write just a little. If you do something, you should do it right is an expression. According to Hemant, Google frowns upon short content. If you don’t have time to write a lot, don’t write at all.
The Digitalgyd blog agrees that you will win readers with strong content. On the flip side, the blog warns that weak content will get penalized by Google. In addition, according to the blog, you will establish yourself as an authority in your blogging niche with longer and stronger content. This means avoid fillers. Publish quality content.
According to Sam Hurley, “Every piece must be extraordinary.” He warns against blogging more often than once a month if you only have time to publish an extraordinary piece of work once a month.
The Customer Think blog agrees hard work describes successful bloggers. How “hard” do bloggers need to work to become successful? According to the blog’s research, successful bloggers spend six hours producing each blog post! One of the most successful bloggers in the world, Neil Patel, confirms this.
Include Longform Content According to Curata.com, longer content generates more social shares, your SEO improves, and you get 30% more sign ups.
6. Format your post After the post is written, format it.
According to Copyblogger, using bullet points is the second most important part of writing a blog post, second only to headline writing.

The goal of strategic bullet points is primarily to keep people reading. You’re highlighting easily digestible bits of important information, which keeps your reader’s attention focused and breaks up dense pools of text.

7. Promote your post Make sure you promote the post so people know about it.

There is great controversy over whether you are wasting your time promoting at social media sites. I fall into the group that believes you should promote everywhere.

Then, continue to promote at the places that bring you the greatest ROI (return on your time investment). Use automation tools to keep your posts posting on social media sites without having to be at a computer. Viral Content Bee will let you promote at five places at once.

8. Have an opt-in I have many opt-ins for signing up for my blog. Include a form for people to leave their email in exchange for your incentive to subscribe.
9. Network I believe networking may be the single biggest reason my blog grew. Blogger Eric Schlehlein recommends networking for an hour each day.
10. Engage with Your Readers Respond to their comments and follow them on Twitter. Establish and maintain a connection with them.

The Your Income Advisor blog agrees engagement is an important sign of a successful blog. The blog even goes as far as to saying Google rewards blogs that show engagement by having many comments.

Donna Merrill offers criteria which enable you to know if you’ve achieved engagement. For example, she explains the perfect blog post is one which engages your reader and builds a bond of trust between you. She goes as far as to say that engagement is even more important than strong content!

11. Collaborate Blogging is a journey you don’t have to go on alone, and you shouldn’t. It’s actually counter-productive. The Beautiful Dawn Designs blog agrees blogging can be lonely. Bloggers should collaborate. The admin blogger suggests joining Facebook groups to help you.
12. Solve problems for your readers Did you become a blogger to solve problems for your readers?  If you do, your readers will stick to your blog and become loyal subscribers.

According to Jayson DeMers, the way to help your readers is by having expertise in your subject area. How to get that knowledge? Why, read!

The Recycling Company News blog agrees by saying if you can solve problems for readers with “the content you produce, you will be miles ahead.”

13. Make money According to the Shout Me Loud blog, people who are successful on the internet think of themselves as business people. There are many ways bloggers can make money online.

Conclusion
In closing, this post stressed hard work will help you achieve and maintain a successful blog. If it seems like much of that work takes a great deal of time, you are right. Running a blog takes as much time as having a job.
Sharpshooter Annie Oakley once explained, “Keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally, you’ll hit the bullseye of success.” Now you know the 13 key ingredients needed to hit that bullseye.
The admin of the Beautiful Dawn Designs blog feels not everyone can create a successful blog. Thanks to the tips in this post, now you know how to run a successful blog. Go implement the tips using this post as a checklist.
Before you go, please share so other bloggers learn how to run a successful blog as well.
Which tip do you feel is the most important? Were there any that surprised you? Were there any you would have included that were left out? I look forward to your views in the comments section.

Related Post:

How to Build the Perfect Blog Even if You Don’t Know How

Source:

  1. Philip V Ariel

    Hey, Janice,
    Yet another informative piece!
    You are indeed creating history in the field the blogging world!

    I appreciate the amazing speed and accuracy you are keeping in producing worth following write-ups.

    The tips you mentioned in this only a 50% I follow!
    What a shame!

    I must keep a tight schedule to do this in a systematic way.
    Thanks for the wonderful links you connected.
    Keep sharing.
    Best.Have a great weekend .
    ~.Phil

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Philip,
      Wow, I am creating history in the blogging world? How so, may I ask. High praise! I am truly flattered.
      Thank you so much for writing. I enjoyed reading the part where you said you are only following 50% of these. That means I can offer you 50% more blogging tips than you had before. This is exciting for me since I believe you’ve been blogging longer than I have. Thanks for writing to let me know.
      Janice

  2. Nirmala S

    Hi Janice,

    How are you? You have done a wonderful job as usual!

