I Googled “blogging advice” and found 16,400,000 results in 0.49 seconds. Wow. That’s a lot to take in. Perhaps the better way to start is to talk about what not to do.

Here’s a compilation of the worst blogging advice we’ve ever heard.

Blogging is easy; just write it and they will come.

Did you just shoot coffee out of your nose? Or tea, if that’s your thing…

This is number one on the list of the worst possible advice. Not only is blogging NOT easy, but just because you click on “publish” doesn’t mean anyone is going to find your blog. You have to market it.

Blogging takes time. You need to research your subject thoroughly, draft your post, and edit it until it shines before you can begin thinking about publishing. We’re talking hours of work.

You must post every day

This is a recipe for epic burnout if there ever was one. If you fell into this hole when starting your blog, you would eventually discover that unless you have A LOT to say, this just isn’t feasible.

That’s when some bloggers stoop to posting about what they had for dinner last night. This is not great content. Unless you’re Kim Kardashian. She seems to get away with selfies and posts along these lines.

Spare your audience the filler posts and determine how often you can crank out serious content that’s highly informative. Or amusing (amusing is good, too). It’s not about the quantity; it’s about the quality.

Just focus on SEO optimization vs. Just focus on writing great content

The actual truth is somewhere in the middle. You need to have great content that your audience values, but you need to optimize it for SEO, too.

The key is to find the right mix of tone and voice combined with keywords and links to feed the SEO engines. You can’t simply rely on one or the other.

And remember, great content is very subjective. What you consider great, I might think is mediocre. What I think are fabulous posts sometimes generate very little attention. That’s why no one can predict what will go viral.

Only write short posts vs. Only write long posts

Here’s another conundrum that “experts” like to debate. Is there a perfect length to which you should ascribe?

Nah. In fact, treat your readers to posts of varying lengths based on the great content you have. Some days, the posts will be shorter and some days they’ll be longer. Just like when writing content, vary your post length to keep readers engaged.

There are too many bloggers anyway

This is perhaps the most damaging piece of advice. Don’t give up just because someone tells you the market is saturated. It’s a matter of finding your niche. Your voice is unique, and if you’re passionate about your subject and you learn how to market your blog, you will find an audience.

It just takes time. Like everything else, your blog must be nurtured and tended. Adjust your expectations accordingly: you won’t get famous quick, nor will you make tons of money. Find your groove first—the rest will come.

Some good advice

Now are you ready for some good advice? Check out this post by the team behind Our Write Side:

• Our Blunders, Your Gain. What the team at Our Write Side wish they had known about blogging before they began.