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Success Advice

3 Crucial Blogging Steps You Should Never Overlook

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If you’d like to learn how to create a well-versed blog, so you can have a blog that’s seen by thousands of people, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown.


You know, when I first started my blog back in 2014 I had no clue what the heck I was doing. Just write, Iva, you’re a good writer. Write good things and people will flock to your website in droves. Traffic will be insane and you will be the star of the world wide web. So, needless to say, that didn’t happen. I was so naive. There was so much to learn and do.

What’s wrong with my blog?

This question went through my head all the time. Where’s the traffic and the cheers of all the raving fans? There was nothing right about my site. It was all wrong.

Apparently, starting a blog doesn’t mean you just make a pretty website, start writing and hope the internet will explode with your awesomeness. I kept plugging away for a few more years before I finally decided it was time to get serious and figure out how this blogging thing works!!

Cue the learning process

I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than read blogs on how to blog and drive traffic to your site. But it dawned on me that if I want to get this up and running the way it’s supposed to, then I need to learn stuff!

And minus the needles, I started reading and learning. I did whatever it took to figure out this blogging business. I’m gonna break it down for you simply here so you don’t have to go through the same anxiety and frustration that I went through. 

This is for any and all of you who are blogging or thinking about it and want to have a good foundation. 

“If you want to continually grow your blog, you need to learn to blog on a consistent basis.” – Neil Patel

The things I’m gonna cover here are:

Tip #1- The Blog Format

First and foremost, if your blog and site look like crap no one is going to want to share it. This was my first mistake. Oh, I knew how to write but you’d never know it by looking at my blog. 

  • Aim for 1000–2000 words, depending on your topic. Make small paragraphs, 2–3 lines each. Keep in mind, many people are reading articles on their mobile devices now (think 5″ screen) and to read one big long paragraph is painful. Break it up.
  • Insert images for reading pleasure. 2–3 should suffice. 
  • Your title should be engaging as well as the main/featured image. We have short attention spans. If your picture and title don’t capture our attention in the first 5 seconds, we’re gone. 

Let me give you an example:

  • Example 1: How to Make Your Blog Better.
  • Example 2: 4 Insanely Easy Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Blog and Make More Moo-lah!

Which one would you click on first and want to read? 

  • Add internal links to other posts you have that relate to your current post. I add 2–4 depending on the length. 
  • Make sure to include an external link. An external link could be a reference to another site that has great information about your article. 

Give your readers valuable top-notch information. Don’t just write for the sake of writing like I used. Give them value, a reason to want to read more of your stuff AND a reason for them to want to share your stuff.

Tip #2- The SEO stuff

Learn it! For real! Right now! Do it! I had no clue what SEO was for the longest time. What the hell is SEO anyway? Search Engine Optimization. Search. Get it? People go on the web to “search” for things. They plug in words (or phrases) in the search bar and hit enter. I had no clue.

You don’t have to pay for a keyword tool. I have in the past but realized I do just fine finding things in the Google search bar and checking out my competition. 

Google search bar is the best. A great way to search for keywords is right on the Google search page. This is where people are going to search for things! Type in a few words and see what people are also typing. 

Let me show you…

See if you wanted to write about making peanut butter cookies (yum), it shows you all the other peanut butter cookie ideas people are searching for. Those are your keywords! Easy right? My advice on SEO would be to take a course, buy a book, watch tutorials, do something but learn it!

“Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first.” – Wendy Piersall

Tip #3- Social Media Platforms

Do you already have social media accounts but your peeps aren’t engaging? You will have to test and find out where your audience is hanging out. It took me a while to realize my peeps aren’t on Twitter and though some of them are on Instagram, they’re not interested in anything other than inspirational quotes.

I tested and found my people were on Facebook and Pinterest. I joined Pinterest in January 2018 with 15 followers and no clue what I was doing. Today I have almost 140K followers with over 10 million monthly views (I’m not even kidding) It is my main driver of traffic to my website. Get on Pinterest (yes it’s for bloggers too) and work it. I bought a book on it and then wrote my own.

Engage engage engage. Need I say more? No one is going to find you if you don’t put yourself out there in the share world. You NEED groups. You need collaboration. You need to connect with other bloggers. You need to share your stuff out so people can read it and find you and love you.

No miracles here

This isn’t gonna happen overnight. I had to go through all my blogs and edit each and every one of them for SEO, change images, change titles, you name it, I did it. Yes, it’s a lot of work but, it’s so worth it. How bad do you want to grow your blog, drive traffic and make money

How to stand out in a sea full of bloggers

You need to go above and beyond. Remember this isn’t a sprint. It’s a long slow marathon and the only thing you need to do is show up and perform better than the guy ahead of you.  This is all really bare-bones stuff just to get you started. There is so much to learn, constantly. You can do this!

Happy Blogging!

Have you ever written for a blog or created your own blog? We want to hear your stories! Please share them below!

Iva is a retired hairstylist turned freelancer from Ontario Canada living a life of freedom and joy in Guatemala. Her two main goals in life are to inspire people around the world with her blogs and to feed hungry little bellies in the poor town she now calls home.

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Success Advice

How to Ignite the Spark Within for Future Success

All of us come to this world with our own reserve of magic unfortunately, not everyone can unleash it

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What is it that makes some people great leaders while others remain followers? What magic do they have that others don’t? What special blessing gives them the power to bring significant change?  (more…)

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How Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success

Your life is dictated by beliefs and biases that drive your thinking, behaviors, and decisions

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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Image Credit: Midjourney

In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be. 

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time. 

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.

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Success Advice

Here’s a Young Man’s Antidote for the Uncertainty of the Modern World

Why do a lot of young guys lack confidence in today’s world? 

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