Discussion: 3 Ways I Take on the Task To Clean the Blog
For any blogger, a blog is like a blank canvas not unlike the canvas an artist places on an easel in the hopes with the swipe of a brush, artistic inspiration will strike. Like any artist, a writer and blogger also has artistic flairs they leave behind in their work. But also like any illustrator, flaws creep into these works.
Or they certainly do in my little corner of the webverse.
In the past year or so of my blogging journey, the way I blog has changed. A lot. Of course, the change has been occurring over the seven years I’ve blogged, but it’s only been the last year that the change has been, hopefully, for the better. Much of this has been inspired by reading tips and suggestions from self-help bloggers and bloggers with far more experience than
I.
There are a few goals I’ve recently been working towards in an effort to “clean” up Finding Wonderland. Like anything, our blogs too can benefit from a kind of “spring cleaning.” (Yes I realize it’s technically summer now.) It’s a work in progress that I suspect will take longer than I’d wish, but is still a task I’m committed to. Here are the three ways I’m currently implementing in the hopes of cleaning up the “look” and its archives.
Discussion: 3 Ways I Take on the Task To Clean the Blog
1: Delete that Post | Yes, you did indeed read this right. I have deleted a few posts too. In more than one advice article, I’ve read this is a good practice. So far I agree.
It seems unnecessary to clutter ones archives with old giveaway posts that a. don’t have a good URL so they don’t add anything helpful to your blog anyway and b. they are no longer a
valid post to the evolved state your blog is in today.
Another thing I’ve deleted a few of, is Top Ten Tuesday or other meme posts. This has been a little more painful, but some of them are simply so bad, they no longer seem helpful or relevant to Finding Wonderland’s content.
2: Edit that Post | Most of the reviews or posts in my archives are reviews, and most of them I’m glad to have there. The trouble is, many of them are in desperate need of edits and reformats. This is why, off and on, over these many months, I’ve spent time refreshing and updating posts. This doesn’t mean I necessarily change the conclusion of a post (review or article),
simply that I reedit the words and how it’s said. (I’ve also read, it’s a good thing to refresh a post, and feature it again.)
For instance, far too many of the reviews on here are way too wordy. This means I try to find a way to say the same thing with fewer words. Even with the reviews I have edited, there are still way too many on my list.
Next, while editing the wording, I also take the time to reformat the post. Meaning I match the “look” of the post to the theme I’m currently using. This might include photo placement or links that tells the reader where to find a book or film
3: Remove that Label | Over the years I’ve collected a few too many labels when it comes to tagging my posts. I’m not sure if this affects a blog in the same way that an irrelevant post or images perhaps do, but still… when I see over 600 labels in my label cloud and the fact that some labels only on have one post associated with it, this seems unnecessary.
Discussion: A Few of the Reasons Why I Support Inspirational Fiction
Bonus! Repair that Link | Though not something I’ve been actively working on, another “spring cleaning” tip is to repair or change links. Sometimes links become “broken” (don’t ask me the technical reason why) or they aren’t up to date for the following reason. If you, like me, have changed your domain to a dot com URL, you’ll discover, many of your links are still operating under your previous dot Blogspot link. I know this is the case with many of my links.
One way a broken link can be detrimental is that it sends readers to an “error” page. That’s not helpful for anyone, especially if a reader is looking for a giveaway or other specific post.
These are three simple ways and tasks I use to help “clean” up Finding Wonderland’s messier corners! Because like any space, our blogs gather dust too, right?!
Do you do anything to update your blog? If so, what are some tips or tricks you’ve learned over the years? Comment down below on how you update or “Clean the Blog” in your webverse corner! I’d love to know your methods.
Talking #springcleaning (your blog!). How do your spruce up your space? Discussion: 3 Ways I Take on the Task To Clean the #Blog Share on X(PS: Let me know down below if you’d like to see more posts like this on Finding Wonderland, and if so, what topics you’re curious about. Feedback is always helpful.)
Thank you for visiting!
Great advice! I'm going to go through and delete old sale posts for sure.
Weirdly, it feels really good to delete old posts! I also like to go in and update photos, which is a simple thing that feels nice too. :)
I definitely update my blogs from time to time. Deleting unused or little-used labels is a big one for me. I'm also working on ideas for making my format work better for phones, as I know the sidebars don't show up on the phone version and I use those to communicate info a lot. So I'm slowly switching to using more pages.
Always good to keep things fresh, right?
That sounds awesome, Rachel. I like to HOPE my themes are responsive, but I don't have a smart phone that uses the Internet (yes, I'm old fashioned like this :D). All I can check is various web browsers, Internet responsive checkers and my tablets.
Best of luck with the changes – labels are kind of a pain, aren't they? But it's feeling good!
…and yes! I love the feeling of "spring cleaning" the blog.
Great tips! I never thought of editing an old post, but it's a very good idea especially for review! When you edit them, do you repost them? Or say updated version and things like that?
I don't typically repost (or mark it updated) an old review, but if you have a theme that allows you to feature something (like a slider or a "featured post" box), you can use that to spark new interest. Or, of course, I do share them on Twitter, etc. :)
Overhauling a blog is such a daunting task, but these are great tips! I still haven't deleted any posts, because honestly I like to see how I've evolved over time, but I can definitely see how that could be a great step! Thanks for sharing :D
Yes, yes it is! But I like the feeling once you get started on it. ;) It IS interesting to see the change, isn't it? My reaction is often to cringe when it comes to my own work. :D
Thanks so much for reading/visiting, Tracy.
I'm currently going through the process of cleaning up as well! I personally think taking time every year or every few years to clean up is a good habit to get into if you can since they all eventually build up over time. ???
I personally haven't deleted any posts as I feel it would showcase how I've grown as a blogger at 15 years old compared to now as a 20 year old. I have, however, deleted book blitzes and other promotional posts though… And I might do the same with old Waiting on Wednesday posts.
YES! It's a great feeling, isn't it, Sophia. :)
Nothing wrong with this. It's interesting for me to look back and see what's changed for me as well – though often times I just sit there, reading and cringing. ;) It's easy for me to delete "dead" posts like giveaways, etc. They simply don't seem relevant anymore.
Appreciate you stopping by and sharing your tips!!
Ohhh I love this post! My blog is pretty new, so I'm glad to have come across this now. And I really love the little changes you've made to your blog, since I've first visited it! It looks even prettier now, and I find it much easier to locate more recent posts.
Wonderful blog post, Rissi! ❤️
Thank you, Lily! I really appreciate the feedback. I'm always grateful for that, and appreciate knowing you find it easier to discover recent posts. SO helpful. :)
Your blog has always looked fabulous anytime I've visited. I'm always all for the "clean" aesthetic, so your space is always an easy and enjoyable read. :)
Thanks for reading and for stopping by. Always glad to chat with you.
I often do this clean-up when I want to link to a post from Twitter or another post. Often I need to resize an image that is too small. Sometimes affiliate links have lost their images and need to be redone. As I do these things I can usually find text that I should simplify, so I do that, too. I also need to update information that is obsolete, and sometimes I want to link to a post that wasn't written yet when I published the post I'm editing.
All good options and tips, Barbara. It always feels good to "clean" up a space, doesn't it?