Eat Blog Talk | Megan Porta

Delivering the best possible user experience to your audience is the MOST important thing to focus on as a food blogger wanting traction and retention. - UX design is a long-term strategy that will help you weather the algorithm changes. - There are many things to consider when keeping the user in mind, such as font size/color, sidebar and recipe card background color. - Keep HEART at the forefront (happiness, engagement, adoption, retention and task completion). - Write and create for your READER, not for Google or SEO or anyone else.

Learn how to utilize Google Search Console to create content that your users (and Google!) want and also to create an effective editorial calendar. Morgan talks us through efficient ways to navigate Google Search Console. She recommends focusing on QUERIES and honing in on what users are searching for. Build cornerstone posts/recipes based around those popular queries. Also use those queries to build a solid editorial calendar. Morgan shares so many valuable tips regarding how to navigate Console and how it will help you create quality recipes that are appropriate for your audience.

If you are a busy mom (or busy human in general) and you want insight about what you should and should not be focusing on (because time is precious!), this episode is for YOU! - SEO is important! - Keep creating that amazing content. - Compete with yourself and avoid the vortex of comparing yourself with other bloggers. - Improve your writing skills. - Find your voice. - Find and focus on your audience!

Happy 3-month birthday to EAT BLOG TALK! September 2019 brought so much value from food bloggers and other inspiring entrepreneurs. This month was jam-packed with value and wisdom on many different food blogging topics! Let us know what your biggest struggle is as a food blogger so we can help to add value to your blogs, businesses and lives!

As food bloggers we want an audience who CRAVES our content. Having followers is not the same thing as having an engaged audience. - Once you get serious about your business, creating an audience is important. - It is never too early to create a raving audience! - Define your area of expertise and tap into it. - Put a focus on your email list! - Diversify sources of revenue. - FAIL FORWARD!

Focusing on two aspects of working with brands - how to price your work and building long-term relationships: - Find a price range that speaks your worth as a blogger. - Consider your time, expenses and reach. - Don't work for free! - Always be kind when working with brands. Place value on those relationships. - Under promise and over deliver! - Know your audience and don't be afraid to dig into your stats.

Revitalize old content for a nice blog boost! - See your old content with new eyes and give photos/copy a facelift. - Get organized - determine which posts to delete, redo and no index. - Make sure all recipe cards have schema markup. - Utilize online tools to analyze content and make improvements. - Consider getting a site audit. - Set up a schedule for incorporating older content into your editorial calendar.

Learn strategies for growing your Instagram following, no matter what your following is now! - Be consistent! - Find your voice and brand. - Ways to connect with your audience. - Consider ditching scheduling tools for Instagram. - Make the most of your IG stories. And so much more!

Sarah takes us through some mistakes she made early in her blogging journey in hopes of keeping other bloggers from making the same mistakes. - Get professional help if you want to change the permalink structure of your urls. - Keep old content fresh by revising and revisiting it periodically. - Have a schema recipe card in place for every recipe post. - Keep your audience in mind when producing content. - Focus on SEO. - Build a good foundation and BE YODA. :)

Jessica shares about her incredible journey from having a very part-time food blog into a full-time, focused and cherished job. - Have patience in your journey! - Attend conferences to know which aspects of food blogging you should be focusing on and also to connect with others in the field. - Invest in yourself - treat yourself like the boss of your business! - Be consistent and take your job seriously. - Consult a financial advisor before taking the leap.

Learn how Karli gained MEGA traction on her food blog in a very short period of time. There are so many great nuggets in this episode. You are not going to want to miss this one. - Utilize Facebook groups that are connected to your niche. - Connecting with other food bloggers is hugely important. Find a trusted accountability partner! - Lifting other bloggers up is a big part of this game. - Focusing on SEO is critical. - Use Instagram to your advantage. - If you really want to do something, you are going to find the time for it.

Taking photos for your food blog does not have to be expensive! Learn how to be budget-minded while capturing pretty pictures. - Affordable options for cameras and lenses. - Cheap artificial lighting, diffusers and reflectors. - Make your own backdrops in a variety of ways to save a ton of money. - Where to find affordable dishes and props and tips for what to look for (and what to avoid). - Streamline your photography processes in order to be more efficient.

Learn WHY you should be growing your email list and how to do it effectively: - The importance of an email list. - How to nurture your list. - How you can make money with it. - Selecting an email service provider. - Optimize your site and social media to ensure you are getting as many sign-ups as possible.

Eat Blog Talk is nearing its 2-month birthday! This episode briefly recaps each of the 21 episodes that have been published and main take-aways from each. Going forward, EBT will publish episodes twice weekly - every Monday and Thursday. Let us know what your biggest struggle is as a food blogger so we can help to improve your blogs, businesses and lives!

Great discussion about the importance of connecting with other food bloggers and also a lesson in real-life, imperfect distractions (listen on to hear for yourself!): - Networking both on and offline is critical. - Attend conferences, be sincere and be supportive. - Make friends with food bloggers. - Reach out when you need help because we all need help at one point or another!

Overcome your perfectionism by learning when and how to embrace "good enough" so you can move forward in your business and life. - Establish criteria for your blog so you know when it's time to click publish. - Grow your blog and enhance your life by having a growth mindset. - Remember that everyone started somewhere. - Understand that you are in the GAP. Keep striving, working hard and also have tons of grace for yourself!

As food bloggers it is so important to keep our eyes on our own work. Danielle shares her insight on this topic and gives us a lot to chew on in this episode! - Someone else's success is NOT your failure. - Understand that every blogger's journey is totally unique. - Innovation over mimicry. - Self-competition over competition with others. - Focus on your talents and strengths to get past the envies. - Always strive to improve. And so much more!

Learn side-hustling tips from a pro! Becca is a food blogger AND a first grade teacher, making her a master. - Be purposeful and intentional with your time - Set time limits for social media - Use a calendar - Block out time for family and friends - Self care is SO important - Make time to learn skills that will add value to your blog - Fill your mind with encouraging, inspiring information

Understanding black hat SEO vs white hat SEO is an important part of food blogging. - Defining black hat SEO, white hat SEO and grey hat SEO - Avoid falling into the trap - Stick to reliable sources and services - Important SEO strategies to focus on - Transform the bad, old tactics into something valuable and good

We all know that we eat first with our eyes, but what we don't realize is that having a specific style can actually help us cultivate our audience and attract clients. Laura shares her knowledge on the topic of HOW IMPORTANT visual branding is for food bloggers! - What is visual branding? - Why does it matter? - HOW to visually brand your blog. - How to use visual branding to attract clients. - Top tips to leave listeners with a stronger visual brand.