Why Tags and Labels are Important to Blogging & How to Use Them Correctly

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I get the opportunity to evaluate a lot of blogs, from writers I meet with at conferences to clients. And they all have many of the same questions. One of the most common is what are some tips to help their blogs get found.

There’s one easy answer—proper tagging/labeling with each post.

When I give this answer, I get a lot of blank looks. This is one critical step a lot of blogger miss when posting a blog. Today, I’m going to give you the tools that make labeling/tagging a breeze and immediately help your blog come up in the search engine rankings.

The Basics of Commenting and Answering Comments on a Blog—Blogging Basics for Writers, Part 9

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Blogging is a great way to build an online community—when you take time to learn how to do it right. Part of the things you need to learn including how to write a focused post, how to keep to a schedule, how to facilitate conversation with open-ended questions and today’s topic, the etiquette of commenting.

It’s important to know the dos and don’ts of commenting because part of growing your blog means you’ll be leaving comments on other sites, as well as replying to comments on your on site.

The etiquette involved isn’t complicated. As a matter of fact, I think it’s fairly intuitive. Most of us do the right things most of the time. But there are some things we may over look. Today’s post is designed to help you learn the etiquette of commenting for the blogger and the reader.

Blogging Success is as Easy as ABC - Blogging Basics for Writers, Part 7

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

As Easy as ABC

Today I’d like to give you 26 tips for success with your blog. I’m calling this my ABCs of Blogging.

A is for Accessibility—Make sure your blog is easy to find, easy to navigate, and easy to read. And don’t forget to make it accessible to those who are visually impaired. 

B is for Basics—Whatever you’re doing, make it excellent. That means take time to check for typos and readability, in your posts. Also be sure you’re using giving accurate links. There’s nothing more frustrating than clicking on a link that takes you nowhere.