Tag: Help With Blogging

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Want More Blogging Success? What Happens When You Find It.

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts97 Comments

This is post number one hundred and four this year. It was meant to be my one-hundredth post, but life got in the way (I’m not going to bore you with the details), and my Wordless Wednesday post from a few weeks ago earned the honour of being post number 100.

When you think about it, one hundred and four posts in ten mouths seem like an awful lot. Am I overwhelming readers with too many posts, or do you want more? I’m averaging nine monthly posts, which appears to have become a good balance.

If you asked me, ‘Am I publishing too many posts?’ I’d respond, ‘Do what feels best for you.’ However, we should never forget our audience, so there’s no harm in reaching out and asking. Without you (my audience) reading these posts and engaging with me, this blog would be like arriving on a barren planet. And nobody wants that.

I’d be interested to know how many posts you have published in 2024 and if you’re happy with that number. Let me know in the comments.

Let’s discuss other blogging topics

Did you see my recent post about whole blog posts being shown in emails? No? It’s titled ‘WordPress: Excerpts Are Working Again!‘ It’s worth reading if you only want an excerpt of your posts to show in email notifications and want visitors to visit your blog to read them. Reading posts by visiting a blog is a much better experience than reading them by email, especially since some blocks do not appear in emails, making posts look odd and broken.

There are many reasons to encourage visitors to visit your blog, one of which is that they are more likely to engage with you if they are on your blog (rather than reading from an email). Furthermore, visitors can explore your blog, catch up on posts they have not read, and check any links. This brings me nicely to the subject of engagement.

Are you engaging or comment spamming?

As regular visitors to my blog know, I am passionate about engagement in the blogging world. Recently, I came across an alarming article stating that engagement has decreased to an all-time low in blogging. How sad is that? However, when you look at some blogs with low engagement or, conversely, blogs with numerous non-engaging comments, it is evident that this is happening.

Here’s an example. I recently discovered a writing challenge blog and wanted to get involved. But when I checked out some of the comments left, I knew that participating would not be worthwhile. With lots of non-engaging comments such as ‘Nice one’ and ‘great attempt” being left on stories, nobody wanted to engage with one another. It was a barren planet. I left with a heavy heart.

When I publish a post, it’s the engagement I crave. So when I publish a short story or piece of flash fiction, I look for feedback beyond being told it was a great story. Engaging feedback is critical for all of us to improve our writing.

Do you agree? Do engaging comments help to improve your writing?

Take action if you want engagement

This may seem like a shock-horror move, but I’m now marking comments such as ‘nice’ and ‘beautiful post’ as spam. Leaving short comments all over the blogging world is like leaving spam everywhere. We all know how spam can cause frustration and diminish the enjoyment of blogging.

One main reason readers do not leave engaging comments is a lack of time. However, many who offer that excuse leave non-engaging comments everywhere. They spend the time they could have used to leave an engaging comment, posting numerous non-engaging comments everywhere. The flash fiction challenge I mentioned earlier seems to confirm this.

Some bloggers believe that nobody will leave comments on their blogs if they don’t comment, so they leave short, non-engaging comments everywhere. Honestly, that’s a crazy thought.

Before I finish discussing engagement, I want to reassure everyone that they should not feel obliged to leave comments on any of my posts. I won’t be upset if you don’t comment, but I will mark comments as spam if they are those pesky, non-engagement comments I mentioned. One engaging comment every once in a while is worth a thousand non-engaging comments.

I don’t know about you, but it makes all the difference if somebody wants to engage with me and does so in a way that proves they’ve read the post and are interested. Do you agree?

Please preview your posts before publishing them!

Did you know you can preview your posts before publishing them? It seems that some bloggers do not know they can do this. From seeing upside-down images to posts with a terrible and hard-to-read layout, there is no excuse for anyone not to preview their posts before publishing them. It’s so simple to do.

Before publishing a post, click the little ‘laptop computer’ symbol at the top right of the page on which you are drafting the post. You will be able to see a preview of your post as it will look on a desktop computer, tablet, and mobile phone. Plus, and this is fantastic news, WordPress has now moved the ‘preview email’ option to the same menu for how your post will look in an email.

Image showing the preview post and email option on WordPress.
Always preview your posts and WordPress notification emails before publishing them.

Thank you for making that option more accessible to find, WordPress.

There is no excuse for sloppiness in ensuring your posts and WordPress notification emails are at their best for your audience.

Finally, how are your blogging stats performing?

I’m delighted that my blogging statistics have rocketed this year. I’ve surpassed last year’s total number of visitors and views to my blog. But to make things even better, 2024 is on track to be my best year ever (in the ten years I’ve blogged) in terms of viewing statistics and engagement. I believe this disproves those who tell you that you must publish posts every day for your blog to be successful. You don’t need to force yourself to blog every day.

A blog’s success depends not on how often it publishes posts but on the quality of those posts.

Thank you to everyone who visits my blog, reads my posts, and engages with me. Without you, Hugh’s Views and News would never have reignited my passion for writing and engaging with others.

How are your blogging stats this year? Tell me in the comments section.

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5 Easy Ways To Unfollow A WordPress Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts25 Comments

If you missed my recent post, 7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Deciding Whether To Follow A Blog, you won’t have seen the fantastic discussions in the comments section that raised many questions.

One of those questions was, ‘How do I Unsubscribe From A WordPress Blog I’m No Longer Interested In Reading?’

Not sure why you should unfollow a blog? Read the post for the answers.

Light blue image with the words '5 Easy Ways To Unfollow A WordPress Blog' in white text.
It’s easy to unfollow a blog on WordPress.

For this post, I’m using a desktop computer.

1. From The WordPress Reader

Ensure you are viewing posts from the WordPress Reader.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow and click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

2. From A Post

Open the post from the WordPress Reader.

Right-click on the post title and click ‘Open in a new tab.’

