Blogging tips and tricks

My friend! I cannot stress enough, the importance of being found outside social media.

One of my biggest tips for new bloggers: the best and most lucrative ways to get chased and booked by ideal clients is by starting a blog. Hear me out! The way clients invest has changed drastically over the last year, and it is getting harder to be found and become sought after. People are holding on to their hard earned money and have truly seen so many quick cash-grab scams within the last handful of years, that they will hold out for a diamond in the rough.

We live in an information era. It is especially important to bring your personality and brand into everything you put out into the world. 

Nailing blog post SEO

As tempting as it might be to keyword stuff a block of dry text thrown together by chat GPT - don't do this. Maybe this junk will get picked up by the search engines, but as soon as a pair of human eyes lands on it, your dream client will bounce quickly and never come back. 

Sticking to blogging niches

You have to stand out as a value giver and ultimately become seen as an expert in your service business or your unique field. Often, people want to see what you have to offer before they give you so much as a minute of their time. We are so inundated with constant "signature offers", "get rich quick" schemes and it seems like everybody just wants to take, take, take.

The best way to stand out is to seep with generosity and to give, give give first, before ever asking for payment.

Making your blog stand out

The number one rule is to write about things you know a ton about. Information you are personally excited to relay and could talk about for hours. Write in the same manner that you would tell a friend. This is simultaneously good news and bad news. 

Good news because you can just start imperfectly, write from the heart, and shine in your zone of genius. Bad news because it's much easier to cheat with AI writing the whole blog for you. If you are shaky in your writing skills, then I recommend starting with an AI outline and rewriting it into your own words. Never copy, paste, and duck out.

Put your humor, personal experiences and knowledge into your posts. We buy from people we like. There is no better way to get to know someone than through the stories they tell and the advice they share. 

One of my blogs is popular because I give examples of things to do around my town from my own perspective instead of reciting the same information found in every traveling agency. People can tell when it comes from the heart and also they are on your page to connect with YOU!

Setting a blogging schedule for beginners

Plan ahead is one of my favorite successful blogging strategies when you are first starting out, stick to a consistent schedule and make it a point to show up. Just like with anything else, the momentum is best gained in the beginning and can really shape the future of your blog. 

I watch the Off The Record Google podcast and I know that this beloved search engine has TONS of REAL people who are very involved in what information is presented to the searchers and how. If your blog has a strong presence from the very beginning, it is consistent, it has a long read time, and it is well maintained - your entire site will get pushed up in the search results. 

It's easy to fall out of pattern if you don't have a clear goal and a strict schedule. I recommend 2-4 blogs a week for starters, eventually moving to 1 blog a week after 4-6 months and staying consistent after that to the best of your ability. Your visibility is a flywheel, so once you make it up to the top of the search results, you are likely to stay there with minimal upkeep. Do not let yourself slow down before you make it.

Finding content for your blog posts

Google prioritizes a good mix of both evergreen and trending blog content. Evergreen meaning it never goes out of style, like guides and information. Trending refers to what is relevant in the world and where the public's current interests lie. I suggest checking Google Trends, Pinterest Trends and (my personal favorite) Answer The Public. Start by browsing with a broad topic/idea. Narrow down and pick out what is relative for your business and have some fun throwing your own twist or opinion out there.

I recommend half Evergreen and half Trending posts throughout the week as you are getting going with your blog.

• Define 3-4 pillars that strongly support your industry and your unique services.
• Brainstorm ideas that you could write about ahead of time.
• Do some research, Google your ideas and see what other people are creating.
• Get inspired and get motivated by your "competition".
• Make a running list of keywords and phrases people are often searching the web for in your industry.
• Weave these into your blog posts in an artistic and non-intrusive manner. To learn how to put together a list of keywords, check out my blog on finding keywords for your business.

Avoiding these common blogging mistakes

Be human first, serve the search engine second. It is more important to connect with your readers than to simply appear in Google's go-to data base.

Your clients will find your content, binge it and send it to their friends if you hit it off just right.

Outlining your perfect blog post

Just like with a well written essay, I recommend an intro, at least three body parts and a conclusion. Make sure your body parts have some meat on them (I am SOOO sorry for my terrible puns, by the way, this is my weakness). Just please make sure to put at least three short paragraphs under each sub-heading in your blog. At least three subheadings are a good start.

There is no maximum limit of words in a blog (just refrain from making it a book). There is a minimum. As a general rule, do not write less than 200 words. I try to go for 1000 words or more as a goal. You can always write inside Word first to keep track of the word count. For example, I am at 1101 words right now, 1105 now :)

Start with an outline. A title and three (or more) subtitles. Write your intro and then at least three meaty paragraphs under each subtitle. Write your conclusion. Count the words. Read your copy a couple times and see what you can add. 

