What I Have Learned in Two Years of Blogging

A few years ago, I would see friends of mine blogging about random stuff, like clothes, or their feelings, and I could never understand why they did it. Moreover, I couldn't understand why they would feel the need to share their most personal experiences with complete strangers, talk on facebook about the food that they enjoyed for supper or other random stuff. To be honest, I started to blog by accident, and it was mainly because of my knowledge of English that I managed to get a job as a copywriter.

Inevitably, I started to conduct research for my articles, and the more I read the more fascinating it became. I've come across some bloggers which I truly admire, and I have started to understand why they felt the need to start their blog to begin with. Here is what I've learned from blogging.

1. It's not what you say, but how you say it that counts.

Every blogger, no matter his niche of expertise, has started to write out of the need to communicate with others, on some level. We write because we want to be read, because we want to connect, because we want to make our voices heard. Anyone can search for information on Wikipedia, but it takes a special someone to convey a piece of information in a way that will make it impossible to forget. Talented bloggers could write about something as boring as a chicken crossing the road, if he knew how to do it. In other words, although accurate information, and first-hand experience is extremely appreciated, it is that personal touch that keeps people coming back for more.

2. Without a loyal community, you are nothing.

There is a saying, that there is no kingdom without its subjects, and this is also applicable to the virtual world. It doesn't matter if your writing is better than Einstein’s works, as long as they do not reach an audience. According to Google's algorithms, popularity has become increasingly important over the past few months. In other words, the more reactions you get, the higher you rank. But it is not ranks that you should worry about. If you are a true blogger at heart, than you probably have the best feeling in the world when somebody appreciates your work. Knowing that you are read and appreciated is the best emotion in the world, the virtual one at least.

3. Search Engine Optimization is Mandatory

Again, while I don't disagree with the statement „Content is King”, hell, I've even written an article on that topic myself, I have to say that content is severely overstated. Yes, it is important, but with the way that the internet is evolving, it is no longer incredible content alone that can help you grow your online presence. There is simply not enough time for people to assimilate all the information that pops up everywhere online. This means that you have to help them find your blog, and the only way to do this is by organically increasing your traffic. SEO practices ensure the correct indexation of a page, a better rank in SERPs, and more visibility. Guest posting is another method of increasing your quality back-links and gain more authority. Combined with social media marketing, SEO is a powerful tool for online promotion. Luckily for you, there are so many tutorials online, that SEO has become a piece of cake.

In the end, it is sustained efforts and dedication that lead to a successful blog. I may not be the most experience one of them all, but I believe that there I have gotten an idea about how things work. If you are thinking of creating a blog, don't just do so randomly. Assuming that you've made the effort to create your own page, take some time to consider how you can make it more popular, because in the end, that's what we all want.