How to Market Your Blog for Optimal SEO Gains
November 21, 2008
Ben Kemp asked:
Ok, so you’ve created your nice shiny new blog, and you’ve been adding high quality postings containing lots of useful information on a regular basis for a few weeks (or months)… whats next?
Review Your Blog
First, take stock of your blog’s set-up, and make sure its ready for debut; 1.) Do your postings have some relevant key word content in the headings? If you’re intending to improve your overall ranking across search engines, remember to “optimise” the page just as you would any other page of your site. Decide on the keyword phrase you are targeting, make sure its used in the heading. Make sure its highlighted in the body text, particularly in the first and last paragraphs.
2.) Do your postings contain a “clickable” link or two back to your site? By this I mean a “proper” link in the format (a href=”http://www.example.com”)Example Link(/a) and not just your plain URL. To build traffic, you want to make it easy for people to get to your site!
3.) Does each posting contain your “Author Details Panel” that credits the articles and postings to you, including your (clickable) site URL information? Make your links open in a new window – thats a kind gesture to those who’d like to return and finish reading the original page…
4.) Have you made a statement of your copyright constraints, if any? Perhaps you should encourage people to copy and distribute your blog content, providing the Author Panel remains intact? That would be the best way to ensure widest distribution, and the consequent proliferation of valuable 1-way links back to your site! Write up your requirements, and post it as a page, which then generates a permanent link on your Blog menu.
Blog Marketing
You will probably want other people to read your blog in order that they may appreciate your literary genius, right? But of course, nobody knows where its at yet, so you’ve got to give it some publicity. The first step should be to add a prominent link to it on your own web site, or sites – pretty obvious, you’d think? However, in all the excitement, that is sometimes overlooked!
More importantly, if you want it to start generating lots of nice new incoming links, and generating serious traffic increases, you’ve got to actively “market” your blog to the places that blog readers go… and “Where is that, pray tell me do?” I hear you say…
Well, the ping services you’ve added earlier are all well and good, but due to the volume of spam and garbage postings, some discipline had to be installed into the blog process to exert some control. Your site is no doubt “pinging” a variety of servers each time you create an entry. However, before any significant transfer activity takes place, you will have to front up and formally register yourself and your blog with as many of those services as possible.
The process is analogous to submitting to a normal search engine or directory, and pretty much for the same reasons. In some cases you may be asked for a reciprocal link – not too much to ask for the favour about to be rendeered to you. In other cases, a “donation” might be requested. Before handing over the cash, have the sense to check the Google Page Rank of the site… its got to be high (5+) to be worth it!
The challenge is finding all these blog directories… but a brief search will show that there are listings available.
By the time you’ve spent a day working through the 150+ directories accessible from the various links you’ve located, you’ll be in good shape to get that traffic counter ticking along. Your postings, and the consequent “ping” to the various services, should now have your content distribution flowing right along.
Good luck!
Ok, so you’ve created your nice shiny new blog, and you’ve been adding high quality postings containing lots of useful information on a regular basis for a few weeks (or months)… whats next?
Review Your Blog
First, take stock of your blog’s set-up, and make sure its ready for debut; 1.) Do your postings have some relevant key word content in the headings? If you’re intending to improve your overall ranking across search engines, remember to “optimise” the page just as you would any other page of your site. Decide on the keyword phrase you are targeting, make sure its used in the heading. Make sure its highlighted in the body text, particularly in the first and last paragraphs.
2.) Do your postings contain a “clickable” link or two back to your site? By this I mean a “proper” link in the format (a href=”http://www.example.com”)Example Link(/a) and not just your plain URL. To build traffic, you want to make it easy for people to get to your site!
3.) Does each posting contain your “Author Details Panel” that credits the articles and postings to you, including your (clickable) site URL information? Make your links open in a new window – thats a kind gesture to those who’d like to return and finish reading the original page…
4.) Have you made a statement of your copyright constraints, if any? Perhaps you should encourage people to copy and distribute your blog content, providing the Author Panel remains intact? That would be the best way to ensure widest distribution, and the consequent proliferation of valuable 1-way links back to your site! Write up your requirements, and post it as a page, which then generates a permanent link on your Blog menu.
