10 ways to Spring clean your blog!

Ever since we went into lockdown, oh, over a month ago now! I’ve been working on the unseen side of my blog. I’ve been tweaking things, improving things and I have been giving it a good long-overdue clean. Something, before all of this, I really didn’t have the time to do. Mainly because work for our blogs has reduced, dramatically! I know a whole bunch of you other bloggers out there can relate to that. It sucks. However, that is the way things are at the moment. So, I’m taking this gift of time to do everything to my blog that I didn’t have the time to do before and giving her a good spring clean! It’s amazing to see the hard work already paying off! Especially when everyone is now home, our blog traffic has all rocketed a little, which is a delight to see!

So what have I been doing? Well, let me tell you…

10 ways to Spring clean your blog!

Give yourself a new Header design!

I’ve done this recently and I always tend to keep it in a cursive style text and simple! It’s how I like it and I think it looks really nice and sleek. So get yourself on Canva and give your header a new, fresh look! Trust me, it helps! 

Change your profile photo and description on your homepage

I also did this recently and I could not love what I currently have any more! As a blogger, my blog journey changes and make sure, if you’re the same, that you are including that into your welcome note! For example, we’re now cat owners and I’ve found myself creating free printables for all kinds of occasions.

More importantly, for today’s current global pandemic, activity worksheets for preschoolers! So making sure you add anything you think will draw readers in to stay on your blog for a while – get it added! 

Is your ‘About me’ page still relevant? 

This is something I tend to do once per year. I update the photos to new ones we’ve taken that year and also update everyone’s ages. I’d also update any new links I think should be included and also add a new annual media pack. 

Make sure you have meta-tags! 

It’s embarrassing to admit how many of my old blog posts didn’t have meta-tags! Honestly, so embarrassing! But in those days I wasn’t really sure what having a blog meant – not as I do nowadays! Or the work that is involved! But yes, 100% make sure you have a delicious looking meta-tag that will show up underneath your Blog title when found on search engines.

Sort out your SEO overview!

If you’re on WordPress, then no doubt you’ll have the Yoast plugin downloaded. However, on Yoast, it displays your SEO overview. Blog posts that have average or awesome SEO and the same implies to your readership. Now, I know lots of bloggers who aren’t bothered by having two little green lights? I do like to have two little green lights – so I guess it’s a personal preference. 

Ditch those broken links!

First things first, I left this tediously boring task of checking for broken links for so long that I ended up having an obscene amount of broken links to work through. It was a nightmare. So what did I do? I learnt my lesson and now I try to make it part of my weekly schedule to check and see if there are any new ones and to rectify them. Basically keeping all of my links beautiful & in check on a weekly basis. If you’re not aware of what broken link checker to use, this is the one I prefer, personally.  

Overall, I had 400 or so average {orange} or bad {red} SEO posts {which is dyer, I know!}. So I’ve been working through those by doing a handful every day! I am already seeing benefits and those posts are now being found. So it is 100% worth doing! You’ll find this information, on your WordPress dashboard. 

Add pinnable pins at the end of your posts! 

The next task that I have been fitting in is adding Pins to the ends of my blog posts. Back, when I started blogging, Pinterest wasn’t really around. Then, when it swooped in a dazzled everyone is was still a foreign concept to me. In a lot of ways it still is! Therefore, I never had pinnable images at the bottom of those earlier posts.

Over time, as I have been going through my posts, I have added them where needed. Now? I am seeing the benefits of having a pinnable image on my blog post and then sharing it via Pinterest. I am also seeing the benefits of having a selection of several pinnable images for each blog post. 

Update old posts!

I have several really popular posts that require update/spring clean. Which is something I am slowly getting around too! And to update it I am just making sure I have fresh, new photos of the post topic e.g. a recipe. 

Double-check your contact details are working!

I know this sounds like a novice move, I get it! But technology is well, technology and it can fail and sometimes for no particular reason. With no warning! So, double-check your contact details. Those gorgeous PR companies won’t be able to get in touch with you if they’re not up to date and working properly. While you’re at it, double-check your social media links, too! 

Give your sidebar a revamp!

I love doing this to my sidebar! It just looks fresh and different {a good old spring clean!} and I like to think it will excite my readers when they pop over to my blog for a visit. Am I crazy? I’m also a fan of sharing cute hyperlink images to helpful sections of my blog such as, recipes or homeschool, which are easily created over on Canva. A program that I use all the time and mention on here a lot!  

And there you go! My 10 ways to Spring clean your blog! This time we have at home shouldn’t be viewed as being ‘imprisoned’ or ‘locked-in’ but seen as a gift. I have felt all kinds of feelings over the last lot of weeks but now? I’m 80% settled and we’re all just finding our own ways to help the days go in. So, helping my blog be everything it can be and finally having the time to perfect all of its little imperfections has been a great way to pass the time. Also, with the lack of blog work floating around? I am learning to be creative again with my blog and what I post! 

PIN IT FOR LATER!