Top 47 Blogging Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Today we’re going to discuss the top 47 blogging mistakes, as I see it. I’ve been blogging full-time about 9-years now. During that time, I’ve made HUNDREDS of blogging mistakes. Sometimes, I just look back and laugh. Oh well, that’s how we learn.

Fortunately, I’ve also done a lot of things right. I tried to learn from each mistake and press on.

In this post, I want you to learn from MY blogging mistakes, so you don’t repeat them. If you’re experiencing a stagnated growth rate, or are having trouble building your blog’s traffic, it’s likely that you’re guilty of making some of these blogging mistakes.

Evaluating your blog in each of these 47 areas can make a big improvement to your blog. Keep in mind these are listed in no particular order. Enjoy the information.

Top 47 Blogging Mistakes

# 1: Bad Domain Name

It’s possible to make your first blogging mistake before you even publish your first post. Choosing a bad domain name can keep potential readers away. Be sure to choose something catchy, and easy to remember to help draw in readers.

Make sure you use a dot com domain. Try to keep it to two or three words and do not use hyphens. Ideally, try to make your domain name describe the purpose of your blog.

Choosing the wrong domain was one of my worst blogging mistakes, especially with my first and second website.

Choosing the wrong domain was one of my worst blogging mistakes, especially with my first and second website.

If you choose the wrong domain name, then it can be a hassle to switch later on without hurting your brand and search rankings.

That’s why it’s extremely important that you choose the best domain name from the start.

Source: WPBeginner

# 2: Bad Niche, Wrong Niche or Too Big of a Niche

Specializing your blog within the right niche is key to its long-term success. If your content is pulled in too many different directions, you’ll be unable to identify and target a specific audience. You also want a niche that isn’t too big, isn’t too small, and has a large enough audience for you to monetize.

For what it’s worth, it also helps to have have a niche you understand and are passionate about, although it is not mandatory. If you love your niche, you will never run out of ideas to talk about. Plus, it will help you stay motivated during the early years when your blog income is normally very small.

If the only reason you are blogging is to make money, I doubt you will survive the tough times, unless you’re writing about something you love.

# 3: Not Promoting Your Blog

As a blogger (or business owner) your job is to make the cash register ring. In other words, your blog is not your business. Instead, MARKETING your blog is your real business.

You need a written marketing plan for your blog and a marketing budget.

You should spend twice as much time and MONEY promoting your blog posts as you do creating them.

It’s your job to get your name out there so people can learn about your blog. Even the best piece of content is worthless if no one knows about it.

# 4: Not Capturing Leads

Failing to capture leads can put a serious dent in your blog’s profitability. Your blog should include landing pages and other forms that prompt users to input their emails and other contact information so that you can keep in contact with them.

Build your email list from day one. Use your popover. Have an opt-in form on every page. Do whatever you can to get people to subscribe to your email list. This will be your most valuable business asset.

In most cases, your email list will be worth even more money than your blog. 

# 5: Poor Editing

As surprising as it may seem, several blogs seem to lack any real editing. It’s no shock, however, that poor writing (and editing) damages your blog’s credibility and drives potential readers (and affiliate partners) away.

You have a couple of choices with this option. First off, you could hire a freelance editor to proofread each post. Another option, especially for someone on a tight budget, is to write a post, forget about it for a couple of days and then come back to it to re-read it, spell check, and edit it before you finally publish it.

Also, keep in mind the Grammar Nazis are alive and well. I can’t even begin to tell you how many phone calls and emails I get about a random typo on my website. When someone contacts you about a typo, thank them for their time, fix the typo and drive on.

Whether you are writing a blog post, sending a sales pitch to a lead or drafting a simple email to a current client, it builds confidence and trust when you prove you know how to use the language effectively without errors. It is one thing that can set you above the competition, having that extra touch of professionalism and striving for perfection even down to the littlest details. You don’t have to be an English geek or grammar snob to get these very basic writing principles right and gain confidence in your writing. It takes very little effort but can make a big difference in being taken seriously in the professional world.

Source: Mannix

# 6: Being Too Scattered with Your Post Topics

You want your posts to be geared around a specific theme. Having scattered content confuses readers and keeps your blog from reaching its potential. Create a content plan for your website. Some people might call this a keyword blueprint.

