Summer is always a slow blogging season for me, and since I'm not blogging as much, I do my best to find ways to make the most of my previously written content.
It's so easy to let old posts sit and die, but with these few tips, you'll be able to be able to make the most of previously written content without having to always rely on a new post for page view.
Filtering blog posts on key words is great, but I can find it difficult to sort through all of the content. In addition to key word filters, I created an index of categorized posts to allow for more visibility in regard to previously written content.
I organized my blog content around DIYs, recipes, and our story... other pages could include travel, fashion, pregnancy, kiddos, etc. I've seen some people just list old posts (which I still prefer over key word filters), but I included a small photo to make each blog post title more visually appealing. It's a great way for people to quickly (and easily) view past blog posts by topic without too much searching.
More than half of my blog traffic comes from Pinterest. Recipes, DIYs, how-tos, etc... they all are pin-able! And no need to pin only one photo per post - pin a couple if you have more than one great photo to share. I pin my blog posts to my personal Pinterest page (my DIYs go on my DIY board, recipes go on my foodie board, etc.).
It often seems like the majority of people that read my blog are other bloggers, so pinning posts to Pinterest is a great way for random people to find my blog via pinned recipes, DIYs, etc. Also, when you pin photos, make sure you're linking them to a specific blog post and not your homepage.
A lot of bloggers link key words in their new blog posts to past blog posts that they've written... it's a great way to reference past blog posts that are applicable to what you're currently writing. The key here is to keep it applicable...! No one wants to be linked to a random post that doesn't have anything to do with what you led the reader to believe they were clicking on.
Also, decide what you're going to link wisely. If you're linking every other word to random posts, none of them will have any meaning, and no one will keep clicking on them. Lastly, when linking to different posts, make sure what you're linking to opens up in a new window; that way the reader can easily get back to what they were originally reading. And remember, this tip only works if it is obvious that something is linked - so make sure your links are a different color (or font).
This widget is a perfect way to display past posts at the end of every new blog post. It encourages the reader to stick around (and click around!).
You can create this widget by utilizing this website - free, easy to install, and it will start sharing old posts so your previously written blog posts don't get lost underneath a pile of new ones!
I will often write a "round-up" post for holiday themed blog posts. For example, if a year ago you posted about some awesome Cinco de Mayo recipes and DIYs, don't feel like you can't share them again this year!
It's likely that your readership has changed in the past year, and unless they've gone through old posts, it is likely that these old posts will be new to some readers! This is essentially making an index of commonly themed past posts and sharing them for current readers.
I can't totally decide how I feel about republishing, but since I'm just blogging for fun, I don't see any harm in it. I don't do this often, but every now and then there's a really great post that deserves to be pulled out from the archive, spruced up a bit and shared again (I did this with my DIY wedding hangers).
As mentioned in #5, readership can change quite a bit in a year, so it's likely that it will either be new to many people or they won't even remember they've read it.
What are your tips for making the most of your old blog content?
John and I recently went to dinner with friends at a lovely restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale called The Upton! We had a great time catching up and eating delicious food - can’t beat a double date night.
To celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary, John and I had a tasty dinner out at Cornish Pasty Co. Although it was certainly not fine dining, we wanted to go there in anticipation for our trip to Europe - and eat some English pub food! Tasty indeed!
Did anyone watch the premier of True Detective this past weekend? You best believe my hubby was all over it! He wasn't so sure about the first episode of this season... Any thoughts?
We are officially packed and ready for our European vacation! I'm feeling a little bit surprised that I was able to pack everything I needed in a backpack (granted, it is 60L, but I am the ultimate over packer...). We leave tomorrow, and I feel so incredibly blessed and thankful that we get to go on this (perhaps) once in a lifetime trip.
It’s crazy to think that yesterday marked the first official day of summer.
Where in the world has 2015 gone?!
To celebrate this change in season, I’m sharing some of my go-to summer pins.
I mean really, who doesn’t need grilling tips and lemonade recipes?!
It’s really hard to believe that John and I are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary today. I feel beyond blessed to have John as my husband, and it’s crazy looking back to our wedding day and seeing how much we’ve grown as people and as a couple.
John is absolutely the most thoughtful person that I have ever met, and I am always caught off guard and thoroughly impressed with his heart for me and others. He really does lead our family by example. I am so incredibly thankful to spend forever with him!
You can read about our wedding day and view photos here.
You can read about how we met here.
You can read about how John proposed here.
You can read about 5 things I’ve learned since getting married here.
John and I have been so busy lately, and well, the summer doesn’t really look like it’s going to be slowing down anytime soon. Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been up to lately.
The weather has been getting a little steamy, so to escape the heat we have taken a couple of fly fishing trips to Tonto Creek and Horton Creek. John does the fishing and I basically just hike around with Scout, but we enjoy being outside and exploring!
Speaking of Scout, John and I were proud parents this month as she was selected as “dog of the month” for the day camp that we send her to. Basically this means that we pay them way too much money, but whatevs, we were proud parents anyway!
John’s law firm hosted a food tour of Downtown Phoenix for attorneys and their spouses, and it was great fun! Basically, we had a tour guide who took us to 5 different restaurants for food and drinks and told us about historical spots along the way. It was fun getting to learn more about the city and chatting with his colleagues… not to mention to food and drinks were quite tasty! It was my first food tour, and I will definitely look into these next time we travel!
I’m all about a feel good movie, and McFarland USA was definitely that. John and I had a date night in with a little wine and cheese and we enjoyed watching the movie. I don’t even remember it being out in the theaters, but it’s definitely worth seeing if you look for a quality movie with a positive ending.
And of course, my schedule would not be complete without a little Bachelorette action!
Any thoughts on this season? I'm not super into it yet... it has all seemed a little haphazard.
Now that Tony and Clint have left, I feel like the majority of the major weirdos are gone (which I always appreciate). Any thoughts on Nick’s return? I say let him stay!
John and I are hoping to do some backpacking this summer, and we finally broke down and bought me a pack! I look forward to using it... hopefully a few times this summer!
I’ve had a box of Israeli couscous sitting in my pantry for literally 2 years.
Yes, I moved from Michigan to New Mexico to Arizona toting around this box of couscous.
I’m generally not a pack rat, but much to John’s dismay, I always insist on packing our non-perishable food items when we move (even if it is 1,200 miles away and it would only cost us $3 to buy a new one...). John has moved a lot in his life, so he is extra sensitive to "stuff."
Anyway, after cleaning out our pantry this weekend (doesn’t having a clean/organized pantry feel amazing?) I decided that this box of couscous either needed to be made or thrown in the trash.
And given my attachment to this couscous (which, honestly, may have been gifted from my mom’s pantry when she moved to Minnesota), I was not about to throw it away after all we had been through together.
I found this amazing summer salad recipe and knew that it would immediately be the perfect use for this couscous. It’s light, fresh, and oh so tasty!
Prepare the couscous per the directions on the box, and dice your avocado, strawberries, and cilantro.
To make the dressing, mix all of the ingredients together and toss with all the ingredients of the salad.
This is a perfect summer salad... flavorful with beautiful colors!