    I totally agree with your viewpoints on having a successful blog. All the points that you have mentioned are valid. Solving the readers’ problems to is key to get succeed.

    However, how did you forget to write the loading speed of a website? It has several benefits and a search engine ranking factor as well.

    Thanks for presenting this awesome post!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Nirmala,
      I did forget that tip. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. I appreciate your kind words about the post. Thanks for writing.
      Janice

  3. John Doe

    In your post number two goes in depth about SEO. Thank you for all the great information, as usual. I guess what I’m saying is You didn’t forget about SEO. You spent a lot of time explaining about SEOin your post

  4. Hoppie

    I think you have some solid advice on how to start a blog successfully! SEO is definitely important but I also think that it shouldn’t be something to worry so much about that the content seems to be revolved around SEO. But I guess that’s because my blog is very niche to food reviews!

    I did find the tips helpful though! Thanks!

    – Hop | @x3hoppie | http://eatwithhop.com

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Hoppie,
      I’m glad you enjoyed Saturday’s article. You said your blog reviews food and you felt SEO is less important than content. Do you get ample search engine traffic?
      Janice

  5. Melinda

    Dear BBFFJ, Hi!! I’ve really missed you! I finally made it over here to Sweet Friend’s house.
    Great content as always. No wonder you are an influential blogger!! You know your stuff!
    Love the 13 ingredients- with the crock pot visual!! And the tiny purple flowers!! (I know you painted them on there, just for me! lol) Thank you!!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi BBFFM,
      I am having withdrawal symptoms! When do you expect to be back on the internet?? I miss you, too! Withdrawals, I tell you!
      Thanks for the kind words as always about my posts and appreciating the purple flowers. So great to hear from you again.
      BBFFJ

      • Melinda

        Still no idea, since other things have come up. Like my rent going up $15 a year. UGH!!
        Withdrawals- that’s funny!!
        I’ll check in as often as I can!
        My daughter works on the computer here at SF’s, so that’s why it’s so hard to get over here, besides my obligations!

  6. Carol A Cassara

    This is excellent advice that is a good reminder for me as I prepare to use my blog to drive traffic to my new business. Very excellent!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Carol,
      It was great to hear from you on Saturday! Good luck with your new business. You said the tips might help you. A suggestion: Bookmark the post to review the tips as needed. Thanks for the comments, the visit, and the kind words.
      Janice

  7. Donna Harvey

    Hi Janice, I have already read through your Post twice trying to take in all the great information that you have shared. Wow there is so many helpful points.
    I think that it’s so important to write about something you really know and love. A subject that you have a real passion for. Your Blog is a great example. You truly know and love Blogging, but the thing that makes it special is your passion to help others. I think that’s what makes a great Blog. That is why people return over and over again, to learn more,.
    So I think the key is to write about your passion, to share your knowledge of the subject, and be determined to help others.
    As always thank you for all your help, it is so much appreciated. Oh, and never quit writing. Thanks, Donna

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Donna,
      Thank you so much for the compliments on Saturday’s Successful Blogging article. I so appreciate the validation. I do have a passion for helping others with their blogging. Your recognition means a great deal.
      Janice

  8. Vashishtha Kapoor

    Hi Janice
    I have to regret and confess that I have been experimenting old school tricks to rank my blog up in search results and those 1-2 word keywords are hard enough.
    However, I could rank for some 1 word keywords as well. But that is not too much worth at all. High volume keyword is something that anyone will need to rank and make a blog successful. Making more money is possible only if I have huge traffic and sponsors. otherwise, any effort I will put into it will be ending in smoke.
    Thanks for figuring out some unique ideas like collaborating. I would definitely execute this. Thanks

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Vashishtha,
      Your comments made it sound like unless one has big traffic succeeding is doubtful. Don’t you think it takes time to reach that level of success? I think patience goes a very long way in the blogging world.
      Thanks for writing. I hope my reply was able to offer a little perspective.
      Janice

      • Vashishtha Kapoor

        Hi Janice
        I firmly believe that it takes time to reach that level of success. There is no shortcut. Even if you find one, that is the part of your hardwork and wisdom.

