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Small business

Is blogging really hard to learn

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Is blogging really hard to learn and will it cost a lot of money? The answer can be easy to learn and cost nothing or the reverse, your call

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Table of contents

Why do people blog?

Blogging is a great way to release the inner writer. You come with a lot of knowledge so showcasing what you know and helping people is a most satisfactory occupation.

Start your blogging career with a free online course. Are you really ready

However, like everything in life it may not be for you.

Do you want fast money?X This is not for you
Are you prepared to spend a year or moreY To build a real business
Does blogging cost a lot to startX The entries to blogging are primarily free
Is your writing level appropriateY There are many free tools to help you
Do you need to do programmingX No programming experience is needed
Can you learn the basics of SEOY There is a lot of information to support you on
this
Are there different types of blogsY Blogging has many purposes and we will cover them below

Blogging Explained

Wikipedia is considered an authority site because it is built on reader contributions

Blogging is not generally instant income

Your first blog may attract a handful of readers if you get it all correct. Your second blog is another handful and so it goes on until you have built a good foundation of articles relating to your niche.

Whereas a Funnel is designed to take people from interest to a sale. A much quicker journey but a shorter life span.

Therefore your total blogs will generate a lot of traffic over a long period of time.

Why are blogs so different?

The idea behind blogging is really customer service. When you want to know something you ask Google ( Or Bing etc) and a blog will provide the answer and solution to your question.

So blogs are there to answer questions or solve problems either in a few words or a few thousand depending on the question.

An example could be;

Who manufactures Thermomix? Anwer: Vorwerk

Is Thermomix better than Kitchen aide; Answer: It is, or isn't because tralala.

Neither are selling tools except that we can add affiliate links to grow our income.

There are blogs written on every conceivable subject however there is still room for many more.

Can you come up with your keywords?

Narrow the question to win at blogging

Writing about a Thermomix is joining hundreds of other bloggers all scrambling for a page-one position. It is too hard so we need to narrow down the question. One way is to look at the “Google also asked” questions and find one that suits your idea.

Here I searched Thermomix and found the following on page one.

Is blogging really hard to learn

Which leads to more questions

Is blogging really hard to learn

These are the things readers want to understand and learn about, Therefore choosing a question and providing an answer is targeting your blog writing to a specific customer. From there you can transport them to other pages using internal linking.

The art of keyword selection

You will hear and read a lot about keywords. They are the start and end all of blogging. Get them right and your job is nearly done. Above I have shown one way how to find keywords.

You can use keyword tools and search for answers but narrowing down your topic to a question and answer will do the job.

Does Blogging cost a lot to start?

You can start a blog for free.

If it is part of your website you are up and ready to go. It is just another post.
For the casual user, you have shared sites like Blogger.com a Google site that is there for bloggers. But it is not a commercial site.

You can choose a low-cost site like Bluehost and buy a domain and pay a small amount for hosting your service. As you grow your blog and start earning some money your costs will rise accordingly but that is ok.

Finally choose a professional site like Wealthy Affiliate where you get full training, support, and even a free blog to see if this game is for you.

The inclusions in a blogging site that are necessary are site speed, security, and full ownership of all material. The cheap end of the market does not provide all of this.

Is blogging really hard to learn?

Among the many ways to be active on the internet blogging is probably the easiest to learn and is capable of the greatest return. Furthermore, the future remains bright as more and more readers seek respectable conclusions

Can anyone write a blog?

Blogs can be written in a local language or English depending on the market you are pursuing.

English of course, covers a much broader market but when you are targeting a local market the local language may be more appropriate.

Spelling and grammar are important but we now have lots of free tools to help us with our writing.
Google has spell check, probably the most common product is Grammarly and one I also use is Hemingway.com

These all have a free version that is quite enough for most of us. You can get the pro versions at a reasonable cost if you want more.

Can you earn money writing blogs?

Because blogging is time-consuming and consistent many businesses employ full-time content writers. If you develop a few skills and achieve a position with a company a long-term career can be achieved.

Is any programming required from bloggers?

We live in the entitled days. But a few short years ago you did need to have basic knowledge of programming but fortunately, that is in the past.

WordPress the original blog builder has kept right up to date with the concept of template blogging using blocks to insert your work.
It may be for a heading, a paragraph, an image, and all sorts of ideas. Select a block put your information in and load. it is that simple.

Other companies use a similar approach, some are free but others carry a small charge usually aligned with hosting as well.

Image of a wordPress block

A very small sample of the hundreds available

Is the knowledge of SEO important?

Readers are attracted to your blog from a variety of sources.
First, of course, is search engine optimization or SEO. This is the organic traffic found by readers everywhere using either your exact match keyword or Reader intent depending on the search engine they use.

This will give you perpetual traffic building over a lifetime and almost guarantee you returns.
Other ways which may include all Social Media, referrals, friends and family, Emails, and even hard copy material like brochures, etc.

Then there is paid advertising that gives you a front-page berth but at a cost. The cost is generally levied every time someone clicks on your advert. The cost could be a few cents to hundreds of dollars depending on the popularity of the word. This is a world for the more experienced and not the ameatures

SEO covers many areas

Yes, it starts with keywords however a lot more is needed to get maximum value. Under your heading is a Meta description describing your blog and what it represents. You can write this or let Google do it for you but you certainly understand what you are trying to represent.

Blogs are short sentences and short paragraphs written for time-pore readers. Remember you are answering a question not writing a biography.

Pictures and graphs add to the site as do color text and background.

When using WordPress you can use useful plugins like Yoast SEO that tell you what is being done correctly and importantly what is wrong with your blog.

