Let's face it. There may be several reasons why you've begun writing on Steemit but if you don't optimize your posts from head to toe, you may not get the attention - or the whales that you're looking for.
Would you agree that the potential to make decent money per article is worth the effort to develop a great post?
Now, I may be new to Steemit, but I've been blogging and doing front-end web design since 1999. Let me be the first to tell you: I do not know everything but I've picked up some tips and tricks along the way that I can share. Who knows? Maybe I can use this post as a case study.
We're basically going to discuss tags: Title tags, Headers, SEO, and Blog post tags, and how they all tie in to gain the most exposure to your content.
Title tags
Your title should be the shortest synopsis of what your post is going to be about. It should be appropriate, clear and concise. My title, for example highlights the fact that I'm offering helpful tips and exactly what the tips are going to be. This gives the reader an opportunity to quickly decide if it's of interest or if they are going to move along.
As you develop your writing style and find comfy subjects to talk about, you're going to attract your perfect reader. The perfect reader is a fan who will seek you out, comment and up-vote your content. By having clear titles and being transparent about your topics, you generate trust and a following.
I know that you want a lot of readers and putting up a snazzy title might get more eyeballs on your work, but if you lured someone in under false pretenses, you're not getting your perfect reader - and you may even get the dreaded down-vote.
Body
The first paragraph of your body copy should include keywords from your title. My article is about optimizing Steemit posts. My first paragraph includes those keywords. Don't copy and paste the same phrase over and over again. *That may cause adverse reactions. Your keywords should flow and move your story forward.
Headers are important!
Use your h1 - h6 headers. Think of them as bullet points in order of importance...or, if you're "old school" like me, it's like the bold print in a textbook. It directs the reader's eye to the important bits. Guess what? If they're interested then you've engaged them. If you engage with them, they have a better opportunity to know you and your writing style. If they like that, you've got a follower. Are you following this line of thinking?
Headers also offer an opportunity to create white space throughout your post. This makes it so much easier on the eyes, especially if you read a lot.
How do I do headers?
Steemit allows for Markdown syntax. Don't be afraid of the word syntax - It's just another word for code. If you're not familiar with HTML then it may feel like too much to learn, but it's not. Really!
HTML headers need < h1 >An H1 header< /h1 > (Note:* I put extra spaces between the brackets so you could see the code)*
Markdown only needs a "#" to get the same effect.
Here is a great tutorial on Mastering Markdown
Content
Let's discuss content for a moment. I hate to sound mean but... How is your last meal or what you did last night relevant to me? If you're going to take time to write, please consider developing evergreen posts. Evergreens stand the test of time. People can bookmark them and share them because it may be important or entertaining enough to revisit.
Examples:
- If you love cooking, share your recipe and not just what you ate. I'll bookmark a good recipe but I don't really care what you ate because it wasn't on my plate.
- Don't tell me how excited you are about all the stuff you bought on sale. Show me how you did it. I love good bargain techniques. That is valuable to me. Essentially you want to teach your readers.
Blog post tags
It's kind of refreshing that Steemit requires the use of tags. It's kind of refreshing to see how smart they are!
To paraphrase Aleh Barysevich, writer from Search Engine Journal, blog post tags do not necessarily improve your search ranking but Google is always tweaking the algorithms. Using your post tags helps keep things organized on the web. And if you maintain a presence on the topic, it begins to recognize you as an authority on the subject.
Keep your tags relevant!
My tags for this post are: tips, help, SEO, and optimization because that's what this post is about. I could throw in a Steemit trending tag like "marijuana" and get a lot of people to visit but that would only make them mad and quite possibly vote down - or worse flag me. Do not use irrelevant tags!
Quality matters
Here's why I think Steemit developers are smart. They want quality content. In fact, they are putting in steps to weed out SPAMMY posts. As part of their business model it makes sense to have properly keyed words and become an authority site. It's a two-way WIN-WIN street here, guys. If you are developing quality content and finding your perfect readers, you are also helping Steemit become an authority and build a reputation on your creative mind. In fact, they are addressing the "weight" of your posts and will begin penalizing crap content. See Issue #176.
On the side
It took me about 4 hours to completely put this post together...and then I lost it. It's taken me about 3 more hours to recreate it! Of course I wanted to yank out my hair with frustration. I could have written a fluff piece just to put another article up... but I didn't because my objective in life is to say what I mean, and mean what I say. If I threw down a crap piece, how am I going to build a solid reputation and be a "Go-To" Gal?
Final thoughts
Your titles, tags, content, and even how you format it makes a difference. Taking the time to do it right tells your readers that you care about your content and how it's presented because - let's face it - if you don't care, why would anyone else?
Take the time to optimize your posts. Write about the things you know and love. Write about anything that makes you feel emotion. Make it relevant to the general public because they are thirsty for knowledge-bombs and entertainment.
Become a content evangelist and your posts will get noticed. I believe in you.
If you found my article helpful, kindly vote up and leave me a message!
Meredith Loughran blogs at ScribblingBandits.com | Follow her on Twitter & SnapChat or LinkedIn
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