7/12/2022

Blogging Guide
and Resources
By Lori Ballen
 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

Blogging Guide and Resources

Courtesy of Lori Ballen, Digital Marketing Strategist

Congratulations on investing in yourself. Blogging has meant the world to me, and my hope is that it can do the same for
you.

Taking the plunge into blogging can be daunting, but it's also one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself.
This guide is meant to accompany the blogging masterclass and be a reference for you as you blog your way more
business.

What You'll Need to Get Started

While my preferred blog platform is WordPress for it's growth capabilities, other bloggers may start on a simpler
platform like Medium, Vocal, or Newsbreak.

You may have a company website, an e-commerce store, or other platform that you want to blog on top of. No matter
what your blogging goals are, you can make it work for you!

If you need a website, my brothers Jeff and Paul Helvin at Ballen Brands can get you something wonderful. Call them at
702-917-0755.

Next, let's go over some of the tools I discuss in this workshop. While there are many other choices out there for each of
these, these are the ones that have served me well.

I do have affiliate relationships with most of the software and brands I use.

Some may get you a free trial or a discount, others may just be links. As an affiliate, I also benefit if you make a purchase
after using my link.

Hosting: I recommend hosting with my brothers of course. They are the experts! 702-917-0755 or BallenBrands.com

Domain Name: If you don't have a domain name, get one! I buy my domains at GoDaddy. Keep it short, and simple. 2-3
word domain names are the most memorable, favorable, and sellable! If it's hard to spell, it won't do well.

Email Marketing: I'm using MailerLite for email marketing for my blogging business. It's affordable and has everything I
need to keep my list healthy and growing. If you want a fully functioning CRM with text campaigns, tickler files, and a
robust dashboard, then I suggest KEAP. My brothers are KEAP developers, if you want someone to set it up for you. 702-
917-0755.

SEO Plugin: I use RankMath for my SEO plugin on WordPress. Yoast is a free option, but RankMath has more robust
features.

SEO Audits and Keyword Research/Tracking: I've used SEMrush for years for keyword research and tracking. I also use
their site audit feature to keep my website healthy. I also perform all competitor research using this tool.

AI Writing Assistant: Jasper AI is an AI Writing Assistant that helps with blog ideas, improved titles, intro paragraphs,
blog outlines, and so much more. My link gets you a free trial with 10,000 credits.

Courtesy of Lori Ballen | All Rights Reserved ®2022

 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

Graphics: While I started out with the free version of Canva, I eventually upgraded to pro. You can create beautiful
graphics, videos, social media posts, and so much more. The remove a background feature is only available with Canva
Pro, as is the brand kit, folders, and team options. You can try Canva Pro for 30-days with my link.

Surfer SEO: While I still prefer SEMrush, I have been testing Surfer SEO because it integrates with Jasper and is growing
in popularity. This AI SEO tool scores your content and makes recommendations for improvement. You can try Surfer
SEO with my link and get a 7-day free trial.

Grammarly: This is a free AI grammar checker that I use for everything I write. It's helped me avoid many embarrassing
errors over the years and has saved me countless hours in editing time. While it may not catch every mistake,
Grammarly has helped me improve my writing significantly.

Internal Linking: I use a WordPress plugin called Link Whisper to help me with my internal linking. It's an AI tool that
gives you recommendations for links based on your content. I've found it to be quite accurate and helpful in improving
my SEO.

Domain Authority: Choosing the Right Topics

I'm starting with domain authority because if you get this right, you'll have an easier time with the rest.

Domain authority is a ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines.

It's based on factors like age, popularity, and size, but most believe backlinks are the main driver. Backlinks are links
from other websites to your website.

The higher the quality of the backlink, the more authority it passes to your website.

Most SEO tools today have some sort of a scoring system that measures domain authority. I use the Authority Score that
SEMrush provides since that's my main SEO tool.

There is a direct correlation between websites with high domain authority and top ranking pages on Google. The higher
your domain authority, the more likely you are to rank for competitive keywords.

If you want to rank for a keyword that is competitive, your domain authority score will have to be on par with the top
ranking websites.

The best way to increase your domain authority is to get high-quality backlinks from websites with high domain
authority.

There are a few ways to do this:

1. Guest blogging: This is when you write a blog post for another website in your industry. Make sure it's a website with
high domain authority

You can increase your domain authority by guest blogging on high-authority websites.

