How to edit your blog post

While it’s a great move to have a blog on your website, writing one is harder than it looks. Editing that blog once you’ve written it is even trickier. There’s much more to it than simply fixing some grammar errors and deleting some superfluous sentences. Editing is all about seeing the piece as a whole and being willing to change it, despite having spent hours poring over the content. Here are some top tips for editing your blog so it has greater appeal and keeps your readers engaged:

Don’t repeat yourself

It’s highly annoying for a reader to be subjected to the same words or phrases several times in one article. Always read through what you’ve written to identify any repetition and replace with something different. Use a thesaurus if you’re struggling to find an alternative. For help with blogs, websites and improving your Google ranking, contact Professional SEO services London at https://www.elevateuk.com/

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Read it aloud

Many professional writers are taught to do this to see if anything sounds awkward when read aloud. Whilst it might feel odd, you should try to read your post aloud as it’s a great way to identify anything that sounds clumsy or contrived. If something doesn’t roll off the tongue, tweak it until it sounds better.

Get someone else to read it

For those new to blogging, this is really important. Don’t feel embarrassed or think it’s a sign of weakness, it just shows that you are committed to producing the strongest work you possibly can. Ask a friend or colleague, or ideally someone with editing experience. You’re interested in how they feel the piece flows, not so much on spotting typos. Does it cover all your points? Is the message clear? Is your advice worth offering? A second opinion can throw up ideas that you might not have considered.

Short sentences and paragraphs

Nobody wants to read a large block of text. Readers will run a mile. Your blog needs to consist of short sentences that are easy to read. Short sentences also help to keep you on point and prevent the risk of going off on one! Paragraphs must be short and sweet as this encourages the reader to continue. Stick to the basic rule of new idea = new paragraph.

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Don’t aim for perfection

It’s good to accept that a blog will never be perfect, there’s no such thing. Obviously, this is no excuse for publishing shoddy work but don’t get obsessed with the details. Even really great blogs have room for improvement. Unless you are in the unique position of only having to write one post a month, obsessing over the minutiae of every post you write will just zap your passion and waste your valuable time.  If you have many blogs to produce, aim for good to save your sanity. Make it each one as good as it can be, learn from it and move onto the next task.

Author: Kei Taylor

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