Blog Maintenance; don’t think of it as a chore as there are benefits to doing it!

Blog Maintenance is something that I have learnt is an absolute must when it comes to running a blog. When I started Busyfitmama I had the rose tinted view that I would write a blog post, add some images and throw it out there.  How lovely eh?  My blogging skills are evolving all the time so it makes perfect sense to revisit not only my old blog posts but also my blog in general to make sure it still represents the direction of my blog.  By refreshing and updating my  blog I’m not only increasing the likelihood of more traffic but I’m also improving the look of images, refreshing the content of posts and perhaps removing irrelevant, out-dated items.  It can also inspire me to write a new post as a new idea might pop into my head as I read through an old post.  So here are my own blogging tips when it comes to blog maintenance.

Update old images and graphics

My photography and design skills are evolving all the time, still not great but definitely an improvement on my early attempts to create images and graphics for my articles. I’m trying to develop a more cohesive look to the my images and graphics so I tend to periodically review each article to make sure it fits with what I am trying to achieve visually with my blog in general.  I might want to change the font on my blog headers or change a colour scheme.  I love Canva and I have recently upgraded to Canva for Work so I can develop a more cohesive look with colours, fonts and layout for my graphics. I am also starting to add my own images and replacing some of the stock photography but that’s a very slow process!

Review the content of old blog posts; update or delete

Can I add or delete any of the information? Are the links working?  Can I link an older post to one of my more recent posts? Can I refine the title in any way, perhaps make it more SEO friendly?  If a post is completely outdated or now irrelevant to you blog then remove it completely.

Check how SEO friendly blog posts really are

I use the Yoast plug-in to help make my blog more SEO friendly. I will review keywords and post titles.  Do I need to change anything?  Shorten a title or maybe change a keyword?  I’ll also review any links I have in the blog so check they still work; if not they are removed and maybe replaced.

Re-schedule an older blog post on Social Media Platforms

The hope is readers will arrive at a blog post you’ve just published, love it and want to read your other articles? Yes that happens but not always.  I tend to take an older post, update if necessary and then re-post onto social media.  I will use Hootsuite as a scheduling platform to help me plan ahead and target times when I’m likely to get more traffic.

Blog maintenance needn’t be a chore. It’s a must for me and instead of finding it a tedious task I see it as a way to re-focus and ensure that what I publish fits with what I want the direction of my blog to go in!  I find it’s great when I am short on inspiration; reading an old blog will often give me idea for a new post!  Don’t think of it as a drag and something you put off.  Do it as a means of reflecting on your past blogging journey and provide focus for what you want to do next!

Don't regard #blog maintenance as a chore think of it as a way to re-focus your blogging goals! Click To Tweet

Do you carry out blog maintenance? Do you find it a chore or something that can be quite positive?  Have you got any blogging tips when it comes to maintaining your own blog?