2. Link roundups: These are blog posts that curate the best content from a certain topic or niche.

For example, if you have a blog about SEO, you could do a link roundup of the best SEO articles of the week.
Courtesy of Lori Ballen | All Rights Reserved ®2022
 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

To get featured in a link roundup, you need to reach out to the website owner and pitch them your article.

3. Broken link building: This is a strategy where you find websites with broken links (links that go to a 404 page), and you
replace the broken link with a link to your website.

To do this, you need to use a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find websites with broken links, and then you need to reach
out to the website owner and let them know.

4. Resource page link building: This is a strategy where you find websites that have resource pages in your niche, and
you pitch them to add your website to their resource page.

To do this, you need to use a tool like Google Search Console or SEMRush to find websites that have resource pages, and
then you need to reach out to the website owner and let them know.

You can also create a valuable resource page on your website that other websites will ink to.

5. Infographic link building: This is a strategy where you create an infographic that other websites would want to use,
and credit with a link. You can create these in Canva.

6. Stats pages: Build a page on your website with interesting statistics and data that other websites would find valuable
to link to.

7. HARO: This stands for Help a Reporter Out, and it's a service where reporters post questions that they need help with,
and you can pitch them a response.

You can use this to get links from high-authority websites like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., etc.

The more content you create, the more likely you are to get backlinks from high-authority websites.

The more backlinks you have from high-authority websites, the higher your domain authority will be.

To sum it up, focus on creating quality content that other websites will want to link to, and you will naturally increase
your domain authority over time.

Set your first domain authority goal of 20, and work to move up from there. Most bloggers reach the 40-50 score range
without doing too much link outreach. But to get over the 50 range, you'll have to start reaching out and actively
building links.

Your domain authority score comes into play when you are doing keyword research. Read on to learn more.

Keyword Research

When you are doing keyword research, you want to find keywords that you can rank for with a reasonable amount of
effort.

The first step is to use a keyword tool like SEMrush to begin your research.

Type in a seed keyword that is relevant to your niche, and then look at the results.

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 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

You'll want to pay attention to the following metrics:

1. Search volume: This is the number of times people search for a particular keyword per month. The lower the search
volume, the more likely you are to rank if you are a beginner. Start small, and work your way up.

2. Keyword difficulty: This is a score that predicts how difficult it would be to rank for a particular keyword. The higher
the number, the more difficult it will be. If you use SEMrush, choose a difficulty number that is closest to your authority
score.

3. CPC: This is the cost per click, and it tells you how much money people are willing to spend on an advertisement when
someone clicks on it. The higher the number, the more expensive the keyword is.

4. Intent: This is the intent behind the keyword, and it can be one of the following:

Navigational: People are looking for a specific website, such as "Wikipedia"

Informational: People are looking for information on a topic, such as "What is SEO?"

Transactional: People are looking to buy something, such as "Buy shoes"

Commercial: People are looking to compare products or services, such as "Best SEO tools"

If you are using SEMRush, you can click the + sign next to a keyword to add it to a list of content you want to create.
That's handy for making a list of potential blog posts or articles to create in the future.

Before You Create, Check the SERPS!

Before creating content, you always want to run your topic through a Google search first.

This will give you an idea of what content is already out there, and how you can make yours better.

It will also give you an idea of the format that people are looking for.

For example, if you want to write a blog post on "How to do Keyword Research," and the first result is a video, then you
know that you could improve your chances of ranking by creating a video on the topic.

Or, if the first result is a listicle, then you know that people are looking for a list format.

The key is to make your content better than what's already out there, but stick with the formats that are already
ranking.

Google is telling you what they want to see more of, so give it to them!

Types of Blog Content

Now that you know how to do keyword research, it's time to start creating content!

Here are some of the most popular types of blog content:

Courtesy of Lori Ballen | All Rights Reserved ®2022

 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

1. How-to posts: These are posts that teach people how to do something. They can be as simple as "How to Make a Cup
of Coffee" or as complex as "How to Do Keyword Research."

2. Listicles: These are posts that are in list format, such as "10 Ways to Improve Your SEO."

3. Product reviews: These are posts that review a product or service. They can be positive or negative, but they should
always be honest.

4. Interviews: These are posts where you interview someone else in your industry. This is a great way to get exposure to
new people and to show that you are an expert in your field.

5. Case studies: These are posts that study a particular person or business and their success (or lack thereof). They can
be inspiring or instructive, but they should always be informative.

