Rookie Content Writing Mistakes on WordPress Blogs (and How to Avoid Them)

Rookie Content Writing Mistakes on WordPress Blogs (and How to Avoid Them)

Whether you’re looking to move into the world of content writing as a profession or you want to write out posts for your brand new blog, content writing is a skill that varies from traditional writing. You can be the greatest book writer in the world, but the format for web content is different. This is why so many people struggle with great content writing. However, this is a skill you can easily pick up. It takes basic learning to discover what you need to do to ensure the highest quality content possible and to avoid some of those rookie mistakes. These tips will work with WordPress blogs and any other post you create.

Rookie Content Writing Mistakes

There’s no shortage to possible content writing mistakes you might make on WordPress blogs. In fact, some content writing staples you’ve read thousands of times may not even dawn on you while you’re reading it, yet you know there is a problem with written content without being able to put your finger on it. It’s the ability to identify these problems that will help you not only correct current errors you’re making but avoid making these mistakes.

Writing Your Content Like an English Paper (or Book)

You’ve been trained to write content a certain way. In school you’re trained on how to write the classic five-paragraph essay. Then as you move into high school, you learn how to craft research papers (which continues on into college). With what you write you craft often larger paragraphs, each centered around an individual topic. All of that is great for the style of writing and for the format, but writing online is a different animal.

The thing with writing online you need to remember is people have a short attention span. If someone’s reading a research paper, it’s because they want to read it. When someone arrives on your website, they may not know yet if they want to read a blog post. That means any kind of big chunk of paragraph text may frighten them away. So even if you are all writing on a singular topic, you need to break up paragraphs into just a few lines. Some online writers prefer to make every sentence its own paragraph, while others might bunch two, at the most three sentences into the same block.

See, all of this right here that you’ve read in this “Writing Your Content Like an English Paper” section could realistically be a single paragraph. But that would be too large of a paragraph and, chances are, you would have skipped right over it. Because when reading content online, who wants to read such a large paragraph?”

To increase readership and to make it easier on your visitors, one of the biggest mistakes you need to avoid is writing content like an English paper (or book).

Stuffing Keywords

Even if you haven’t worked as a content writer before, chances are you’ve heard about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the importance of keywords.

In previous renditions of Google’s search engine, keywords played an especially important role within the text. However, this led to writers and websites abusing keywords. Many would do what is known as “keyword stuffing.” With keyword stuffing a writer would inject a certain keyword and key phrase more than necessary even if it disrupts organic flow of the text.

At times, a website would even include blocks of keywords at the bottom of a page to do nothing else than inflate the keyword numbers on search engines.

Google and other search engines caught onto this tactic and have done everything in its power to devalue the use of keywords.

While it is still important to use keywords in your text, you need to keep it organic feeling. Anything more than this and it will feel forced and Google may end up penalizing you.

Not Taking Advantages of Visuals

A picture is worth a thousand words, so not taking advantage of images is a detriment to your content writing. You can easily insert pictures into WordPress blogs. With the WordPress blogs you’re able to insert images with no problem.

An image helps break up your text and adds visual interest to it. People are more likely to retain information when there are images utilized. If you’re not using images, you are harming the potential of your website and the readership (and returned readership). So always do what you can to take advantage of pictures.

Use Poor Grammar and Spelling

If you’ve ever tried to read content online only to feel like it was written by an amateur who doesn’t know basic English, your not likely too return two that sight. You’re especially not likely to share the post. Poor linguistic skills destroy the credibility of your content. This doesn’t mean you have to have a PhD in English, but it is good to spend some effort to learn the finer points beyond getting your theiyer’es mixed up.

Best Strategies for Stellar WordPress Blogs

In order to make sure you have the highest quality WordPress blogs, there are several specifics you need to follow. First, keep in mind the common mistakes mentioned above. By doing this you’ll improve the flow of your content while helping the blog perform better on search engines.

The next point is to maintain a steady posting schedule. The most read blogs will post new content several times a week. Ideally, you’ll post something daily, but this might be difficult. Even if you’re not able to post daily try to write new content and post it once or twice a week. With WordPress blogs you can schedule posts. This way, if you’re feeling creative you can write out a handful of blogs at once, then set the publishing schedule. This way you don’t have to maintain a posting schedule on your own.

When working with WordPress blogs, it’s easy to go crazy with the different plug-ins and additions that work behind the scenes. These additional snippets of coding are helpful, but the problem with this is each little plug-in requires a visitor’s website to download the code, which drags down the load time. Load time is critical for the performance of your website. The faster your website loads the better off you’ll be; the last thing you want is for a potential reader to leave your site because it fails to load in a reasonable time frame.