Click the ‘Subscribe‘ button in the screen’s floating action bar in the lower right corner.

You’ll now be unsubscribed from following that blog.

3. From An email Notification

If you get email notifications of new posts, click the ‘Manage your email settings or unsubscribe’ link in the email.

Image highlighting the 'Manage your email settings or unsubscribe' link on a WordPress new post notification email.
Click the ‘Manage your email settings or unsubscribe’ link

On the new page that opens, click the ‘unsubscribe‘ button.

4. From the ‘Manage’ subscriptions list on the WordPress Reader

From the ‘manage‘ section of the blogs you’re following, click on the ‘Manage‘ link (next to ‘Subscriptions‘).

Image highlighting the 'Manage' link in the WordPress Reader page
Click the ‘Manage’ link.

A list of all the blogs you’re following will show.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow and click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

5. From a WordPress Web Address

Ensure you are signed into WordPress.

Type or click on the following URL address https://wordpress.com/following/edit

A list of all the blogs you are following will show.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow.

Click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.

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7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Deciding Whether To Follow A Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts99 Comments

How many blogs do you follow?

How many of those blogs do you regularly visit and comment on?

How many of those blogs do you never visit? I bet most of you never visit at least a few. Yes? Then why are you still following them?

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I used to follow over 500 blogs! I merely followed many because they followed me first.

What a big mistake that was!

New blog posts were continually dropping onto my WordPress reader and email box.

It wasn’t long before I started to feel overwhelmed by it all and realised I couldn’t possibly read and comment on every new blog post. Only fools try doing that.

Then, I started feeling guilty about not having enough time to visit and comment on every blog I followed.

Something had to change.

I decided to go through all the blogs I followed and unfollow some of them – gulp! Shock horror. Wouldn’t that upset somebody?

Today, I’m following 55 blogs, and I’ve set myself a target of never exceeding a total of 75.

For some, that may seem like a lot of blogs to follow. For others, not enough. But it’s the perfect balance for me.

But what mistakes did I make when following blogs?

1. Following blogs that publish content I had no interest in

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But look through the list of blogs you follow and count how many of them publish content you’re not interested in reading.

Then, ask yourself why you are following them.

Many of the blogs I unfollowed were blogs that followed my blog first. I felt it polite to follow back even though I had no idea what content they published.

It was like buying a car without having test-driven it first.

Before following a blog, check out some of the posts and ask yourself these two questions.

Does the content interest me enough to keep me coming back?

Does the content motivate me enough to leave engaging comments? 

If you answer ‘No’ to the first question, then don’t follow.

Some bloggers you unfollow may unfollow you but don’t get yourself all worked up about it. It’s no big deal.

My blog loses followers almost every day. If readers no longer find my content interesting, they have every right to unfollow me.

2. Following unfriendly blogs

Two things that I dislike in blog posts are lots of swearing and belittling others. Even worse is swearing in blog post titles. There’s no need for it.

I’m adult enough to know that most adults do swear, but when there’s too much of it in blog posts, or there isn’t any need for it, then I won’t follow.

The same goes for bloggers who publish content that belittles other people or criticises them for how they live, look, write or talk.

By all means, warn readers at the beginning that a post contains swear words or may offend, but never swear at or criticise others in the post or comments section.

If you think you’ll be offended by the content on a blog or in its comments section, don’t follow it.

3. Following non-engaging blogs.

While reading blog posts, remember to check the comments section to see if the blogger responds to them. If the comments are all one-way, think seriously before following and commenting.

If they don’t respond to comments (especially on their ‘about‘ page), ask yourself if the blog is worth following.

If the content is interesting, then, by all means, follow, but think hard about whether it’s worth trying to engage with the blog host.

If they do respond, look at the way they respond. Are they lazily interacting with their readers? Do they respond to all comments in the same dull, non-engaging manner (e.g. ‘Thanks for reading!’)?

Even though a blogger may respond to all the comments, if they are not engaging with their audience, ask yourself if it’s worth leaving comments and following their blog. 

4. Following blogs that could damage your health

There are lots of things that can damage your health when online. For example, too much screen time, addiction to social media and reading too many negative articles or comments.

One of the worst things that can happen to a blogger is feeling overwhelmed, stressed or guilty. This usually occurs when they can’t keep up with reading blog posts or leaving comments. It also happens when a blogger feels obliged to read and comment on other blogs simply because that blogger follows and comments on their blog.

Don’t feel obliged, guilty, or stressed because certain bloggers comment on your posts. 

If you’re following blogs that you believe publish too many daily posts, think about unfollowing them or turning off notifications for those posts when they are published.  

Of course, we can ignore all those posts, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you could miss out on something if you don’t read or comment on them all.

Remember to make the most of setting up to receive notifications on a daily or weekly basis rather than every time somebody publishes a new post. This gives you the power to pick and choose which posts to read.

5. Following ghost blogs

I’ve mentioned it many times before, but the first thing I now do before deciding whether or not to follow a blog is to visit its ‘about’ page. If there isn’t one, I consider it a ‘ghost blog.’

If there isn’t an ‘about’ page, it isn’t easy to find, is outdated, or doesn’t contain any interesting information, I won’t follow.

Why? I want to find out about the person behind the blog before deciding whether to follow it.

If the site owner doesn’t care about having an ‘about’ page or updating it, the rest of their blog could also be outdated and not worth your time.

A blogger who does not care about their blog won’t care about their audience.

6. Following uncared-for or neglected blogs

If a new blog I’m visiting is eye-catching, well-organised, easy to navigate, has excellent content, feels friendly, and seems a great place to be, I will press the follow button.

After all, if it looks and feels good and the content is interesting, I will likely read posts and leave engaging comments.

If a blog’s design is poor, it takes too long to download, it uses a font that is too small to read, it has a brightly lit background that produces stars in front of my eyes, it hasn’t been updated in years, or it has lots of broken links, then I’ll move on quickly.

