|
Are you a blogger or a bloggee? (Translation: have a blog
or ever visited one?)
Other terms for blogs include Blogging, and Weblogs. So
what the heck are they and how can they impact search engine
rankings?
Blogs: a loose definition
A blog is a text-based collection of news and articles,
often centered on particular niche. Content is usually organized
by date, from most recent to oldest.
Blog content comes primarily from the blog’s publisher
in the form of articles and misc. commentary. Additional
content is often provided via syndicated news feeds. Think
of a blog is a “Cliff Notes” or “Readers
Digest” version of what the blog’s publisher considers
important on that particular subject.
Search engine rankings enter the equation with respect
to site architecture and THE LINKS. (More about this later
in the article.) Did you know there are more than 680,000
blogs with over 25 million active links?
With all that blogging goin’ on, how can yours be
king blog of your niche?
|
Seven Business Benefits to
Blogs
- Ideal source of generating targeted, FREE
traffic.
- A more “SEO savvy” solution than
having a news/events section on your web site.
- Publish and get immediate visibility for
your articles.
- No more problems with spam filters and sending
newsletters.
- Boost your email list and subscriber base.
- Become an expert in your chosen field, faster,
easier and more affordably then ever.
- No special programming or HTML skills needed.
- Blogging software is free!
|
|
Now since this is the SEO Insider ezine, what’s the
big deal with search engines and blogs? Ah, glad you asked…
Four reasons search engines LOVE blogs
1. Relevant, organized, subject-specific content.
Search engines love relevant content that’s organized
in simple, intuitive fashion. Hello blogs! In some ways,
it’s the same phenomenon with site maps.
Often a search engine will index a site map first, read
the “table of contents” of your site and then
follow those links as it indexes the other pages.
2. Easy indexing. With a blog, the search engines
can read the content much easier because there’s nothing
to get in the way. No graphics, no technologies like Flash,
just pure, well-organized content.
3. Frequent, sometimes daily updating of content.
Frequent updating is a signal to the search engines to visit
more frequently. The more frequently they visit, the more
they’ll index, and the better your chances of getting
rankings.
4. Links, links and more links. Blogs and all their
related links make a search engine’s job a lot easier.
Search engines often index a site by following the link.
Blogging resources:
So how do you get started? Well, there’s different
software that can help you build a blog. I’m currently
experimenting with these:
www.moveabletype.org
This is our recommended choice. It’s the one my friend
and colleague Michael Wong uses. (You should see the rankings
he gets at his blog, MichaelWong.com
www.blogger.com
This one is easier to implement than Moveable Type, but
because it’s setup via a subdomain on Google, the search
engine ranking opportunities might be a bit more limited.
www.strategictraffic.com
This is my new product and we have a special tip on blogging.
You can signup
for a f^ree 21-lesson ecourse on attracting t*argeted traffic
at Zero cost.
Marc Harty is the owner of SearchEnginePatrol.com. His
firm has obtained hundreds of top 10 search engine rankings
for a diverse list of clients, including those in the financial,
legal, human resources, educational and manufacturing sectors.
Marc regularly leads Internet marketing seminars and is
an authority on guerilla-style e-marketing.
© Copyright 2003 SearchEnginePatrol.com.
All rights reserved.
You may forward this report in its entirety,
including all live web site and email links. (Without cutting.)
http://www.SearchEnginePatrol.com
|
