Have you ever had a nightmare when you’re driving alone on an empty road and you find yourself suddenly veering off a cliff? We’ve all gone through it: cold sweats, crumpled sheets, shallow breathing, and panic-filled thoughts. We all have nightmares that keep blissful sleep at bay. But you can’t sneak into your parent’s bedroom now for a reassuring hug.
What am I talking about again?
Blogging nightmares!I personally know a lot of bloggers who lie awake at night, thinking about their next posts, wondering how the next Google update will roll out, worrying if their position in the SERPs will hold, and stressing over keywords, visitors, and comments.
It’s chaos up in our heads.
Blogging, as simple and as cute as it sounds, really isn’t that simple. It’s a tedious, nerve-racking, energy-consuming process with plenty of teeth-chattering moments just waiting to happen.
Your Brain is Empty
Most writers reach a point in their lives when all they can do is stare at a blank monitor. No words ooze out of their brain cells and their fingers refuse to hit any button on the keyboard. It’s basically one of the worst things that could happen to us.
Or is it?
To all writers out there, this is actually a good thing. When your mind runs out of ideas, it’s got a clean slate, which means that it can now write, absorb, learn, and talk about ANYTHING!
I know it’s said that bloggers should stick to their niches. But why not break the monotony once in a while? Your readers will love that you’re flexible and that you’re open to other topics AND your brain will love the distraction from your normal writing thoughts.
Here’s an awesome read about Creative Ideas for Outside-the-Box Blog Posts
You Have No Idea What’s Happening with SEO
How many Penguin and Panda updates have there been? 5? 20? You’ve no idea, do you? Although we try our hardest to keep up with algorithm updates, SEO changes, trends, and predictions, it’s quite hard to wrap our heads around ALL of it.
The shrieking silence of SERP rankings, the cold breaths of forgotten techniques of web design, the foul smells of low traffic and high bounce rate—these ghouls haunt our sleep and keep us awake. We’re afraid because we don’t know. We don’t know because we’re too busy.
But is that enough of an excuse?
Yes. The SEO world should be none of our concern. Sure, we need to optimise our blogs and come up with different strategies on how to market and promote it. But it all boils down to one thing: honesty. If you’re honest about blogging, if you stay true to your readers and your niche, and if you stick to your writer’s voice, then everything else, including SEO, will follow.
Learn about SEO Mistakes Bloggers Should Avoid
You Don’t Know What Your Goal Is
Why do you blog? It’s like asking, why is the Earth round? Why do chickens lay eggs? Why does the sun set?
Questions for the philosophers, and yet I ask you nonetheless. Why do you blog?
“I blog because it makes me happy. I blog because I believe in the power of words and images. I blog because writing is my passion. I blog because my friends do, therefore I should too. I blog because everybody is doing it. I blog to have friends. I blog because I feel lonely and blogging allows me to feel less so. I blog to talk to people. I blog because I believe my ideas and thoughts are relevant. I blog because my life is an open book. I blog to be popular.”
Image credit: socialsteve
What thought motivated you when you first started blogging? What emotions were running through you? What inspired you? What made you a blogger?
This may require a deeper sense of self and perhaps a few hours (even days) of reflection. NEVER lose track of why you’re blogging in the first place. Otherwise, what’s the point?
And now I’ll throw you another question…
Should you cower from these nightmares then? Of course not!
The rigours of the blogosphere shouldn’t scare us from doing what we love. Why let blogging nightmares undermine your potential? Remember that you can’t call yourself successful if you don’t go through trials and tribulations. Blogging isn’t all that different. You have to walk through hellish fires and brave frozen wastelands before you can reach blogosphere paradise.
This dose of blogging inspiration was written by Richard Eaves, a Digital Marketing Specialist at Smart Traffic, an SEO company with offices in Bristol, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Lead image via Trenton Schulz