Site linking is important

This is another part of SEO. There are three main types of web links;

Internal linksThese are too other pages you have produced
External links Backlinks from other sites boost your popularity
Authority LinksWhen higher authority likes your work
Affiliate linksYour income earning opportunities

Within this page, I have applied all the above links. Because I have written other posts on the subject you can read them for more information.

I have several other sites along a similar vein so I direct traffic to and from them.

Is blogging really hard to learn and what are the types of blogs

What are the types of blogs?

Business blogs.

These are posts relating to your main business. Done properly they can increase website traffic substantially thus growing revenue.

Affiliate marketing;

This is introducing products that may suit a reader. They are often paid for products for which you earn a commission if the readers buy a product.

Social blogging

Writing for charities or social organizations with no earnings intent. However, you may use them for recruitment purposes.

Personal blogs.

These start by telling a story that revolves around the writer. They may, however, also include affiliate links.

There are many reasons to take to blog writing and as long as you understand your intent and make a long-term plan anyone can do it.

Conclusion

Blogging offers many pleasures for the active writer. It is a creative release as well as an income generator. Furthermore, it may simply be for social good thus fulfilling your conscience for providing a benefit to others.

Whatever your reason for blogging remember it is a long-term career not a short-term goal

Is blogging really hard to learn by Peter Hanley

Using the Google search console to compare time periods

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Using the Google search console to compare time periods. Google console has some great tricks that will make a huge difference to you

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

Do you need to use the Google search console?

The search console relates back to your analytics account and provides an easy-to-read approach to your traffic over time. There are four relevant areas covered and they include;

  • Overview
  • Index
  • Experience
  • Enhancements

Plus they have a couple of really good tricks that are rarely used

The first is comparing time periods to see if your site is growing or declining.

You can do this by standard periods like 7 days. 28 days or three months and even set up your own time period.

Using the Google search console to compare time periods
In the first section, you select performance and then the period of time.

You can choose any period you like and of course, the page that you are reviewing.

The next step is the important one. Click the compare box as shown. This will give you two periods of time.

The result is clear and easy to read

Bing console results

This allows you to consider changes that will affect results.

You will benefit from a review.

We are not finished yet. You can do this in other areas as well.

Using the Google search console for results
So the choice is yours.

You also have Bing to consult as well.

Yes, Bing has a bundle of traffic because they use a different reporting system from Google.

Search console insights.

This is another area that not many know about.

Under the topline overview and to the right of the page there is a button.

Using the Google search console to compare time periods

This has a whole bundle of information which includes

  • Site Overview, traffic over time
  • Most popular content
  • Best performing pages
  • Channels used
  • Referring sites

A bundle of information that will help in the review of your site. All this is achieved in a few clicks therefore it is time-saving as well as important.

Google search console does a lot more

You can detect page problems, mobile issues, and lots more issues that are easy to find.

Spend some time in research

When you are setting up your service you need to install site maps from your main page.

Yoast and AIO will probably include these but if not install an app called simple XL Sitemap generator in your plugin area and take the data from here and install it in Google console.

Using the Google search console to compare time periods, site map generatyor

I have used this and it works well. furthermore, It can be used for Bing and Yahoo. It is free, tried, and tested.

Conclusion

Most of the Google console is self-explanatory and you will spend some time wandering around finding out things you wanted to know.

However, the above couple of tricks are not self-evident so finding them may never happen.

Yet they are important parts of the site review.

Analytics are important, don't ignore them.

Using the Google search console to compare time periods by Peter Hanley

It’s not about the money it’s about the success you achieve

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It's not about the money it's about the success you achieve. One comes before the other and trying to go in a different way just won't work

Show me the money and I will show you success

It's not about the money it's about the success you achieve

Success breeds a following and that base will generate money if you do it properly.

There is no doubt that chasing money as a sole purpose is a recipe for disaster. First of all, you will become disillusioned very quickly and lose interest.

Secondly, readers will turn away from your blatant approach with hard sell tactics.

Finally, there will be a lack of trust in your presentation and trust is the key to success.

It's not about the money it's about the  success you achieve by building a channel

Building a success channel

There is an old marketing adage that you need to acquire the following values before you attract buyers;

  • Know
  • Like
  • and trust

We are all hesitant with people we don't know. That is why repetition in marketing creates a bonding because we slowly believe that someone is around for the long haul. Look at the emails you get and see how many come from the same source. You won't buy it the first time and maybe not the tenth time but one day you will click the material.

If we like you we will believe you

It may sound condescending but it is fact that we would sooner deal with people we like. Take food shopping for example. You probably have several places you can go to however you will have a preference, one that you LIKE. We just visited a new superstore that has had extensive remodeling and I suggested to my wife it was worth a try. She answered that she likes the old place, it's comfortable and suits the purpose, why change?

Trust is a belief that you are in a safe area.

This is the true comfort zone where you will even pay more than risk getting less than you bargained for.

Apple products have mastered this over the years and we go back time and time again even though there is a price disadvantage and probably a feature deficit as well.
I know that my Apple phone will perform the way I want because they have built a wall of trust around every product.

It's not about the money it's about the success you achieve

It takes time to build your wall of trust

This is why true marketers start with marketing and not with selling. They know they have to build an association that you will think of first before anything else.

You may shout the cheapest price or superior service however you will not move me from the tried and true. This is simply that I have not learned to like you let alone trust what you will deliver.

Vehicle marketing is a bit like this. They don't sell cars they sell a lifestyle and what it will do for you. It may be that outback adventure, the luxury that it imposes, or even that it suits a certain demographic. Watch the ads and the only ones that blatantly sell are the second-hand market, and none of us trust them anyway.