Basically, you want a list of at least 100-200 keywords you will focus on for your first 100-200 articles. This will keep your blog on topic and allow you to work smart.

Scattered subject matter also makes it more difficult to build a dedicated audience. Visitors typically make their way to blogs looking for information on a certain topic. If your blog covers many areas, it will be harder to encourage first-time readers to engage with additional posts that may not be relevant to their interests.

Source: themeisle

# 7: Not Blogging Enough

If you’re truly looking to make your blog successful, you should expect to put in a considerable amount of time and effort, especially your first year. Don’t just sit by and passively expect your blog to grow. It won’t. Blog regularly to start growing your follower base.

In your first year of blogging, blog at least 3 to 5 times per week. Anything less than that is unacceptable. Try to come up with at least three different 1,500 word articles each week.

# 8: Writing Like an Engineer

This is a common problem with many bloggers, especially the analytical type. While there’s nothing wrong with using specific jargon, per se, if your content is too dry and technical, you’ll severely limit your readership. Make sure to use language that is easily-understandable to anyone who accesses your blog.

If possible, write in a conversational tone, as if you are sitting across the kitchen table from a good friend. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short, and whatever you do, don’t be boring. 

If your focus is on technical terminology and a beautiful page design, then the chances are that readability is a little further down your priority list. Unfortunately, it might be the element of quality content you need to master before you find success online. After all, if readers can’t enjoy what you’ve written, you can’t expect them to stay on your page and remain engaged.

Source: TheContentAuthority

# 9: Not Replying to Comments

Comments are your chance to build a better relationship with your readers. By replying to comments, you can build one-on-one relationships with specific readers and grow your personal reputation. Ignoring them isolates your readers and damages your blog’s credibility.

What I have found is that the more I reply to comments, the more readers visit my blog. Each person who left a comment will return to your blog when someone replies to their comment. This can have a big impact on your monthly traffic.

You can increase traffic to your blog. When someone comments, they are interested in your blog. Responding to comments (almost) guarantees they will come back or follow you in some way. People are also interested in what others have to say.

Source: heleneinbetween

# 10: Not Using Images

Your blog needs an eye-catching design, and you can’t have that without images.Though it’s true words are the backbone of your content, remember: pictures are worth a thousand words. Slamming your readers with giant blocks of text can be off-putting and keep potential readers away.

Ideally, you want to have at least 2-3 images per blog post. They should not distract the reader from the content. Instead, they should add value to the content. Make sure you include your URL on your images as well.

“A picture is worth a thousand words”.

Having an image makes your content look visually appealing, but this is true only when you are using the right image to convey your message. Your image should be relevant to the context of the article and should be somehow related.

Source: ShoutMeLoud

# 11: Not Citing Your Sources

When you use references, be sure to cite your sources. The last thing you want to do is try to pass off someone else’s idea as your own. You also don’t want to get sued for copyright infringement.

Citing others, however, boosts your professional image and reputation within your niche. Just put a references section at the bottom of your post.

Citing specific sources for the various facts that we present removes the hallmarks of intellectual laziness, vague thinking, and sloppy writing as generalizations, clichés, and outright false claims, e.g., as when the phrases, “everyone knows” or “they say,” are replaced with specific sources.

When you cite sources properly, you leave no question in your readers’ minds regarding your point.

Source: falconediting

# 12: Not Using Headers or White Space

The design of your blog is important in building your brand’s image. If you’re not using headers and white space to your advantage, you’re missing out on a powerful tool to make your blog eye-catching and easily-identifiable.

The last thing you want to do is crowd your content and images. You want people to be able to scan through your posts with ease.

As white space removes potential distractions and helps the reader concentrate on the text in front of them, it also helps them remember and get a better understanding of the content.

Source: digital22

# 13: Not Using Anchor Text Links

This is a common—and quite amateur—mistake. You want to make sure that you include your keywords as naturally as possible, especially when you’re posting internal or external links. Instead of writing “click here,” hyperlink your key words for better effect.

One of those updates that affected SEO forever is known as Penguin and it specifically dealt with how Google uses backlinks to evaluate page rank.

And with Penguin now a part of the core Google algorithm, the anchor text you use in your backlinks and internal links is more important than ever.

