jeans website – Jean's Writing

How to understand keyword and blog ranking

Published on December 27, 2017December 29, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell9 Comments

Well, it’s the end of another year.

And as your reading to ring in 2018 you may want to see how your blog did during 2017.

First, do what I did, Check those WordPress Stats.

In 2016, I published 222 posts, with 16,046 views. In 2017, I published 172 posts with 14,636 views. Not too bad, considering, in 2017 I cut back my blogging to 3 times a week.

Understanding blog ranking, blog stats, and keywords can help improve your blog views.

There are lots of ways to check your blog stats and ranking. Websites that show which keywords work best for your posts.

Some of these tools I understand and some I are a bit over my head. But most of them are a big time suck. So bloggers, beware. Look, if your curious but don’t get mired in the muck. Or like me, you’ll end up with a big headache.

There are a few free services and free trials to help you figure out all this stuff.

For instance…

GOOGLE TRENDS – Find out which keywords or subject are trending.

SERPSTATS – Website analysis and Domain ranking. Plus which top page/posts on your blog had the highest visibility.

KEYWORD RANK CHECKER on SERPS website- Discover the average monthly searches for a keyword and the cost-per-click (CPC).

KEYWORD RESEARCH – Helps discover which keywords are working on your blog.

WORD TRACKER – Find out which words are searched the most.

Bloggers, tell me…

Did you check your stats for 2017?

Did you fare better or worse?

Do you understand Keywords and Stats? (I’ll be honest, I don’t.)

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Do you need to add a villain to your story?

Published on December 4, 2017November 28, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Then you need to understand your villain.

We’ve heard lots about a protagonist’s motivation and character but often times we forget that the villain is just as important.

I don’t know about you but I struggle with making sure I understand my villain’s motives, back-story, and desires.

How do I go about giving the necessary importance to a villain without overshadowing the protagonist?

Well, when I needed this information, a post from Now Novel popped into my email with all the right answers. There are examples and suggestions to make sure your villain is scary as hell.

What did I learn from this post about bad guys?

All villains have a history. Don’t forget to incorporate it into the story.
- Their backstory explains how they became a villain.
Show why the villain has power and influence over the protagonist.
- Are they scary, intimidating, powerful…
Explain how the villain gets away with their devious actions.
- Sneaky, great liars, pretty, convincing…
Let your villain be vulnerable.
- Everyone, even bad guys have a weak spot, find and exploit.
Give the villain a story arc.
- Do they grow worse, or better over the story?
Understand Villain’s motivation.
- Is it greed, jealousy, hatred…

Click the link at the bottom and read the entire post from Now Novel.

What did you think? Get any ideas for your villain?

Do you have trouble writing about the bad guy?

Leave me a comment, I’m dying to hear from you.

Creating villain motivations: Writing real adversaries at Now Novel.

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Writers, did you make it to the finish line?

Published on December 1, 2017December 2, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell17 Comments

Did you write during the NaNoWriMo challenge?

I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo but I’m curious about those who have. Knowing how other writers handle the pressure of spitting out 50k words in 30 days fascinates me. Because I agonize over every sentence and rewrite too many paragraphs. Y’all gotta tell me your secret. How do you manage to write so fast?

You’ve probably heard about the terms, plotter, and pantser, but me I’m a plodder. Often taking one step forward and two steps back. I write one word at a time, plodding along as if I’ve all the time in the world. Sigh…

I really need to learn how to speed up my writing and not get squirrelly over every jot and tiddle.

Do tell!

How many words do you write every day?

Did you finish the challenge?

Did you quit? Why?

How do you manage to balance life responsibilities and the pressure of NaNoWriMo? Especially over the holidays!

Did participating in NaNoWriMo lead to a successful novel?

Don’t want to write a long comment?

That’s okay. Just type- “I DID.”

I’m also curious as to how many writers participated in NaNoWriMo, successfully or not.

See, I have lots of questions, and can’t wait to hear about your experience.

For those of you who’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what NaNoWriMo is all about, I’ve added a few links.

National Novel Writing Month

Online Creative Writing Courses for NaNoWriMo Participants …

Participating in NaNoWriMo 2017? Caution! – Jerry Jenkins

NaNoWriMo Is Big for Writers—and It Helps Publishers, Too

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How to avoid the danger of a lawsuit

Published on November 29, 2017November 29, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

Get it in writing!

Are you in danger of being sued?

Don’t take a chance! Read the fine print and know what you’re signing.

One of my favorite bloggers, Jane Friedman, has provided us with much-needed information for writers. Who to contact, when we need to contact someone, and how to get permission. Are there any fees involved?

Don’t let your hard work get tied up with a lawsuit.