Build your success on a good foundation

Bloggers write for the public. They answer questions and they even quietly try and sell you stuff. However, one blog will never work. Only a very few people will read it and then will they believe what you say?
A dozen blogs are just a start but when you have hundreds you are starting to build a library that convinces readers you are around for the long haul. Your material must be good because you have established a position in the market with consistency and repetition within a broad niche.

The major retail chains will lock you in with a loyalty card. They know that you will create your sense of need as the value builds. A dollar won't move you and even $10 seems too small but over time you will start to see the value and like what they are offering.

They will push the card at every purchase. Not because they want to give you a discount they want a long-term bonding experience that will benefit them more than a quick fix discount offer.

Everyone has a cheap offer but not everyone has a successful bonding experience that creates longevity and loyalty.

The big marketers don't look for instant cash the look for lifetime customers where the returns are much higher.

A good foundation will withstand the storm

Of course, there are the fickle buyers that flit around seeking price above anything else. However, their loyalty is only in the almighty dollar so as soon as someone else appears to be cheaper your customer is gone to a new place.

You are always trying to attract new to replace old.

By building a foundation of trust you stand more chance of keeping the long-term buying cycle. This is establishing a base of customers that return year in and out because they like you and moving away is not an option.

It's not about the money it's about the  success you achieve

This is the success you want and the money follows

It takes time to build your clan. But once they are there your returns come from repeated transactions over a long period. It may well be thousands of customers that are your friends and loyal followers and then the money follows.

You can never achieve this loyalty by once-off transactions. But you can be hugely successful thinking about your friends and not about that instant return.

It is about the money

Let's not delude ourselves here we are marketing to make money. Otherwise, we would not be in business.
However, placing income before stability is a short-term fix.
Therefore think of the long game and play for a winning hand instead of trying for a quick fix.

You will be successful every time.

Conclusion

Never underestimate the value of ignoring cheap returns against a long-term income.

One is fleeting the other is a foundation of a real business that will withstand the tests of time.

It's not about the money it's about the  success you achieve
About Peter Hanley

It's not about the money it's about the  success you achieve by Peter Hanley

Further reading for you.

Is affiliate marketing for you
The power of thought
Reframing your decisions
Affiliate marketing brings money

Thinking time reinvented for maximum results

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Thinking time reinvented for maximum results. If you do this one thing your productive success will grow 100x

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Why don't we think enough?

This was bought up in an interview held with a best-selling writer Perry Marshall

What was evident in this interview titled the New Renaissance is that a consistent work ethic

actually took you away from critical thinking and hurt the results you could achieve.

The harder you work the less you think and the result is overloaded effort without the results or important lifestyle changes.

Start the day with a quiet time of inner consultation

To help with this Perry presented seven lessons that should be taken into account.

Lesson 1.

When you take some time out and away from the normal distractions of email and to-do lists
you can focus on the important parts of your life. That is really consult your inner self and look at the problems from both an emotional and physical level.

Lesson 2.

Decide what not to do. You will have many pressing issues and only so much time so eliminating those annoying points that make little difference to the overall results is important. Busy work does not win the day.

Lesson 3.

Focus on the big returns or as the writer says the $1000 an hour payments. I had a client yesterday wanting to cut a $ 35-a-month payment on his answering service because it was too much to pay. One sale that he was going to miss could be in the thousands of dollars. His view was tainted by an emotional amount.

Lesson 4.

Create a simpler way of doing things. Time-saving ways are all around us however in our business we often stick with ancient procedures when a much simpler method would achieve the same result. I have a monthly billing program that is time-consuming and labor-intensive to complete. I know there is a better way but I have not taken the time to discover a better method. This costs me $12,000 a year so even a 50% reduction is a big return.

Lesson 5.

Be the best at what you do. First place in any business model gets most of the rewards and is almost impossible to unseat. An example is the iPhone by Apple. The dearest on the market but still holding the first spot by a long way despite strong competition from Samsung and others.
Steve Jobs insisted on perfection and he achieved it.

Lesson 6.

Build a Moat around your Castle. Make sure you protect your asset in every way possible to drive away any attack. Being vulnerable is not an option.

Lesson 7.

Enjoy the freedom to create every day by taking time to dream solutions and work on the big ticket items that will give you more free time to play. Getting bogged down in the hard work brings results philosophy is detrimental to your success.

Thinking time reinvented for maximum results starting with alone time

Why thinking time is important?

Creative thinking solves more issues and accomplishes much more than simply hard work.
However, think about the big ideas and create changes to build a better life

The day should start with quiet contemplation

Turn off all distractions and take a notebook approach to analyze how your day should look. Be intuitive and follow the gut feeling to come up with the biggest and boldest ideas that are potentially life-changing. You won't complete them in a day or maybe a year but they will be part of your conscious thought that has the ability for radical change.

Your thoughts must be big, they must stretch you beyond what you would normally consider daily options. They may take you out of your comfort zone and stretch your imagination further than you want to go. However, it is the big ideas that give the greatest return.

What is the value of an Idea?

Technology changes the world with radical new products that started as a lightbulb moment. They did not happen overnight but they did happen by being radically different. The fundamentals of car making have been consistent for over one hundred years. Minor changes and upgrades kept pace with consumer demand however little change has been seen. Until.
The Electic vehicle became a reality.
EVs had been considered for some time and many trials were had but it took one man to make a difference. Musk bought the EV to meet consumer demand and dragged every other automobile manufacturer behind him. In just a few short years this has become the fastest growing market segment and will completely change how we live.