Blog post structure

I always stress serving before selling. For example, I have lots of resources I could be selling to you in this post, but instead let me go above and beyond and give you two of my go-to blog post templates instead that will save you so much time! I am using one now to write this blog post!

Evergreen blog post template

Info:

• Title
• Meta Title
• Meta Description
• URL
• Keywords:

Personal Intro:

• Share a story or experience to connect with reader.
• Why is this relevant or important? Why should reader care?

In-Depth Content

• Subheadings: Organize post into digestible sections (brainstorming phase). 
• Actionable Tips: Tell reader what to do next. 
• Real-Life Examples: Tie in personal stories and experience. 

Reader Interaction

• Encourage comments or questions.
• Include a CTA (call to action) - what now?

Conclusion

• Summarize the key points.
  Direct reader to related posts. 
  Don’t forget images (properly sized, renamed and alt tagged, of course). 

Trending blog post template

Info

• Title
• Meta Title
• Meta Description
• URL 
• Keywords

Engaging Hook

• Personal take on the latest trend.
• Why care? Relevance.
• Trend Breakdown

Subheadings

• Break down the trend into digestible parts.
• Current examples and personal stories tied to the trend.
• Insights from thought leaders.

Actionable Steps

• How they can act on the trend now.
• Strategies or tips.

Conclusion

• Recap the trend and why care.
• Encourage reader to stay updated. Sign up for newsletter?
• Don’t forget images (properly sized, renamed and alt tagged, of course).
• BONUS: add social sharing options.
  
  

Use these to help you structure and lay out the blog post and then put some personality and don't forget your keywords to help search intent and to get found on Google search!

Drafting your first five blogs

I know how hard it is to begin with blogging. You are probably thinking:

"What should I blog about for my business?"

"If only someone could give me some blogging ideas to get started with in my business!"

I got you!

1. Your Personal Story "Behind The Scenes of Starting [Your Business]

Get personal with your audience and share some of your struggles and successes since you started and grew your business. Include some milestones, struggles and successes. Think how you can connect and resonate with your dream client and how your story aligns with their own desires and needs.

2. Expert Tips and Tricks or Industry Insights or Best Practices

Share your personal expertise highlighting the knowledge of a specific aspect of your business. For example, as a candle maker, you could make an article all about sustainable cruelty free materials you use in your business and why that is a big deal to your company mission. To you, it may seem common knowledge, but it will likely excite your customer and make them even more interested in working with you.

3. Client Success Stories: How [Your Service] Helped [Clients] Achieve [Result]

Do not discount the power of testimonials and success stories in your business. Sprinkle client love all throughout your site. Take a story that stands out and an especially powerful transformation you have provided and highlight those results in a blog post. You could get creative and have an interview with your past client, for example! This helps people visualize themselves in those results.

4. The Ultimate Guide: How to [Whatever Your Business Solves or Provides]

This one is essential. Your magnetic piece of content that can stand the test of time and bring a lot of eyes to your website. A thorough how-to guide or a step-by-step solution full of valuable helpful information that helps your dream client work through a problem they are solving or propels them toward a desire or an outcome. Remember - your dream client is the hero of your story. For dream client hero copy writing tips, check out this blog.

5. Q&A, FAQ's "Your Burning Questions Answered!"

Do some social listening, do a survey of your past and future clients and do some digging online and on social media to come up with a great question and answer post that leaves no stone unturned. Answer with personalized touches and your own language to make it thoughtful and insightful and to showcase your expertise. PLUS, you will be able to send this to anyone who has questions, saving you so much time in the future.

It is always best to just begin

I promise you that I once groaned at the very thought of having a blog. I don't groan anymore since my blog alone has brought me over 100K in income just last year. The reason I know this is because of analytics and because real people would start their booking inquiries with "I found you from your guide/blog/post/website and I really appreciate all of the helpful info".

You've got this! I have gone back and re-written and beefed up old content soooo many times (updating this very guide as we speak).

In fact, Google loves updates and it will help push up your visibility. Keep up with the cobwebs and get creative!

Have fun with it! You will never know what you are good at if you don't try a few new things here and there. BONUS: you can make money and book clients like crazy once you put in the effort.

Let's test you: Can you go back through and locate all the blogging keywords I used throughout this guide to satisfy search intent? Was it obvious or did I do a good job organically weaving them into the copy?

Your job is to not bore the reader, provide value and include keywords in an organic way. In that order, please!