Blog Marketing
You will probably want other people to read your blog in order that they may appreciate your literary genius, right? But of course, nobody knows where its at yet, so you’ve got to give it some publicity. The first step should be to add a prominent link to it on your own web site, or sites – pretty obvious, you’d think? However, in all the excitement, that is sometimes overlooked!
More importantly, if you want it to start generating lots of nice new incoming links, and generating serious traffic increases, you’ve got to actively “market” your blog to the places that blog readers go… and “Where is that, pray tell me do?” I hear you say…
Well, the ping services you’ve added earlier are all well and good, but due to the volume of spam and garbage postings, some discipline had to be installed into the blog process to exert some control. Your site is no doubt “pinging” a variety of servers each time you create an entry. However, before any significant transfer activity takes place, you will have to front up and formally register yourself and your blog with as many of those services as possible.
The process is analogous to submitting to a normal search engine or directory, and pretty much for the same reasons. In some cases you may be asked for a reciprocal link – not too much to ask for the favour about to be rendeered to you. In other cases, a “donation” might be requested. Before handing over the cash, have the sense to check the Google Page Rank of the site… its got to be high (5+) to be worth it!
The challenge is finding all these blog directories… but a brief search will show that there are listings available.
By the time you’ve spent a day working through the 150+ directories accessible from the various links you’ve located, you’ll be in good shape to get that traffic counter ticking along. Your postings, and the consequent “ping” to the various services, should now have your content distribution flowing right along.
Good luck!
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Explosive Growth in Social Network Sites
January 15, 2008
Ron McNeil asked:
Since the development of the very first social networking website in 1995, Classmates, the popularity of this type of website has steadily increased. There are many contributing factors in association with the overall popularity of social network software and websites. Many internet users are becoming members of online virtual communities, and taking advantage of social network software, which is being provided in these online communities. The popularity of social networking software is at an all-time high, and is expected to continue to grow over the next few years. The following paragraphs will discuss social networking, as well as discuss its growing popularity and what contributes to it.
As society continues to evolve at tremendous rates, it is sometimes hard to predict what will be popular in the near future. However, this is not the case with the popularity of social networking and community software. A virtual community called MySpace reported to have had more page views in the year 2005, than the ever so popular search engine, Google. It was MySpace again, which topped the popularity list in 2006, when it came to social networking software and websites.
It has been predicted by experts that social network software and virtual communities will continue to grow over the next few years. Mainly because of the ability to connect with friends and associates all over the world, many computer users will continue to enjoy virtual communities and their community software in the future. While this is one of the main contributing factors in regards to the popularity of social network software, it is not the only contributing factor.
The easy to use community software provided by most virtual communities is also a contributing factor in association with the growing popularity of social networking software.
Community software usually includes features such as:
1. a profile page,
2. an email in-box,
3. a blog page, and
4. an area to leave and receive messages.
Social networking software can also include search options, to help you search for members to be added on to a network. Many other factors can contribute to the constant rise in social networking popularity statistics. The convenience and ease of logging onto the internet are also a part of rise in popularity. Imagine connecting with so many different people, without ever having to leave the comforts of home.
One of the main reasons of the social network software to remain popular is the high numbers of unique members of the leading virtual communities, who have registered. In May, MySpace had over 50 million unique registered members. MySpace was followed by Classmates and Facebook, with both virtual web communities having over 14 million unique registered members. More of the list goes as follows:
1. YouTube – over 12 million unique registered users,
2. MSN Groups – over 9 million unique registered users, and
3. Xanga – over 7 million unique registered users.
With YouTube gaining over 6 million unique registered users in a one months time span, with MySpace gaining over 15 million in the same time span, the popularity of these websites and their social network software is not predicted to decline any time soon.