Thinking can give you a different way of life

Head down and Bum up does not change your world. It may get the small things done but will it free you to pursue a better life? Only a radical alteration to the way forward can free you to grow many times but create a better life whilst doing it.

Planning is not too much to ask

Taking a parcel of time every day to think about your objectives and put plans into place for massive change is really just a habit that anyone can achieve. You are not too busy to make a difference with a daily planning session that considers the big impacts. In fact, it is dangerous to not consider this approach to change your life.

Conclusion

You will ask if I do this and the answer is and will be every day for the rest of my life. I well understand the need for production but I also acknowledge that there are many ways that I am not doing justice to myself or my business.
Alex, a friend of mine, says it has radically changed his life and he is an overproducer and creative talent behind a large marketing group.

Thinking time reinvented for maximum results

Thinking time reinvented for maximum results by Peter Hanley

The podcast

What skills do you need to start a blog?

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What skills do you need to start a blog? Anyone with a reasonable understanding of language and an attitude to further learning will make it

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Blogging skill levels

People blog for many different reasons therefore the skill levels required do vary for individuals.

You may want to write for others
Blog for business
Affiliate marketing
Product or brand recognition
Charitable reasons

Each has its own set of rules that you need to follow.

Blog writing for other people

What skills do you need to start a blog?

Because Blog writing needs to be consistent many businesses will outsource the work.
However, they will require that you research their portfolio so that you are able to represent their products properly.
In many situations, they will provide the keywords they wish to pursue and leave the rest up to you. They may even provide a product magazine and give you Carte Blanche at the production of suitable material.
Either way, you will need to satisfy your employer and the customer's needs. You can do this by having a plan of assault that you are taking so that everything is laid out clearly and you will have an open mind on what you create.

Of course, the answer is in the results achieved. Therefore make sure you have good analytics to back up your journey through the portfolio.

When you write blogs for a business

A business blog is an extension of your webpage. Its role is to fully explain products and services that are marketed by you in a longer format.

Furthermore, because of a good Keyword selection, other people will find your blog and then go to the website to complete a transaction.

A business blog can cover many things. It may be a full product descrip[tion or a how-to-do things tutorial. A blog is not a sales tool. Its purpose is to answer questions and solve issues that customers require.

It will have a call to action however you are providing content that creates interest in your readers. That interest may then convey them further into a buying cycle.

Affiliate marketers use blogging as a sales tool

What skills do you need to start a blog?

As an affiliate marketer, you are trying to move readers from your exciting content off to a supplier that will complete the sale. Therefore you are not selling anything just writing content of interest. Your Keyword use will bring readers from all sorts of places and with all sorts of needs.
There is nothing in it for you unless you can convince them to click through to a supplier of choice and then the sale must be completed by them.

To achieve this you should build a level of trust in your recommendations so that readers can take the journey without fear or concern.

There are a lot of scammers in this market that are purely selling for the income generated and often with big ticket items.
You need to be well away from this group of writers by gaining a band of followers that will consume your many great articles that offer real beneficial products.

Your writing is not hard-core sales but content that provides interesting and informative information that answers the many questions posed by readers.

Sales tools are Web pages and sales funnels that have a specific role in getting a commitment out of readers.

Your affiliate partner will fulfill the selling duty for you when you hand the customer over by using links within your page.

You can learn to do Affiliate marketing

Product and brand building can be done by blogging

With this set, your objective is really self-praise. Telling the world how good you are and why they should welcome you into their world.

It may be a new product that you want to launch and that could be done with a review or comparison to the competitor.

However, your purpose is still to build a loyal customer following that will buy your products and support your future with new sales.

Blogging for Charitable reasons

Many a blog is written to spread the faith and to keep worshippers in the loop of information.
I bit like branding it is there to maintain a flow of content and to keep the followers informed.

It may also, on occasion, request financial support to help its role in carrying out its humanity endeavors.

The words may vary but the intent of the blog still aligns with the other methods. This is in delivery answers and replies to their section of the market.

Can anyone become a blogger?

What skills do you need to start a blog

Blogging is open and substantially free to anyone in any country to start a writing career.
All you need is a name (URL), a template, and an understanding of keywords to provide your input to a large database of readers.

Is blogging hard to do?

This is essentially just expressing your opinions and ideas to a very large audience by offering helpful content that addresses questions searched by the many.

What skills do you need to start a blog and what is it based on

What is the basis of good blogging

Google states this is all based around the acronym E.A.T

Expertise.

Authority.

Trustworthiness.

When you fulfill the roles needed your blog will be recognized because you provide the best content relating to a subject.

Internet learning starts with a free course and your own blog. Click Here

Do the Google core updates matter

Because Google is continually seeking perfection they will make changes at regular intervals and these changes will impact many writers.

They insist your material must be original and not just copied from other sources.

Expertise is a deciding factor and the higher your authority the greater your chance of success. You can borrow expertise by referring to higher authority as part of your research into the area of interest

Of course, presentation counts. You need good grammar and spelling as well a structured setup to compete with the best.

Comparative benefit. Does your work provide a better answer that the others in the same playground? This is fairly new and poor reader acceptance can put you on a slippery slope
down the rating. Page time is a good indicator of this

What skills do you need to start a blog if it is not being read

Why is your blog not being read?

The most common answer to blogs with little or no traffic is the poor use of keywords. Understanding Keywords and in fact user intent is the most important part of blogging. Plus, if you get it wrong it is very difficult to fix.

It should be remembered that Google is not the only search engine and that Bing and Yahoo are also active in recruiting readers. In China you have Baidu and in Europe Yandex as well.