If a blogger doesn’t care about their blog, they are unlikely to care about their audience.

7. Following the blogs of trolls

We talked about checking out responses a blogger leaves to comments on their posts, but are those responses written in a friendly manner? And do they leave unfriendly comments elsewhere?

Because we blog or leave reviews, not everyone will agree with what we have to say.

I’ve witnessed many rude comments from the host and readers on many blogs.

I’ve been the victim of rude and unfriendly comments on other blogs where I’ve left a friendly comment. If the host of a blog responds to me in an unfriendly manner, I’ll unfollow their blog.

If a blog host allows other followers to attack readers without taking action, I will unfollow them.

I always respond to comments in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner, even if a reader disagrees with my words.

If there’s evidence of a blogger attacking somebody because they have not agreed with all or some of the content in a post or in the comments section, consider whether it’s worth following that blog.

Blog hosts should do all they can to prevent trolls from commenting on their posts. If they don’t, they probably don’t care much or have any concern about the welfare of their audience.

By all means, if the content of that blog still interests you, you can still follow and never leave any comments, but be careful when reading negative responses to comments, as they can often affect your mood.

Whatever you do, though, never respond to unfriendly comments by attacking the person who has left them. Leave the trolls alone. They’ll soon get fed up with not getting the attention they crave and will move on.

#blogging

I’m looking for 20 new blogs to follow. If you’d like to recommend any, please leave a link to that blog and a couple of sentences about why I should follow. Please do not just leave a link as it will be deleted.

How many blogs do you follow? Is that number the right balance, or do you need to reduce the number? What factors are important to you when deciding whether or not to follow a blog? Join the discussion by leaving a comment.

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WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly

WordPress users often face problems, but they may not always be caused by their blogging platform. Device issues, internet browsers, poor blog housekeeping and retired themes can all contribute to problems.

My post outlines what to do if you’re experiencing issues with using WordPress.

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WordPress: How To Close Comments: What You Need To Know

WordPress has relocated the ‘Discussion’ setting to a more visible and accessible position, simplifying the control of comments and pingbacks.

My post outlines where to find the ‘discussion setting’ and when you should consider turning comments off on specific posts.

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WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts84 Comments

Do you encounter problems using WordPress? Are your posts not aligning correctly, or are you unable to leave comments on certain blogs? What’s causing these problems? Is it WordPress, or are you or your device causing them?

Light blue image with the words 'WordPress Problems: Don't Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly' in white text
Don’t panic when WordPress causes you problems. The problem could be you!

Like any online website, the WordPress platform experiences problems. Bugs occur. They can often cause havoc for users. Sometimes, things don’t go to plan when new updates are released.

But what causes these problems, and how can they be fixed?

Case 1 – Your posts are not displaying correctly.

A few years ago, a reader informed me that my blog posts were not displaying correctly.

I checked my blog and couldn’t see any problems. I used another device and couldn’t see any issues.

I contacted the WordPress Happiness Engineers. They assured me that from what they saw, there were no problems with how my blog posts were displaying. They even sent me screenshots and some short video clips showing me what they were seeing at their end.

But I was still not happy.

I decided to write and publish a post about the problem.

I asked my followers to check some of my blog posts and let me know if there were any problems with how they were displaying. Over 100 people came to my call for help. Only one person said there was a problem with how my posts were displayed, and this was the person who reported the problem to me.

It turned out that the problem wasn’t my blog or WordPress. The problem was the device belonging to the reader who reported the issue.

I asked them to make sure their device had the latest updates. They never informed me that my blog was displaying incorrectly again.

Case 2 – I can’t leave comments on certain blogs.

I recently saw a post from a blogger who said he had problems leaving comments on certain blogs.

He named the blogs so they knew who they were and apologised, saying that his comments were being cut off as he wrote them.

He asked if anybody else was having the same problem when leaving comments.

By the time the responses came in (and all were saying ‘No’), he’d gone to another device. He tried leaving comments on the same blogs. They all worked, and he came back and apologised.

The problem was caused by the device he was using. He updated the device’s software and also tried using another internet browser, and his comments worked.

Case 3 – When was the last time you cleaned your house?

Some of my WordPress data and stats were not displaying. ‘Have you tried clearing your browser history, cookies and cache on your computer?” somebody asked?

I did the clear-out, and the data all showed up.

Like your home, your blog device needs some housekeeping to keep it working correctly.

Case 4 – Have you tried the most popular advice when things go wrong?

A user contacted me saying they could not leave comments or ‘likes’ on any blog posts. She was using the Jetpack app on her mobile phone.

I told her to try signing out of the Jetpack app, delete it, reinstall it and sign in again.

Problem solved.

Case 5 – Has the blog theme you’re using been retired?

Another WordPress user was experiencing many problems with her blog. Her posts were not aligning correctly, and some readers contacted her to say they couldn’t leave comments. The sharing buttons at the end of her posts were also not working. There were also other issues like certain tools no longer working.

She contacted WordPress, which informed her that her blog theme was retired and was no longer supported. The advice was to change her theme. She didn’t want to change the theme; she liked it. She tried working around the problems. That worked for a while. Then, the issues worsened, and she eventually gave up on her blog.

The WordPress platform wasn’t the problem. The device she was using wasn’t the problem. She was the problem for refusing to change to a theme that WordPress supported.

If your theme has been retired, you will find this notice on the theme’s info page:

Image showing the message 'This theme has been retired' on WordPress
Has your WordPress theme been retired?

When a theme is retired, it no longer appears in the list of themes at Appearances – Themes or at Appearance – Theme Showcase if using the Classic Editor.  

