Here are a bunch of things you can do to make sure your blog is in working order, up to date, and routinely updated!
1. Check Your Links
Make sure your outgoing links work and your internal links are working. If you change the URL (slug) of an article, and you have a pin on Pinterest going to that link, you will want to update that link on Pinterest.
2. Make Sure Your Website Works
For example make sure your social media icons actually redirect a reader to the social media platform, your about page clicks onto the about page, and there are no obvious errors on your website (such as a gap on your footer).
3. HTTPS
Make sure your website is always running on HTTPS. There are how-to instructions on how to do this if your website is not running in HTTPS but should. Also there is a plugin designed to do this. You want to make sure your website is secure.
4. Featured Image
Set a featured image. You can do this by going to “Post” and then you will see “Set featured image.” When someone is scrolling through your blog posts, they will see an image next to the blog post text / description. People are visual, and a photo helps add interest when they are deciding on clicking on a blog post.
5. Resources List
Create a resources list. I don’t see that many bloggers doing this, but some do! A resources list can save your audience time from scrolling through your blog looking for valuable information. If you put your top favorites / most used / most helpful / most popular list of products / service / or tools at the top of your website, it will likely get traffic because it is easy to see, and because it is in one place, it will not be missed!
6. Google Search Console
You might not know this, but just because you publish an article, it doesn’t mean that it will appear on Google where people search. First create a site index like with Yoast SEO plugin. Next, submit your blog post to the Google Search Console to make sure that your blog post is on Google so that you can receive traffic from Google.
7. Regularly Back Up Your Website
Regularly back up your website (save it to your computer and an external hard drive). For example, you could do this weekly or monthly. You can do this manually or with a plugin. For a tutorial on how to back up your website manually go here. Otherwise, see UpdraftPlus plugin.
8. Feature Popular Blog Posts
Post your most popular blog posts on the home page of your website. For example, on your sidebar, in your sites navigation, or on the footer. People like what a bunch of other people have also liked! Again, make it easy for readers to find your best content!
9. Link To Other Blog Posts
At the end of each blog post, include a “related” or “you might also like” text followed by a link to other blog articles that your audience might like. This will help your readers find other helpful content on your site, as well as stay on your blog longer.
10. Update Your Blog
Regularly update your blog content to keep it relevant and fresh. I had no idea that bloggers did this, but you can keep a blog post up to date and relevant for years to come when you do this. This could look like adding new information that comes available, or adding more thoughts and opinions. Also, sometimes a company will have a name change, so if you mention a company that has a name change you could change the name. Blogging is so different from video content, because all you have to do is edit one part, not remake the whole thing.
I really hope this helps! Keep blogging 🙂