It may be when you add them together your score will be better than anticipated.

Bing has retained the exact match keyword system whilst Google has moved to reader intent by using AI to read the answers.

Can you get more readers to your blog?

What skills do you need to start a blog?

SEO is just one of the many inputs to traffic, however, it is the most important of the lot with access to a much larger pool of readers.

Social media may send many readers when used properly which can create a real database of followers.

Forums can be a source of readers at places like Quora where many questions are asked and you have a chance to be involved.

The usual friends, family, and social contacts along with referrals can build some traffic to support what you do.

What skills do you need to start a blog to build your trust

How do you build trust in blogging?

Authority will always bring trust with it as well as expertise in a given field. However, for the masses, it is a matter of consistent exposure to a base of readers delivering quality content.
Many will use customer references to help build some trust as well as a good BIO of background in the subject.
Consistent blogging over a period of time should build a trust factor when they know and like your work.

Conclusion

I like referring to blogging as an art form. When done properly it will exceed all expectations and even provide monetary returns that are unlimited by convention.

Google does insist on structure as well as reader intent so getting it all together is important.

The skills needed for blogging are really the ability to follow the rules and use all the available tools to create a piece of work that readers like. Answer the questions and solve the problems and you are almost there.

What skills do you need to start a blog by Peter Hanley

What skills do you need to start a blog

Reframing your Decisions Pivot Away from your Problems

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Reframing your Decisions Pivot Away from your Problems. This is an art in direction change and being able to take others with you

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Table of contents

The art of thinking differently

Everyone gets stuck at some time in their life. Nothing changes and everything you try and do makes no difference. Sleep is difficult, problems are mounting and there is no way out of the mire. Or is there?

To Pivot

Steve Blank defines a pivot as “changing (or even firing) the plan instead of the executive (the sales exec, marketing or even the CEO)

Wikipedia

An example of this in a company was with the startup Groupon, now highly successful in promoting products they started as a social engagement group. The change of direction was a pivot to success.

Reframing

“Reframing” is a technique used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify automatic thoughts and replace them with more balanced thoughts.

When researching this subject the two principles really resonated with a business or person that has hit a dead end, when there seems to be no way out.

I won't say that panic sets in but the feeling you need to escape is certainly at the front of your mind.

I am not a qualified psychiatrist however as a business advisor of many years it is a scene set out all too often that could lead to the collapse of a good business.

Are problems just a puzzle wanting to be solved

Of course, you will know many of the answers but are you missing those vital pieces that complete the puzzle?

Sometimes by looking around you you will notice the missing piece. Many a time of have slept on a problem and found the result in a late-night vision that I could not see whilst agonizing over the details.

Taking a higher view

Or, as they say, a Helicopter looks at what you are trying to achieve. Look at the whole problem and not the elements that are not working together. Re-plan your method of attack by taking a different direction altogether but one that still arrives at the same destination.

Worrying about the small issues often clouds the real problem therefore taking a new route can uncover the errors or admissions that you are missing.

Running into a dead end leaves you nowhere to go

Reframing your Decisions Pivot Away from your Problems

This is when decisions need to be made and those decisions will pivot away from the established road and may take you over some rough terrain. Your initial changed plan may seem a little hazy until the destination appears in the distance indicating that you are indeed on the right track.

Knowing the problem leads to a solution

We come up against all sorts of issues.

People problems

It may be people's problems that are creating the blockage and once you recognize the issue planning your way around them becomes a simple task.
This could be partners, work colleagues, officials, or any sort of personal issue that is creating a mental block.

System problems

When we follow a template pattern of approach it may not always be a one size fits all system that has discovered a new boundary.

When rules change

Learning the rules of internet marketing for free, Click Here

If you are working on the internet Google is the master at making subtle changes that make a big difference. It may have always been done the one way but that is no longer the case.
For instance, Google has always worked on exact match keywords and in fact, Bing still does. However recent changes now have Goggle asking for user intent despite what the keyword used is. This is a big move away from tradition and those that are not aware will blissfully continue in the old direction.

Your level of understanding.

It may be that you lack sufficient education in an area of activity. An area that is affecting the long-term result. We all have learning flaws or areas that are not our core strengths and sometimes they need to be revisited or explored further to find a way around our failing.
As a blogger, there are many small issues that can be ignored and you still achieve a certain level of performance. However, there are elements like Cornerstone content, orphaned content, and featured snippets that are largely ignored but make a big difference in the results

When thinking time takes over work for superior results

A / B test your results

Reframing your Decisions Pivot Away from your Problems

Sometimes there are just better ways to do things. It may be using Colors or fonts, headings, or keywords. Often the most simple change will have the biggest result. You will only know if you try it out. Using a-b testing is not new and is used often to establish fundamental errors that you can not see.

What is the first step of reframing

The first step of reframing in business is looking objectively at your processes and determining if there is a better way to achieve the results you want

Taking the Pivot theory further

Below is an interview by Mike Koenig with an expert on the subject. Mrs. April Smith Jones.

Here they explore April'isms or her ways of finding a completely new direction that makes a difference

April is a Lady of color, lawyer, business owner public speaker, wife, and mother of three remarkably high-achieving children. This short interview is a must-see for everyone

The April Smith Jones situation

Conclusion

Reframing your decisions;

  • Eliminate people problems
  • Move out of the system and explore the unknown
  • Understand the rules that are restricting you
  • Look for deficiencies in your learning
  • Test using variable analytics

A short journey in finding roadblocks.