But, if the theme is already active on your site, you can continue to use it. Some retired themes will usually stay available for the lifetime of your site or blog without any issues. However, if you continue using a retired theme, you should note the following:

  • A retired theme no longer receives WordPress updates or new features. This includes security updates that protect your blog from spammers and hackers.
  • A retired theme should continue functioning on your site. However, WordPress does not guarantee that it will always work well with its ever-evolving software.
  • You may lose access to certain features like sharing and reblog buttons, blocks, writing tools and clicking the ‘like’ button.

If you still use a retired theme, you will likely encounter problems at some point. Visitors to your blog may also experience problems viewing it correctly or engaging with you.

How do I change my WordPress theme?

Some bloggers are terrified of changing the theme of their WordPress blog. It can seem like a daunting task.

Once upon a time, changing your WordPress blog theme was a nightmare. I recall the first time I changed the theme of my blog. It took a whole weekend to finish.

But changing the theme of your WordPress blog is now easy and quick. WordPress provides full details on how to do it on the ‘Change your theme‘ page.

Have you checked the WordPress forum?

A user experiencing problems with their WordPress blog does not necessarily mean that other users are experiencing the same problems. Sometimes, problems can be exclusive to one blog (as in some of the above cases).

The WordPress forum page is great for determining if problems affect other users. Here, you can report issues and check what other issues users are experiencing.

Another way to find out if other users are experiencing the same problems with their WordPress blog is to ask them (as I did in Case Number One). Sometimes, issues can be theme-related. Once reported and provided the theme has not been retired, WordPress quickly fixes theme-related problems.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

  • Like any website, the WordPress platform will suffer from bugs and problems.
  • While some problems are widespread, many problems can be caused by a user’s device when blogging, especially if the device is old and does not have the latest updates installed.
  • If you can access another device, try using it to determine whether the problem is only related to one device or a certain web browser.
  • Some problems are related to themes. If a theme has been retired, consider changing to one WordPress support.
  • Changing your blog theme is now easier and quicker.
  • You can check if other bloggers are experiencing the same problems you’re having with your blog by asking them, posting on the WordPress forum, or doing both.
  • Consider that any issues lie outside of WordPress first before blaming them solely.
  • Ensure all devices you use to blog have the latest updates.
  • Report issues and problems to WordPress. They may not know about issues unless you report them.

Are you experiencing any problems using WordPress? Have you checked if the issues are sitewide or only affecting you? How do you deal with issues using the WordPress platform?

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Blogging Simplified: Adding Images From Your Phone To A WordPress Post

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts42 Comments

Do you draft blog posts on a desktop computer or laptop? If so, did you know you can now add photos to your post directly from your mobile phone? No more having to download photos to your computer or laptop.

Light blue image with the words 'Blogging Simplified: Adding Images From Your Phone To A WordPress Post' in white text
Now you can add images and photos directly from your phone to a WordPress post.

Here’s how to do it: 

Ensure you have the Jetpack app on your phone. If not, download it from the app store.

  1. Insert an ‘Image‘ or ‘Gallery‘ Block on your post/page. 
  2. Click ‘Select Image.‘ 
  3. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Your Phone.’ A message will pop up on your phone with a QR code.
Image highlighting the 'Select Image' and 'Your Phone' links on an Image block on WordPress
Click ‘Select Image’ and ‘Your Phone.’
Image showing the QR code that pops up on WordPress when selecting 'Your Phone' when selecting an image or photo.
Scan the QR code.

4. Use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code. This will automatically open the Jetpack app on your phone and then your photo library. 

5. Choose the image(s) you want to use: From there, simply click the image or images you wish to add to your post/page.

6. Click ‘Add‘ (top right corner): Watch your image(s) automatically appear in your desktop/laptop editor. Here’s one I added directly from my phone.

img_0529-1

Can I adjust the size of images in the Jetpack app?

Yes. This is important to do to prevent images from taking up too much storage space in your blog’s media library. By default, the “Optimise Images” option is turned on. You can set the ‘Max Image Upload Size‘ so the original file is resized automatically when you upload it.

Here’s how to do it:

In the Jetpack app for iPhone and the Jetpack app for Android, to adjust the settings, follow these steps:

  1. Log into the Jetpack app on your phone.
  2. Click your profile icon in the bottom right.
  3. Click ‘App Settings‘.

You can toggle ‘Optimize Images‘ off (not recommended) or adjust the ‘Max Image Upload Size‘. The default is 2000 x 2000px.

img_0527-1

As you can see from the above image, I’ve set the maximum image upload size to 1000 x 1000px. I recommend not going any higher than this.

Is there anything to remember when uploading images directly from your phone?

Yes. If you add copyright information to images and photos on your computer or laptop (something I recommend you do), remember to add copyright information to your images and photos on your phone before you add them to your blog posts.

Remember to also complete the ‘Alt-Text‘ and ‘Description‘ details of the images in your blog’s media library. My blog post ‘Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do,’ gives full details as to why this information should always be completed.

Would you use this method for adding photos and images to your blog posts? If you have questions, please leave me a comment.

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Blogging Simplified: Engagement. Am I Doing It Right?

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts70 Comments

Imagine having a blog where nobody wants to engage. It’s a thought that’s hard to fathom. After all, what’s the point of writing and publishing blog posts if there’s no one to interact with?

Light blue image with the words 'Blogging Simplified: Engagement. Am I Doing It Right?' in white text
How do you engage with your readers and other bloggers?

As bloggers, we can spark curiosity and questions in our readers, even when publishing informative posts. And that’s where the actual engagement begins. It’s our responsibility to set the stage for meaningful interactions. One way to do this is by asking open-ended questions at the end of your posts or inviting readers to share their thoughts or experiences related to the post’s topic. It can encourage more in-depth and meaningful discussions.

Those bloggers who blog to make money will only care a little about the interaction. For them, making a living out of blogging is more important. Good for them if they are successful, but take your readers seriously, especially if they want to engage with you. Consider removing the comments section from your blog if you’re going to refrain from engaging or responding to questions.

What’s the right way to engage with readers? Is there a right way?

