Being a Beginner Blogger and The Mistakes I Made
Have you ever started something new and quickly realized you made a bunch of mistakes along the way? That was me when I restarted my blogging journey. Livingthetech.com began life back in 2016, but it was more of a hobby and a place where I could publish articles on LinkedIn and use it as a tool to stand out in a crowded job market. I didn’t make any effort with SEO, never went back and reworked old posts and only had Google Adsense enabled (making a few cents). So my journey from beginner blogger to hopefully a money-making blogger begins.
Restarting my Journey as a Beginner Blogger
It wasn’t until I had some time off between jobs (in mid-2024) that I made the effort to be a real blogger and monetize my blog properly. I had to learn a lot about SEO and how to promote my site to increase traffic. So lots to learn as a proper beginner blogger, but with all that information out there, I still reckon I made quite a few mistakes.
From deleting old posts too soon to neglecting image alt text, I’ve learned the hard way about the blunders a beginner blogger can make. I keep asking myself how the heck I made these mistakes with all that information about blogging available. As a beginner blogger, I am impatient and like figuring stuff out, It may not have been the right approach with blogging if I want to take it seriously.
I’ll try and give my honest thoughts on the pitfalls I encountered when I started blogging this time around, so you can avoid making the same missteps. Let me dive in and uncover the key mistakes to steer clear of as you embark on your blogging adventure.
Deleting Old Posts Too Soon
A big one here, I looked at some older posts and they were rubbish, so instead of reworking them, I just deleted them, losing any SEO value it may have built up. Not sure I need to say any more here, safe to say I won’t be deleting any other older posts.
Using Inconsistent URL Naming Conventions
Another critical mistake I made early on was not paying attention to the consistency of my URL naming conventions. This oversight confused both my readers and search engines, hindering the overall visibility and organization of my blog. As I am now finding out, I have a lot of re-directs to manage, it’s made slightly easier using a plugin called Rank Math SEO (the free version meets my needs for now), and so far I am up to 157 redirects.
With varying URL naming conventions, my blog suffered in terms of visibility and organization. Moving forward, it was essential for me to establish a standard naming convention and not change the original URL of the blog post (unless you really have to). I also had AMP enabled at some point, so all URLs with AMP at the end also needed to be redirected, again helped by Rank Math SEO. Better managing your blog URLs will really help you avoid these pitfalls and enhance the overall user and SEO experience on your blog.
Internal Links Matter
As I soon found out Internal links matter as they play a crucial role in guiding readers to relevant content and improving your blog’s overall SEO performance. Ensuring that your internal links are strategically placed and relevant to the content they are linking to will not only keep readers engaged but also boost your site’s search engine rankings. To help me manage internal links I use a plugin called Internal Link Juicer, currently, I have around 1300 internal links indexed.
Blog Images
Naming Convention not Aligned with the Blog Post
Ensuring that the images used in your blog align with the content being discussed is crucial. When images do not correspond or the naming convention is not aligned well with the blog post, it can confuse readers and diminish the overall impact of your message. Consistency in image selection and relevance to the topic at hand will enhance the user and SEO experience and make your blog more visually appealing and engaging.
Moving forward, it is also important to pay attention to the alignment of images with your blog posts to maintain a cohesive and coherent narrative. Image conventions not aligned with the associated blog post can also impact user experience and SEO performance, so it’s important to pay attention to this from the start. As I found out, if you don’t, it’s time-consuming to go back and rectify it.
Image alt text Missing
Missing Image alt text can further detract from the user experience and SEO performance if not properly addressed. Helpfully the Rank Math SEO plugin also helps to highlight any missing alt texts.
My Awful Spelling and Grammar
My awful spelling and grammar often left me and readers wondering what the heck I was doing, in trying to make sense of my posts. Misspelled words and poor grammar can detract from the credibility of your blog and make it harder for your audience to connect with your content. It’s important to take the time to proofread your posts before hitting publish to ensure that your writing is clear and error-free. Again, my impatience getting the better of me, just wanting to get out my latest blog post.
In the early days of my blogging journey, I overlooked the importance of proper spelling and grammar. I was more focused on getting my ideas out there than on polishing my writing. However, I soon realized that my lack of attention to detail was hindering my ability to connect with potential readers. By improving my spelling and grammar, I was able to enhance the readability and professionalism of my blog big time.
Remember, your blog is a reflection of you as a blogger. If your posts are riddled with errors, it can make you appear a bit useless, careless and unprofessional. Take the time to proofread your work, or consider enlisting the help of a professional editor (a bit expensive for me as a beginner blogger). So I am using Grammerly as my go-to spelling and grammar checker, but make sure you get the browser plugin. Your readers will appreciate the effort you put into creating quality content, and it will help you establish yourself as a trusted voice in your niche.
Blogging Journey So Far
As I reflect on my journey as a beginner blogger, it’s clear that I made some crucial missteps that could have been easily avoided. From deleting old posts prematurely to neglecting image alt text, each mistake taught me valuable lessons in the art of blogging. By sharing my experiences, I hope to spare you from similar blunders and set you on the path to success.
Remember, take your time, focus on quality content, and engage with your audience to create a blog that stands out. As you embark on your blogging adventure, keep in mind that every mistake is a lesson in disguise, guiding you towards becoming a better blogger. So, embrace the journey, learn from your missteps, and watch your blog flourish.
Check out other useful information on my Resources page
Making Some Progress with Pinterest
I think I am making progress with Pinterest, but it’s not really converting into a big enough increase in blog traffic for my liking. As you can see I have just over 100k impressions in 60 days and my current 30 days impressions are around 77k with 3.7k Engagements and 422 Outbound clicks. Not sure if this is good or not?
Not using Tailwind Sooner
Ok, I can’t talk about promoting my blog on Pinterest without talking about Tailwind. When I started up my blog again I was pinning manually or using the native scheduling capability within Pinterest. Sadly I was not getting the views I needed or wanted and it was time-consuming. So I should have signed up with Tailwind sooner? As you can see my traffic started to improve, really from day one, which was 24th September 2024. I am now automating between 5-10 pins a day on Pinterest, I hope this trend continues.
Anything else I have missed as a beginner blogger? comments welcomed below.
Next up
- Experimenting with pin styles;
- Increasing blog traffic;
- Looking at different social channels to promote my blog;
- Increase outbound clicks from Pinterest.