Rules to Better Blogging - 26 Rules

When blogging on a large topic, you have 2 options:

• Option 1: Write a very long blog post
• Option 2: Write a series of shorter blog posts (Recommended)

To help understand why option 2 is recommended, let's break it down into pros and cons.

Option 1: Write a very long blog post

Figure: Option 1 Pros/Cons - One Long Blog Post

Option 2: Write a series of shorter blog posts

Figure: Option 2 Pros/Cons - Series of Short Blog Posts

If you want to get your ideas across, it will always be easier for the reader to understand a shorter blog post and it will always be easier for the writer to create a shorter blog post.

So next time you have a large topic, be sure to write a series of shorter blog posts (option 1). You will be doing yourself, and your readers, a big favour.

A blog is still a website that you want people to visit, so it’s important to consider the User Interface (UI) and the User Experience (UX).

Have a look at Jakob Nielsen's advice on the Top Ten Design Mistakes for advice on how you can improve your blog UI.

The RSS or 'subscribe' button is a place on your blog that alow visitors to easily receive your blog's updates.

Blogs that have a visible 'subscribe' button will certainly receive more returning visitors.

If you find yourself developing a decision process to make a choice, that process should be documented as a standard. If want to explain further how you did something to solve a specific problem, you should record that in a blog post.

Any time you find yourself writing a long email, ask yourself whether it should be recorded in rule or a blog post, rather than just in an email. This way everyone who might find it useful can see it, not just the people on the email thread.

Does it make a rule?

If you go the extra mile, you will end up with one or more rules based on any scenario where a decision has been made.

For example, you're speaking to software architects and clients about option A or B... you usually put the Pros and Cons in an "As per our conversation" email. This email is a potential rule that may help others. Even if you don't have the time to make that content generic enough to be a rule, just send a copy of the email to the Rules webmaster asking for a new rule.

Then the next time, the email to clients will need just a link to that rule.

Care for SEO

Always link the blog post to the rule(s) and vice versa. For example, you could add something like this to your post: "This blog post is consistent with the good example on the rule {{ Rule URL }}}". It's awesome for Search Engine Optimization.

Every time someone does a talk/records a video, it helps spread the word about your content if your video keeps getting shared.

If you have a blog, a good idea is to add a simple post to tag your new video. It gets double Google juice if you:

• Have a good description of your video on YouTube; and
• Your video is linked in a blog post using popular keywords for the content/topic you have recorded about.

Here's a simple example:

The gold standard ⭐

You could go the extra mile and explain your whole talk for an even better result. This gives you an opportunity to communicate and explain your thoughts to your audience, besides using all the relevant keywords you can in a single blog post.

Plus, you have the added benefit of having visual/audio content through the video, as well as written content. That way, you are really catering and communicating to all types of learners, readers or consumers your audience might include.

Whether you are converting an email to a blog post or writing it from scratch, always invite and instruct discussion.

Although people may not comply, it helps them adjust from the world of email only.

It is easy to think that "Content is King"; it is a well-known quote from an article by Bill Gates in 1996.  But incorrect content is not  very useful, so we think that " factual content is king".

You should always:

• Fix up your mistakes, and
• Strike through content that is now been superseded, and add a comment. E.g. "This is now not an issue as it was fixed up in TFS SP1"

In this age of misinformation, it is easy to get swept up in online hype and share stories/posts that everyone else seems to be sharing. This, however, can get us into trouble as it can perpetuate said misinformation and impact how a situation is viewed by the general populace.

It’s important to not only check that what you share on social media is correct, but also, that your opinions are based on fact.

What if your view differs from popular opinion? It's OK to have a dissenting opinion, and it is OK to play devil's advocate, but you should:

1. Acknowledge when you're not an expert in a particular area
2. People's perspectives matter, for example, if someone has a history of C# it might explain why they like Blazor for a UI over JavaScript
3. Acknowledge when you're unable to verify what you’re saying

Here are some helpful tips to aid in fact verification:

1. Go to Snopes.com or use other fact-checking sites
2. Look at the author and what they’ve published in the past... notice that they will have a bias one way or the other
3. Look at other authorities and see what they say

What's equally as important as fact-checking is building your own public profile and becoming an expert in a specific area.

Becoming an expert and a source that people can trust isn’t something that happens overnight, it's something that you must continually work on. Here are some helpful hints to get you on your way:

1. Pick several topics and stick to them (be consistent). It’s better to home in on subject matter, rather than being a jack-of-all-trades, master of none
2. Use the above fact-checking tips and tricks. Make sure you know what you’re talking about, but also that you understand that other people's opinions may differ
3. Engage with people. Initiate discussions, reply to comments, talk to people who have dissenting opinions

If someone gives you feedback and you think it is worth incorporating into the content, you should always name them at the top of your blog post. This makes them feel good and gives your post more credibility.

