1.  Ask fellow bloggers.  There are bloggers who want to write guest posts, some may be your friends, or you can look for ones that have blogs are similar to yours.    You may be able to ask them for a post or two or even a regular spot.  Some bloggers will be glad to step up.

2.  Use articles from Article websites.  Ezine articles is a great place to get articles.  You can find over 300 articles I wrote just by checking my author bio. You will find fabulous articles on WordPress, online tools,  success, motivational.   You can search by the terms you need with the author name to get articles by a certain author.

3.  Check out Public Domain works.  There is a lot of good information provided by the government or older than copyright laws that is available for public use.

Live ♥ Laugh ♥ Love

MJ Schrader

Free Website Content With Public Domain!

You need content for websites that you own, which can mean quite a bit of writing. Or your website content can come from a little known free source called public domain. This source of content has been around for a long time but you may not be capitalizing on it.

Public domain information

This is information that is not under a copyright law. Not just limited to actual text, this information may in the form of audio, images, pictures, video and more. All these different forms of media may have expired copyrights or it may never been under any copyright. Without these, it may be in the public domain.

You do need to check to make certain the information is in the public domain and free of copyright restrictions. If it is free of those you can use it as content on your blog or on your website.

Not Just Blogs!

Actually just about anywhere you would use that media format, you can use public domain media. You can easily use videos to create your own video products. You can create an audio book from audio or from an old book. Create membership websites and fill it with information you find on the public domain. Use images for shirts and graphics. You are only limited to your imagination.

Tony Laidig

Anyone who has been to an Unseminar can tell you how Tony Laidig shares incredible and valuable information about Public domain.  I have attended several and talked to him several different times.  He tells you where to find information, what to look for and if it is probably safe to use.

But what is incredible is that he created this Public Domain Toolbar.  What is so great about it, is that there is no remembering what rules apply to this year or that one.  You also can tell the toolbar what information you need and it will find it.   This toolbar can help provide you with more content than you can possibly use in several lifetimes.

Imagine this, almost everything the government gives public access to, is in the public domain.  Any and all media before 1923 is probably in the public domain.  Shakespeare can be yours. Does that make your head spin?

~ MJ Schrader

Save 25% off my products?

In honor of Pat’s Unseminar 8, you can save 25% off any product this special page.  You have until July 17th!

During Check Out use Coupon Code: PatSpecial610

It is actually surprisingly simple to change your WordPress Blog into a WordPress website. The benefit is that you wind up with a static web page as your home page and you have a blog, or update page as well. This means you keep the blog and you can change the name of it to updates, news, latest, etc…

Visit Pages.

Pages is a tab on your dashboard. Under pages you want add new. Here you are going to create a home page. You can call it anything you like, but you probably want to use a name that lets people know it is the home page. This is the page people will land on when they visit your website.

Next you will need to create a page that will be the new name for your blog. You can use blog, updates, news or anything you like. This name needs to reflect that this is where people can find the latest information.

Visit Settings

After you have created the pages you are going to scroll down on the dashboard to settings. Beneath settings is a tab called reading. On the right you are going to change the radio box from “Your Latest posts” to “A static page.” Now you are going to select your front page, which is the page people will land on when they visit your website.

Next you will need to select the page you named for your posts. Once you have done this you will have what looks like a regular website. You will also have the ability to share latest information with your readers!

Do you have a blog?

No?  Then you may need help Picking a Blog Topic and Getting Content.   Please note there are Website Mistakes That Cost You Readers.   As a beginner you need to know  What Does Your Blog Need in Posts

Now for more experienced readers.

You should know what makes your blog voice unique.  If not you Finding Your USP should be your next focus.  Experienced or new, we all sometimes forget  Why is Content King?

If you are working a job, have kids or are going on vacation then Scheduling WordPress Posts will help.  You can write 2 or 3 or more posts a day and schedule the rest so you can have a post appearing if you are home or away.

How will I come up with so many posts?

You can have Easy Web Site Content.  The answer is amazingly simple, even better what if you could turn One Question Into Multiple Blog Posts and Content Creation.   Now do not be fooled not all your writing needs to be just about your topic, you will be surprised to learn What Should My Blog Posts be About?

Adding Outside Content

Perhaps writing tons of blog posts is not your thing  or you need some filler material on your vacations.  All you need to do is Find Articles on Ezine Articles once you find an article you like Adding an Ezine Article to Your Blog is an easy process.   Now before you obsess too much about Google Slaps and Duplicate Content my friend Sunbonnet Sue Busts the Duplicate Content Myth.

I certainly hope this odd little story will help all you bloggers in the newest blog challenge.

