As you’ve probably heard by now, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger and Glenn Murray of Divine Write just released the Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers, a 100 point checklist of 63 key things to check before you publish to help you improve the quality of your blog posts.
If you’re insanely busy like most (working a full time job, writing for multiple blog sites including your own, etc.), the thought of going through a checklist for every blog post you write might sound a bit overwhelming. I know it did for me at first. But since downloading and reading through this 59-page ebook, I can give you these tips on how to use it more efficiently and get value out of it for every blog post.
What Does the ProBlogger Scorecard Cover?
In a nutshell, the main headings in this ebook include:
- 5 things to do before you start writing.
- How to plan your blog post.
- 5 ways to make the writing process simpler.
- 27 writing tips and things to avoid to improve your writing skills.
- 6 recommendations to make your post easily scannable to capture your readers right away.
- 10 ways to better SEO optimize your posts around your main keywords for better search rankings.
- 20 common grammatical mistakes made in writing (including affect vs. effect, that vs. which, and lay vs. lie).
Most Valuable Guides
In addition to the checklist, the beginning of the ebook gives you 10 questions to ask about your blog as a whole, as well as 11 questions to ask before writing each post. If you refer to these answers as you write each blog post, your writing will not only improve, but you should also see better reader engagement with your posts as well.
How to Use this Most Effectively
If you feel like you can’t committ to checking all 63 items for each post to make sure you are writing a 100 point post everytime, here are some ways to alternatively use this ebook:
- Instead of doing the 100 point checklist for every post, start with the 11 questions in the questionnaire for each post for every post (after you’ve done it a few times, you’ll be able to think of these 11 answers instinctively before you begin writing).
- Use the extensive checklist for major blog posts. This includes:
- Guest posts on popular blogs.
- Blogging contest entries. (Something I wish I could have had before the Famous Bloggers contest, but will now have before I send in my entry to the Badass SEO contest.)
- A major post on your own site. So if you write several posts per week, use the checklist for posts you intend to heavily promote each week.
- Use the 100 point checklist to optimize older posts on your site. Be sure to include links to your latest posts so new visitors will be directed to your latest content.
- Refer back to the recommendations whenever you lose points on the checklist for a particular item.
- Don’t just use this for blog posts – if you write articles on sites like HubPages, Squidoo, or other article directories, use the checklist for your article marketing as well!
And of course, after you have used the complete checklist several times, you will ultimately learn how to do most of the items as you write, so it will be a faster checkup before you publish!
All the Discounts
Through November 30th, use discount code november25 for the Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers for an additional 25% off.
In addition, at the end of this ebook, you get an additional 50% discount code for 31 Days to Building a Better Blog and Practical SEO Copywriting.
Your Review of the Copywriting Bloggers Scorecard
If you have purchased this ebook, please give your review in the comments. If you haven’t purchased it yet, buy it now, then come back and share your thoughts! And if you have scored one of your posts, come back and let us know how close you can get to 100 out of 100!
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This post brought to you by Kristi Hines
Kristi is a blogger, freelance writer, online marketing consultant, and social media enthusiast. Connect with me on Twitter and Google+.
Kristi has written 453 awesome article(s) for Kikolani.
Kikolani runs on Thesis, but also likes using Genesis. Learn more about Thesis vs. Genesis.
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{ 39 comments }
Excellent, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make Darren’s product work with my schedule. Just what I needed thanks for the hook-up.
Twitter: kikolani
August 19, 2010 at 12:14 pm
I had a feeling some people would react like I did – how am I going to have the time to do the checklist every time? I think that if you use it for major posts first, and commit to eventually going through older posts and optimizing (when you have “free time” of course) then it can be extremely beneficial.
Thanks for a great review. Sounds like it is just what I need. Particularily excited about the discounts.
Twitter: kikolani
August 19, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Yes, I thought if anyone was considering one of the other books, the discounts would be a good incentive to start with this one!
Twitter: JohnAguiar
August 19, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Very nice review and tips.
I follow the 3 basics to every post..
choose a good keyword,
use it in the title,
first sentence,
middle and at the end of post
throw it in my tags in the front
use similar keywords to the main one
I think if you those basics you will get a good 80% of the SEO benefits you’re looking for.
John Paul Aguiar recently posted..Popup Domination Review and Results
Twitter: kikolani
August 19, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Looks like more than three.
But I know what you mean. Some people don’t even think of those simple things though, and I think maybe this would open their eyes to how to optimize posts better.