Now that you know the types of content that are out there, it's time to start creating!

But before you do, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

1. Write for your audience first: It's important to remember that you are writing for your audience first and foremost.
That means that you should always be thinking about what they want to read, and not what you want to write.

2. Cover a topic in-depth: When you are writing, make sure that you are covering the topic in-depth. That means that
you should be doing a deep dive and providing new information, not just regurgitating what is already out there.

3. Make it visually appealing: People are visual creatures, so make sure that your content is visually appealing. Use
images, infographics, and videos to break up the text and to make your point.

4. Include a table of contents: If your post is long, make sure to include a table of contents so that people can easily
navigate to the sections they are most interested in. WordPress has Plugins that makes this easy.

5. Spellcheck: This should go without saying, but make sure to spellcheck your content before you hit publish! I use the
Grammarly extension to help me with this.

6. Optimize for SEO: Last but not least, make sure to optimize your content for SEO. That means using the right
keywords, tagging your images, and making sure your post is easy to read.

Creating great content is not easy, but it's worth it. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to creating content
that people will love. Thanks for reading!

If you haven't already tested Jasper AI, sign up now to get started with the easiest and most powerful way to improve
your content. It's free to get started, and you'll be able to see how Jasper can help you in just a few minutes.

Blog Template

Use this format for your blog template.

Your Blog Title

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 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

The blog title should be reflective of the main theme in your blog. Creating an eye-catching blog title is essential to draw
readers in and encourage them to click through. However, coming up with the perfect title can be a challenge. Here are
some best practices to keep in mind:

1. Keep it short and sweet. A title that's too long will get cut off in search results, so aim for something that's around 50
characters or less.

2. Make it keyword rich. Include relevant keywords that accurately describe what your blog post is about. This will help it
show up in search engine results.

3. Use strong verbs. Active, descriptive verbs will grab attention and make your title more persuasive.

4. Write for your audience. Keep your target reader in mind when crafting your title so that it appeals to their interests
and needs.

5. Include a number: Readers love lists, so including a number in your title is a great way to catch their attention.

6. Test Google: Run your topic through a Google search and look at the top 10 ranking blogs, and what they have in
common in their titles

Your Blog Introduction

The introduction to your blog should be short, sweet, and to the point. It should give the reader an idea of what the blog
is about, without giving too much away. The goal is to hook the reader and encourage them to read on.

I use Jasper AI to create my intro paragraph. Jasper has a template called the Blog Post Intro Paragraph. I enter my title,
the audience, and a tone of voice, and Jasper nails the intro paragraph every time.

Some tips for writing a great introduction:

1. Keep it short: An introduction should be no more than a few sentences long. Otherwise, you risk losing the reader's
attention.

2. Get to the point: The first sentence of your introduction should be clear and concise, getting straight to the point of
what your blog is about.

3. Use strong verbs: Active, descriptive verbs will grab attention and make your introduction more persuasive.

4. Write for your audience: Keep your target reader in mind when crafting your introduction so that it appeals to their
interests and needs.

5. Include Your Target Keyword: Your target keyword should be included in your introduction, as this is what will help
your blog rank in search engine results.

The Table of Contents

If your blog post is long, consider adding a table of contents. This will help readers navigate your content and find the
sections they are most interested in. WordPress has Plugins that make this easy.

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 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

If you are making money with display ads, you may want to have the TOC closed by default, and let the user open it. This
will keep them on the page longer, and give you more opportunities to show them an ad.

Most plugins create the table of contents automatically out of the heading tags (H2, H3) in your post. If you want more
control over what is in the table of contents, and the order, you can create it manually.

Paragraph Headings

If your blog post is longer than a few hundred words, you'll want to break it up into smaller paragraphs with headings.
This will make it more readable and help readers find the information they are looking for. These are created in an
outline format with heading styles.

Typically, the blog title is the most important, and is an H1. The subtitles are H2's, and the subtitles to those are H3's.

Most bloggers use H2's for each of the paragraph headings, and only use H3's, and H4's if they need to further establish
thoughts within a paragraph.

For example, his guide uses headings and subheadings in the same way.

Images, Graphics, and Videos

People are visual learners, and will often skim through a blog post to see if there are any images or videos that relate to
the topic.

If you can find an image or video that helps to explain your topic, be sure to include it in your blog post. You can also
create infographics and graphics to help break up the text and make your content more engaging.

