2 years, 8 months ago
What are different ways to improve a "Mahalo How-To" after your task of building is completed?
On Mahalo 1.0 we never had the option of marking pages 100% done.
With that in mind do you agree that a "Mahalo How-To" can never be considered complete?
After you request the task, design, write and essentially build the Mahalo page from scratch, what updates can you make - 1 month, 3 month, 1 year, even 2 years, even 5 years down the road, to ensure your Mahalo page continues to grow and become the best source on the web?
With that in mind do you agree that a "Mahalo How-To" can never be considered complete?
After you request the task, design, write and essentially build the Mahalo page from scratch, what updates can you make - 1 month, 3 month, 1 year, even 2 years, even 5 years down the road, to ensure your Mahalo page continues to grow and become the best source on the web?
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M$3 Answers
I think that the How To category may be too large to think about in such general terms.
How To's are really part of other categories. For example, How To Make a Stuffed Burger is part of the Food or more specifically, the Grilling category.
I'm a firm believer in doing things right the first time. I want to make pages so complete and so comprehensive that thinking about milestone updates seems preposterous. However, the Search Engine Marketing side of me knows that if I update a page regularly that the SE's will think it is more valuable.
I have been composing new SERP's in EverNote. It is wicked awesome. To each page I've authored, I've added a checklist of things that I should regularly update. For me, this is much more effective than thinking about what I NEED to update every x number of days / months. Rather, it's a simple list based on each page that says what (and when) something should be updated.
For example:
For the How to Make a Stuffed Burger page, I am doing the following:
To summarize:
1)
I should want to update pages. There are tangible rewards for doing everything else in Mahalo except for updating pages. I don't think that extra M$'s should be given for updating, but page updating is the only negativley charged process on Mahalo.
2)
How To is a large category that encompass many different verticals. Some of those need daily attention. Others, only need routine maintenance if properly constructed. I agree that no how-to page is ever 100% complete, but that's only because we all have different perspectives and think about things differently.
3)
It's easier to create a page while thinking about the "regular maintenance" then it is to revisit a page and ask "what do I need to do".
How To's are really part of other categories. For example, How To Make a Stuffed Burger is part of the Food or more specifically, the Grilling category.
I'm a firm believer in doing things right the first time. I want to make pages so complete and so comprehensive that thinking about milestone updates seems preposterous. However, the Search Engine Marketing side of me knows that if I update a page regularly that the SE's will think it is more valuable.
I have been composing new SERP's in EverNote. It is wicked awesome. To each page I've authored, I've added a checklist of things that I should regularly update. For me, this is much more effective than thinking about what I NEED to update every x number of days / months. Rather, it's a simple list based on each page that says what (and when) something should be updated.
For example:
For the How to Make a Stuffed Burger page, I am doing the following:
- Watching for new recipes both on food blogs and on YouTube.
- I'm going to create my own video showing exactly how I make a stuffed burger. There aren't any good examples on YouTube.
- I'll also post an occasional question here on MA asking if anyone has any filling suggestions. I'll enter these on the page.
To summarize:
1)
I should want to update pages. There are tangible rewards for doing everything else in Mahalo except for updating pages. I don't think that extra M$'s should be given for updating, but page updating is the only negativley charged process on Mahalo.
2)
How To is a large category that encompass many different verticals. Some of those need daily attention. Others, only need routine maintenance if properly constructed. I agree that no how-to page is ever 100% complete, but that's only because we all have different perspectives and think about things differently.
3)
It's easier to create a page while thinking about the "regular maintenance" then it is to revisit a page and ask "what do I need to do".
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Much to my surprise, I've really gotten hooked on the whole "How To" page habit. So now I have to get creative on updating some of these pages. In general, no, I'd say that a page is never DONE-done. By I'm wary of adding updates and content just to add content. One of the beauties of online How-To pages is that you don't have to sort through a lot of fluff to find out how to do a job. I think we need to be very conscientious to put non-essential items on the sidebar, or more toward the bottom of the page. In other words, don't bury the meaty content.
With that in mind, here are some of my update ideas:
1. Check the videos and links.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The worst impression you can make is leaving a dead link or non-working video on your page. At the same time, head over to YouTube and check that better videos haven't been posted.
2. Make it a point to add one new helpful tip every 1-2 weeks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Scour the internet and find one new variation, helpful hint, or improvement for your How-To. Your "Tips" list in the sidebar will keep growing and growing over time!