Easy to use community software is another reason, why experts are not of the opinion that the popularity of social networking software is going to come down. Community software is often offered by any of the registered member of an online social networking community. This software provides users with tools to help enable them to interact with other users.
Message boards are also offered in many social networking software packages, by the online communities. With social network software tools providing easy communication with millions of people, the decline in online social networking is not foreseen in the future. On the contrary, a mammoth growth in popularity is envisaged, with people looking for the ever growing network community.
Finally, the increased use of the internet is a contributing factor to the popularity growth of social network software. A great number of households have a least one personal computer, pocket computers, and cell phones with internet access as well. This is not to mention that almost every business has a website, and offer their products and services online. The popularity of the internet itself is helping the popularity growth of online social networking, as well as the software, that these virtual communities offer to their registered members. It is an exciting time to watch and see the different types of social network sites pop up, and the new ideas people bring to the web.
Since the development of the very first social networking website in 1995, Classmates, the popularity of this type of website has steadily increased. There are many contributing factors in association with the overall popularity of social network software and websites. Many internet users are becoming members of online virtual communities, and taking advantage of social network software, which is being provided in these online communities. The popularity of social networking software is at an all-time high, and is expected to continue to grow over the next few years. The following paragraphs will discuss social networking, as well as discuss its growing popularity and what contributes to it.
As society continues to evolve at tremendous rates, it is sometimes hard to predict what will be popular in the near future. However, this is not the case with the popularity of social networking and community software. A virtual community called MySpace reported to have had more page views in the year 2005, than the ever so popular search engine, Google. It was MySpace again, which topped the popularity list in 2006, when it came to social networking software and websites.
It has been predicted by experts that social network software and virtual communities will continue to grow over the next few years. Mainly because of the ability to connect with friends and associates all over the world, many computer users will continue to enjoy virtual communities and their community software in the future. While this is one of the main contributing factors in regards to the popularity of social network software, it is not the only contributing factor.
The easy to use community software provided by most virtual communities is also a contributing factor in association with the growing popularity of social networking software.
Community software usually includes features such as:
1. a profile page,
2. an email in-box,
3. a blog page, and
4. an area to leave and receive messages.
Social networking software can also include search options, to help you search for members to be added on to a network. Many other factors can contribute to the constant rise in social networking popularity statistics. The convenience and ease of logging onto the internet are also a part of rise in popularity. Imagine connecting with so many different people, without ever having to leave the comforts of home.
One of the main reasons of the social network software to remain popular is the high numbers of unique members of the leading virtual communities, who have registered. In May, MySpace had over 50 million unique registered members. MySpace was followed by Classmates and Facebook, with both virtual web communities having over 14 million unique registered members. More of the list goes as follows:
1. YouTube – over 12 million unique registered users,
2. MSN Groups – over 9 million unique registered users, and
3. Xanga – over 7 million unique registered users.
With YouTube gaining over 6 million unique registered users in a one months time span, with MySpace gaining over 15 million in the same time span, the popularity of these websites and their social network software is not predicted to decline any time soon.
Easy to use community software is another reason, why experts are not of the opinion that the popularity of social networking software is going to come down. Community software is often offered by any of the registered member of an online social networking community. This software provides users with tools to help enable them to interact with other users.
Message boards are also offered in many social networking software packages, by the online communities. With social network software tools providing easy communication with millions of people, the decline in online social networking is not foreseen in the future. On the contrary, a mammoth growth in popularity is envisaged, with people looking for the ever growing network community.
Finally, the increased use of the internet is a contributing factor to the popularity growth of social network software. A great number of households have a least one personal computer, pocket computers, and cell phones with internet access as well. This is not to mention that almost every business has a website, and offer their products and services online. The popularity of the internet itself is helping the popularity growth of online social networking, as well as the software, that these virtual communities offer to their registered members. It is an exciting time to watch and see the different types of social network sites pop up, and the new ideas people bring to the web.
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