  9. Carol Taylor

    Another brilliant and informative post I probably knew 75%.well, I do.But do I apply it? the answer is not always but I am putting all your posts together and going to then try to start from scratch and manage my own new self-hosted blog with hopefully improvements. You are very inspirational.Thank you 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Carol,
      I am happy to hear I could inspire you. Thank you for writing to let me know. Good luck with your self-hosted a blog. An exciting move! You’ve mentioned to me before it was your intention. Thanks for the visit and the kind words about my article. They are much appreciated.
      Janice

  10. Joy Healey

    Thanks Janice for those tips.

    I was reassured about the length of my posts because I’d often felt they were too long. I’m nowhere near 3000, but I usually top 1000 and had been trying to shorten them for fear of losing readers because they were too long.

    Being a part-time blogger, I enjoy the writing part, but the promoting is what gets neglected 🙁 I’m off to investigate the automation tools you mentioned in your article.

    Joy – Blogging After Dark

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Joy,
      Thanks for writing on Saturday. Regarding the automation tools, I love Buffer. I can’t say enough good things about the site. The app is handy too!
      Long-form content is in right now– you won’t lose readers if you format your articles right. Long-form content also performs better on Google. Nice seeing you over the weekend.
      Janice

  11. Catia

    Awesome tutorial I must say. Thanks for this, i will share your content on my social media for sure.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Catia,
      I appreciated your kind words about my successful blogging article. I appreciate you sharing my content on your social media. I just came from your site. I “liked” your Facebook page. It was nice meeting you over the weekend.
      Janice

  12. Adeel Sami

    Hello, Janice!

    They are the beautiful 13 ways you crafted the post with… And I do agree with most of them (and yes, I would.)

    Actually, SEO is still the key and one has to game up. But that’s the long game which people don’t find interest in doing for the whole years (including myself.)

    Then I changed my own game — network.

    Building network with the already-established bloggers will definitely shoot up my efforts (I hope as I’ m already seeing it growing.)

    Writing and networking are making it easier to get the results, at least for me. 🙂

    So, thank you for this! And that’s so worth sharing to reach more eyeballs. 🙂

    See me often!

    ~ Adeel

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Adeel,
      Great to see you. I appreciate your comments. They sound like a testimonial to the power of networking which I agree with. However, although I do put in my time to network, I find it’s mostly one-on-one. I don’t have time to guest post unless it’s paid. So, I participate in expert interviews in hopes of getting wider exposure on big blogs that way.
      Thanks for writing and for visiting my blog over the weekend.
      Janice

  13. Eugenia

    Excellent and solid advice. I will begin paying more attention to SEO, as I haven’t given it much thought.

    IMO, engagement is extremely important. Outgoing kindness draws incoming kindness. Authors appreciate it more knowing you actually read their content, rather than just giving them a thumbs up.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Eugenia,
      I once had a commenter click the “like” button and then criticize my article. I thought, “Then, why did you click ‘like’?” It was obvious he hadn’t read the post when he clicked “like”.
      A thoughtful comment definitely shows the blogger the commenter read the article.
      I am glad my post inspired you to give more thought to SEO. Thanks again for writing.
      Janice

  14. Lisa P. Sicard

    Hi Janice, great list of tips here. I like the people who you quoted. It’s interesting though, some say post weekly and others like Sam Hurley recommends once per month but make it stellar! Which of those would you agree with more?
    I’m trying to get back to doing one time per week but the hard part is doing the 2,000+ word posts at that pace along with everything else. 80% of our time is sharing and networking. So that leaves 20% to write
    I believe what is key to solve problems for your readers. Make it easy for them to understand and they will come back. .

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Lisa,
      Here’s my self-eval: People say my posts are easy to understand, and I try to solve problems for my readers, and they tell me I do.
      Areas for improvement: 2,000 words feels long to me. Yet, these are the posts that bloggers make their reputation on and (supposedly) get ranked by search engines.
      Thanks for writing.
      Janice

  15. Sheeroh

    I admire how consistent you are at writing these awesome blog posts, Janice! Blogging does take time and effort. I think a lot of us forget that. For the longest time, I wrote blog posts periodically, but I made the mistake of not promoting or networking. I mean, you don’t create a wonderful product and not promote it right?

    I’ve since made some changes in that area, and I’m beginning to see results. Thanks again for a great post.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Sheeroh,
      Thanks for your kind comments about my post offering tips for successful blogging. I visited your site, and I see we are like-minded bloggers. I also blog about how to make money online.
      You promotion. There are many sites like Facebook and Twitter I automatically promote on. There are other sites like Just Retweet and I have to remember to promote on. The more promotion, the better I do. I assume that’s the case for all of us.
      Thanks for writing.
      Janice

  16. mainy

    Hi Janice

    Always good to read your posts and pick up tips. Theres so much to think of in the blogging world that it’s easy to let some things slip. I’m going to stumble your post too as I love being part of that group too:)
    Have a great weekend.
    Mainy

  17. Sara

    Janice, these are all great tips for building and maintaining a successful blog.