Reframing your Decisions Pivot Away from your Problems by Peter Hanley

Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results

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Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results. There are a few small things that make the difference in being found in a search term

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Table of contents

Why does SEO matter so much

First of all, you need to understand that Google makes the rules. The rules are often seen as very simple yet there are reams of paper written about the cause and effect of the google requirements.

There is an old saying that the only place to be found on Google is page one, all the dead are buried on the other pages.

With over a Trillion blogs on the market, you need to be a lot smarter than the average Bear.

So hang about for a while and start the right way because some things can't be fixed.

What can't be changed in a post, ever?

Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results

It is good to go back and correct those spelling mistakes and change the grammar around. You can even add a few more pictures or a graph or two.

You can trim the meta description or add another couple of hundred words and Google will reward you with it.

Your header or search term is sacrosanct.

When you create a post or page Google takes quite some time to accept you as a qualified contributor and you really must earn your stripes. You build up a degree of trust and reliability and a good dose of authority to get your page ranking.
If you change your header by any amount you are transported back to day one. All your history is wiped clean and you become a new kid again, waiting another half a year for acceptance.

There may be times this is considered worthwhile however you may also consider just starting again and doing it properly.

Understanding Keywords is essential

SEO is also about Search engine intent and Google now looks at what the reader may be asking rather than exact match keywords.
Next, they want to know if your content suits that customer query based on Page time and exit time. If both of these get a fail mark your post will fall from grace and not be moved to page one again.

Therefore getting it right is necessary.

With your Keyword selection, you have a few competing elements

Volume of trafficA lot of traffic brings competition
Level of competitionWhen everyone goes after the same words
Authority rankingIt is hard to beat the market leaders
ContentIt must be appropriate to the subject

This means you must do your research before you start your journey.

Look for your completion in a Google search or even Bing to see if others have a similar keyword and how it ranks.

Use a Keyword tool like Jaaxy to find traffic figures and change your wording to meet new demands.
Simple changes can have a big effect.

*Best Chinese dinner can become;
*Best Cantonese Chinese dinner
.Best Chinese dinner in a location
.Best Cantonese Chinese dinner without MSG near Key largo
Don't write a word until you have all this correct.

The underrated meta description

Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results

It is true that if you fail to write your own Meta Google will do it for you. It may also be a consideration that Google in all its wisdom will do a better job than you so why bother anyway.

Most search results come from the first three free results on page one of a search term.
Next is the last free entry on the page before you go to paid advertising.

The single most important element is the one that grabs interest in the fleeting nanoseconds available and gets your product clicked because the Meta meets the intent of the search.

Therefore you have a one in five chance of being clicked so why you?

You can use intrigue, excitement, promise, or warning to add extra elements that touch a nerve.
Finally, it is still recommended you stay within the 150-word limit but some are now moving out of this.

Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results write clearly

Make your content easy reading

Long wordy posts need to have exceptional content to keep the average reader on the page.
Short sentences inclosed in short paragraphs with a bit of color and character are the preferred solution.

The number of words used can be anywhere from 500 to 4000 but is not a Google ranking factor.
What ranks are answering the search term in the best possible way to keep as many readers on your page as you can

Using Google no-follow blocking

Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results

When placing links on a page or post that go away to an affiliate or revenue base they must be marked as a sponsored link. Google has no interest in visiting these sites and giving them value. You will be penalized for failing to do this.

On the plus side using the open in a new tab box brings the readers back to your current page after visiting another site.

One final but important input is that all images graphs, drawings, etc must have an Alt description telling Google what the image represents. In some cases, this may simply be your keyword but in others, blind persons guide to what it represents.

Site linking is still valuable

Man linking pages of a blog

The SEO companies will demand at least one internal link and one external link in any post. Creating further reading opportunities works hugely in your favor as they click away on your site giving that extra traffic.

Using Authority sites is also an opportunity to support what you say by backing up the information. (Tip. Wikipedia is an authority site).
These are higher education sites or built on customer input

Using a template approach to blogging

To ensure you cover the basics of good SEO in every post written make a list of your required inputs until they become part of your activity. Messing up just one input can seriously jeopardize the whole page of the work and render it useless.
Get it right or don't do it.

Summary

If you get SEO right from the start it makes everything else that much easier.
Yes, it takes a bit of time and thought however that will be repaid many times over.

Google is built on utilizing SEO to its best abilities. They do change some of the rules regularly however this is to get the best user experience possible.

You must remember Google does not care about you they care about the person searching for an answer and delivering them the best possible solution.

Therefore give them what they are looking for.

Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results by Peter Hanley

What are you gonna do with your website visitors?

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What are you gonna do with your website visitors? Vanity clicks look great but earn nothing so work your visitors in simple free ways

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Table of contents

Who are your website visitors

  • Random visitors
  • Engine produced links
  • Content inquiries
  • Competition
  • referrals
  • Links from other sites

The only one that really matters is content inquiries. These are the people that are interested in what you offer and are seeking solutions to a problem.

However, they may come from other sites or referrals or links as well.

When you want traffic it is available.

Companies like Spark Traffic do an excellent job with this. They can send as much traffic as you want for just a small fee that will spend time on your site. This is great if you want the volume to justify ad expenditure but will get you no new business.

What does your website offer?

Google now looks at websites with different eyes.

If your site is Navigational or commercial you are offering specific information.

However transactional sites set up for selling goods, product reviews, or comparisons are easy to understand and the last category is informational where most blogs reside.

Therefore be sure of what your site is offering because Google will treat you differently

Your analytics will give you a guide

Knowing your visitors helps you make decisions on how to capture the ones that matter and get them to a buying position.