I’ve always craved engagement, but over the ten years I’ve been blogging, the type of engagement I crave has changed.

I’ve become more of a ‘discussion’ blogger. By that, I mean a blogger who likes to discuss the subject of a post rather than just leaving a comment that only confirms I visited. It’s about sparking a conversation, sharing different perspectives, and learning from each other. This type of engagement is more valuable than a simple ‘I agree’ comment, as it adds depth and richness to the post’s content.

Over the past year, I’ve made a conscious effort to reduce the number of non-engaging comments on my blog, a decision I’m proud of. I’ve aimed to break free from the cycle of leaving comments solely to prove a visit or just for the sake of doing so.

This shift has decreased the overall number of comments I get but has made me feel like a more thoughtful and influential blogger. It’s not about the number of comments but the quality of the interactions. This change has helped my personal growth in writing and blogging.

Should we always try to engage? No!

Of course, just because I don’t leave a comment on a blog post does not mean I’ve not read it. Likewise, I know many people read my posts but want to avoid engaging. There’s nothing wrong with that. These silent readers are still part of the blogging community; their support is as important as active engagement. So, let’s recognise their presence and continue to create content that resonates with them.

If you’re new to blogging, leaving an engaging comment every once in a while is far more beneficial than leaving short, non-engaging comments on every post you read in an attempt to get noticed.

Are you approving spam comments without realising it?

Imagine my concern when I came across this comments section on a recently read post.

Image showing three spam comments in the comments section of a blog post
Never approve these types of comments

I was appalled to see these comments and could not understand why they’d been approved. Given that the blog’s posts would probably be full of these types of comments, I also decided not to follow it.

Spam comments not only detract from the quality of a blog but also discourage meaningful interactions. Let’s keep the blogging community free from such spam and focus on producing meaningful engagement. Your thoughts and ideas are too valuable to be drowned out by spam.

Other examples of spam comments.

Image showing spam comments on a WordPress blog
Image showing spam comments on a WordPress blog

Some may look genuine, but they’re not. Spammers and spambots are getting cleverer at fooling us into approving their comments, so beware.

Thank you

I want to express my deep appreciation to all of you who support and interact with me here. Your engagement is not just a number on a screen but a vibrant testament to the joys and value of blogging. I especially want to acknowledge those who actively interact with me, as your contributions are the lifeblood of my blog.

Remember, it’s not just about the numbers but the profound connections we build through interactions. For instance, when a reader shares a personal experience related to a blog post or when we engage in a thoughtful debate about a controversial topic, these are the types of interactions that genuinely enrich the blogging community.

Let’s wrap it up.

This post delves into the importance of engaging with readers and other bloggers, offering insightful strategies to spark meaningful interactions.

Avoid leaving short, non-engaging comments on all the posts you read. Instead, leave a thoughtful comment every now and again.

Don’t leave a comment just to leave a comment or prove you’ve visited.

Never feel obligated to comment because they always comment on your posts.

There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to engage. Some readers are more comfortable reading a post without saying anything.

Take your readers seriously by responding to or acknowledging their comments.

Never approve spam comments. Mark them as spam and delete them.

Consider closing comments off if you do not want to engage with your readers or respond to any questions.

If you crave engagement, ask open-ended questions at the end of your posts or invite readers to share details of their experiences with the subject you’ve discussed in the post.

Do you enjoy engaging with your readers and other bloggers? What type of commenter are you? How do you deal with spam comments and the spammers? Share your knowledge and ideas in the comments section.

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How To Make Categorising And Tagging Blog Posts Powerful

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts59 Comments

Categorising and tagging blog posts are some of the most potent ways for bloggers to get their posts noticed. However, some bloggers don’t bother with either, meaning they’re losing the potential for new readers and followers. Are you one of them?

But what are categories and tags, and how do they work?

Light blue image with the words 'How To Make Categorising And Tagging Blog Posts Powerful' in white text
Do you categorise and add tags to all your blog posts?

What are blogging categories?

Blogging categories act like groups where blog posts that have a connection with each other are stored.

For example, if you’re a travel blogger, you could have The United Kingdom category and list the sub-categories Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. 

Categories are important because they make finding specific blog posts more straightforward for visitors to your blog (especially first-time visitors).

Every blog post should have at least one category.

Unfortunately, if you don’t categorise blog posts, they will be uncategorised, which is no help to anyone.

Imagine going into a shop to find a particular book about dinosaurs and finding that none of the books has been categorised. You’d leave and go to another shop that helps customers by categorising its books to find what you’re looking for much easier.

I never return to blogs that do not categorise posts.

How to add a category to your WordPress blog post

This tutorial uses an Apple iMac desktop computer and the WordPress ‘Default’ dashboard.

  • While drafting a blog post, you’ll see a toolbar in the settings area on the right-hand side of the page. This is where you can add categories.
Image highlighting where to find the category box on the draft page of a WordPress blog
Every blog post should have at least one category.

If a blog post doesn’t fit into one of your existing categories, click ‘Add New Category‘ and create a new one.

Remember to do some housekeeping regularly for the categories on your blog. For example, delete categories that are no longer being used or update categories by giving them a new name if something works better. 

How to edit the categories on your blog.

  • On your blog’s dashboard, click on Posts to open a submenu, and click on Categories.
Image highlighting where to find Categories on the dashboard of a WordPress blog.
Click Posts and Categories.
  • To edit a category, click the three verticle dots (meatball menu) next to the category you want to edit.
Image highlighting the meatball menu in Categories on a WordPress blog.
Click the meatball menu to edit a category.
  • The meatball menu displays four options: edit, delete, view posts, and set as a default.
  • Edit – Edit the name or description of the category.
  • Delete – Delete the category.
  • View posts – View a list of all your posts under the category.
  • Set as default – Useful when most posts fall under a particular category.
  • Remember to click the ‘Update‘ button to save any changes you make.

