This post is a part of a 3 post series about improving your blog:
25 quick tasks to improve your blog TODAY
33 actionable steps for blog improvement in ONE WEEK
41 tips to significantly improve a blog THIS MONTH
Or just download all 3 posts in PDF form at
99 tasks for blog improvement.
If you have just landed on this page and want to know how to improve blog traffic, subscriptions and everything else that matters to you, make sure to follow the steps from the first 2 posts in the series, so you can build upon them.
Search Engine Optimization
#1 Continue keyword research you started doing. Do it for all future posts. If you want free search engine traffic, you have to do at least some SEO.
#2 Do keyword research for all of your old posts and optimize them to get even more search engine traffic (here is how to do the on-page optimization). Remember, you don’t have to change URL to make it perfect, just sprinkle the keywords through the post.
#3 While at it, improve your pages based on what keywords they are being found for and lower the bounce rate by giving your visitors what they want.
This is a great strategy on maximizing ROI from the traffic you are already receiving. It is also a great way to get ideas for new posts.
#4 Start using Cuterank (it is free), to track your rankings.
#5 Research your competition to see what keywords are they using, how are they monetizing their blogs, how can you outrank them in SERP.
Note: for easy keyword research, rank tracking and competition research, I recommend using Market Samurai.
#6 Add descriptions to tags and categories you are using on your blog.
#7 If you commented on 5 blogs every day (like I suggested in this post, #9) you are ready to SEO your comments.
#8 Interlink your posts. Add links to old posts when you are writing a new one. Go to your old posts and add links to the new stuff you publish.
Interlinking will help your rankings and more important, it will keep people busy clicking and reading your posts.
Social Media
#9-12 Register for Digg.com, Stumbleupon.com, Reddit.com and Yahoo answers and start using them. To make it easy on you, here is how to use them to get the best results:
#13 See how your sharing buttons on the posts are doing. If you have 6 buttons and one or two of them (example Digg and LinkedIn) are not attracting shares, remove them and try two new options.
Rinse and repeat until you have a handful of buttons and all of them are doing good. You can do this every few weeks or every month.
#14 Now that you have a Facebook fan page, post two updates a day on it. Keep it alive, don’t bury your page.
#15 Create a Facebook landing (welcome) page.
#16 Continue doing the tasks related to being active on social networks from previous two parts of this series. Take some time every day to update your statuses.
Don’t use the same statuses on all the networks though, make it interesting for people to follow you on multiple platforms because they never know where to expect the next cool idea!
#17 Expand your LinkedIn strategy with answering questions and establishing yourself as an expert. If not that, you can always use it as a blog post ideas generator 
Design and appearance
#18 This is the time to buy a premium theme.
Free themes are not SEO friendly, they often contain messed up code and hidden links. Never search Google for free themes!
If you can not afford a premium theme, stick to Twenty Ten and customize it.
#19 Get a logo. You can outsource it on Fiverr.com. If you are handy with an image editing software, you can create it yourself.
Networking and blog promotion
#20 Write a new guest post every week at least until you get a steady stream of visitors from other blogs. You always have to search for new ways to promote your blog and reach new audience.
#21 Create your first video and upload it to Youtube and Vimeo. If you are camera shy, you can create a screencast.
#22 Make a slideshow and upload it to Slideshare.net.
#23 Join some forums and start helping people there, it is a great traffic generation source. Two of my favorites are Website Babble and Warrior Forum.
#24 Create Paper.li and modify it manually every day. Don’t make it a completely automated tool. Here is how I use Paper.li for good results.
#25 While doing the keyword and competition research (#1, #2, #5), research blogs similar to yours that are not directly competing with you. That way you will have a list of bloggers you can connect with to cross promote each other.
#26 Find one new blog to read and comment on every week. Connect with the blogger who runs it.
Blog usability
#27 Do some work on your footer. Use it to display stuff you removed from your header and sidebar. Don’t forget to add an opt in form!
#28 Create Resources page where you will link to all of your posts that solve a single problem or revolve around one topic.
#29 Create a Start here page for all the new visitors so they would find their way around your blog.
I have a page that combines #28 and #29 and it is the blogging for beginners page. It lists all the posts that will help beginners stay focused on implementing certain strategies without having to dig through my blog for hours.
Educate yourself
#30 Invest some money in your blog, but be smart about it. If you want to spend money to get money, my first recommendation is a book I wish I read years ago.
#31 Learn all about affiliate marketing without the BS.
List building
#32 You started building your list but now it is time to step up the game. Put opt in forms where ever there is a good place for it.
The easiest, the best and the cheapest way is to add WPSubscribers plugin to your blog. Here is how I use it to turn commenters into subscribers.
This plugin can create any imaginable opt in form on your blog so it is the only list building plugin you will ever need!
#33 Test opt in forms on your blog. Although some say they hate pop-ups, they are still working, especially on blogs whose audience are not other bloggers blind to ads and pop-ups.
Tracking
I recommended tracking things on your blog by using Clicky (sign up for free!) and Google Analytics and this is the time when you will already start analyzing your results.
