This is my annual post about blogging in December, and it’s also my eleventh December in the blogging world. As I’ve discovered previously, December in the blogging world differs from any other time of the year. Why? Read on for more details.
I see a familiar path. As December arrives and the days tick by, the blogging world grows quieter.
I’ve already had the pleasure of witnessing bloggers saying farewell to their blogs and followers for Christmas, joyfully extending warm wishes to their readers for a Merry Christmas while eagerly expressing their intention to return promptly in the New Year. Some have published their final posts of 2024, while others have happily shared their anticipated dates for a well-earned blogging break.
And who can blame them? Blogging is enjoyable, but all bloggers need a break from the blogging world.
However, just because the blogging world gets quiet, it doesn’t mean you have to stop blogging. Instead, it’s the perfect time of year to focus on the behind-the-scenes blogging tasks you may have meant to do throughout the year but never quite got around to.
Embrace this opportunity to make progress on all that behind-the-scenes work and watch your efforts flourish in the New Year.
1. Fix broken links.
It can be daunting if you’ve never checked for and fixed broken links on your blog, but don’t be put off doing it.
I use the free version of Brokenlink.com to check and fix broken links on my blog.
Fixing broken links helps improve your blog’s SEO score and reduces spam.
Your readers will also be happier once those broken links are fixed because they won’t be taken to pages and posts that no longer exist. No more ‘404-page not found’ errors!
Top Tip: Don’t try to tackle your list of broken links in one go. Do a few each day. Before you know it, you’ll have smashed it.
2. Update your ‘About’ page.
Every blogger should definitely have an ‘About’ page on their blog! Why? Well, not only do most readers enjoy getting to know the person behind the blog before deciding to follow, but it also happens to be one of the most visited sections of any blog. Therefore, it’s a win-win situation for bloggers and their readers alike!
It’s just as essential to keep your ‘About’ page updated. When did you last update the ‘About’ page of your blog? I updated mine a few days ago.
Not sure what to put on the ‘About’ page? ‘How to Write the Perfect About Me Page For Your WordPress Blog‘ by blogger and writer James Lane has excellent recommendations.
Top Tip: Tell visitors when you last updated your ‘About’ page by inserting the month and year you updated it. For example, mine reads, Meet Hugh – updated November 2024.
3. Do some blog housekeeping.
December is perfect for performing behind-the-scene blog housekeeping.
From sorting out the tags and categories on your blog to updating the menu bar, maintaining your blog is vital to keeping it fit and healthy for the New Year.
Blogs where little or no housekeeping is performed lose more followers and readers than well-maintained blogs. Why would anyone want to follow a poorly maintained blog or website full of broken links? They can also appear spammy and unsafe to visit.
Prepare your blog for the New Year by performing some housekeeping during December.
Top Tip: Blog housekeeping may seem daunting, but doing a little each day will significantly improve your blog.
4. Explore the WordPress Editor.
Are you still terrified of the WordPress (Block) Editor? As the number of bloggers using the WordPress Editor continues to skyrocket, now is the perfect time to explore the WordPress Editor and join all those already using it.
The WordPress editor isn’t complex to use; it’s just different!
WordPress has excellent tutorials on how the editor works and how to use it. Check out Using the WordPress Editor: Video Tutorials and more.
Remember that you can use the Classic editor via the ‘Classic’ Block. Soon, this may be the only option available to gain access to the Classic editor, so start using it today rather than panicking when the old Classic editor is removed.
Top Tip: Create a free WordPress blog to test the WordPress editor. That is what I’ve done, and it has helped me greatly.
5. Declutter the blogs you follow.
Following too many blogs is not good for your mental health. It can cause some bloggers stress and guilt from being overwhelmed by too many posts they feel obliged to read and comment on. Why follow a blog if you feel compelled to read and leave uninspiring comments?
Take control of your time rather than lose it on blogs you are not interested in.
Check which blogs you are following by clicking on the ‘spectacle (glasses)’ icon at the top of your blog. Click on ‘Manage’ (next to ‘Subscriptions’). You will be presented with a list of blogs you are following. Go through them and unfollow the blogs you are no longer interested in.
Top Tip: Set yourself a limit on how many blogs you follow. When this limit is reached, do not follow any more blogs unless you unsubscribe from some first.
6. Choose a new theme for your blog.
December is the perfect time to change the theme of your blog.
If the WordPress theme you are using has been retired, you are likely (or soon will be) having problems with your blog. This can result in being unable to leave comments on other blogs and not being able to draft and publish posts without encountering issues.
Once WordPress retires a theme, it removes support for it. Don’t waste your time trying to find workarounds. I have witnessed many bloggers give up blogging because they are trying to work around problems with their retired themes.
To choose a new theme, go to your blog’s dashboard and click Appearance—Themes. You’ll be presented with a selection of current themes. As soon as you find one you like, select it.
Many of the themes on offer are Full Site Editing themes. However, Classic themes are also available that still come with full support from WordPress.
The current theme I’m using is Toujours. It’s a Classic theme and is still fully supported by WordPress.
Top Tip: To find fully supported Classic themes, type ‘Classic’ in the search box of the themes page and click on ‘Classic theme.’ A complete list of Classic themes will appear.
7. Delete old blog posts.
Did you know that keeping old, out-of-date posts can damage the health of your blog? These outdated posts are often the source of many broken links and errors that attract spammers.
Not convinced? My post, ‘Are Your Old Blog Posts Damaging Your Blog? How To Stop It From Happening,’ gives full details.
Top Tip: Deleting old blog posts will also free up storage space in your media library (if they contain images or photos). However, you must manually delete photos and images from your media library to free up space.
Conclusion:
Although all the above tips can be performed at any time of the year, make the most of December by undertaking these tasks.