The number next to each category tells you how many posts are under that category. I recommend deleting any categories that are not being used.

Any sub-categories will show under each category.   

Tip: Setting your default category to ‘Uncatorigised‘ allows you to search for any blog posts you may have forgotten to categorise.

What are tags?

Tags are popular keywords that can be added to a blog post. For example, some of the tag words I’ve added to this post are –

  • blogging
  • bloggingtips
  • categories
  • tags
  • WordPress
  • HowTo

Each tag should be separated with a comma or by pushing ‘Enter’ on your keyboard.

Tags containing more than one word (such as ‘Blogging tips’) act as one tag word, but you must add them without any space between the words, i.e., ‘ blogging tips’ becomes ‘bloggingtips.’

Generally, tags do not need to connect with each other, but when used correctly, they can generate a lot of extra traffic to a blog post.

Like categories, tags can be added to blog posts in the settings area toolbar on the right side of a draft post. 

Image highlighting where to add tags on a WordPress blog post
Always add keywords (Tags) to your blog posts.

When adding tags to your post, consider the keywords somebody would add to the WordPress search bar when looking for specific blog posts. Or think of words you would use to search for your post.

Check out the tags I’ve added for this blog post. They appear at the end of every post.  

Important information – Did you know this…?

The cardinal tagging rule on WordPress.com is that you should never add more than 15 tags and categories (combined) to your post; otherwise, it won’t appear in the WordPress Reader. This cap prevents spam posts from appearing on the reader list, as spammers and spambots tend to use many categories and tags to lure readers in

15 tags and categories can seem like a lot, but you don’t need to use all of them.

Never tag your blog post with words that have nothing to do with the post’s subject. Otherwise, visitors will come to your blog under false pretences and probably won’t return.

Generally, I add no more than three categories and between six and ten tags to my blog posts. 

As with categories, it’s also essential to do some housekeeping for the tags you use on your blog. 

How to delete and update tags

  • On the dashboard of your blog, click on Posts – Tags.
  • A page showing your tags and how many blog posts containing each tag appears.
  • To edit, view and delete posts containing a tag word, hover your mouse over each tag word and click edit, quick edit, view or delete.
  • You can also view the posts containing the tag word by clicking the number in the ‘Count’ column. I recommend deleting any tag words that are no longer being used.

Let’s wrap it up!

  • All blog posts should be categorised and tagged.
  • Categorising and tagging your blog posts makes them user-friendly, meaning people will likely return to your blog.
  • Not categorising your blog posts means they’ll be challenging to find.
  • When tagging posts, think of keywords others will use when searching for your blog post.
  • Don’t use tag words that have nothing to do with the subject of your blog post.
  • WordPress users – never add more than 15 tags and categories (combined) to your posts; otherwise, they won’t appear on the WordPress Reader.
  • Remember to perform regular housekeeping of categories and tags on your blog.
  • Adding the proper tags to your blog posts will increase the number of readers who find them. More readers mean higher stats, more comments, and new followers.

Do you categorise and add tags to all your blog posts? If not, why not? Which tags-words work best for you? Is there anything you’d like to add or ask regarding categories and tags in blog posts? Join the discussion by leaving a comment.

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Blogging Simplified: It’s Easy, Isn’t It? Things I’ve Learned

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts104 Comments

How obsessed are you with your blog stats and blogging? And what essential points have you learned about blogging?

Light blue image with the words 'Blogging Simplified: It's Easy, Isn't It? Things I've Learned' in white text
How obsessed are you with your blog?

When I first started blogging in 2014, I was obsessed with my blog stats. I checked them almost hourly to see if anybody had visited my blog. We all know that wonderful feeling when somebody clicks the ‘like’ button, or better still, when somebody leaves a comment on one of our posts for the first time.

It didn’t matter what that comment said. Even if it was, ‘Great post,’ it made my day. How times have changed!

Taking the advice of other bloggers

When another more experienced blogger and somebody who had been blogging much longer than me told me that most of the hits my posts were getting were probably from people who didn’t stay more than a few seconds on my blog, my whole blogging world began caving in.

Even worse, that blogger told me that many of those who hit the ‘like’ button probably didn’t even read the post. What?

I was so deflated that I thought, ‘Why bother?’ It wasn’t until another blogger told me to stop obsessing over my blog stats and to put the energy of stat-watching into writing blog posts that I took that advice.

More trouble

A few months later, I found myself in trouble again. ‘Concentrate on the comments rather than how many people have visited your blog or how many have hit the ‘like’ button,’ another blogger told me. ‘Most importantly, don’t forget to visit, read and leave engaging comments on other blogs.’

But I took that last bit of information to heart and soon found myself spending all my blogging time reading and leaving engaging comments instead of writing posts. I was following over 500 blogs and I believed I had to read and comment on every single post.

Blogging guilt and stress crept up on me, and I thought I’d upset people if I didn’t read their posts and leave them comments, or, even worse, people would unfollow me if I stopped reading and leaving comments on their posts. After all, they were reading and commenting on all my posts.

Once again, I found myself on the edge of packing in blogging. I was going to delete my blog and find something else to do that was more fun and enjoyable.

How do you find the right blogging balance?

Thankfully, I never deleted my blog, but I know of bloggers who have done so, some of whom came back and started afresh. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out, and some of these bloggers went on to abandon their blogs for the same reasons they left blogging in the first place.

Finding a balance between writing blog posts and reading and commenting on other blogs can be a significant task. Thankfully, I found it.

I know some bloggers who balance blogging by reading as many posts as possible in as short a time as possible. They’ll often leave short, non-engaging comments on all those posts. It works for them, but not for me, but good for them if that’s what works.

What works for some won’t work for others.

Then there are the bloggers who reduce the number of blogs they follow without worrying that they’ll probably lose followers in the process (and they will), giving them more time to write. Good for them.

Why do bloggers suddenly stop leaving comments?