Twitter: JohnAguiar
August 19, 2010 at 1:24 pm
lol well I see adding the keyword to top middle and end as 1 action lol
But I agree.,,, this book should help.
Twitter: alwayswellwithn
August 19, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Kristi, I am always so positively stunned by how much value you add in any blog post your write. This article is so excellent. I probably would not have bought this e-book, but now you have me intrigued!
Sandra Lee recently posted..Expert advice on writing faster blog posts
Twitter: kikolani
August 19, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I’ve seen a few reviews that all say about the same thing on this ebook – I always like to add in my personal perspective. I wouldn’t promote it if I didn’t find a lot of value in it myself – the 31 Days to Building a Better Blog really changed my site, and I know this will help strengthen my posts as well. It’s killer tips written in a way that everyone will be able to use!
while it is important to satisfy the list, sometimes things go better unplanned or spontaneous? But then the product looks promising and a must for those who wants to lurk into the depths of blogging.
dimaks recently posted..Killer Yo-Yo Skills of Jensen Kimmitt- World YoYo Contest 2010 Champ
Twitter: DennisEdell
August 19, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Bought!
This might be a cool thing for SEO’s to use for client sites as well…..
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing recently posted..Update 2 – The Marketing Blog Network
As a newbie to blogging and publishing articles,this sounds like a must have tool. Thanks for the review and making us aware of the discounted price too. Definitely a plus for those of us just starting out who haven’t begun making money with our new business. Very affordable and from your precis of the content, looks like value for money.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia@lavenderuses.com recently posted..Lavender Health-Embracing An Organic Lifestyle
It’s a great resource,
I bought the ebook this morning. Its awesome to have a simple checklist. For an hours wages it is a sound investment.
Darren’s products are always good for reader. Even for me I start blogging after reading his ebooks about blogging. Well thank for this review.
chandan recently posted..My experience with Citizen Eco Drive Watch
I’ll consider it. I appreciate your ‘quick start’ on it Kristi. Having 100 points to go through seems a bit overwhelming and tedious.
Colleen@Kennewick Homes recently posted..Pasco Washington Offers Recreational Activities for Adults
Kristi, you did a fabulous job providing extra benefit for your readers while selling a product. I think you should be writing some e-books yourself!
Anne recently posted..The Problem with My Summer Hiatus
It sounds like we can get a lot of benefits from this scorecard. I saw a lot of great comments for this scorecard in blogosphere recently. I will consider to own it now. Thanks for your review Kristi!
Kok Siong @ Cancer Research recently posted..5 Ways to Improve Myself in Cancer Cytogenetics
Twitter: andrewrondeau
August 23, 2010 at 12:34 am
Thanks for the tips Kristi. You are so right, it’s best to use it for major posts at first, since you’re not familiar with it yet and once you’ve familiarized yourself with the checklist then eventually you can use it for every blog post you have. It is difficult at first but will surely be easier as one gets used to using it and it’s really worth it.
Andrew @ Blogging Guide recently posted..Wordpress Themes for Video Blogging
Thanks for this post Kikolani.
I have problem with my grammar. Trying to improve them by reading my little sister grammar books. I already make a checklist for my blog job. Its nothing serious but I want people to know, my blog is out there.
zezebel recently posted..Hidup seorang Blogger contest
Twitter: danielsharkov
August 24, 2010 at 4:35 am
The checklist is definitely interesting and considering the price, it is quite a bargain. I might give it a shot, since it seems to be a great way for improving writing and article composition.
Daniel Sharkov recently posted..Response cached until Tue 24 @ 13:27 GMT (Refreshes in 53 Minutes)
I love it! I picked up a copy right away. I love that it’s immediately actionable. And it has slowed down my brain so I can think clearly and bang out a post that has more impact.
Ian @ Holistic Marketing recently posted..How To Kickstart A Word Of Mouth Marketing Campaign
Great ebook for anyone
Tinh recently posted..Blogging Fundamentals- 12 Tips for Beginning
Twitter: Later_Bloomer
August 25, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Thanks, Kristi…You’re my go-to girl for all things technical/blog related. Off to pick up my copy!
