When most of us started blogging we just kinda jumped into it. We threw some posts together before learning the extent of creating good content and a well formatted post. If your new readers peek through your archives what will they see?
- Are your links active or dead?
- How was your grammar back then?
- Did you add proper photo credit?
If you’re planning to move forward in blogging, you may want to take a few days to freshen up those old posts. If you edit it considerably, you can republish it as a new article.
Here are 5 ways to refresh an older post.
1. Re-Edit the post.
-Make sure all your grammar is correct. Consider using a grammar checker like Grammarly.
-Shorten your paragraphs to 3-4 sentences each (where possible). More readers are wanting to get through articles quicker and a long winded post with large paragraphs may cause them to leave your blog.
-Consider breaking up long posts into a series.
-Format your post with a full alignment. It looks nicer to see the sentences straight up both sides. See examples below:
2. Double check all photos.
-Did you get the photo from a reputable source? (shameless plug)
-Did you give proper credit by linking them under the photo? (ex: photo source Lisa) You don’t want to violate Internet laws.
-If not, browse the photos at Pix-O-Sphere to find one. All shared photos are permitted for personal use.
click to begin searching today
3. Add tags
-Be sure you add tags to your posts. Maybe you weren’t sure which tags to use ‘way back when’ and now you have more experience to do so.
4. Add related articles
-If you use a ‘related posts’ plug in on your WordPress blog now, go back and make sure your older article have it working well and adjust as needed.
-Other blog platforms can use Linked Within.
5. Add a pinnable graphic.
-Pinterest is a great way to get your posts seen, but add a ‘pinnable’ graphic that will get attention to other pinners. I make my own with software on my computer, but you can make your own at PicMonkey (like the one up above) if you don’t have a program of your own.
-Be sure you have the “Pin” button added to your posts too.
Lisa blogs at The HomeSpun Life and is a contributor at The Homeschool Post. She enjoys blogging, photography, and cooking. Her homeschooling family is active in their community and enjoys traveling with friends and family.
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Oh my goodness Lisa… so worth the read. I am embarrased to say I didn’t even know there was an “alignment” button… I need to go through all 400 posts now- thanks so much {i think}. LOL
Good ideas, Lisa. I actually go through once in awhile and delete a couple of my oldest posts. Then, occasionally, I reuse them on my blog and when I do this, I take a look at the editing the post may need. I find that most people aren’t going to scroll back through 4 or more years or archives so this process works for me.
Great ideas! I use the full alignment sometimes too. Pinterest pictures are huge. Thanks for sharing.