Source: NeilPatel

# 14: Not Adding Social Media Sharing Options

We’ve talked about how important it is for you to share your blog on social media, but don’t forget to give others this capability as well. By adding social media sharing options, you give readers greater flexibility in sharing your content and increasing your traffic. There are several free plugins you can use to help you do this.

Having an active blog makes it easy for you to connect with your audience with the help of fresh content. But by having them share this content (on the right time) on Twitter or Facebook increases your reach 10X. You’re suddenly reaching out to a bigger audience that may like plus share your content, follow your brand and ultimately become a customer.

Source: lyfemarketing

# 15: Not Using Analytics

Successful content planning and marketing strategies require the use of analytics.Understanding the source of your traffic and which posts are most popular can better help you create content that is attractive to your audience.

Set aside twenty or thirty minutes each week to review your Google Analytics account. See which keywords and pages are the most popular. Focus on improving those pages. Add more words, better images and better monetization methods.

The biggest benefit of utilizing proper analytics is being able to identify strengths and weaknesses…

If you’re using analytics, you’ll be able to measure which blog posts attract the most traffic, which get the least traffic, which have a high bounce rate, a low bounce rate, and so on. It will be easy to tell which blog posts are performing better or worse than others.

Source: webfx

# 16: Not Sharing Your Most Popular Posts

Don’t be afraid to highlight your own work. Showcase your recent and most popular posts on your blog’s homepage or in the sidebar to boost your blog’s authority. Proper link backs can also boost your search engine standings.

There are several plugins you can use to make this easy. You can choose today’s most popular posts, this week’s most popular posts, most popular posts of all time, etc.

We aim for calls to action in a number of places on our blog—the sidebar, the header, and the footer get our most prominent CTAs and the text itself has a handful of internal links sprinkled throughout. Links are a standard part to the majority of successful blog posts out there.

Source: buffer

# 17: Not Building Your Email List

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful ways to capture leads and bring viewers back to your blog. Be sure you collect names and emails whenever possible. Use a popover and have a form on every page. As you build your list, make sure you stay in touch with your subscribers several times per week.

You can’t just start emailing people randomly and expect to see great results.

The best campaigns start with the best lists, so building a targeted email list should be your number one priority. Even great email campaigns, with brilliant design, engaging copies, and unique value propositions can fall short if your list isn’t in order.

Source: optinmonster

# 18: Giving Up Too Soon

One of the biggest issues I see with new bloggers is unrealistic expectations. They start a blog and think they will make money right out the gate. No new business works that way.

You must give yourself a fair chance to succeed. You should make a MINIMUM 24-month commitment to your new blog before you decide if blogging is or isn’t for you. Anything less than that, and you’re not even giving yourself a fair chance to succeed.

Be prepared to work for less than minimum wage for at least two years!

If you want your blogging efforts to be successful, you have to be patient, no matter how maddening it seems at times. There is rarely any instant gratification when it comes to blogging, but if you’re consistently putting out quality content, you will see results over time.

To make this aspect a little less painful, set small milestones/goals for yourself, and reward yourself when you reach them. Your post got X number of shares? Fabulous! Take a moment to be proud. Give yourself a pat on the back.

Source: Hubspot

# 19: Hiding Behind Your Website

The last thing you want to do is hide behind your website. You don’t want to come across as a big corporation. Let your personality shine through.

Include a photo of yourself. Include a video of yourself. Include your phone number. Include your email and your social media accounts so people can get in touch with you. This lets you connect with your visitors on a personal level.

Blogs that are written in an honest voice and truly show who the writer is are often the most popular. Remember, a critical component to a blog’s success is the community that develops around it. Represent yourself and your content honestly and openly, and reader loyalty will undoubtedly grow.

Source: Lifewire

# 20: Low Quality Content

There are millions of blogs with shitty content. These blogs do not rank high in Google or normally make much money.

Your biggest key to success is to write captivating content. Write articles that are so good that people read your article and then say DANG, that is the best article I ever read about that subject.

Make your content so good that people want to share it with others. Do not post CRAPPY content. If you aren’t a good writer yourself, learn to write, or hire someone who can.

Writing is not a job that you can do in a hurry, you need to be patient and prepare a little before you write to end up with a masterpiece. To write a valuable blog post, you need to gather a lot of information, write a rough draft first and then go with the final edition. “Always create an outline before writing a blog post. It structures your views and results in a smooth flow of thoughts balanced throughout the article,” says Shweta Saxena, Founder of Up The Reach, a Content Creation and Marketing Agency.

