Inevitably, there are times when working on our blogs gets tough and some of the worst times for this, is when we’re sick.
So, what should you do on your blog when you’re sick? And do you really need to do anything at all?
I’ve been thinking about this a little more recently, because I’m due to have surgery at some point this year.
My initial plan, was to get a tonne of content all saved in draft and have at least a few weeks worth of content all set and ready to go.
Realistically though, I’m just not sure I’m going to get all that done!
I think it’s important to realise that you can leave your blog alone for a while… and it will still be there when you come back.
The longest time away I had from my blog was around a month and it was completely fine, I just picked up where I left off.
What you don’t want to do is to leave it for too long, because it’s hard to come back and build up that momentum and enthusiasm again…
Plus, you have your readers to think about too! 🙂
What if you’re just sick with a virus, for a week or two?
Well, the first thing I’d suggest is really to consider just taking some time off!
It can be good to have a break and return to your blog with fresh eyes. Even some space away to reassess you’re goals and direction, can be valuable.
I understand that a lot of bloggers just cannot cope with that idea though and feel like they have to be doing something, even if it’s not creating posts.
So, here are some other suggestions…
Updating/Reposting Tired Content:
Check out some posts that you think should be ranking better in the search than they are, or just getting more traffic in general.
Maybe they’re still on page 2 or 3 and you posted them months ago.
Go and recheck your keywords and general on-page SEO and you may be surprised at what you find.
You could also create a more in depth post, or add a video, (if you’re sick obviously you probably won’t be able to record a video, but you can just add a related one within your post that’s relevant).
You can then repost to your blog, by changing the date of the post in WordPress.
But just be careful that the date of your post isn’t in your permalink structure, or else you’ll generate a new URL.
If you’re able to do it though, this could give some new life to some really old posts that many people may have missed entirely.
You must notice there are many posts you rarely, (if ever) see in your Google Analytics… you could give those posts another chance to be seen.
Check Your Drafts For Post Ideas:
When I’m being super efficient, I will have some completed posts in my draft folder.
More often though, I’ll have several unfinished posts. Ones I’ve largely written, but just haven’t completed yet.
Since these posts already have a bunch of the ground work done, these may be ones you might want to take a peek at.
*True story – I actually had this very post in my drafts! I’ve had a busy week working on starting a totally different income stream… details to follow soon…. but it’s slowed me down this week and a look in my draft folder was required!*
Keyword Research – Get On Those Lists:
Maybe this could be a great time to get a tonne of keyword research in.
There’s few things I appreciate more, than having a well researched list of post ideas waiting for me in Google Docs.
As I write this, I do have a list of several hundred keywords that can become blog posts, which is handy.
The only downside of this, is there can actually be too much choice.
Looking at a list of hundreds of possibilities can become overwhelming at times.
Now I try and select a handful and work through those, before choosing another small group of post options.
Jaaxy also has a feature where you can save keyword lists, which is useful. (30 free searches here).
A Simple Alternative To Reposting:
Rather than reposting old posts, you could simply create a new post linking to them.
For example, you create a post about your most helpful “how-to” posts of 2016, or a list to top 5 posts on a particular topic.
That way, you get more eyeballs on these posts, that have perhaps been forgotten and you get to write a quick and easy post doing so!
You could also encourage your readers to share your new post and perhaps even gain some new readers.
Connect With Other Bloggers – With A Best-Of Post:
Choose a keyword to focus on and then find some of the best content out there on that topic.
So, lets say you’re a food blogger – you could seek out your favourite top 10 cupcake recipes or similar.
Then you can link to each one, giving a brief intro to why it’s on your list and linking to their original blog post.
There are a couple of positive reasons for doing this – 1) you get some really easy content for your blog and 2) you potentially develop a new relationship with a fellow blogger.
Once you have completed your post, let the blogger know that you’ve mentioned them. For example; via a tweet.
In order to get a higher response rate, target a blogger that is a little further along from you – but not one of the biggest in the industry.
While you can of course include highly successful bloggers in your post, (why not!?) just be aware that connecting with them will be harder, due to the volume of other bloggers trying to connect.
Those are just a few suggestions to keep you busy! There are definitely a few there that I have yet to do myself and I’ll be taking my own advice.
Lastly, if you are able to give your blog a rest, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t spend some time reading other peoples?
As bloggers, we can learn the most by reading other blogs. One of my favourite ways to find new blogs is via pinterest.
You can easily type in the search bar topics relevant to your niche and you’ll find an unlimited amount of blog posts to read through and gain inspiration from.
So, before you’re desperate to write another post – maybe spend some time discovering other peoples before you do.
Have you got any other suggestions? What do you do on your blog when you’re sick?
Leave me a comment below….
All the best,
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