I’ve lost followers because I cut down on the number of blogs I followed. Now, I’m following around 75 blogs, all of which I’m interested in. That gives me more time to write, more time to read and more time to leave engaging comments on the blogs I follow.

I no longer get comments from people who always used to leave me comments, however, the fall in non-engaging comments is something I’m delighted with.

Some bloggers seem to have disappeared from the blogging world while others are still around, but have lost interest in what I have to say or no longer have anything interesting to add in a comment. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not worth worrying about.

Are you more of an engaging or non-engaging blogger?

Someone once told me that a non-engaging comment indicates that the person who left it does not want to engage with you (or anybody else). This is usually because they’ll say they don’t have the time to engage. All they want to do is say, ‘Hello, I visited,’ before moving on quickly. They may not have even read the post.

And then there are the bloggers who leave comments like ‘Subscribe to my blog!’ or ‘Nice’ without saying anything else. Do they want to engage, or are they simply number/follower-hunting? I often wonder how would they react if I left them an engaging comment on one of their posts.

Of course, blogging isn’t only about engagement. Many people blog just to express their thoughts online. Some bloggers do not respond to comments. Some bloggers simply thank people for leaving a comment without engaging with them, even if the comment they’re responding to shouts, ‘I want to engage with you!’ thus taking the person who wants to engage down a dead-end.

Many bloggers want to engage, yet I’ve heard from some bloggers who say the comments section of blogs is a waste of time and should be removed. I don’t agree with that, but if a blogger does not want to engage then there is the option to turn off comments.

How often should you blog?

I’ve learned the only answer to this question is – ‘blog as often as you like without feeling obliged to publish something.’

It took me a while to find that I’m happier publishing two or three posts weekly. Any more than that, and I find I’m forcing myself to write posts, which makes blogging less enjoyable. Sometimes, I may only publish once a week.

I do not want to get myself feeling stressed because I haven’t got a post ready, so my advice is not to blog to any schedule of when you’re going to publish posts. If readers are interested in what you write and publish, they’ll read your posts regardless of how often or when you publish and sometimes that could mean days, weeks or even months after the publication of a post, so don’t close comments off to force your audience to read your posts within a particular time-frame. Blogging should always be a leisurely activity.

I also witnessed a drop in the quality of the posts I publish when publishing more than a few times a week. For me, quality is much more important than quantity, but it may not be the same for you.

I also tend to stay clear of blogs that publish more than once daily as they tend to bring an overwhelming feeling that I don’t like. Once again, it’s about finding the perfect balance that works best for you.

Blogging! It’s a fascinating subject, isn’t it? I could go on, but it’s now over to you. Can we discuss blogging honestly without fearing upsetting other people? What do you think? Let me know in the comments section. Let’s discuss blogging.

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3 Quick And Easy Ways To Promote Your Old Blog Posts

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts53 Comments

Are there easy ways to promote your old blog posts, and should you feature them on your blog again?

Can old blog posts bring in more visitors, followers and comments?

The answer is YES.

Light blue image with the words '3 Quick And Easy Ways To Promote Your Old Blog Posts' in white text
Have you killed off your old blog posts?

One of the biggest mistakes many bloggers make is forgetting their old blog posts. They publish posts and quickly forget about them.

Yet, If they’ve been regularly publishing blog posts, their blog archive will be a treasure trove of opportunities waiting for them to bring posts alive again. Just think about all those followers, readers and visitors who have never seen those posts.

Rather than ignoring these old blog posts, there are ways to bring them back to the attention of your audience.

These old blog posts probably never got anywhere near as many views and comments as your recent blog posts, but did you know that they could quickly bring you many more views, comments and followers?

My three quick and easy tips for bringing these old blog posts back to life are easy to follow and will deliver results as soon as you implement them.

1. Display ‘related’ posts at the end of all your blog posts. 

I’m always surprised by how many WordPress bloggers don’t have this feature switched on.

Here’s a screenshot of the related posts that featured at the end of one of my recent blog posts. 

Image highlighting 'related' blog posts at the end of a blog post.
Promote similar older blog posts at the end of new blog posts.

WordPress automatically chooses which of your posts to display. 

If you’re not already showing related blog posts at the end of newly published blog posts, follow this guide.

  • On the dashboard of your blog, click on Settings and Reading. 
Image highlighting 'Settings - Reading' on the dashboard of a WordPress blog.
Select ‘Settings’ – ‘Reading’
  • On the Reading Settings page, look for Related Posts and ensure ‘Show Related Content After Posts’ is switched on.
Image highlighting the 'Show related content after posts' option on WordPress
Switch on ‘Show related content after posts.’
  • Choose which other settings options you want to use.
Choose which settings options you want to use.
  • At the bottom of the screen, click on the Save Changes button.
  • Future posts will now display three related posts from your archives, resulting in those posts being seen again. 

2. The ‘Blog Posts’ Block

Those using the Block Editor can use a terrific block called the’ Blog Posts’ block. It allows bloggers to choose which of their previous blog posts to promote on newly published posts.

  • Insert the ‘Blog Posts’ block in the place where you’d like to feature it on your upcoming new post. You’ll find the ‘Blog Posts’ block under the ‘Widgets’ section, or you can search for it by entering ‘Blog Posts’ in the search bar.  
Image highlighting the search box when searching for a block, and the Blog Posts block.
Select the ‘Blog Posts’ block
  • The Blog Posts block defaults to showing the last three blog posts you published, but you can change this. You can leave it as it is or switch to other settings.
  • Today, I will show you how to choose the blog posts you want to display.  
  • When you insert the block, a toolbar will open on the right-hand side of the page. Under Display Settings, look for Choose specific posts and slide the button to the ‘on‘ position. 
Image highlighting the 'Choose Specific Posts' option on WordPress
Switch on the ‘Choose Specific Posts’ option
  • In the ‘Posts‘ box, type in the blog post title you want to display. As you type, suggestions for blog posts with the words you are using will appear. 
Image highlighting the search box in the Blog Posts block on WordPress
Search for the posts you want to promote on your new blog post.
  • Select the blog post you want to feature.
  • If you’re going to add more blog posts, search for them by typing in more words in the Posts box.
  • I recommend that you add no more than three posts. 
  • The Blog Posts block has many other settings, which you can read about here.