Source: Entrepreneur

# 21: Not Using Bullet Points & Lists

As I mentioned before, no one wants to read a wall of text. If they did, they would be reading a novel. Your blog posts should be clearly divided and bulleted so that readers don’t feel overwhelmed. People love lists and bullet points. Remember that most people SCAN through a post, rather than read every word.

Bullet points are arguably the most versatile tool in a writer’s arsenal. They break up your writing, making it easier to digest. And by drawing more attention to your ideas, they can also inspire action.

Source: Hubspot

# 22: No Questions or Engaging Text

Do you routinely ask your readers questions? Does your content make readers think? If not, it’s too boring. And boring is never good. Include more engaging and interactive text to build a closer relationship with your readers.

Don’t simply hope that people will know what to do after they have read a great blog post. Ask for the engagement you want, preferably at the end of each post.

One great way to encourage engagement is to ask your readers about their thoughts and experiences with regard to the topic at hand. Ask them to engage. And once they do, be sure to respond to their questions and comments.

Source: MOZ

# 23: Not Striking the Right Tone

The tone you use for your posts will of course depend on your niche, but be sure of two things:

1. That your tone is appropriate for what you’re trying to say—don’t make it too personal, but also don’t make it so distant that there’s no personality.
2. It’s more-or-less consistent—you don’t want to sound like a different person throughout your blog posts. This can be off-putting for readers.

Find your VOICE and stick to it. For example, my writing style is No B.S.

A great blog article also has the potential to connect with readers and establish you as an industry resource. Attracting the right customers is an important part of inbound marketing. And, writing content with a consistent tone that resonates with your audience is essential. Ideally, every blog article or email will connect with your buyer persona and provide helpful information through their buyer’s journey.

Source: Business2Community

# 24: Bad Blog Titles 

Spend some time on your blog titles. Here are a few good formats you could use:

1. Top 10….
2. How to ……
3. 5 Reasons to…….
4. 10 Tips to…

I’ve found that my Top posts do the best.

Your blog title is as important as an email subject line: it will determine whether or not the person reads the rest of your information.

# 25: Not Using Videos

People love videos. Be sure you include videos in some of your blog posts. If you can’t find a video, take some of your content, put it in Power Point slides and then record it as a video using ZOOM. If you love being on camera, that will make your life even easier. I would make sure at least 1 out of every 3 blog posts has a video in it.

Why learn how to use video in blog posts? Widespread adoption of smartphones and high-speed wireless have made video one of the most accessible — and popular — forms of online content. In fact, online video now makes up more than 74% of all online traffic. And modern video marketing isn’t just about YouTube. 500 million people watch video on Facebook every day. Snapchatters watch 10 billion videos per day. People spend 2.6x as much time on pages with video as they do on pages without.

In other words, if you aren’t using video in your marketing strategy, you’re missing a golden opportunity to deepen your connection with your customers.

Source: themeisle

# 26: No Sitemap

Your website needs a sitemap. This is simply a page on your website that has a list of every page you have ever created. A sitemap makes it easy for the search engines to see what content is on your website. There are several plugins you can use that will create your sitemap for you. Once you create a sitemap, be sure you submit it to your Google Search Consule and Bing Webmaster Tools accounts.

A visual sitemap is a page that you can include in your site that allows visitors to see the layout of your pages and posts in one location. Some of these sitemaps include all pages, but you can limit it to just your top level pages. Excerpt from each page can also be included in the visual sitemap, giving your visitors an idea of the content contained on each of the page.

An added bonus to a visual sitemap is that is allows for all the pages you add to the sitemap to have internal links to each of your pages, making it easier for spiders and crawlers to see associations with your content.

Source: SeeMeMedia

# 27: Trying to Manipulate Google

Lots of people try to do “black hat SEO” and trick Google.They participate in shady link building schemes, buy links, or do sneaky things to rank “higher” in the search engines.

Do not try to trick Google. They have more people on their payroll than you do. They have more experts than you do. Build your links naturally and organically one link at a time.The last thing you want to do is get the Google Slap.