While using unique photos is ideal, we aren't all photographers. There are a number of places where you can find high-
quality photos to use in your blog posts.

I use Canva Pro.

Internal and External Links

Linking to other related content on your site is a great way to keep readers engaged with your site. It also helps to
improve your SEO as it shows search engines that your site is an authority on the topic.

Be sure to only link to high-quality, relevant content so that you don't lose readers.

You can also link to external sources to back up your claims or provide additional information. Just be sure to link to
reputable sources so that you don't damage your credibility.

For WordPress, I recommend the tool Link Whisper for suggesting relevant internal links as you write.

Call-to-Action

Every blog post should have a call-to-action (CTA) at the end. This is simply a sentence or two that tells the reader what
you want them to do next.

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 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

Your CTA could be something like:

"If you found this post helpful, be sure to share it with your friends!"

"Click here to sign up for my email list to get more tips like this."

"Check out my course on XYZ to learn more about this topic."

Your CTA should be relevant to the content of your blog post and match the needs of your target reader.

For example, if you are a course creator, it would make sense to include a CTA for your course at the end of a blog post
that covers one of the topics in your course.

Closing Paragraph

A closing paragraph is a great opportunity to thank the reader for their time and let them know what they can expect
from your blog in the future.

This is also a good place to include a CTA for subscribing to your blog so that they don't miss any future posts.

You can also include a CTA to follow you on social media, or to check out your latest product or course.

Metadescription (and excerpt)

The meta description is the short paragraph of text that appears under your blog title in the search results. While Google
doesn't always use it, it's a suggestion from you to the search engines on what you would like to share on the SERP
(search engine result page).

This is your opportunity to convince the reader to click through to your blog post, so be sure to make it interesting and
engaging.

If you don't want to use a meta description, you can leave it blank and Google will pull an excerpt from your post.

An excerpt is a short piece of text that summarizes your blog post. It's typically around 30-40 words long, but can be
shorter or longer depending on the theme you're using.

You can create a custom excerpt for each blog post, or you can let WordPress automatically generate one for you. If you
are using a WordPress Plugin, you can set your metadescription to populate from the excerpt.

If you want more control of how your meta descriptions look, I recommend the RankMath plugin for WordPress.

It gives you the ability to customize your meta descriptions for each blog post, as well as a number of other powerful
SEO features.

FAQ

There's a good chance that by including a frequently asked question section on your blog, your question and answer
may appear in Google's people also ask boxes, or featured snippets.

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 Blogging Guide and Resources | Lori Ballen

This can help you to get more traffic to your blog, as people will see your answer without even clicking through to your
blog post.

To find questions to include in your FAQ section, you can do a Google search for your main keyword and scroll down to
the "People Also Ask" boxes.

You can also use a tool like SEMrush to find questions related to your keyword. Simple type your seed keyword into the
search bar in SEMRush, and view the results. Click on the questions tab to see a list of questions related to your
keyword.

I use RankMath to markup my FAQ section with Schema so that it has a better chance of ranking on Google. Schema is a
code that you can add to your website to give the search engines more information about your content.

Monetizing your Blog

If you want to make money from your blog, there are a number of ways that you can do it.

The most common way is through advertising, either through Google Adsense or through an ad publishing service like
Ezoic.

Another way to monetize your blog is through affiliate marketing, where you promote products and services that are
relevant to your niche and earn a commission on any sales that you generate. I use a plugin for WordPress called Thirsty
Affiliates to store and auto link my affiliate offers.

You can also sell products or courses directly from your blog. If you have a physical product, you can use a service like
Shopify to create an online store.

If you have an information product, such as an ebook or video course, you can use a plugin like WooCommerce to sell it
directly from your blog.

Wrapping Up

That's it! Now you know how to write a blog post that is both informative and engaging, and that will help you to rank
higher in the search engines. There's more to learn, but you've got enough to get you rolling.

Remember to focus on creating helpful, relevant content that your readers will appreciate. And don't forget to optimize
your blog posts for the search engines so that they can find and index your content.

If you feel like you need some 1:1 help with your blogging, you can book a 30-minute or 1-hour session with me here.

To get a new website, hosting, or sales funnels, call my brothers Jeff and Paul Helvin at 702-917-0755.

Happy Blogging!!

Courtesy of Lori Ballen | All Rights Reserved ®2022