It is no good fretting over large numbers if they are not really the target demographic for your post or page.

Even advertising won't work if they are computer-generated calls.

What are you gonna do with your website visitors? Try a widget.

Use your Widgets to get attention

Placing affiliate ads on the sides of your page will attract clicks. However, they must have a clear call to action. Furthermore, they don't have an effect on the page opening rate.

A bottom ad can work quite well for those that get to the end of the page. You can use a link Cloaker like Pretty links or bitly to track the clicks and access the success rate.

Of course, these picture ads have links built-in and a clear call to action. You will find one at the bottom of this page. My stats influence me to keep this going because it achieves its goal of getting affiliate clicks.

When it is about attention-getting, use a button

These can be colored and loaded with character to grab the passing speed reader.

Again you must have a call to action that works or they will not perform as well as they should.

Want to see the best website training and get access for free Click Here

your button will stand out in a sea of words and offer that extra opportunity to get a click.

What are you gonna do with your website visitors?

In the olden days, this was the most used option however it is now viewed as very spammy, And like the showground salesman pushing too hard for a sale.

If you let your content sell the action the readers will look for a link to push so as long as there is one your job is done.

How can I do affiliate marketing the right way?

The idea is to make money so don't be shy about it

When you have identified your market.
Provided great content on which to act
Installed sufficient calls to action
Link between your sites to increase your chances
Most of the job is done.

Then it is all about trust and change.
It is important to remember that no post gets truly recognized by Google for a few months. Furthermore, until you have built up a bank of work you are just a lone voice in a sea of opinion. Google needs to know it can trust your opinions and that you will continue to develop that trust over time.

So don't get overly concerned in the early days until you have been established as a reliable and authentic choice of content delivery.

Make your followers special

When you are writing to a friend and telling them how to do something it is different to writing to the masses. Or is it?

The more personal your content is and the better it is clearly focused on your chosen demographic the greater the results you will achieve.

Your content is clearly focused on potential customers that will stay the distance on your site and even return for a second or further read.

Having a link to another site that you have written where something is further explained gives you two shots at the tiger. It creates longer reading time and doubles up on the click opportunities

Pages of testimonials grabbed from out of the air just don't work. We know most of them are rubbish, friends or paid for so limit them in your content.

Conclusion

This is all about results. you are writing with a purpose and demanding that your work is better presented than all the others and that you can be trusted.

When you make a recommendation it is a reliable source and not just a money-making referral. There are millions of sites I would never refer to and only those that I have tried or really suit the occasion will be used.
It takes a long time to get trust however it can be lost with the click of a mouse.

What are you gonna do with your website visitors? by Peter Hanley

What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter

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What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter. Not a lot of the normal usual ways you read

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Table of contents

Blogging is a career if you want to be taken seriously

This is not a get-rich-quick scheme however it can be an opportunity when done correctly.

A business blog

Every business should have a blog page. It can be part of a website or a stand-alone site.
Your blog will deliver traffic to your webpage where the sales are made. In facYouncrease web traffic by up to 40% ( BlogSpot) thus generating more significant income.

Writing blogs

You may do this as a career or a job responsibility however it does require some skill sets and knowledge to compete with the market.

As an affiliate marketer

This may be a side hustle, a work-from-home career, a part-time occupation, or an attempt to gain that extra income. It could be product reviews or extolling your experience to the public

Charitable or welfare institutions

Blogs are a great place to provide information, answer questions, and provide all that information asked in a question-and-answer situation.

The writer or biographer

Those that want to talk about themselves or tell a tale or two will often use blogs as a way to gather an audience.

Blogging is not instant acceptance

First of all, Google makes most of the rules so you need to understand how they think. They don't like newcomers so you need to serve an apprenticeship to show that you are worthwhile and suitable for a first-page position in the search terms.

You need to build your know, like, and trust credentials before you will gather the recognition you deserve.
Plus Authority is a leading SEO input that you must establish to get acceptance over those that lead you.

Until you build these attributes your work will not be taken seriously.

That is why a continual flow of work is necessary and not the odd blog because it suits you.

What are the 4 main parts of a blog?

  • Keywords deliver the readers
  • Answering the question is the aim of all bloggers
  • great content is necessary to meet the rules of Google
  • having a call to action

Are Keywords more important than content?

What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter

These are actually very different in what they achieve. However, each has an effect on the other.

Understanding Keywords is the most important thing to learn before starting your journey.
Key phrases are the search terms used to find your work on the internet. Without a good search term, you will be lost in the billion or so blogs on the market.
You really need to be on page one of a search term and using good Keyword selection is the only way.

Content on the other hand must hold the reader on the page for a reasonable amount of time or they will fly to another page that they think answers their question better.

Google looks at intent before content

What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter

This is a change by Google where they move away from exact match keywords to user intent.
What did the search term really want so give them an answer that suits?

Now if your answer meets the bill they will use your page often and move you up the ladder. However, if your page gets dismissed you get moved off the first page and slither down to the high numbers where no one goes.

There is a savior in Bing that still use exact match Keywords and have considerable traffic.

So the correct answer is that content has become more important than Keywords.

Planning a future for your blog

Decide where you want to go with your blog and channel all your energies in one direction.
You can't be everyone's handmaiden, you have a specific role so stay close to your written objective.
Write out a few hundred Keywords that you will use and build a story around them. Check your competition in Google and even use a Keyword tool to find traffic and competition.

Too much traffic or competition will make it hard to rank.

What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter

Are you in this for the long haul?

If this blogging thing is just a short-term wonder then don't waste your time. There are many other things you can do that will get quicker results and don't require the level of dedication that blogging requires.