Appearing in search results is vital for business growth, but there’s a right and wrong way of doing search engine optimization. The dark art of black hat SEO is the wrong way. Black hat SEO seeks to game search engine algorithms, rather than solve for the user. Instead of earning the right to rank highly on search engine results pages black hat SEO uses shady tactics to get you there. Sustained use of black hat SEO techniques is likely to damage your presence in search engines rather than improve it.

Source: Hubspot

# 28: No Privacy Policy

Your website needs a privacy policy. You can search online for different examples about what you should have on that page. Put a link to your privacy policy in the footer of your website. This lets visitors, and the search engines, know about what type of information you collect and how you use it.

A blog privacy policy tells visitors to your blog about the kinds of information that is collected about them while they’re on your blog. For most bloggers, a simple privacy policy is enough. If you display third-party ads or collect and share any kind of information about your blog visitors such as email addresses, however, then you need to have a more explicit privacy policy that clearly explains what information you collect and how you use or share it.

Many blog advertising opportunities require you to publish a specific privacy policy on your blog. For example, ​Google AdSense provides specific privacy language to blog publishers that explicitly explains how Google uses information collected about your blog’s visitors. Even if you don’t participate in an advertising program that requires you to publish a privacy policy, it’s a good idea to have one.

Source: Lifewire

# 29: No Internal Links

Make sure that you properly use internal and external links throughout your blog. Not only will this boost your rankings, it will make your page more user-friendly. Be careful to not have any irrelevant or broken links on your blog.

You’ve probably heard how important inbound link building is for your site SEO because it’s a way for others to vote for the popularity of your site. Internal links aren’t any different. You’re basically just voting for yourself and showing search engines how great you are. Not only do internal links show the importance of your page, but they actually pass along their own link authority. Basically, the more links you have, the more authority you get. Which will help your search engine rank and help you rank higher for keywords.

Bottom line, the more blog posts you have with links directing to other pages within your site, the better your odds are for search engines to find you and in turn, gain more traffic to your site.

Source: SmartBug

# 30: Not Cleaning Up Your Database

This is a mistake I made for many years. I just learned about it a few days ago. Your website has a database. The larger your website gets, the more “bad” files you will have in your database. There are plugins you can use to clean up your database in a breeze. Be sure you clean your database at least once per month.

If you have been using WordPress for a while, then there is a good chance that you need to clean up your WordPress site. Doing regular clean ups allow you to reduce your database size which means quicker and smaller backup files.

As you use WordPress, your database accumulates a lot of extra data such as revisions, spam comments, trashed comments, data from plugins you are no longer using, and more. Removing all this unnecessary data can significantly reduce your database size which speeds up your backup process and can add minor performance improvements as well.

Source: WP beginner

# 31: No Website Backup

Back up your website. Do it daily. At a minimum, do it at least once a week. The last thing you want is your website to crash and not have a good back up file. Store it in a safe place, on your computer and at a third-party location as well, such as the cloud.

Simply put, a website backup is the single greatest insurance plan any website owner can invest in to prevent against disaster. Everyone knows the importance of backing up your computer files, but rarely do they give any credence to making sure their website has backups.

Source: GoDaddy

# 32: Not Removing Bad Links

Links can go bad. Websites shut down. Pages get removed. You need to check your outgoing links from time-to-time and remove the bad links. You can use a plugin such as Broken Link Checker. That’s who I use. When you find a broken link, fix it quickly.

It may not seem like much on the surface, but deep down, a broken link is doing some serious damage to your website, your reputation, and your business. A single broken link can impact your search engine rankings, your site’s user experience, result in lost customers and revenue, or, in worst case, all of the above.

Source: Site Improve

# 33: Not Performing a Site Audit Regularly

Perform a regular site audit to know just where your blog stands. When doing so, check for any broken links, outdated content, or any unavailable pages. By doing this, you can increase your blog’s professional image and user-friendliness.

Website audits usually evaluate a site not only for its content, but also for its technical performance.

As a result, an audit will give you a chance to inspect the robustness of your website’s technical framework and infrastructure, assess how friendly your website is to search engines, and determine how easy it is for users to navigate and intuitively find content on your website.

Source: HubSpot

 # 34: Not Networking with Other Bloggers

Ultimately, you want to position yourself as an authority within your niche market. In order to do this, it’s important that you establish a reputation with other bloggers in your field. Not only will this build your reputation, it will also help you grow your own blog as you take in new ideas.

