Google Chaos ~ Basic Tips for Writers and Bloggers

First it was pandas. Now we have penguins giving us a hard time. Trying to "game" Google with keywords, links, etc. is a waste of resources.

This is not a how-to instruction manual for the beginning writer; the premise here is that one already pretty much knows what they are doing. The purposes of this page are twofold. First, it can be used as a checklist for “everything you need to know” to successfully make a living writing online articles and/or blogs. Second, it can be used as a review checklist for each article/blog you write.

All one can really do these days is to just write good content and let it go at that. Yes, do some basics as to SEO; but beyond that one is just spinning their wheels. Your time is best spent making new content and refreshing existing content.

The page-ranking chaos by Google will be never-ending. Your best chances are to write for your readers, not for Google. The way it works is that when your readers love you, then Google will love you.

Lurk in the writer-forums; worthy information can be found there. If you want to attract attention to yourself, participate.

Do write those article summaries that the publishing website asks for; it's what makes the potential visitor click on the link from the search-engines.

Do include the keyword tags requested by the publishing site. Include singular, plural, synonyms, and anything else that is relevant. Even include common misspellings as they show up in your keyword tools. Many times the tags will be ignored, but you never know...

Write your article or blog offline. By the time you are done with it, your original title idea and associated URL will have changed. Did you SEO your title and URL? Are the title/URL keywords, and some of their synonyms, sprinkled throughout the article or blog? Search-engines can recognize excessive keyword-stuffing; so best not to go overboard on that.

Opinions keep varying as to the optimum length for articles. 500 words seems to be the minimum. 1,500 words seems to be the optimum. Even longer probably wouldn't hurt.

Adding images is always an excellent idea. Visual media attracts, sells, and keeps your reader on the page longer. Search-engines love longer and keep track of that.

Most “.gov” pics are public domain; and there are millions of them.

How to find ".gov" images

Here is the Google search syntax, when under the "Image" option (next to the "Search" option at top of Google screen), to find ".gov" images:

"your search term" site:.gov

Examples:

diamond site:.gov

clock site:.gov

Ralph Waldo Emerson site:.gov

forest site:.gov

Don't major publicize your article until after the search-engines have indexed it. That way, when it gets stolen, it will be easier for you to prove ownership. Do, however, immediately post links on the likes of Facebook, etc. Not only does it provide an additional date/time-stamp of authorship, the back-links will both enable the search-engines to discover your article sooner and will impress the search-engines in general. Tweeting prior to indexing may or may not be a good idea.

Do not expect too much of a response when tweeting your articles or blogs. Most people barely even scan their time-lines because of the hopelessly high volumes. You might get 10 views for each 3,500 followers from combined tweets and re-tweets. However, you do at least get that back-link on your profile page.

Do not post links to your articles on link-farms and/or link-exchange sites. The search-engines really hate that; so much so that they will blacklist a.k.a. sandbox your article; and it will never see the light of day. Keep doing it, and the search-engines will blacklist/sandbox your entire website and/or sub-domain.

Writers:

You know perfectly well the proper usage of “there”, “their”, and “they're”. But the mind says one thing and the fingers do another. Same with “your” and “you're”, as well as “it's” and “its”. Also, for some reason, your fingers will type “to” when you mean “do”. And your spell checker will usually not catch any of it.

Always proof for these errors; for really long articles, it might even behoove you to use the search function.

Readers:

Online readers do not like long paragraphs. Such paragraphs often appear too daunting; and the reader is likely to just pack it in and leave. In other words, break up those long paragraphs as one of your final steps when nearing completion.

This process will also, more often than not, trigger additional thoughts you wish to include. So much so, that your new, two short paragraps becomes another two long paragraphs; and you will have to do it all over again. Tough town, the internet.

Writers:

Reading something that you wrote a couple days ago will almost always result in re-editing. Many times it will have to do with those pesky commas; not to mention semicolons. Writing to optimally reach all levels of intellect is not easy; some would say impossible.

Never publish in anger or when otherwise impaired. Let it sit there for awhile. Besides, the thing probably has more typos than usual anyway.

Have negative comments accumulated? That may or may not be a bad thing. Differing opinions cause debate. Debate means continually fresh content.

Going back and tweaking/enhancing your articles is also always a good thing. Both the readers and the search-engine love up-to-date, fresh content.