#34 Check what is the source of traffic that is bringing a lot of visitors to your blog, that you were not expecting. It could be a blog you comment on, a blog voting site, social bookmarking site… What ever it is, be more active in promoting your blog over there.
No time for all that? See what is not bringing traffic as you expected and ditch that source. You swapped an ineffective strategy for an effective one – congrats!
Making money
Depending on your traffic and size of your blog, this might be time to think about ways to monetize your blog.
#35 Pull out that list you made the first day (it was #25) and see which of the monetization ideas can you implement from the sites you researched.
Start with one or two ways, don’t just plaster ads all over your blog! Test for few weeks, if it works – keep it, if not – ditch it. Rinse and repeat!
#36 Add hire me page if you are providing any services. If you are not, this it the time to start.
If you don’t know what to offer, just think of what you do the best. If you are a good writer, you can write articles for money. If you are good with WordPress, you can maintain someone’s blog. If you are good with HTML, CSS and PHP, you can design someone’s blog.
#37 Spend several days testing and trying a product you think might be a good match for your readers. Write a honest review about it.
If you are satisfied, become an affiliate for it and include the links in the review post. If you are not satisfied, write a review anyway and tell people why you didn’t like the product.
#38 Start jotting down ideas on stuff you know and like, that you think you could create a product on. This is something that can take months to do, so I am just advising you to start.
When you create a long list of ideas, it will be easier for you to visualize what type of product you want to create, what problem will it be solving, etc.
#39 Read forums for ideas and insight on what people need help with to get the ideas on great products. If you want to learn the art of making money with products, read the one I reviewed few days ago.
#40 Create a tools page where you will recommend all the products you use. There are three great reasons for this page:
- it will help people find the tools they see you using and save them the trouble of e-mailing you and asking about it
- it will save you the trouble of responding to e-mails asking what you use, you can send them a link and let them see for themselves
- it can make you money because you will add affiliate links to paid products you use
Focus on goals
#41 Write a plan for your blog if you don’t have one:
- how do you plan to make money with it,
- when are you going to post,
- what are you going to write about,
- what is your ultimate goal for what you are doing,
- how do you plan to get there…
Put it next to your computer and make sure that everything you do is going towards fulfilling those goals.
There you have it. A total of 99 ideas in 3 posts, on how to improve your blog. I really hope you put them to good use!
Please, leave a comment to tell me what do you think of these and how will you use them.
I would also appreciate if you would use one of the share buttons below, like Google +1 or Facebook Like
Related posts:
The Word. Done. thanks. Billly
The word. You’re welcome
Bran,
What a freakin’ awesome list! I am sure that every blogger needs it coz, even if one is a problogger and know everything needed to improve a blog, one can’t remember all of them.
Since you have compiled them here, it is so handy. Awesome work. I wonder how long it took you to write this series.
Cheers,
Jane.
Thanks, Jane, I really appreciate that coming from you.
I agree with you, with all the information we keep receiving, it is hard to remember everything you need to do. I’ve seen some blogs missing the little things that would make them more successful, just because they skip a simple step.
Hi Brankica,
This is going to be a huge resource. Do you have any plans to compile them into a mini report? 99 ideas=99 tasks. People who says blogging is easy should think twice.
Thanks for the share.
Yes, I was thinking about getting them together in a downloadable file, but I have one dilemma.
Should I make a report that would elaborate more on these, or just put all three posts together and make a single file from them.
Hi Brankica. I agree with @Lye, you should put this all together and make a mini report or some sort of white paper. Really good stuff… OK, so you got me going on 3 hours or less, then a week, and now a month.. For G’s sake, please don’t come up with a 6 – 12 month stuff anymore, lol.
Thumbs up! What can I say.. still have to work on #15
I am stopping now! Sorry
I replied to him, check above, and tell me what do you think I should do
Hi Bran. In my opinion, you can do either “pulling” all these three posts together and “dress” it up some more (perhaps with some links to specific related articles) and, make it a small blueprint, or you can elaborate and make an eBook out of it. The blueprint perhaps can be offered as a bonus with whoever buys your eBook (you still have that, right?). Either way, you can decide whether to sell/offer.. you know the drill
Another thing that pops up is perhaps, “elaborating” each item on “private” pages. You can then give access the way you see fit. Registration, optin, membership, paid access, etc. You got a lot to work on..
I am thinking as making a simple file with just this text for free download and then elaborate more and show how I do it and give it to the list… just thinking out loud. I will try to work on it today and hopefully have it ready by tomorrow
Don’t worry, I won’t be adding more assignments
Sounds good too
Let me know when its done, I think I am already in your list… don’t want to miss it 
Have a great weekend…
Now we have more than enough (100-1) assignments for this weekend from your school, Bran:)
On the social media tasks, I recently started using Reddit and am amazed that it gets a good volume of traffic. On usability, I have created a draft of my resource pages (CopyBlogger style) and hope to upload it soon.
This is a pretty huge task list and to think that you machined them all out in a week! Well done.
You sure put a lot of work in it – it’d be nice to make it a PDF for us to download. In the mean time, I’ll be merging this and the first 2 posts in the series.