Attend events. Form mastermind teams. Have meetups with other bloggers. Build strategic RELATIONSHIPS whenever you can.

Networking with bloggers just like yourself is of the utmost importance. Why? Because it means that you will be able to further promote your website – and they, in return, can further promote theirs. Building connections and forming relationships is important when it comes to promoting yourself online, but you do have to make sure that you start off by giving them the right impression.

Source: Blogpress

# 35: No Keyword Research

Writing articles about the wrong keywords is a waste of time. You need to do your keyword research to find keywords that are in demand, but not overly competitive. You should optimize your posts geared around ONE specific keyword.

Choosing the right keywords to focus on is one of the main ways to increase the number of views that your blog will get.

A lot of new bloggers don’t even consider doing keyword research, and because of this, they struggle to get visitors on their blog, no matter how hard they try.

Source: FirstSiteGuide

# 36: Not Sharing Other Bloggers’ Content

You want your readers to know that you are well-connected in your niche community. Doing so increases your authority and reputation to your intended market. It also helps you build a connection with other bloggers in your market.

Visit other blogs in your niche. Comment on their posts. Link back to them. Share their posts.

Many bloggers fail to get traffic because they take a passive approach to blogging; if you simply publish your article, rest and wait for traffic to come then nothing will happen.

For every article you publish, make sure you have a solid blogger outreach plan.

Source: Start Blogging Online

# 37: Too Many Sponsored Posts

Your own original content should make up the bulk of your blog posts. While affiliate marketing is a desirable tool to increase your blog’s profitability, having more sponsored content than original content will put off readers.

Make sure that your sponsored posts are secondary to unique content. Keep a minimum 10:1 ratio of regular posts to sponsored posts.

While sponsored posts are a great, often lucrative, way to make money from your blog, there are some downsides and issues you need to consider before getting started.

In the end, all policies and decisions about sponsored posts should start with “will this add value to my readers.” If not, you should reconsider the post.

Source: The Balance Small Business

# 38: Poor Placement of Display Ads

Make sure that your ad placement is designed for optimal reading experience. Having unnecessary interstitial or hard-to-close pop-up ads can drive away readers and actually lower your blog’s profitability.

While ads are desirable, be sure they are placed so that they don’t interfere with readers’ experiences. Use text link ads over banner ads whenever possible. 

Display advertising has long been a popular revenue stream for many website owners. Often times, however, a site can start to look overrun by ads and it’s not only the blog design that suffers, but the visitor’s experience as well.

A great site design is one that lets a visitor’s eyes flow through it easily and find what they came there for. If you keep a few things in mind when adding banners and advertisements to your website, you can allow them to co-exist with your content instead of being a distraction.

Source: I can Build a Blog

# 39: Unrealistic Expectations

We’ve touched on this already, but it’s worth stressing: do not have unrealistic expectations when launching your blog. Remember, you’re not going to be an overnight success, and having your sights set too high will only lead to disappointment.

The moral of the story is this: what looks like “overnight” success NEVER happens overnight. The things that seem impossible for us — like publishing a bestselling book or launching a wildly successful product — SEEM impossible because we only see the end result. We’re ALL capable of big success — if we’re willing to put in the work.

Success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s created through the small things. When we do those small things every single day, we can create bigger successes than we ever imagined.

Source: EliteBlogAcademy

# 40: No Written Business Plan

Your website is a business. You need a written business plan if you want to be successful. You cannot wing it and become successful.

Determine your goals, your marketing plan, your daily method of operations, etc. Put some serious thought into this document, refer to it daily and update it often. Keep it to 1-2 pages and let it be the guidepost for your business.

Creating a business plan for your blog gives you the opportunity to nail down all of the specifics, do important research, and create strategies that will propel you forward. It is essentially a roadmap of your blog business, written with your audience in mind.

Source: Melyssa Griffin

# 41: Not Guest Posting on Other Blogs

Making guest posts on other, usually more-successful blogs is a great way to get your name out there. Be sure to guest post on a successful blog that is relevant to your niche so that you can build a better reputation with your intended market.

Make sure your posts are HIGH QUALITY and be sure to include an author bio at the end of each guest post, so you can redirect people back to your blog.