Remember, doing a little daily goes a long way, rather than doing nothing to look after your blog.
December is often a busy time outside blogging, with holidays and festivities. Taking a break from blogging allows you to recharge, relax, and fully immerse yourself in the holiday spirit. It enables you to step away from the computer and focus on spending quality time with family and friends, as well as doing other fun things.
For those who do not celebrate Christmas, taking a break from blogging while other bloggers do the same will help improve their well-being. Whenever I have returned from a blogging break, I have come back refreshed and full of new ideas for blog posts.
While taking a blogging break in December is a personal choice, finding a balance that suits your needs and goals is essential. Whether you decide to take a break or continue blogging, ensure to prioritise your well-being and enjoy the holiday season.
Am I planning a blogging break?
Yes, I’m taking a blogging break in December. This year, I’ll recycle some Christmas-themed posts and publish a Wordless Wednesday post on December 4th, 11th, and 18th. I also have a book promotion post planned, which may happen in the new year.
My monthly round-up post will go live on December 31st.
I won’t be reading and commenting on blog posts during the Christmas period. However, I will respond to comments left on my blog posts.
What will you be doing with your blog during December? Are you planning a blogging break, or will you continue to blog?
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Thanks for the ideas on how to be productive! I’m also working ahead a bit, writing few draft posts… So, I have them prepared for busier times.
That’s a good way to plan ahead incase of busy times outside of blogging.
I’m delighted this post helped.
Thanks for the reminders Hugh. I definitely need to declutter my blogs, I follow way too many.
December is the perfect time to declutter our blogs, Wayne. These next two weeks will be very quiet in the blogging world.
That’s great to know thanks.
Thank you Hugh for introducing me to the BrokenLink checker. I’ve tried a few similar offerings from other providers in the past but didn’t find them very helpful. You’d get a list of all the broken links but do easy way to then find out where that link actually was on the site. This one is much more user friendly
I think BrokenLink checker is the best of a bad bunch, Karen. Finding the broken link can sometimes take ages, but most are easy to spot. Wouldn’t it be great if our blogs highlighted broken links or sent us a message informing us which ones need attention?
Groan – I’ve spent ages trying to find where the problem lies with some of those broken links that were identified. Some of the 404 errors are caused by a comment where the originator has closed their site. I’m assuming I just delete the comment to fix the problem??
Yes, that’s the only way to eliminate those broken links. It can be tiresome, so I recommend doing a few a day. Sounds like you’re making significant progress, though.
Oh I wouldn’t claim that significant progress is being made! I do a few a day – that’s the only way i can stay sane with this activity
Thank you for this post. As a not new but newly serious blogger, these tips for blogging in December give me a to do list that will help me improve my blog.
You’re welcome. I’m glad these tips are helpful to you.
Happy Blogging.
I have recently entered into the blogging world. (I got whole 3 likes on a blog I did, and was so thrilled!) It has been such an adventure of learning by doing. This blog post drew me in, I’ve been hunting for more knowledge of how to blog and this had so many insightful tips. I am struggling with back end things such as how to make the text block when on mobile has space on the sides so it looks less squeezed, and for the life of me I can’t seem to figure out how or where to even look to make a pull down menu in the top corner of my blog. But these are all fun rabbit holes I am sure I’ll figure out. Thank you for making this content. Looking forward to exploring your blog more!
I’m delighted this post has been helpful to you. I should start by saying, ‘Welcome to the blogging world.’
There are numerous free blogging tips throughout the blogging world. Most importantly, you should engage with other bloggers through comments that demonstrate your interest in what they write and prove that you’ve read the post. Avoid leaving short, non-engaging comments such as ‘These are nice photos.’
Building an audience requires time and hard work, but keep at it. And remember that blogging is about enjoyment and fun. If it becomes a chore or you start feeling stressed or guilty, take a step back and change how you blog.
Happy blogging.
A timely blog for me, as I’ve been considering the value of blogging to me overall. Just as I think of putting it into retirement because of the staggeringly low number of subscribers, or simply just blogging every now and again, something happens that reminds me what lovely people I have found through blogging. Maybe just a change of theme may perk me up a bit – hence the timely nature of your blog.
Blogging has it’s dips and highs, Paul. But the blogging community is what makes blogging so worthwhile. Most will respond to your comments and always show an interest in what you publish. I hope you do keep blogging, but will fully understand if you step away. Make sure to keep in touch with your favourite bloggers via social media, though. I’ve just joined BlueSky, which I am liking very much.
I haven’t change my blog’s theme for a while, but that’s because I like my theme and it’s also a Classic theme that WordPress still support. I may hop over to a Full-Site-Editing theme one day.
I have more than one blog. A professional one for my fiction books, a personal one for hubby and I, a more personal one for me and my thoughts, and an old one for hubby’s hobby barn. I have been blogging since around 2006 and both readership and comments have decreased. A lot of it has to do with social media. So why do I keep it up?
My author blog just got a total remake and I no longer blog. I just have an update page. Simple but timely since my writing days are winding down.
Our personal blog is more of a journal for us to refer back to, so it (and SmugMug for all our photos) will stay, regardless of readership.
My personal thoughts one is very sporadic, so it will stay even with a small readership. It’s a venting spot for me and I’m okay with only a select few reading it.
I think we have to consider why we are blogging. Things have changed immensely in the last almost 20 years. Just look at phones!
Good luck in whatever you decide.
I will carry on with blogging, both reading and creating. But I no longer adhere to the advice to post regularly and to check the title has the right type of words to score on the SEO ratings; I did that and found it didn’t have any impact at all. I’ll just try and go for quality over quantity and to continue to engage with the blogs I most enjoy.
Blogging has given me a handful of friends who I will never meet, but feel enriched to know. Many thanks for taking the time out to give me your advice.