I was going for more than 100 but I started getting hate mail, lol.
Reddit is awesome. It isn’t always the best fit for our niche but if you have a cute pics blog or anything funny or crazy, Reddit will viral it like nothing.
You can sure create some awesome SEO resource pages!!
I am going to make it available to download, will inform everyone when it is available!
Cool, thanks for the tips (Reddit + SEO resource pages).
I’ll look forward to the merged Blog Improvement document/ blueprint.
Happy weekend!
O.M.G. I saw the title of your post in my Reader and thought, “No way.” Not only did you deliver on 41 tips, you upped that by more than 50! I’m dumbstruck (and very grateful). Thank you!!
Total of 99. I wanted to go over 100 but I was threatened by some people for keeping them too busy, lol. Glad you like it, coming from you it is an honor
Wow..it feels like everything is there
So much things to do to be a really successful blogger 
Still have to do lots of things to get there
Get to work then and make sure to report the progress
41 more?! You’re a machine!
I’d include the SEO Smart Links plugin under the interlinking old posts section. Set it up once and it automatically links for you going forward. Of course I don’t really make the best use of that plugin anyway.
But you can always include that in your report/white paper
Not going to recommend it, cause I had it twice and it crashed my blog twice
It deleted the content of several most popular posts so you would go to the post and see everything but the text of the post. Headline would be there, sharing buttons…all but the post. So I am not going to risk recommending it
Oh man. That’s crazy. Maybe it’s a good thing that I don’t really put it to it’s full use then
I’m speechless! And what is it you wanted us to comment on again? You’ve absolutely covered everything here! I am only commenting because I want to be part of this epic series!
Welldone Brankica! I guess you can take a one month off from writing more posts so that we can give the 41 tasks a shot! Not forgetting that the other 2 posts and this one make a good Blog Improvement Encyclopedia.
I have to stop now so that I can go and DO something!
Great stuff!
Thanks
Maybe I should stop writing and learn how to cook now
You got it! while we’re working on Blog Improvement, you’ll be working on Home Improvement.
I enjoy reading these few last posts. One of my favorites was SEO 101, but these are maybe even better. Congrats!
I especially like the way you interlink your posts – they just keeps me busy and help me learn even more. At the other hand, I interlink my posts rarely so they look poor compared to this one. I must apply this tip on my blog.
Now I have opened 5 of your posts just while reading this one, have to read them now. Bye!
Brankica,
Would it be OK, if I give your 99 Tasks Report away when people subscribe to my blog? I won’t change any of the text or attributions, of course. You will get all the credit for it, as you should. It would really help your Report become more Viral if you could have a graphic designer create a “book cover” for it. Thanks for all your hard work!
Sincerely,
Jupiter Jim
Of course you can
Thanks for doing that, by the way !!
No problem, it’s a win-win for me and you and anyone who reads it!
Question: Are you the one who told me to use the “Subscribe to Comments Reloaded” Plugin?
Are you using that one or a different one? Cause I like the one you use! Hope you are having a great Saturday!
P.S. Started using the GASP Anti-Spam Plugin you recommended and I love it! Thanks!
I just finished the post and feel like I’ve finished a marathon. Brankica you are going to kill me
“Epic” stuff as some would call it. Thank you for the hours you put into this post
I took more than two years to learn these tips and you have all provided in one tutorial. According to me the whole blogging depends on keywords and optimization.For blogging links techniques have the following precedence
1 Links from guest post
2 links from blog comments
3 links from social book marking sites,profile links
Wow. I guess I know what I’ll be doing this weekend. Awesome list. We could really stand to see some growth from the social and news bookmarking sites. Good to see some of the comments here on that note. It’s a kick in the pants for me.
Hi Brankica,
Awesome advice. I know exactly what your next post should be about, it should be about how to write long and detailed posts like this one
I haven’t done much when it comes to SEO, especially when it comes to keyword research. But I’m going to (I know I’ve said this for a long time). What I have been doing though is starting to interlink between my old posts.
I have been using WPSubscribers plugin for a while, and I’m still testing it to find where to add my forms to get the most subscribers. On the other hand, I have also thought about creating a landing page (on my blog) for my newsletter. Is this something you have done or thought about?
Jens
Great info brank. I love the social media part now going to read how to get traffic from reddit. I just loved this article. thanks for sharing so nice and informative post here.
You are welcome, Eric. Make sure to dig through that post of Elise’s good, Reddit is a great source of traffic, you just need to have the right content for it!
Great post, Brankica!
That is sure a lot of tips for one post. Each and every step that you mentioned is equally important.
Thank you for sharing it! I sure need to work on some of these. Thanks!
You’ve really put lot of efforts in creating this list. This will be a great reference to all the bloggers.
Truly appreciate the suggestions you’ve offered to monetize. Certainly there is no single formula. Test each option and keep or ditch is the only way to decide best option.
i`ve jst started my blog……i am an engineering student…..i hope these tips would ignite my work in the initiation….i`ve recently written a book….i wud like to update it soon in the blog…..folks around….help me with few tips…