3. Add a new section expanding on tools and materials
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Some How-To projects could always go more in-depth discussing the best possible tools for the job, the best way to use them, or the finest ingredients.
4. Add a health & safety section
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Just about every topic has ties to health and safety. On my page, How to Rake Leaves, it made sense to include safety tips for preventing back strain and dehydration. Maybe on your food page, you should include a section about sanitation, or even nutrition facts! If the task is crafting or manual labor, be sure to list hazards and the best way to avoid injury.
5. Consider news updates
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I'm assuming this will be a pretty rare match, but I'm going to consider adding little timely news tidbits to the sidebar, if appropriate. For example, if Martha Stewart features a Halloween eyeball soup recipe on her show, I'm going to add a blurb to my How to Make Halloween Eye-Ball Soup page about Martha's feature. Or if the government issues new safety guidelines. Or if there's a news story, big study in the news, other other relevant facts, it'd be nice to keep the How-To page current.
6. Check your "images" section
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Most of my How-To pages have an images section at the bottom. Be sure to check it regularly to make sure you have excellent images directly relating to your page's subject.
7. Add your own custom video
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
In addition to YouTube video selections, consider filming your own instructional video! You can even get detailed and break down the steps into a few different videos if you like.
With that in mind, here are some of my update ideas:
1. Check the videos and links.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The worst impression you can make is leaving a dead link or non-working video on your page. At the same time, head over to YouTube and check that better videos haven't been posted.
2. Make it a point to add one new helpful tip every 1-2 weeks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Scour the internet and find one new variation, helpful hint, or improvement for your How-To. Your "Tips" list in the sidebar will keep growing and growing over time!
3. Add a new section expanding on tools and materials
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Some How-To projects could always go more in-depth discussing the best possible tools for the job, the best way to use them, or the finest ingredients.
4. Add a health & safety section
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Just about every topic has ties to health and safety. On my page, How to Rake Leaves, it made sense to include safety tips for preventing back strain and dehydration. Maybe on your food page, you should include a section about sanitation, or even nutrition facts! If the task is crafting or manual labor, be sure to list hazards and the best way to avoid injury.
5. Consider news updates
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I'm assuming this will be a pretty rare match, but I'm going to consider adding little timely news tidbits to the sidebar, if appropriate. For example, if Martha Stewart features a Halloween eyeball soup recipe on her show, I'm going to add a blurb to my How to Make Halloween Eye-Ball Soup page about Martha's feature. Or if the government issues new safety guidelines. Or if there's a news story, big study in the news, other other relevant facts, it'd be nice to keep the How-To page current.
6. Check your "images" section
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Most of my How-To pages have an images section at the bottom. Be sure to check it regularly to make sure you have excellent images directly relating to your page's subject.
7. Add your own custom video
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
In addition to YouTube video selections, consider filming your own instructional video! You can even get detailed and break down the steps into a few different videos if you like.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Wow, thank you very much! I really appreciate this. :)
Just nominated at ATOD septem 25
View my nomination here ATOD september25
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@jeffhoard... I know you operate from a "no page is ever complete" philosophy.
I operate from almost the opposite philosophy. If a page is the answer to a question: "How do I do X?" my first thought would be: What would it take to answer that question definitively?
Putting it another way, my intention is that a page always fully meets its requirements. i.e. It is *never* incomplete.
Now as with software, those requirements can be tweaked, and the scope extended, maybe indefinitely. Something that was already complete can be enhanced, upgraded, even radically re-imagined.
Also, as with software, even it if was complete at one point, there will quite likely be maintenance required to keep it that way, even if the scope is never altered.
Anyway rather than saying that pages are never complete, I would be asking:
a) What is required to *keep* the page complete?
b) What enhancements would be worth making?
"Worth making" is not a simple question of whether something is an improvement, but whether the amount of effort required is actually worth the benefits gained.
As with most things, there are diminishing returns. That means the first 500 words, let's say, are incredibly useful. The next 500 are some nice additional info. The next 500 are helpful to a few people, but irrelelvant to most. The next 500 hardly matter to anyone. Th next 500... maybe it's even becoming off-putting clutter that is of little use to anybody.
When you combine diminishing returns with the fact that you have a finite amount of time to spend, it quickly becomes important to spend your time where it will have the most impact.
