Link To These Three Types Of Blogs
Posted on August 26, 2008
Filed Under Blogging, SEO, Traffic Building, online business | Leave a Comment
So you’ve been blogging for a while, and you don’t seem to be getting anywhere. NO ONE IS LISTENING!
- sleep is the enemy by striatic
Well, shouting isn’t going to help either, I promise.
Okay, so it actually might, if you’re willing to shout in the right direction and to the right people.
Let’s look at my photography tutorials blog as an example. In the early stages I wrote, and wrote, and wrote. That’s what you’re supposed to do right?
It is, only I wasn’t getting heard. By anybody really. At the beginning of next month we’ll start actually tracking all of the numbers for that site so you can actually see the growth.
Writing good quality content on your blog is very much the foundation for attracting readers and keeping them loyal. But a house isn’t just a foundation.
You have to have walls, windows, a roof, furniture, etc. These things are the “extras” you can put into your blog like reviews, interviews, and anything else to spice up your regular content.
So you have a nice pretty house built but still, no one sees it. You need traffic.
In order for that traffic to get to your house it has to have a good sidewalk, street, and many access points with signs pointing people towards your house.
That’s where incoming links come in. Not the kind you pay for BTW. The kind that come organically.
One of the things I figured out early on was that other bloggers link to each other. Big A-list bloggers link to other A-list bloggers and B and C-list bloggers list to B,C, and A-list bloggers.
Does this work? Will those blogs actually link back to you?
Some will and some won’t. You can of course try the “shotgun technique” and link to every blog in your niche hoping that some of them link back, but most of them won’t.
I’ve really clamped down on who and where my links go. My links fall within three “categories” if you will.
- Relevant Material- I will link to another article that has specific information that either compliments or counters my statements. Also, I will link to articles that are more “technical” than the article I’m writing at the time. My style of writing is conversational and I try my best to keep everything in “layman’s terms” so it’s easy to understand. I don’t particularly care if these blogs ever link back to me, this is about ensuring that my readers walk away with enough information and that I didn’t waste their time.
- Reciprocal Linking- I have worked really hard to ensure that my blog receives links from other blogs. So when another blog links to me, I try my best to link back to them at some time in the very near future. I’m not perfect at this as I’m sure I’ve missed a few in the past. I do not link back to every blog that links to me (spam blogs, scraper blogs, and blogs that are copyright infringing in other areas). I can usually figure out some way to link back to another blog even if it isn’t in my niche if I’m creative enough.
- Hopeful Linking - This can get a little tricky and I don’t do it as much. Using tools like Technorati and Pr checkers I keep tabs on where the other blogs in my niche are in relation to search engine and traffic. I target blogs that are slightly higher than mine. Not the A-list bloggers. I rarely see them throwing much link juice back down and every Tom, Dick, and Harry is already linking to them trying to get noticed.
Yes, this does take some time, and research (especially in the beginning) but you’ll be able to streamline your work flow and with some practice it will just come naturally.
Remember that the Internet is still a “web”. Links are the foundation of that web and if you don’t put in those links then don’t expect others to link to you either.
Facebook Squares Off With The Newspaper Industry
Posted on August 24, 2008
Filed Under Blogging, local, online business, online presence | Leave a Comment
My how things are changing at light speed.
Okay, so truthfully, some of us saw this coming long ago.
The “analog” world is moving to the “digital” world. We all know that. I’ve been talking about it to anyone who would listen for a while. So have many others like Robert Scoble, Thomas Hawk, and more.
So is it a real surprise when members of the Facebook community start screaming for the rest of the world to stop catering to
an industry that doesn’t care about or deserve you?
I think not.
What does this mean in the short run?
If you are consistently online and privy to the happenings around the web, you probably aren’t too shocked (or you shouldn’t be). More and more, newspapers are aligning themselves with website developers to design a comprehensive site to keep their readers. My own local paper has done a good job with their transition. They even go so far as to include local blogs as an addition to their site.
In fact many readers find my photography tutorial blog through that “newspaper” site.
So they’re on the right track.
The long run?
Advertisers today are still stuck in their old ways. I still see boring ads that most people ignore. Getting advertisers to pay “newspaper” websites the same amount of money as they did when newspapers were only print is a hurdle that the newspapers are going to have to overcome.
The problem lies in the ability to actually track readers behaviour. Now advertisers are finding that people just aren’t clicking their ads. Previously ads in print were about impression and driving action through that impression was not easy to track.
Now advertisers are not willing to pay as much online for impression based ads.
This is a rather large problem for the newspaper industry as a whole. Already photographers are getting the hammer and journalists are having to “multi” post by adding a blog to their journalism.
The rest of the world?
Soon every industry that isn’t already facing these problems will be. It will be interesting to see how many smart creative professionals begin to realize this and begin to finally put their online portfolios together.
Is Amanda Key A Purple Cow?
Posted on August 22, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
You have many choices in life. Here are two. You can watch the video first then read the article or you can read the article then watch the video. Does it matter? Of course it does. But you won’t know until you do it.
Amanda Key’s drum/opera recital
I’ve known Amanda Key for years. She is tremendously talented at the drums and opera. Top it off with the fact that she is beautiful and you’ve got a winning combination.
Amanda Key
As I’m reading Purple Cow
Certainly, I see a few ideas, businesses, people, and other things that have that potential. But most of them don’t live up to it do they? How often do we truly come across something that is remarkable?
I see Amanda’s talents as remarkable. They are marketable as well. In fact, I have very little doubt that Amanda Key will find a great career in the entertainment industry. Whether she’ll be playing drums for a great band or on stage in operatic garb, well… that remains to be seen.
Her voice is fantastic. Her drum skills are exquisite. Her looks could kill.
The video is not a stellar recording, but I feel you still get that hint of greatness from the person on stage. When that kind of talent transcends the quality of the output device, then you know you’ve got something.
But will enough people see it? More importantly, will the right people see it?
I know way too many creative professionals who’s talents transcend their output device. Will the right people ever see them?
I wonder if Seth Godin thinks Amanda Key has the potential to be a Purple Cow.
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