Make sure that the follow-up and aggregate Twitter and Facebook users as well. Make all your readers feel included and you will create loyalty within your readership.

Technical people need a little bit of a free leash in order to be creative. This will benefit the company they work for by demonstrating how technical your staff are, by driving more traffic to your site, and making your staff happier.

See: Do you know to do the gold plating after hours?

Tip: Get your employees to add an “SSW” category to their blog so you can aggregate their posts onto the corporate site.

While blogging during work hours should generally be avoided, there are occasions when it becomes necessary, such as when you discover a valuable solution to a problem. To ensure that your blog posts reach their full potential, you should dedicate time after work hours for review and refinement - gold plating.

Remember, while blogging during work hours may be a temporary compromise, the commitment to excellence after work hours ensures that your posts shine brightly.

As long as there is nothing confidential or NDA in the content, any discussion point should be made public. Transparency is the name of the game. The more transparency you have between customers, management, and your technical employees the better. This fosters trust and a closer working relationship.

So keep jewels from being left in your inbox. Remember that you are inviting replies, and that the gold in this process.

Note: If the discussion is not worth a blog post, then tweet it and link to the rule.

Probably the best reason to blog is when you have made a mistake, especially if you were pulled up for it by a peer. Post about the mistake you made, why you made it and how you are going to try and avoided it in the future.

Turn a rant into a tip…

When you update your blog post, use the word "UPDATED" clearly (in capitals and in red for example). The date should also be added, if relevant.

Example:

You should also apply this technique to youtube videos you record too.

Most companies have intelligent people who make some relevant and useful points for the greater community or industry, while writing internal emails. Those emails should be published to the company blog for the following reasons:

1. It provides great content for Google to index
2. It raises the profile of your company around the topics discussed
3. It shows the industry that you have intelligent and forward thinking staff

The prefix is used to give context to your blog posts (or other type of content), so users know what to expect.

Example 1: Use "CODE:" when your blog post is about coding or "VIDEO:" when it has a video.

You should also use prefixes (based on the content, like lists) for grouping and a better scanning:

We all know the feeling after a long day... Exhausted, we wander the internet, lazily looking for content to consume easily. For many, this normally takes the form of watching videos after trailing through their Reddit, Twitter, & other social media platforms. Therefore, it is important to make sure that your blog post title and content stand out to this demographic.

One simple way to do this is to prefix your blog post title with "VIDEO – ".

Also, make sure your embedded video is at the top of the post, so users will see right away that there is a video on the post to be watched.

Taken from the video "Chris Voss: "Never Split the Difference" | Talks at Google" at 23:50.

Any regular blogger who writes about code knows that embedding code snippets into their posts can be a real pain!

Syntax highlighting, special tags and keeping a track of your code snippets can be a nightmare. As a developer, you're sold on the virtues of source control, making changes then rolling back, forking, and cloning code. Wouldn't it be great if there were a simple way to share a touch of code?

Introducing Github Gists, which makes sharing, embedding and keeping track of code snippets easy. The standout feature of Github Gists is that every code snippet (often referred to by GitHub as a Gist) is behind the scenes a Git repository, which in turn gives you access to all of the benefits of source control.

Upon editing an already published Gist, the previous versions are preserved. As to be expected with any good source control, you can use the built-in diff engine to highlight clearly the changes between any two versions of a single Gist. This sounds like it can get out of hand quickly, but you can easily view all your Gists by heading to https://gist.github.com/username/.

It is very simple to embed your code snippets using Github Gists, as you can embed any Gist in your blog with a single a line of JavaScript. The embedded Gists automatically display the current version of your snippet while still maintaining all the formatting and syntax highlighting. Furthermore, if you're using WordPress, it's even easier. Click here to find out all of the shortcuts for embedding Gists in WordPress! blogs.

When you upload a video, the most important step is setting a good title and description. However there is a further step to take in order to help others find your video content.

One of the few disadvantages of videos over written content is that Google can't tell much about your video apart from the title and tags you may provide when you upload it. By having your video transcribed and adding the transcription text to wherever the video is shown, you're giving Google specific information about the content of your video.

It also helps people to copy and paste important parts of what's said on the video.

The keywords for the video above are:

• Windows 10
• IoT
• Microsoft
• .NET
• Micro Framework

However, it is missing important keywords such as:

• Open-source
• C#
• GitHub
• Universal Windows Platform
• Raspberry Pi
• I2C

How to capture all of these missing keywords? You can't just overload your content with keywords, as your content may become flagged as spam.

The answer is to have your video content transcribed. As it provides drastically benefits for the discoverability of your video content, while the organic nature of the written material ensures it is not flagged as spam.

Check the whole transcription on Chris Briggs' blog post: VIDEO – The Internet of Things - Ilija Injac on all things IoT and .NET.

