The document provides tips for becoming a better blogger, including focusing on idea, format, writing quality, keywords, links, voice, authority, and engagement. It suggests planning blog content like posts, videos, and social media engagement. Factors in success include idea, format, headlines, writing, links, and frequency. The document emphasizes building authority through accuracy, transparency, and engaging in conversation.

1. Becoming a
better blogger
Steve Buttry
Everyday Health
June 8, 2012

2. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

3. Plan for the day
Morning:
•Blogging
•Reporting with social media
Afternoon:
•Digital storytelling
•Work w/ the tools (bring a story idea or
two)

4. Introductions
What’s your blog about? (6 words or so)
Who’s your community? (6 words or so)

5. Factors in blogging success
• Idea • Voice
• Format • Authority
• Headline/SEO • Conversation
• Writing • Frequency
• Links • Trust
• Visuals

6. Where do you get ideas?

7. Possible formats
• Brief • Chart/graph/map
• Video (w/ intro) • Q&A
• Photo gallery • Narrative
• List • Poll
• News story • Curation
• Data viz • Quiz

8. Relevance rules
Keep SEO in mind as you write, but …
•Relevance matters; popular but irrelevant
keywords can hurt you
•Quality matters
•Social matters, too, and people share
good reads
•Relevance matters in links

9. Keywords in headline
• What words would you use to search for
this post?
• Use those words in headline
• If possible, start headline w/ key phrase
• Check Google trends
• Use full names
• (VIDEO) in headline

10. Keywords in lead
• Most important: good lead
• Sharing drives traffic, too, so don’t write
for search engine
• Edit for search engine; would search
terms help or hurt original lead?
• If keywords don’t work in lead, be sure
head is strong & use them high

11. Writing for a blog
• Writing must be clear, engaging
• Take responsibility for the quality of your
work
• Read your work aloud
• Take a polishing read through before
publishing (or right after)
• Short is OK, but so is long

12. Links help people find you
• Relevant outbound links boost
Googlejuice
• Pingbacks bring you inbound links &
boost Googlejuice
• Add links as you do research
• Consider expanded links
Consider whether context implies
endorsement of linked views/content

13. Links help users & you
• Links provide context (& don’t provide
unnecessary background)
• Links boost authority, credibility
• Sending users away works for Google; it
will work for you, too.

14. Think beyond writing
• Videos • Audio
• Photos • Tweets
• Slides • Source documents
• Graphics • Maps
• Curation

15. Blogger’s voice
• Discuss w/ editor whether any type of
opinion is appropriate (advocacy,
commentary, analysis)
• Personality engages audience, w/ or w/o
opinion (humor, perspective)
• 1st-person & 2nd-person are engaging
• Be genuine

16. Blog with authority
• Authority is rooted in accuracy
• Transparency builds authority
• Attribution & link appropriately, for
credit but not for cover
• Say what you don’t know

17. The blogging conversation
• Crowdsource (specific questions: “Do
you know anyone who …?” “Did you see
…?” “Has this ever happened to you?”)
• Consider ending post w/ question
• Stimulate/continue conversation in social
media
• Engage with comments

18. Extend the conversation
• Effective use of social media (Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Pinterest,
etc.)
• Relevant comments (w/ links) on related
blogs (no spamming!)
• Emails/tweets/#hashtags call to
attention of influencers

19. When should you blog?
• When you have something to say
• Frequent, regular posts build loyalty
• Weak posts hurt credibility
• Frequent updates on unfolding stories
keep people coming back
• Short posts are good

20. Standards
• Verify information
• Completeness & fairness come over time
• Say what you don’t know
• Attribute & link
• Acknowledge changes & updates
• Correct quickly & transparently
• Trust builds slowly, vanishes quickly

21. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• https://www.newsu.org/introduction-to-
reporting
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com