Elle B recently posted..Later Bloomers Who Like A Cold Wet Wakeup Call
I was actually reading a free ebook about copywriting a while ago, and poof I saw this review of yours’ Kristi, perhaps it’s destiny calling me towards this direction
I’m not really a fan of Darren, but I do admire him for what he does best knowing that I’ve learned so much just from his posts, what more from his own product. I guess 9 bucks wouldn’t hurt my pocket that much 
Regards,
Jason
Hmm seems like over kill to me but I may take a look at it. I tend to just sit down and splurge things out off the top of my head, but lately have found myself going back to re-edit stuff more and more.
I am coming round to the idea that a little time invested up front may actually save me a lot of time, but I cannot see myself reading 57 pages on the subject!
Jez @ Link Building Reviews recently posted..Magic Article Submitter Review
Twitter: TheJohnSoares
August 26, 2010 at 9:57 am
Great review Kristi. Just bought it through your link.
John Soares @ California Hiking Trails recently posted..My Trinity Alps Backpacking Trip — Caribou Lake- Sawtooth Ridge- Emerald Lake- Morris Meadows
Great review. I really enjoy Darren’s products. I have yet to purchase this ebook, but I greatly enjoyed 31 DBB. Will probably check this out very soon.
Marc recently posted..How To Hire an SEO Company
Suddenly all pro bloggers seems to be after SEO copywriting. After copyblogger’s scribe attempt, now Darren as well. The interesting thing though is that Darren never optimize his site for SEO (he doesn’t even have keywords or some other meta tags) but concentrate mainly on the content.
Ajith Edassery@Make Money Online free recently posted..Have you done enough to convince your New Visitors
Thanks for the book review , but after reading your new tab about Thesis price I’m really scared. Hope I will move to thesis 1.8 soon…
@Ajith, Darren’s site is oozing PageRank. He links to his main categories above the footer of his blog. All of his blog categories have a PR of 5. When your blog has that kind of authority, you don’t have to worry as much about on page SEO.
Search engines don’t pay attention to Meta Keywords any more. Even Meta descriptions don’t factor into rankings from studies that I’ve read. They only show up in search, but don’t affect search results. Title tags are still king and Darren’s Title Tags are good enough that many of his posts are #1 on Google.
Jarret recently posted..Eat more fiber to combat the metabolic syndrome
Thanks for the tip Kristi. Your resources here are tops, especially someone new to blogging like myself.
SenseiMattKlein@sydney kids karate recently posted..Kids Karate Grading- How to Pass
Hi Kristi,
It seems that the Problogger Scorecard has worked out for you. The points to go through and check are very numerous. I wonder if I’d have the patience to go through all of them every time I write a post.
Your suggestion in one of your replies to a comment, to go through the process for the major post first, makes it easier for anyone to give it a try.
I’d better go now and get the ebook.
Thank you for posting about it.
Vance
Vance@John Chow’s Last Dot Com recently posted..John Chow’s Last Dot Com Pho In Vancouver- Live Event Networking
I actually bought the ebook a few days ago and I really like it. One thing that was strange though was that I expected it to be longer then 50 pages. I think I read the whole thing in about an hour or less.
It’s always interesting to see how people apply the tips given in the ebook 
Still it’s a great ebook and definitely worth buying. How much did this post score on the scorecard?!
Julius @ Speeding up Wordpress recently posted..Glimpses on Understanding Life
Sounds like a great product for newbies to the blogging world.
JR @ Internet Marketing recently posted..29 Top Video Submission Sites 5 Free Video Creation Tools and More
Really informative article post. Thanks for a great review. Sounds like it is just what I need. Particularly excited about the discounts. Keep on updating like that..
Great tips for SEO writing. What I did usually was to do some keyword researches and optimize the article with what I’ve got.
Computer Tips Tricks recently posted..Error Code- 81000306 Windows Live Messenger MSN 7
That is really cool. I have recently found a program that kinda does that as well. It is called Scribe SEO.
That’s very helpful.Even I can give some ideas like, its better to write listed post like 5 ways,or 10 way or 101 ways types post.Secondly use unordered list to put your point forward and classify your post in various sub headings.
These basic tips will help you write a better post.
Patrick@Reverse Phone Lookup recently posted..If You are paying for Reverse Phone Lookup Service -Then Why
Hi Kristi,
You mention very good points about writing and SEO because both are related, your better writing can be a SEO friendly which helps you to get optimize in search engines, your selective keywords proper grammar uses are helpful to increase visitors in your sites, and you will reach to get maximum fans for your Blog.
@ last thanks Kristi for such a nice post.
Brainpulse recently posted..Impact of Internet Marketing Strategies on Emerging Online Businesses
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