I looked at the numbers of readers of my posts and which posts they were reading. I found that an old post on Esperanto was still relevant and attracting lots of readers.
Esperanto flag. Photo from Wikipedia.
I keyed into blogger.com (the page for creating posts, blogspot is for reading posts) the search word on Esperanto. My search brought up all my posts on the subject. I thought, let's have a look at the popular post.
I took a set of steps to improve my old posts:
1 Correct Spelling And Typing Errors
When I read my old posts I spotted one or two typing errors. (I am getting typing errors as I type this post. I just corrected 'of' to 'or' in that sentence I just typed. Then I started the next sentence without a capital letter. The word 'sentence' keeps coming out as sentance. You have to keep correcting as you type if you type fast as I do.)
2 Correct Grammar
So, step one was correcting the spelling and punctuation.
As I read through, I found that I had sentences using the word they, which could refer to either the speakers of a language or the words they spoke. Oops - I had to change 'they' to 'speakers' or 'words ' for clarity.
Wikipedia
The Wikipedia entry was not clear. I changed it, although I left in the acknowledgement, and pointed out that I had changed the text for clarity. So my post was not just repeating but improving on the original.
I love Wikipedia. It gives me copyright free photos.
Grammarly
The next check was for correct and understandable grammar. I use Grammarly. Some writers type their posts elsewhere, in Word, do a Grammarly spelling and grammar check, then load up the corrected version to the blog.
3 Add Transitions
Finally, in my post's text at the end I had jumped suddenly from learning the language to places to visit. it was like reading two unconnected posts. I needed to add a transition or bridging sentence.
Time Spent Updating
I had now spent 15 minutes, 30 minutes, changing an old post, rather than writing a new one for today.
4 Ideas For New Posts
However, I had a new subject for a post. The language Ido, I had mentioned but not in detail. A little known artificial language. A totally minority subject.
5 Note Relevant And Popular Subjects
I then considered my method in updating. What is gratifying is that when I look back at old posts, I find the content still relevant. Been there, done that. I know it all, but new readers are finding it interesting.
6 Add New Skills In Creating Posts
Why rewrite, or write another post? Because my grasp of what to do to make a post interesting is improving.
So after writing the text of this post, I add photos, references to other websites, and references to my other websites.
7 Add Keywords For Text
In blogger, they are called labels. As I edit and save I add keywords.
8 Add Keywords For Photos
Click on your photos. Up pops options including the boring word properties. This is really very exciting. It is labels or keywords to help photo searches find the photo in your post. So adding the word bagel to my picture of bagels will send readers interested in bagels to my post on buying bagels from Brick Lane in East London, England.
9 Link Your Posts
Link your earlier posts to later posts.
10 Focus On The Reader
I know to focus not on myself but on what the readers want. So I shall end this post with a focus on you. I hope this helps you as a writer of your own posts and reader of my posts.
11 Focus On Readers You Want
I can see that I have lots of readers in the USA, Russia and Italy. I can go through all my posts ensuring that I mention these three area of the world, to keep my readers interested in other posts and becoming regular readers.
On the other hand, supposing I have only a few readers in Singapore. I could add a post on Singapore. Or link each post on Singapore to another. Or refer to Singapore in posts on other subjects. Add labels or tags to Singapore. Add flags of Singapore.
Here are some links to subjects I have mentioned in this post and often in my posts.
Some of My Popular Posts And Esperanto Posts
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-learn-esperanto-easy.html
Useful Websites
Duolingo.com
About The Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English and other languages.
Esperanto flag. Photo from Wikipedia.
I keyed into blogger.com (the page for creating posts, blogspot is for reading posts) the search word on Esperanto. My search brought up all my posts on the subject. I thought, let's have a look at the popular post.
I took a set of steps to improve my old posts:
1 Correct Spelling And Typing Errors
When I read my old posts I spotted one or two typing errors. (I am getting typing errors as I type this post. I just corrected 'of' to 'or' in that sentence I just typed. Then I started the next sentence without a capital letter. The word 'sentence' keeps coming out as sentance. You have to keep correcting as you type if you type fast as I do.)
2 Correct Grammar
So, step one was correcting the spelling and punctuation.
As I read through, I found that I had sentences using the word they, which could refer to either the speakers of a language or the words they spoke. Oops - I had to change 'they' to 'speakers' or 'words ' for clarity.
Wikipedia
The Wikipedia entry was not clear. I changed it, although I left in the acknowledgement, and pointed out that I had changed the text for clarity. So my post was not just repeating but improving on the original.
I love Wikipedia. It gives me copyright free photos.
Grammarly
The next check was for correct and understandable grammar. I use Grammarly. Some writers type their posts elsewhere, in Word, do a Grammarly spelling and grammar check, then load up the corrected version to the blog.
3 Add Transitions
Finally, in my post's text at the end I had jumped suddenly from learning the language to places to visit. it was like reading two unconnected posts. I needed to add a transition or bridging sentence.
Time Spent Updating
I had now spent 15 minutes, 30 minutes, changing an old post, rather than writing a new one for today.
4 Ideas For New Posts
However, I had a new subject for a post. The language Ido, I had mentioned but not in detail. A little known artificial language. A totally minority subject.
5 Note Relevant And Popular Subjects
I then considered my method in updating. What is gratifying is that when I look back at old posts, I find the content still relevant. Been there, done that. I know it all, but new readers are finding it interesting.
6 Add New Skills In Creating Posts
Why rewrite, or write another post? Because my grasp of what to do to make a post interesting is improving.
So after writing the text of this post, I add photos, references to other websites, and references to my other websites.
7 Add Keywords For Text
In blogger, they are called labels. As I edit and save I add keywords.
8 Add Keywords For Photos
Click on your photos. Up pops options including the boring word properties. This is really very exciting. It is labels or keywords to help photo searches find the photo in your post. So adding the word bagel to my picture of bagels will send readers interested in bagels to my post on buying bagels from Brick Lane in East London, England.
9 Link Your Posts
Link your earlier posts to later posts.
10 Focus On The Reader
I know to focus not on myself but on what the readers want. So I shall end this post with a focus on you. I hope this helps you as a writer of your own posts and reader of my posts.
11 Focus On Readers You Want
I can see that I have lots of readers in the USA, Russia and Italy. I can go through all my posts ensuring that I mention these three area of the world, to keep my readers interested in other posts and becoming regular readers.
On the other hand, supposing I have only a few readers in Singapore. I could add a post on Singapore. Or link each post on Singapore to another. Or refer to Singapore in posts on other subjects. Add labels or tags to Singapore. Add flags of Singapore.
Here are some links to subjects I have mentioned in this post and often in my posts.
Some of My Popular Posts And Esperanto Posts
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-learn-esperanto-easy.html
Useful Websites
Duolingo.com
About The Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English and other languages.
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