    SEO is my weak point. I get so lazy about keyword research and almost like a rebel who doesn’t do something because someone told them to.

    I know SEO works, it’s just time-consuming.

    Headlines are another time sucker. Have you tried HookLineDynamic? It’s another headline analyzer.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Sara,
      Thanks for writing. I’m excited about your suggestion. I love to discover new tools. Is it free? I agree SEO and headlines are time consuming. I feel headlines, especially are make or break, so I feel it’s worth the time.
      Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Sara, I have checked out the HookLineDynamic tool. Definitely free. I’ve bookmarked it. Thank you for the recommendation! Definitely needeed!
      Janice

      • Sara

        Janice, I like the HooklineDynamic (especially since my friend developed it). ^_^ Yes, there is a free version. The paid version goes into more detail and you can research headlines based on age and gender.

  18. Lucy

    Timely tips as I just recently started blogging again. SEO, still so much to learn again!

  19. Charlotte

    Thanks so much for sharing these great tips! I really need to do more with SEO optimization… unfortunately, it’s my weak point too and sometimes I just want to write my feelings and I care little about whether or not my post is “viral material” but ultimately, I would love more readers. Anyway, I needed this reminder, so thank you 🙂

    Hope you are having a great weekend–stopping in from SITS Sharefest today 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Charlotte,
      Nice to meet you. Thank you for clicking my article over at SITS and letting me know how you found my blog. I always wonder.
      In response to what you wrote, I help bloggers get more readers. I am having a blog party today. It would help you get more readers to network there. Why don’t you join us? Here is the link: https://www.mostlyblogging.com/happy-birthday-blog-party/
      Janice

    • Janice Wald

      My pleasure, Martin. Thanks for writing to tell me you enjoyed the post.
      Janice

  20. Amrita

    Very important, basic guidelines of a great blog, which many seem to miss.Thanks for the reaffirmation.

  21. Shawn

    Very great and useful tips.
    I believe the most important key to a blog’s success is none other than quality content. If a blog has a lot of traffic but the content is not good at all, people won’t stay and the traffic will not convert.
    Marketing and promotion are important, but the content is the main reason why people are visiting in the first place.
    And I do agree that writing for keywords is important, but there is really no need to spend hours on the keyword. Just write and make the content sounds natural. By the way, long-form content is good, but if long-form doesn’t mean the article is great. I can stuff words into an article and make it 5000 words, but if the article is irrelevant, I don’t think it will do better than a quality 1000 words article.
    I like tip #6 on formatting. I discovered that formatting is extremely important especially for long-form content. People will be more likely to read and engage with the content when it is properly formatted.
    Having said all that, your tips are great. Cheers. 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Shawn,
      Thanks for your indepth comments. Where did you find this article?
      Can we play “chicken or the egg?” You said content is more important than any other factor. What do you think about the importance of promotion? Without promotion, no one will find the post. Thanks for commenting.
      Janice

      • Shawn

        Hi Janice, found your blog post through Google. 🙂

        Well, if you were to ask me, I will choose content as the #1 factor. I believe that nobody will promote their blogs if their blogs don’t have any good content.

        It is true that without promotion, no one will find the post. But, without the post, what and why do you even bother about marketing the blog, right? Just my opinion. Cheers

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Shawn.
          Thank you for answering my question. Exciting to be found on Google! I enjoyed playing “What came first, the chicken or the egg” with you. I agree with your comments about the importance of quality content. Yes, marketing would be a waste of time if the content was of poor quality.
          Janice

  22. Pingback: Landing Page Tips and Tricks #MyBlogU - Webbycloud Studios
  23. Lisa daniel

    Hi, Jenice,
    YOur viewpoints are great and so valuable, it’s clearly shown in your post that you have so much experience in this area. Your optimizing SEO tip is great and it’s so helpful for me as a new blogger. But i use
    Optimize Instagram Profile for gain more traffic to my site.

    • Janice Wald

      What IS Optimize Instagram Profile? Sounds helpful. Is it free?
      Janice

  24. Dan Kaster

    Thanks for those amazing tips! I’ve been trying to open a blog for a few months, but didnt find the time.
    For me the best advice given is “work hard”, like anything else in life. If you want your blog to help people, you got to do an effort.
    Thanks!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Dan,
      Thanks for reading what we published. I’m glad the “work hard” tip resonated with you.
      I think with everything in life, people get out what they put in.
      Janice

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