~ MJ Schrader

One Question = Multiple posts

You aren’t going to get even a single post when you answer a question with a simple yes or no.  So think about other aspects, related needs, or situations.  For example: “Should I get a Blackberry phone?” does not have to have a one word answer.   You just need to think about what information you would want, had you asked the question. Then discuss the information for your web site content. But for true web site content creation, look into the question, you are sitting on a goldmine of articles.

Finding the Goldmine of Content Creation

For the Blackberry phone, here’s just a sampling of articles you could write.

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a Blackberry.
• Explain the differences between the models.
• Which is best for a job type
• Is photo geek’s needs different than a text lover?
• Does where someone lives make a difference?
• Problems with Blackberries
• Go for funny, explain the differences between the blackberry fruit and the Blackberry phone.

Everyone has different needs.

When you think of all the different people who need answers to a question, and how their needs are different from someone else your potential article opens up into a whole world of articles. One question can turn into multiple blog posts for your web site content. You can turn content creation from an aspect of fear into a world of opportunity.

~ MJ Schrader

PS:  Special Blog Post Love ♥ To Melanie Kissell of MelanieKissell.com,  Evelyn Brooks of GetHappyToday.com,  Vernon Harleston of HighRoadism.com, Deb Auger of MyWebGal.com, who have kept me inspired during this #Blog30

Well, after all the discussion about website content, someone asked me a question.  “How do you know what to write?”    Like anyone else I sometimes get writer’s block.  There are days when I do not have a clue to write, but I do know where to look.

Where to look for web site content ideas.

The easiest way to find free website content is by asking questions. When you start asking and looking for questions you can find all the content you need to fill your blog. By changing your perspective from finding content to finding questions, ideas will be plentiful. Each post or article can be an answer to a question.

Question:  How do I know what questions to answer?

When you started in your niche, you did not know a lot about the topic. It probably was quite a while later you started your website after you had learned quite a few lessons about the niche and gained a bit of experience. Yet, you can remember when you started. When you started in your niche what questions did you have? What do you wish someone what had told you?

Finding more questions and TRAFFIC!

Look on forums. See where people are having problems, what questions people are asking. When you write your website content you might even use that question or one very similar. You can even build your traffic by answering that question on your website and going back to the forum and recommending your blog post.   This works with any question, when some asks something related to your post, point the way!

You have content and visitors! WIN-WIN!

~ MJ Schrader

Tomorrow:  Turn One Question Into MORE Web Site Content.

This has been interesting. Twice in this #Blog30 day challenge I have been gone for 4 days. That has left me with 22 days to write, if there are no other absences.   The first time I was gone, I got my posts done in advance.  After the one this weekend,  I am playing catch up. The 4 days between visiting the family in Florida and preparing for company and spending the weekend family here was not enough time to get ahead, although I am now writing in advance.

Scheduling WordPress Posts

Every time you make a post you have the option to schedule it. What this does it delays writing or can back date it.

Back Date WordPress Posts

When you create a new blog, you might want it to look like an established blog. You could also write a post and realize you want to add a previous post to add back story or information that needs to come before. In my case I back dated a few posts to keep the dates at one post a day during my last absence. Months from now, it will show one post a day, instead of 2 or 3 posts a day.

Future Scheduling WordPress Posts

This is the big thing I used. Again this keeps it from showing 2 or 3 posts a day. In my first absence I scheduled a post a day so they would keep showing up daily. Plus right now I am on a writing binge so this post itself is scheduled for Tuesday  and today is actually Friday night.

For some people they may not have time to write every day. This also comes in handy if you have ideas for a series of blog posts, because you can write all the posts at once. A vacation does not mean your blog will look abandoned. Some people write 52 posts at once and have a full year of posts scheduled to automatically post.

How to Schedule Your Blog Posts

After you are done writing your post, you can press publish. This might either be below the post or to the right depending on if you have your screen set on one or two columns. Above that publish button is “Publish Immediately” followed by “Edit.” Clicking Edit will allow you to change the date. You can change the year, the month, the day, even the time of day.

For 365 Online Tips, Kelly nor I want to get up at 5 am to make the daily post.  (2 women who hate early morning, early morning post not a good combo.) Thus we schedule the posts for release before 8am EST. Perhaps you want to have a lunch post, or one after work. This allows you to be specific about the time of day the post will publish.

Now you know! And now you don’t have to worry about writing lots of posts in one day and having nothing to write the next.

~ MJ Schrader

Time to Bust that Duplicate Content Myth. (Does this make me an honorary myth buster?) Using previously published articles (Ezine Articles) does not mean you are going to suffer the wrath of Google and suffer the dreaded “Duplicate Content Penalty”

According to Google Webmaster Central Blog

“Let’s put this to bed once and for all, folks: There’s no such thing as a ‘duplicate content penalty.’ At least, not in the way most people mean when they say that.”