3. Add pingbacks to previous blog posts. 

If you’re unsure what a pingback is or how to add it to blog posts, my post, ‘The Power Of Pingbacks: How To Create One,’ will help.

There’s nothing wrong with adding pingbacks and linking back to your previous blog posts. Lots of bloggers do it.

In fact, I recommend that you include at least a couple of pingbacks in all your blog posts. However, you should always ensure that what you’re writing about is connected to the post you’re linking back to.

Pingbacks can also be added to images, pictures, and photos in blog posts and captions.

Let’s wrap it up!

  • Your blog’s archives are a treasure trove of blog posts that can attract new visitors, comments, and followers.
  • Don’t allow old blog posts to remain idle and not work for you. Use them.
  • Your previous blog posts may not have been read by new followers. Introduce them to your new audience.
  • People who may have read your older posts are often thankful for the opportunity to read them again, especially if the post includes tips and advice.
  • Ensure you keep old blog posts up to date.
  • WordPress has made several blocks available on the Block editor to promote old blog posts. The ‘Blog Posts’ block is just one of those blocks.
  • Consider switching it on if you’re not already using the ‘Related Posts’ feature.
  • Remember that you can create pingbacks to old blog posts from any images or photos in future blog posts.

Do you promote your old blog posts? If not, why not? How do you promote them? What way(s) of promoting old blog posts have worked best for you? Have you had much success promoting old blog posts?

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The Amazing New WordPress Comments Box: What It Does

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts131 Comments

Have you noticed the new style comment box on WordPress?

In line with the Block editor, WordPress has rolled out a new cool comment box on most WordPress blogs. While I’m writing this post, I still see a few blogs with the old-style comments box, but I’m confident all WordPress blogs will soon display the block-style comment box.

The new style comments box appears on blog posts, but not when you add your comment via the comments box on the WordPress Reader.

Light blue image with the words 'The Amazing New WordPress Comments Box: What It Does' in white text
This new comments box can do more than just leave comments

For the purpose of this post, I’m using an iMac desktop computer.

Here is a breakdown of what users can do when leaving comments on blogs with the new block-style comment box.

What does it look like?

This is what the new style comment box looks like.

Image showing the new style block comment box on WordPress
WordPress Block Style Comments Box

It looks very simple, doesn’t it? And it is very easy to use. Your Gravatar image appears in the bottom left corner.

The comments box looks like this as soon you click in the box.

Image showing
Click inside the box to start typing your comment.

Notice the difference? A toolbar has opened along the top, and an ‘+‘ icon has appeared inside the comments box. Let’s examine what they do. I’ve numbered some icons in the following image.

Image highlighting the features of the toolbar on the block style comments box on WordPress
Features of the toolbar
  1. Block being used.
  2. Aline text
  3. Bold
  4. Italic
  5. Pingback link

1 – This is the type of block being used when commenting. It will always be the Paragraph block by default, but you can switch to the List or Quote block by clicking on it. If you change it to the List or Quote block, a new toolbar will appear.

2 – Use this icon to align text to the left, right or centre.

3 – Use this icon to make the text bold.

4 – Use this icon to make the text italic.

5 – Use this icon to create a pingback.

Most readers only use text when leaving comments and they will never feel the need to align it or make it bold. However, many bloggers want more.

You can now insert other blocks into the comments box by clicking the ‘+‘ icon. For example, you can now easily insert an image in your comment by clicking the ‘+‘ icon and choosing the Image block.

Image showing an image placed into the block-style comments box on WordPress.
Copy and paste the URL address of the image you want to add.

How cool is that? (not the photo of me, but the fact that I can add an image to the comments). This is especially good for participating in photography challenges without creating a blog post or when explaining something where including an image or screenshot helps.

I want to mention that you can create pingbacks in your comments. Pingbacks are powerful and can help boost visitors to your blog. We could already add pingbacks when using the Classic view on our blog’s dashboard but we can now finally do it using the Default view.

Image showing how to create a pingback in the comments box on WordPress
Create pingbacks in your comments.

Are you unsure how to create a pingback? My post, The Power Of Pingbacks: How To Create One, provides full details.

Before submitting your comment, remember to click the small settings cog next to your Gravatar photo to open a new menu. Why?

Image showing the new menu that opens when clicking the settings button next to a Gravatar profile in a Block-style comments box on WordPress
Click the settings cog next to your Gravatar picture for a new menu.

Not only will the menu that opens confirm if you are logged into WordPress, but you can also sign up to receive web and mobile notifications for posts on the blog you are leaving your comment on, get email notifications of new posts, and receive email notifications of any new comments left on the post (including a response to your comment from the blog host).

Press the ‘Comment‘ box to submit your comment.

Is this true?

I’ve heard that some bloggers are threatening to stop leaving comments or are thinking of leaving WordPress because of the introduction of the new block-style comment box.

Given that the bare minimum somebody has to do to leave a comment is to type their comment into the box, I find it hard to believe that people are threatening to stop leaving comments or leaving WordPress because of the introduction of this new comments box. If you are, please reconsider your decision.

The new block-style comments box is not hard to use; it’s just a little different!

Update

Users can now disable blocks in comments. Go to Settings – Discussions, and in the ‘Comments‘ section of the page, turn off ‘Enable blocks in comments.’ Remember to save the change.

WordPress’s new comments box style is a refreshing update that enhances the user experience. Its modern and intuitive design makes interacting with comments more enjoyable. If you have any questions about it, feel free to leave them in the comments section. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

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