So, it is time to write another article for my blog; the problem is
I don’t know what to write about!
No, scratch that; the problem is I don’t feel like writing, or maybe I’m
not happy with my writing, or who knows what.
Let’s see, I do know what I need to write about, but, it’s not always
easy; I mean, sometimes I feel I’m just filling a document with
garbage.
Hmm, what else can I add to this awful piece?
Well, if you’re still reading I’d bet you dread this writing task, and
this is only the beginning, there will be a lot to write as a blogger.
Ok, maybe we can figure this out together.
By the way: Should this be a post or a page?
Writing blog articles shouldn’t be so difficult; as a matter of fact,
it should be a natural process, and it is bound to get better over
time. This is why it is best to blog about stuff we like and have
knowledge of, so we can have plenty of ideas flowing and enjoy the
activity. This is what is known as…
How do You Know What You Write is Good?
Communicating ideas clearly and effectively is the main goal, but,
unless we choose to blog about English Literature, we can use
an informal style, like talking to a friend.
Thank God for spellcheckers (LOL).
But, haven’t we heard “Content is King?”
Well, it makes sense, after all, who’s going to read a blog if the
content is trash?
Yeah, we must know what we’re talking about before we can deliver
value to those seeking information on the web.
Oh, but there’s more: If we don’t post frequently enough the search
engines won’t take us seriously, so our articles will not even make it
to the first page of results. Those in the knowing say we should be
posting no less than 1 or 2 quality articles per week, and some even
recommend daily…
Now, that’s a dilemma: Do I post whatever as frequently as possible
hoping it flies, or do I wait until I can post something really great?
Oh my God, I think I just spotted another issue with this affair:
It’s my perfectionism – I hate it!
Wait, maybe I should have written OMG; is that fine?
Please, whatever you do don’t be like me. Trying to do everything
perfect takes forever; not to mention the aggravation when things
just don’t seem right, judging by a ridiculously high set of standards.
Besides, we can’t wait until we have it all figured out; the most
important step is the first, the rest will fall into place as we move
along our path to success.
Enough of that, let’s just keep writing; maybe something nice will
turn out. Sometimes that’s what it takes, just to let ideas flow onto
the document, after research of course.
So, if for content to be worth reading it must deliver value to the
reader…
I know, how about answers to potential questions and solutions to
common problems?
Sure, that’ll work.
Like, I know a lot of people new to blogging wonder about posts
and pages, not really understanding their difference or when to use
one or the other.
Ok, I know that one; let’s help somebody:
Posts and Pages concerns
• Typically pages are used for content which is factual and
intended to be permanent, whereas posts have more of a
temporary character. For example, almost invariably information
about the website’s owners (About Me page), Mission
Statement or Privacy Policy are published as pages. More often
than not, posts may contain information that is relevant for a
time, such as events, updates, or offers.
• There is no limit as to the amount of posts or pages that can
be published on a website, neither is there a perfect mix; it is up
to the author to decide what the ideal balance should be.
• There is no SEO (Search Engine Optimization) advantage with
either one; the use of both provide a well-rounded website
structure.
• Posts are social in nature, usually encouraging readers
engagement via comments and/or sharing.
• Pages follow a hierarchical order, while posts are ordered by
categories. This is not to say you couldn’t also categorize your
pages via the use of a plugin, as you’ll see below.
• Posts may be published in different formats; pages, on the
other hand, essentially follow the theme’s layout, usually with
little room for customization. WordPress offers different posts
formats which may or may not be available to the user
depending on the theme being used, such as Status (similar to a
Twitter status update), Image (for a single image), Gallery (for
multiple images), or Video (for a single video or playlist), just to
name a few.
• Posts flexibility make them more favorable for RSS Feeds.
These are all general guidelines and it should be noted both pages
and posts can be modified via the websites internal coding or the use
of plugins, although it should also be said the number of plugins in
use should be kept to a minimum since they slow down the site’s
loading time considerably and oftentimes are the cause of problems.
Nevertheless, for someone desiring to expand the functionality of
their site’s posts and pages, here are a couple of interesting plugins:
Extends the possibility of different formats beyond what
WordPress provides, with additional customization options.
Follow the link to the WordPress documentation and download
page.
Enables the categories and tags boxes on the edit page screen as
they would appear for posts, plus other additional options. Follow
the link to the WordPress documentation and download page.
Alright, this should be enough writing for now…
I hope this helps many folks out there looking to get going with their
blog articles as posts or pages!
What do you think?
Would you let me know in the comment section below?
Oh, and thank you for going through this with me; it sometimes gets
lonely sitting at the computer.
Blessings to you,
Edwin
P.S. One more thing, I know where you can create and host
2 websites for FREE, including 10 lessons on how to get set up
properly and 10 lessons on how to make money blogging…
Great tips! I often struggle with finding new things to write about. I’m getting bored with my niche and ready to move onto a different niche. But I also struggle with wanting everything to be perfect. It takes me a lot more time and effort to finish a post.
Your post will help me get started on my next niche website. I think I focused too much on my pages for my first website and so I’ll focus more on posts this time.
Thank you!
Weston
Hey Weston,
thanks for your comment; I’m glad this post proved to be helpful to you.
Not everybody get in the right niche straight away from the beginning, and our ability to write effectively for it becomes the #1 struggle, followed by boredom as you said.
Try to choose something you’ll really enjoy reading and writing about and the excitement level will increase. As an additional tip, see what post formats your WP theme provides and experiment with different ideas; some may be shorter quick posts, and others lengthier and more elaborate. This should also add some variety to your site.
Best wishes!
Hey Edwin, great post. I know the agony of not knowing what to write as well. What I like to do is just go to a massive keyword research streak, and if I don’t want to write this or that article at the moment, then I just keep searching until I find a keyword related to my niche that I do feel comfortable writing about. I have managed to get posts out daily with this method, and if there is a subject I am really not interested in and continue to not be interested in, I simply discard it.
Hello Jacob,
thanks for your comment; that sounds great, and I’m glad is helping you churn out daily posts. Search engines definitely love fresh content.
I hope you’re considering Wealthy Affiliate for your enterprise. Even if you have been at it for a while, you’d be glad to find so much information on how to scale up your biz and maximize your revenue, maybe even cutting your expenses in half as it was my case.
There are folks in our community who testify of how much they have profited at WA, despite owning websites for up to 10 years before.
God bless!