What is blog audit?
It’s the art of evaluating how your blog is performing.
Auditing your blog can be helpful if you approach it with an open mind, without bringing sentiments into it.
For instance, most bloggers would attribute their blogging failure to competition or Google rigorous updates.
But a savvy blogger doesn’t rely on any system to dictate their success or failure.
He or she would plunge in, embrace changes and take advantage of hot trends. You should act savvy from henceforth.
Why is your blog not generating enough traffic?
When I say ‘enough’ traffic, bear in mind that I’m talking about quality traffic.
Because it’s a waste of time and bandwidth when your blog drives 10,000 visitors, who doesn’t care what your latest post is about. Or even subscribe to your list. Let alone spend money on your coaching service/product.
You’ve got to identify the problem with your blog. For most people, quality content may not be the real issue. Do you believe this?
Quality content is not the only reason why a blog fails. I’ve seen prolific writers whose content are one of the best in the blogosphere, but their formatting is awful.
I mean, they don’t write with subheads and bullet points. In this case, what they need do is improve on their formatting. Proper formatting at its basic, contributes to what people call “QUALITY†article.
Blog audit: step one
The first step towards improving your blog’s performance is the web hosting service you’re using. This is a serious issue, because your success online rests on your web host.
If the uptime is less than 99%, I can imagine the impression your readers have about you, especially when your blog disappears and appears like a ghost.
This is a common occurrence with thousands of blogs.
Of course, no web host can promise 100% uptime. In fact, if a company actually makes such a promise, don’t be deceived; because they’re using hype to persuade you.
Truth is, no system is ever perfect and I encourage you to choose your web host with proper care.
Even if your friend or relation runs a web hosting service firm, you’re not obliged to purchase from them, because this is your life. Your online business is your life.
Do readers enjoy surfing your blog anytime they want? When you send a ticket to your web host, do you get a positive feedback promptly? Or does it take days or even weeks?
Blog audit: step two
On several occasions, John Chow has advised that you get a professional blog design. If you didn’t know, get it clear now: on the internet, people actually judge a book by its cover.
If your design sucks, no matter the value you provide via your content, it will not impact much.
There are pleasant, simple and easy to navigate wordpress themes out there, but don’t outright use them. If you’ve to use a free theme, get a designer to customize it for you. Blog audit helps to identify areas that could improve your brand.
What perception do you’ve each time you visit a beautiful website? Have you ever been to a Restaurant where the waiter/waitress smiles cheerfully and welcomes you with vigor? You may empty your pocket that day, except you’re prudent. Lol!
Are you serious about making a living with your blog? Then get professional this New Year. It doesn’t really matter what you’re selling on your blog, e-books, software, canon cameras, kuvings blenders, membership sites, you need to invest money in good design and I can assure you, you’d reap a great dividend in the nearest future, than most Wall Street investors. Really…?
Blog audit: step three
The above two steps are the icing, content is the cake. Seriously, you should evaluate the engagement you’re creating through your blog posts.
If text-based content aren’t cutting through, you could experiment by creating and embedding short videos into your posts.
Oftentimes, blog readers want a mix of text, video, images and even audio. But I’d recommend you focus on two different content types and see how it goes.
It’s also important that you analyze the post titles and your tagline. By the way, does your blog have a tagline at all? If a 2-year old boy walked up to you and asked what your blog is about, what would your response be?
When you visit my content marketing blog, my tagline is, “Capture, Convince, Convert.†John’s tagline is: “I make money online by telling people how I make money online.†What’s yours?
Yes, the tagline is an integral element of a good design, but in the eyes of potential customers, it’s the ultimate reason why they SHOULD buy, hire or subscribe to your email list.
And your tagline has to control the type of content you write on a daily basis. Don’t write irrelevant blog posts that don’t speak to readers’ needs. It must also agree with your tagline.
Get to work
I’m convinced that you’ve not audited your blog since you started blogging? Or have you?
I’d write another post to cover other aspects of blog auditing, in terms of subscription box, comment box, call to action buttons et al.
But for now, get to work. Let your blog feel the impact of your evaluation. I wish you the very best this year. Drop me a lovely comment below, and let’s get talking.