Quite a lot of the time, the places that you could spend your limited time most usefully would be things like writing a whole new page, or adding to a page that is in a relatively bare-bones state. Esp if those are high value pages. Where it would actually be counter-productive to devote your limited time would be adding yet another refinement to an already comprehensive page that doesn't get much traffic anyway.
I think Mahalo is in some danger of shooting itself in the foot by encouraging, or even forcing, people to spend their time in relatively unproductive ways, so missing out on the more valuable things that they could have done.
I operate from almost the opposite philosophy. If a page is the answer to a question: "How do I do X?" my first thought would be: What would it take to answer that question definitively?
Putting it another way, my intention is that a page always fully meets its requirements. i.e. It is *never* incomplete.
Now as with software, those requirements can be tweaked, and the scope extended, maybe indefinitely. Something that was already complete can be enhanced, upgraded, even radically re-imagined.
Also, as with software, even it if was complete at one point, there will quite likely be maintenance required to keep it that way, even if the scope is never altered.
Anyway rather than saying that pages are never complete, I would be asking:
a) What is required to *keep* the page complete?
b) What enhancements would be worth making?
"Worth making" is not a simple question of whether something is an improvement, but whether the amount of effort required is actually worth the benefits gained.
As with most things, there are diminishing returns. That means the first 500 words, let's say, are incredibly useful. The next 500 are some nice additional info. The next 500 are helpful to a few people, but irrelelvant to most. The next 500 hardly matter to anyone. Th next 500... maybe it's even becoming off-putting clutter that is of little use to anybody.
When you combine diminishing returns with the fact that you have a finite amount of time to spend, it quickly becomes important to spend your time where it will have the most impact.
Quite a lot of the time, the places that you could spend your limited time most usefully would be things like writing a whole new page, or adding to a page that is in a relatively bare-bones state. Esp if those are high value pages. Where it would actually be counter-productive to devote your limited time would be adding yet another refinement to an already comprehensive page that doesn't get much traffic anyway.
I think Mahalo is in some danger of shooting itself in the foot by encouraging, or even forcing, people to spend their time in relatively unproductive ways, so missing out on the more valuable things that they could have done.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Right, naturally, when you build a page you want it to be complete. I like to use the term "curate" to define what we do after a page is built. To curate a page is to take care of it and manage it by spending a little bit of time, periodically, to make it more current, ad some extra-value and perhaps expand on elements that you may have overlooked when you first built the page. Every cared for human update on a page is an improvement on the Mahalo search engine.
Obviously updates should not be viewed as unproductive at all, they are essential for the long-term health of your Mahalo page, and I don't want our encouragement to be viewed as "forcing" - We're here to help.
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Congratulations! Your answer won third place in our Answer of the Day contest! You win $1.00 and are now the proud owner of the Mahalo Tiki Torch!
Plus when you talked about adding new recipes I didn't realise you just meant tossing in an extra link!
Adding links is one of the easiest things to do.
Still I'm thinking you might do a lot better spending the time on things like your "How to SEO your site" page than tweaking lots of recipe pages.
Mmm, stuffed burgers...
Stuffed burgers, not matter how you slice it, always sound like a productive use of time. :D
I've thought A LOT about update time and process.
The video I want to create for the burger page will take about 2 hours to complete. It will add a significant amount of value.
The other 2 update items will take me under 5 minutes per month. It's exceptionally easy to scan the stuffed burger recipes that I haven't seen before and toss a new hyperlink to that recipe on the right hand side of that page.
I purposefully designed that page with easy updating in mind. The core steps will not change, the recipes will. Those recipes are in an easy to edit text area with simple hyperlinks.
> I'm a firm believer in doing things right the first time.
+100
Everything that is essential to know should be covered right from the get go. That means anything else you add later is strictly "nice to have". Often as a reader I would consider those things unhelpful clutter.
> However, the Search Engine Marketing side of me knows that if I update a page regularly that the SE's will think it is more valuable.
Perhaps that is a whole other debate. I suspect that if you have a choice between building a great page on day one, and building a great page incrementally over a year or two, doing it right first time still wins most of the time for SEO.
> For the How to Make a Stuffed Burger page, I am doing the following...
Sounds like you'll be devoting a helluva lot of your life to stuffed burgers. I know you're Mr Unbelievably-Productive, but is it really a proportionate and efficient use of time?
Like I say, Mr Uber Productive from the Planet Krypton. :)
AotD 9/25/09 nomination!