Demonstrate your authority by showing your expertise in an area.  After a site publishes your guest blog post, the site is recognizing you as someone they trust to share information.  By writing about the area you specialize in, you build your credibility and readers will see you as the “go to” person for information.   Ideally, when readers need the services you provide in the future, they will remember you!

Source: Mannix Marketing

# 42: Not Allowing Guest Posting

Make sure you allow others to guest post on your blog. This helps build your reputation and your credibility, as it makes you appear as an authority in your niche. Plus, your guest authors will share the posts they write on your blog, which will give you added exposure.

As long as you’re careful and considerate about creating high-value guest blogs for legitimate websites, guest blogging can be a great tool for building your domain authority and moving up in SEO rankings.

Source: New Breed Marketing

# 43: Not Updating Old Posts

One of the best things you should do is update your old posts. Try to update EVERY post on your blog at least once a year, to keep things fresh, add new content, and rank higher in the search engines.

Consider adding 100-200 new words to every blog post every year. Include a few new pictures as well. You can even hire someone to help you do this.

On average, we were publishing 3–4 new blog posts each week. Some weeks, we posted eight. But it seemed those posts weren’t even bringing in the bulk of our views! It was our older posts — those top 12 older posts — that were bringing in the bulk of our traffic.

Source: Hubspot

# 44: Starting a Blog for the Wrong Reasons

If you’re starting a blog just to make money, here’s a word of advice: It’s not going to work out. Having a successful blog requires dedication and a passion for the subject matter. Readers are attracted to your drive, and if it’s not there, you won’t have a big following.

You want to be passionate about your topic so you:

1. Never run out of ideas to write about
2. Remain passionate, even during the tough times
3. Write articles that are interesting to your viewers

One of the reasons that nearly 90% of all blogs are abandoned (the blogger quit) after just six months is because the blogger had unrealistic expectations and they picked a niche that didn’t excite them.

Don’t make that mistake yourself.

# 45: Boring About Me Page

Your about me page is one of the most important pages on your website, if not the most important page. Put a lot of thought into your about me page. Update it frequently. Provide a good photo, even a video. Include links to your most important pages and best-selling affiliate products. Share your story and be personable.

The truth is that About me pages or of course about us pages are almost always one of the most visited pages on any website.

They’re incredibly important because your audience cares to know who you are and wants to be able to relate to you, or know who they are dealing with if it is a business about page.

Source: Start Blogging Online

# 46: No Contact Page On Your Blog

You need a contact page on your website. It should include:

1. Your phone number
2. Your email
3. Links to your social media account
4. Your physical mailing address
5. A form people can fill out to request information

Make it easy for people to get in touch with you. INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER. Don’t try to hide behind your website. You want interested clients and customers to be able to get in touch with you.

Despite the tendency to overlook the contact page, you should treat yours with the same devotion as the rest of your portfolio site. Investing in an optimized contact page can result in a greater amount of leads for your business, and a sophisticated process for qualifying those leads.

Source: Shopify

# 47: Picking the Wrong Affiliate Programs to Promote

When securing your affiliate partnerships, make sure that you’re choosing companies that positively reflect on your brand. The affiliate programs you choose should also be relevant to your niche and interesting to your readers. Make sure the affiliate programs pay you a generous commission, and ideally, a residual commission. If you’re only earning a few dollars per sale (or less) you are really missing out.

When possible, try out the affiliate products yourself first, to make sure they offer a real value.

Never recommend an affiliate product just to make a quick buck. The last thing you want to do is ruin your reputation by promoting something shady. Only recommend stuff you use yourself (or have used in the past). This is one of the worst blogging mistakes you can make: promoting stuff you do not really believe in yourself.

Final Thoughts

Starting a blog can be a lucrative long-term investment, but getting to that point requires a strategic plan—and a lot of work. Be prepared to invest your time with little short-term returns as you work to make your blog a success. By avoiding these top 47 blogging mistakes, you can help position your blog on the right path to success.

What are your thoughts? What do you think are the most common blogging mistakes? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. To your success!

Suggested Resources

• Blogging Blueprint Course
• Niche Blogging Profits

Sincerely,

Chuck Holmes
Network Marketing Professional (21+ years)
Top Recruiter & Top Rep
mrchuckholmes@gmail.com

Suggested Resources

1. Best Places to Advertise Your Business
2. Suggested MLM Tools & Resources
3. My Primary Business
4. Recommended Training, Links & About Me