Content writing doesn’t take up much in the way of download bandwidth. However, if the plug-ins you’re using causes a lag in load time you’ll see a drop off in viewership. So keep your website clean (plenty of a white background space) and go easy on the plug-ins for WordPress blogs

How to Make Sure You’re Not That Rookie

Most of the common mistakes new content writers make are easily avoided. By following through with these tips you’ll do yourself a favor and avoid the kinds of problems other writers make with WordPress blogs.

More White Space

Keep your “paragraphs” short. In fact, they really aren’t paragraphs (at least what your English teacher would consider a paragraph). You want plenty of white space breaking up the content on your page. You can do this easily by keeping your paragraphs to between one and three sentences.

It might feel odd doing this at first, especially if you’re coming from long format writing, but in terms of blog posts, you want to make it easily scannable. If you have chunks of text, this won’t happen. So add in extra paragraph breaks.

Don’t Overstuff Keywords

This is probably the biggest problem most new content writers run into. They’ve heard so much about the importance of keywords and SEO that they go overboard with it, and in return, end up hurting their website performance.

Sometimes the best way to avoid damaging your site SEO is to not think about it at all. Keep in mind the topic keywords you want to write about and include these words in a natural way. It is perfectly fine if the keywords only appear once or twice within the body of the text.

Search engines are excellent at picking up these keywords. In fact, search engines are able to detect when words are used in an organic nature and when the words are forced in. So only add in these words when it fits naturally and avoid using the keywords when not.

Images

Add images into your blogs to improve the flow of the content. However, format the images correctly. This is an issue many new (and even experienced) writers make. Format the image down to an acceptable size. An unedited .jpg file can be dozens of megabytes in size (if not larger). If the images aren’t formatted down in size, it will drag down load time and cause problems with the site performance.

Conclusion

When it comes to creating content online, WordPress blogs are some of the best options around. You can do just about anything you want with these WordPress blogs, which is why so many content writers turn to them. However, no matter how experienced you are with content writing, simple mistakes can derail your potential performance. To avoid this kind of problem it is critical to consider these problems and to do what you can to avoid them. By doing this you’ll increase viewership potential and subscriber numbers.

Working With a Kitchen Designer in Coconut Grove

After you purchase real estate, the first thing you may consider is changing, upgrading, or completely demolishing aspects of your home that don’t suit your needs or style. Giving your kitchen a facelift can be a surefire way to enhance your home’s aesthetics and functionality while increasing its value. In areas like Coconut Grove, Brickell, and S. Beach properties sell at a premium. Any work done should be the highest quality achievable within your budget. It’s for that reason many people consider hiring a professional designer.

Why Use a Kitchen Designer?

Working with a kitchen designer can help you achieve a polished and professional finish. The experience they have in remodeling can ultimately save you time and money. Anything more than minor changes to your kitchen, such as knobs, superficial fixtures, etc., should be handled by a professional. Considering building codes, material costs, and access to reputable contractors all add layers of complexity to your project, kitchens are not a do-it-yourself job. You will want the finished product to be accurate, safe and insurable

Types Of Professional Designers

The designer you should choose depends on the work you need to be done and where you are getting your supplies. National chains and retailers will often have designers on staff at little to no cost. There are also private designers that work on a per contract basis. Although they cost more, they may give you more impartial advice on materials and design because they rarely have direct brand affiliations.

Locating A Designer

When trying to find a designer, seeking the recommendations of friends and family is useful. Some communities like Coral Gables and Pinecrest have designers many homeowners have used with solid reputations. There are also resources like the National Kitchen and Bath Association, which list reputable designers. No matter where you locate your designer, they should have a portfolio of their previous work to review.

Honing In On A Designers Expertise

Keep in mind; designers may be more versed in some areas. If you have a modest single family home and are not looking for opulent trimmings, picking a designer that specializes in upgrading luxury real estate may not be the best way to go. Also, some owners have unique property aspects they may want to be enhanced. For example, waterfront properties have the potential for unique design ideas like open-air walls. Ask potential designers share their design strengths and note their weaknesses.

Once you have chosen a designer, prepare yourself for your consultation and design process by:
Determining your budget
Listing the pros and cons of your existing space
Having some idea of what you would like
Maintaining flexibility about what you want vs. what can be achieved
Agreeing on a time line in writing
Knowing you can ask for multiple draft plans, and agreeing to a number in writing
Minimizing the changes you make as the project progresses

Most importantly, be patient. Doing a remodel properly is a process and there will be some inconvenience to you as your project is in the works.

Our site is your premier resource for real estate related topics in Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, and the surrounding areas. If you have a question, we likely have an answer. Check out some of our other articles, blogs, and resources.

Is PRP Facial Treatment Right for You?