If you respect your readers, your guest bloggers and article authors, then you should not worry. If you are trying to deceive readers or search engines then you will get in trouble.

URLs

The name of your website is important but so is the form. Decide if you are going to include www or not. Try to keep one page from having multiple names, such as example.com, example.com/?, www.example.com, example.com/index.   This is where the Duplicate Content lives, not a unique website.

Create Unique Website

The key is creating a unique website, which means including some original content. This could be re-writes of private label articles, guest bloggers with content limited to your website or your own writing. Add links to related sites you like. Encourage other related sites to link back to you.

Articles

Using articles from article sites does not mean you are going to get the Google slap either. The combination of articles you choose creates a site that is all your own. When you also are certain to provide unique content in addition to those articles. By adding the resource box and author box you are verifying that you did not scrape (steal) the articles and verifying where you got the article. Then search engines view your site as a whole.

Search Engine Results

Content is King. By providing content you are meeting visitors and search engine requirements. With your whole site and the content provided, search engines give results of the best overall site for a particular search.

A visual example

There are a dozen quilters all of them are going to use one Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Square. While that one square is exactly the same, the quilts will not be duplicates of each other. Maybe one does a lap quilt. Another a King. Perhaps one uses borders for each square. Another uses a honey comb design around the Sunbonnet Sue. The Square could be on the top left, the bottom right, dead center. This is not duplicate content just like your website is not duplicate content.

~ MJ Schrader

Content to include

A lawn service could easily design a page with information about how to contact them. Another page with services. Then additional content with lawn tips, special events and other lawn related information.  If your website is hypnosis related, then you could have pages about different techniques, ways to relax and how hypnosis can help. This varied but related content gives search engines a reason to send visitors to your site and more reasons for readers to come.

How it helps your website

No matter your website, it is selling something. Perhaps you are selling a product or a service or your own life story. By providing more information your readers have more reasons to stay on your website. The longer they are on your website the more likely they are to view you as a resource, a trusted individual or otherwise decide you are likable. People are more likely to do business with someone they trust and like.

Good content is important

It is important to realize that content needs to be beneficial for your readers. Good content is related to your niche. Articles about keyboards on your gardening site is not going to work.  You need to be fluent in English or the language you are writing.  Readers don’t expect perfect grammar, but major mistakes, lack of punctuation or spelling mistakes can turn readers away.

Finding website content

Content can come from a variety of sources. You can write it. You can use Private Label Rights, PLR. You can re-write PLR. Invite guest bloggers, you get content for the cost of a link back to their website. Article directories such as Ezine Articles provide content on a variety of subjects. A search will provide material you can use. The cost is including the author’s resource box and the Ezine Articles “article source line.”

Is it that simple?

If you are not much a writer use all the above techniques to add content. By combining the article sources you create a unique website that establishes your business in the visitors minds. Readers expect information and with these techniques you can provide it and that makes your website grow!

~ MJ Schrader

Tomorrow: Busting the “Duplicate Content” Myth

Recap

Enter your topic of choice in the search at the top of the page.  Add an author, quotes, or extra words as necessary.  Now what happens when you find an article you like?

Looking over an article

Click on an article title you like or click = Do it Right Now! Be Productive With a Prickly Pear. The byline (author’s name) is underneath the title. Below that the word count (419 words), should you need a particular size. Then you can view the summary by clicking that link or scroll down and read the full article. Near the bottom of the page are the various citations, MLA Style, APA style, and Chicago Style (not be confused with the pizza).

Choosing an article.

You decide this article is exactly what you need. If you are the bottom scroll back up to right below the article. Beneath the article is a gray box. Click an icon to share the article in that social media format. However since you are looking for content you are going to click “EzinePublisher.”

Now what?

You will see an article summary. A summary of TOS. Improbable phrases and improbable keywords (phrases and keywords unique to my article i.e. prickly pear.) Next is a text version of the article followed by an HTML version. Since you are adding this to your blog, you want HTML. It looks nicer. Below that is the Summary, Keywords and Article URL.

Adding to your Blog.

Click add posts. Where you enter your posts you will see a tab (on the right) that says Visual and another HTML. Click HTML. Click inside the HTML box on Ezine Articles. Press Ctrl+C, this will copy the article. Now back to your blog post. Inside the box click Ctrl+V, this will paste the article with the Author Resource Box and Article Source. Alternative you can use the mouse right click functions.

SEO

If you are using an SEO plugin or Thesis Theme (or other SEO theme), you have a few additional steps for SEO! (Search engine optimization). Copy the title into the title box. Then copy the summary which is below the HTML version, using above tips. You will paste this in the description or summary area of your post. Repeat with the keywords. And Badda Bing you have new content for the price of a few clicks of the mouse.

Hope this helps, and please comment with your ideas and suggestions!

~ MJ Schrader