However, if a career or long-term wish to achieve a certain goal and that the effort will be put in then this is the way to go.

Everything and anything can be achieved but only for those that apply the effort.

Choosing a poor hosting service

Web hosts and blogging platforms come in many varieties and there are good and not-so-good services.

It is not just that you get what you pay for there are real problems with some providers.

  • Owning your material is paramount. Plus being able to move it if you are unhappy. Services like Blogger don.t allow this and are really for the amateur.
  • Site speed is essential. Slow-speed sites often with shared platforms will kill your work.
  • The best security levels are also important.
  • 24-7 support is necessary. With world time zones you really need to be able to communicate in your time.
  • Extra training supplied. The world of blogging is in constant change so stay up to date

My recommendations for a start in hosting

What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter

Yes, there are a lot of alternatives but I have narrowed it down to two, however they are very different.

Wealthy Affiliate.

This site has it all including a free trial. Hosting, lots of scope, and endless training.
The benefit of a free trial is that you work out if it is for you without committing a bundle of money. There are no upsells and one price fits all.

Bluehost

Voted by the market as one of the best opportunities around. You start with a single site and at a very low cost and build your empire over time.

I have generally found that we will start more than one blog over time and have several going at one time. If this is the case then Wealthy affiliate allows up to 25 in the one price.

Doing something you love and not just for money

Blogging for money is a quick road to boredom. You will jump around trying to find the magic brick road but it will remain forever elusive.

Blogging on a subject of interest keeps your focus and the money will follow as sure as night follows day.

But it does take continuous application and perseverance to be recognised as a great writer.

Conclusion

Don't be scared of blogging, it has a few rules and procedures but they will be learned quickly.
Plan your plan, set a timeline, and set forth on a journey of discovery.

What shall I consider before starting a blog? The real answers that matter by Peter Hanley

The benefits of having a business blog

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The benefits of having a business blog and growing your sales. You can get more site visitors by using your blog as an entry for discovery

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Showcase your best assets

Your website does not have the space to really amplify your best products and that is the job of a good blog post. It matters not what you market but someone will want more information whilst going through the buying cycle in their mind.

When you make that buying decision we want as much information as you can get before passing over the money. You are all hyped up but still hesitant to make that buying decision
because you want someone to give us a little push. That someone is your blog.

Your blog, however, is not a sales tool, it is there to answer questions or explain a product or service so that the reader can make an informed choice.
They are then sent back to your sales page (company Web) to complete the purchase.

The online market is now more active than ever before

The benefits of having a business blog
How to make a blog site

Covid had many bad points and many of us suffered health issues and even loss during a two-year period of change and perception issues.

As marketers, we saw the emergence of a real online community that sat at a desk demanding information and smashing the credit card limit with purchases.

This is not going anywhere soon. Shoppers have become to love the simplicity of online shopping in a huge range of products and services. Food, Transport goods, and materials are delivered to your doorstep by an ever-growing transport industry.

Store sales have not always suffered and they have competed for head-on with the online industry having sales from a bipolar operation. You want it online it is available but if you wish to visit and browse that is still ok

The benefits of having a business blog are new opportunities.

Your Blog will bring buyers to your business

Let's be real here we are blogging to gain extra business, no matter what the subject the motive is always monetary motivated.
Even socially constructed well-fare sites are seeking the support of some kind so don't be shy about your endeavors with blogging. They have a purpose however they are not a sales tool they are a delivery service for new customers.

In Fact, Blogspot said that your web traffic could increase by as much as 40% with a good blog that is current and consistent.

Search terms are the key to traffic

The benefits of having a business blog

They may be called Keywords, Key phrases. headings but whatever the name they are the words that readers use to find a solution or answer.
How To Sharpen a Blade on a Stihl Saw can act in several ways.
It may just be great information but it might sell Chain Oil, Sharpening tools, a new chain, a new saw, or any combination of them.

The readers want good content so that they can build trust in your brand and seek out a buying opportunity. This content can only be delivered consistently in a well-structured blog post.

How your blog is found by new readers

There are many roads that lead to your well-constructed blog content.

  1. Of course, your website will have linking to the blog.
  2. Social media is also a great delivery mechanism
  3. That includes YouTube videos perhaps showing the saw sharpening.
  4. Keywords and SEO will provide a substantial proportion of traffic
  5. Store material and referrals are also part of the plan

Blog traffic may be just a trickle or an avalanche but it is traffic that is considering you as a new friend. When all the above is put into play the results can be outstanding

It is not a sales page but it does the job

Whilst you are answering questions and solving the problems of the world you will also have those closing opportunities for those that are ready to part with their money.
it may just be a hidden link or an outright statement but it is there somewhere.

As writers, we never know where in the buying cycle the reader is or in fact if they are there at all. However when they are then tell them what to do.
Give them the push they need they will thank you for it later.

An issue with blogging

The benefits of having a business blog
Everything takes time

To get the best results you need to be consistent and that does take up time.
You can outsource the duty or have others do it for you. When you do a cost analysis you will find that it is a profitable product. Visitors to your website may increase dramatically meaning more income generated.
Furthermore, it is a lifetime product that builds a bigger following the longer you are at it.
Further income can always be made by other affiliate links or site advertising should you choose.

A current trend is to use AI writers to save time.

Conclusion

There are rules to follow and processes to learn but it is generally an easy occupation.
The selection of headings based on your products will bring the readers and provide a valuable service.
If you don't provide this reading opportunity your competitor will. Therefore the decision to blog is taken from you.

The benefits of having a business blog by Peter Hanley