At the Osteopathic Center, we specialize in the latest PRP facial treatment technology and cosmetic therapies. We understand signs of aging, trauma, acne scarring, and sun damage can become heavily evident on your face and neck after time. Also, common issues, like dark under eye circles, can greatly change the way other’s perceive you. Fortunately, PRP facial rejuvenation can help restore and correct such imperfections.

 

Platelet-rich plasma, PRP, has been used as an effective treatment in orthopedic medicine, dentistry, and reconstructive surgery for 30 years. It is garnering mainstream popularity due to its proven effectiveness and organic approach to cosmetic improvements. Your own blood platelets are used in the procedure, rather than a host of chemicals, to renew the appearance of your skin.

How PRP Differs from Other Fillers

PRP facial treatment is able to stimulate your own collagen, promoting total facial rejuvenation rather than attempting to attack individual wrinkles. If your face is beginning to sink in from age it can add volume and youthful plumpness. The volumizing effect extends to under eye hollows and sunken cheeks. Also improved are skin tone, tightness, and overall texture.

 

This is in stark contrast to hyaluronic acid fillers that can be ineffective in many areas due to placement difficulty or the penetration of treatment. That said, our team can advise you on whether a pairing of the two types therapies can provide more pronounced results. What may be needed will be dependent on your skin’s condition.

How PRP Facial Treatment Works

Platelets are designed to help your body’s tissues heal and grow new cells. Your body responds best to its own cells, so using your freshly prepared PRP virtually eliminates the possibility of negative side effects. Each session only takes about 20 minutes.

 

During your session, a small amount of blood will be drawn. While your PRP is prepared your face and/or neck will be cleansed and prepped for treatment.The PRP that is injected into your skin will trigger the natural regeneration of damaged tissue and collagen production. Since PRP therapy is far less invasive than traditional plastic surgery techniques there is no post-procedure care time required.

 

Effects of your treatment will begin to show two to three weeks after your session and will improve with time.  Ideally, you will receive three treatments spaced about two weeks apart for maximum benefit.  Results can last for up to 18 months.  

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Filing Taxes

According to data published by The Wall Street Journal, 3.7 million Americans submitted amended federal income tax returns in 2015. These amended returns were filed to take advantage of tax deductions/credits, to submit fresh financial information, and to add new income data.

It is important to note that you cannot e-file amended returns. In other words, you have to file them by sending hard copies using the USPS. The best way to avoid the extra time and expense of filing a hard-copy amendment is to get things right the first time. Here are the ways to avoid common filing mistakes:

Math Errors

Math errors are quite common on tax returns and constitute the first category of errors to be flagged, the IRS explains. In some cases, IRS employees correct computational and clerical errors.

This is especially true for paper returns, which are more likely to have missing or misquoted figures than electronically filed returns. To avoid such mistakes, double-check the figures that you provide throughout the first two pages of your returns.

Erroneous Social Security Number

This error is particularly common among people who claim a dependent exemption, because they have to list the SSNs or ITINs for their dependents. If you have dependents, you should verify all the SSNs/ITINs listed on your tax return to ensure they are correct.

One of the best ways to do this is by double-checking all the social security numbers on your tax return against the actual cards.

Alternatively, you can verify this data from the actual cardholders.

Filing Status

Another common filing mistake that you should avoid is providing an erroneous filing status. This can occur when separated couples file their returns separately while the IRS’s records show that they are still married.

To avoid having to correct your return, verify your filing status. It determines the deductions and credits you receive, and may lower your tax responsibility. Either way, make sure to use the correct filing status or you may end up with an IRS lien on your property.

Names

While it may seem absurd, many taxpayers actually misspell their names when filing their returns due to a number of reasons.

For starters, the current tax preparation software tools do not cover the entirety and cultural diversity of American names, which means they could mispronounce your name or offer a closely similar one. If you fail to verify every detail, you could enter an incorrect name on your return.

In addition, individuals who file returns on behalf of others, including tax/financial consultants may end up mispronouncing their client’s names. Divorced individuals could accidentally use the names of former spouses even after legally adopting other names.

Erroreoneous Income Details

If you are a contractor or freelance employee who receives a form 1099 for taxable income, make sure to keep detailed records of all sources of income. Also, make sure to report them correctly. Penalties from the IRS for unreported earnings are very steep.

Remember, the IRS keeps track of all legal transactions via form 1099.

The penalties for this offense vary depending on the size of unreported earnings and could include wage garnishment.

It is important to note that any federal refund, credit, or extension should be filed within three years of the original filing.

Conclusion

Every year, millions of Americans file tax returns that contain mistakes, including misspelled names, erroneous income figures, computation/math errors, erroneous Social Security Numbers, and wrong filing statuses. Avoid the hassle of amending your return by thoroughly checking your math, your status, and your name before you file.