A quick Google search will show a range of services which will make the task effortless. However, professional transcriptions are expensive. If you’re willing to spend a little time cleaning up technical jargon then it is worth checking out:

• speechpad.com - for a better transcription quality
• fiverr.com - for a quicker reply and cheaper pricing

A relevant featured image is a great way to add a splash of color to your blog and make your content visually appealing.

You will need to ensure that you have the rights to use these featured images. A few options include:

1. Purchasing a subscription to a stock image site
2. Using a royalty-free stock image site. E.g. unsplash.com or pxhere.com
3. Using Google Images that are labeled for reuse:

4. Use Canva to create a featured image with overlaid text
5. Taking your own photos

Ensuring you are not breaching copyright will save you from any trouble in the future.

You should always publish your blog posts to all social media platforms you use. It helps boost traffic and visibility for your site.

Don't simply share the URL and maybe the title, as it won't make people get interested in taking an action. On social media, nowadays, you have an average of 5 seconds to get someone's attention on the feed – sometimes even less than that. So, you should put the effort into carefully choosing a catchy image to make your blog post interesting visually on someone's feed and adapting the content to different social networks. For example, if you use Twitter, you will have fewer characters. A good starting point is to choose a statement or a statistic from your blog post to share on the social media post and give the user a snippet about the content they are about to read.

The combination of a good image and an explanatory caption providing enough (and interesting) information from your content will make the user want to visit your blog to find out more about what you have to share.

Engaging with the digital community is vital for establishing a robust online presence. Not only does it elevate your company's website visibility via backlinks, but Google's algorithm also heavily favors such interactions. Beyond SEO advantages, it's a heartfelt way to commend the dedication of bloggers and developers. Commenting on blogs and acknowledging GitHub contributions are foundational practices in this endeavor.

The Benefits

• For the Blogger: They receive direct appreciation, boosting the visibility of their content. For instance, a renowned blogger could secure sponsorships or speaking gigs.
• For the Individual: Establishes a solid reputation and broadens your connections. For example, Bob Northwind emerges as a trusted expert in his field.
• For the Company: The backlink to your website is the main way that Google and other search engines (including LLMs such as ChatGPT) work out how highly they should rank your website in their results.

Blogs - Giving thanks

When leaving a blog comment, always incorporate your signature with your name and URL. This not only establishes your professional identity but also contributes to your company's online footprint. The signature is used to track your comments.

GitHub - Giving thanks

Given the rapid evolution of the digital sphere, it's crucial to acknowledge the GitHub contributions of employees. Their active participation and the recognition they earn in the form of GitHub stars signify their influence and standing in the developer community.

Encourage employees to engage actively on GitHub, not just by contributing to projects but also by starring and appreciating others' work. This fosters a sense of community and boosts their digital presence.

Tracking and Valuing Digital Engagements

From a managerial perspective, it's valuable to identify and quantify these digital interactions. That way you can encourage people to contribute more! This can be achieved through:

Monitoring Interactions

To check an employee's blog comment activity, utilize advanced search operators on Google. For example, you can search for "Bob Northwind" "Thanks for this valuable contribution! 👏" to narrow down results.

Keeping Tabs on GitHub Stars

Track your employees' GitHub stars by visiting their GitHub profile and navigating to the 'Stars' tab. Recognizing and applauding their interactions in the developer community can be a motivation booster.

Evaluating SEO Contributions Annually

During Annual Reviews, it's beneficial to assess the SEO value or 'Google juice' each employee contributes, providing a tangible measure of their impact on the company's digital standing.

Implementing these measures not only enhances online presence but also fosters genuine connections and appreciation within the wider community.

On your blog, you should have an about page that:

• Promotes other bloggers in your company
• References your company page. E.g. SSW People

Here is a good example: ulyssesmaclaren.com

Dofollow and nofollow links look almost the same to the regular web user. The difference between the two is only noticeable when you dig into the HTML code – the addition of the rel="nofollow” tag is what differentiates both links. The rel attribute defines the relationship between a linked resource and the current document.

Google sees the buying or selling of links that pass PageRank as a violation of their Webmaster Guidelines aiming to reward earned links, and not paid links. As this still plays an essential role when it comes to SEO, all paid links should be tagged as “nofollow”.

According to Google:

rel="nofollow": Use this attribute for cases where you want to link to a page but don't want to imply any type of endorsement, including passing along ranking credit to another page.

Other link attributes that provide webmasters with additional ways to identify to Google Search the nature of particular links are:

rel="sponsored": Use the sponsored attribute to identify links on your site that were created as part of advertisements, sponsorships or other compensation agreements.

rel="ugc": UGC stands for User Generated Content, and the ugc attribute value is recommended for links within user generated content, such as comments and forum posts.

When to use “nofollow”

As per Search Engine Journal, you are supposed to tag URLs with nofollow when the other two rel attributes mentioned above, sponsored and UGC, aren’t relevant and you don’t want the link to pass PageRank.

<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/Azure">Azure</a> 

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.microsoft.com/Azure">Azure</a>