SEO is an Investment That Grows Your Business!

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is one part of an effective website design. If you are not already using SEO, it should be part of your marketing strategy. It can be implemented quickly and easily using the right content writer. Here are 5 reasons to implement SEO today:

It Takes Time to See ROI – Get Started!

SEO is a very effective marketing strategy and can drive thousands of customers to your website monthly. However, it takes time to see ROI, or “Return On Investment.” This means implementing SEO takes patience. A recent survey shows that 94 percent of online marketers using SEO effectively plan to continue or increase their current SEO budget. Hiring an agency to create SEO content can be expensive, but the cost is worth it. The investment pays for itself in increased brand recognition and greater search and referral-driven traffic. So be patient. You will see the return on your SEO investment soon.

Golden Age Of SEO

We are in a “Golden Age” right now, where black hat tactics and manipulation are no match for SEO. There was a time when competitors could displace their competition using these underhanded strategies. Now, however, SEO reigns and your company can benefit greatly. This is the time to invest in SEO, before digital assistants and immediate answers take over the search engine territory.

Reap Greater Rewards By Compounding Returns

With every word of content you post, every link you establish, you are increasing your search visibility. This is called “Compounding Returns.” Essentially, you are building your reputation one post or link at a time. The more you put your business out there, the more authority you have on the web. The longer this goes on, the more you will reap conversions and referral traffic. The sooner you start building your reputation and compounding your interest growth, the sooner you will reap rewards.

Don’t Let Your Competitors Pull Away

The longer you wait to start utilizing SEO, the more you will lose out on high-ranking positions for lucrative keywords. Your competitors will build their defenses around their positions, making it harder to get in. They will add more targeted keywords and increase their rankings. The best way to avoid missing out is to get in now. Start using SEO today.

You’ve Nothing to Lose. Give It a Try

Don’t be intimidated by agencies that try to convince you to sign a six-month contract. There are SEO agencies out there that will work with you to accomplish your goals. Talk to professionals. Establish a budget and get started. Results will take time, but you can tweak things as you go. The sooner you get started, the better ROI you will see.

Don’t let the competition win because you didn’t join the race. Start using SEO and maximize your web exposure today.

Fund Your Retirement with Real Estate Investments

We are all familiar with the standard types of accounts when it comes to later-in-life financial planning. However, in the current economy, these accounts will only guarantee you the minimum standard of living. If you’re looking for a little luxury in your later years, consider funding your retirement through real estate investments. Real estate has been used for years by savvy individuals, and it’s your turn to join the ranks of the successfully retired.

Passive Retirement Income

Investing in real estate allows you to enjoy the benefits of a passive income. Passive income is achieved by investing in properties that will generate cash flow beyond what is needed to sustain the investment. In other words, any money you make after you pay the mortgage and upkeep the property goes into your pocket. These funds will pad your retirement, allowing you to leave the workplace and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

Multifamily Properties Maximize Passive Retirement Income

A MDU, or multi-dwelling unit, has two or more dwellings underneath one roof. Each unit has a kitchen, living area, bathroom(s), and bedroom(s). An example of a MDU is an apartment building. Investing in one or more MDUs can maximize passive income, which we already discussed above, by providing multiple revenue streams from the purchase of one property. The income from each unit is independent of the others, meaning the loss of income from one unit will not automatically cause the loss of income from the other units. Investing in an MDU is a smart way to maximize your return, since purchasing one apartment building is easier than purchasing several single-family homes. An MDU can also guarantee you have a place to live during your retirement, since you can reside in one of the units while turning a profit on the others.

Benefits of Investing in Multi-family Properties

There are several benefits to investing in MDUs, or multi-family properties. Beyond creating passive income, let’s look at what makes MDUs especially attractive as a retirement investment.

Multiple Streams of Income
As we stated above, a multi-family property will be occupied by several, separate tenants all paying rent independently of each other. If you lose a tenant, you still have others paying rent while you fill the empty unit. There’s no such guarantee of income from a single-family home. If a single-family home is empty, it’s not generating revenue for your retirement. The same could be said for multi-unit office spaces, if you’re looking for a higher-dollar investment. Multiple units equal multiple ways to make money.

Less Expensive to Manage
When you purchase a MDU, you have the option to hire a property management company. The overhead to hire the company and manage the property will be significantly less than the overhead to manage several single-family homes. A management company will handle things like rent collection and soliciting tenants, allowing you to relax and enjoy your retirement.

Invest with Less Risk
Even in a down economy, multi-family properties usually have tenants. This means your risk is less when investing in these types of properties. You should be able to draw passive income even in harder economic times. Also, having multiple dwellings means your revenue streams are not dependent on each other. This also equals less risk.