Why Blogging And SEO Work Well Together
Topics: seo, blog, blogging, marketing, local marketing, search engines
Blogging is becoming one of the most popular ways to market a company, brand, personality or product on the Web. Why? Because search engines love content, and there is no better way to create and manage content on the Web than a blog. According to Technorati, there are over 60 million blogs on the Web, with over 100,000 being created every day. A lot of people have caught on to blogging, and there is plenty of room for more.
What is a Blog?
The word ‘blog’ is a slang compilation of two words; ‘web’ and ‘log’, or ‘weblog’. Initially established as a way to publish computer log files, the original pioneers of blogging began publishing more and more interesting content. Today, bloggers post news, commentary, and even real time descriptions of events using blog software.
Think of a blog as an ‘online journal’. ‘Posts’, as they are called, are short articles that are listed on your blog site in chronological order. Visiting a blog, you will notice that the most recent article is presented at the top, and earlier stories are listed below, or in an archive.
Blog software is available all over the Internet. Some of the more popular sources are Wordpress and Blogger. Our favorite is Wordpress because it is an ‘open source’ application that can be installed on your own server and customized.
A custom blog allows you to have more control over the look of the interface, and event to incorporate the blog into your existing site. This is of particular interest to companies who want to use blogging as a way to communicate with customers and keep fresh content at the forefront of their site; a great search engine strategy.
Blogging and SEO: Why is it such a Good Idea?
Search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, scour the Web looking for new content to index. In particular, they are looking for content that is ‘keyword rich’; content that is full of relevant keywords. When content is keyword rich, it provides relevance for the site and allows a search engine to properly categorize your blog site into a particular market.
Keywords can be anything from the name of your product, to the name of your company, or the type of services you offer. Refining keywords with geographic specificity is a popular way to climb to the top of a search page in your particular region, even though you may be competing with a lot of sites on a national level. (For instance; ‘lawn care’ gets over 5.5 million hits, while ‘utah lawn care’ gets a more reasonable 1.2 million. The more times you can use a keyword in each post, the better.)
Websites that regularly update keyword rich content are considered ‘alive and active’ by the leading search engines, and are given priority over sites that are considered ‘dormant’ or ’stagnant’. If your site has not changed in over 60 days, you are in danger of being considered ’stagnant’, and falling out of favor with the search engines.
Search engines gain popularity with users based on their ability to direct people to relevant sites that are alive and active with current content. How often do you want to visit a site that hasn’t changed in over a year? The search engines feel the same way, and are reluctant to refer a site that hasn’t been updated for a while.
Again; a blog is a great way to add content management to your existing site, and is a terrific way to get started on the Web with a basic web presence that can become a very effective marketing tool.
What Else Can a Blog Do?
Aside from writing content, you can do a lot of creative, and even productive things with a blog.
Blog systems provide the ability to upload files and attach them to your posts (articles). Having this ability means you can add your own graphics to each article, dressing them up with photos of people, places and products. You can also add full motion video, slide shows, and even link to You Tube or other streaming video hosting services.
Podcasting has become popular, and is a fun way to add audio to your articles. You can include music, sounds or interviews; virtually anything you can record can be added to your blog as an audio file.
One of the most common things to add to an article is a file such as a PDF or even a Word document. Linking files to your articles allows your readers to download those files, which can be anything from a photo, instructions, or a form to slides, video and audio.
There are also advanced marketing functions you can perform with a blog. By incorporating a subscription function, you can collect leads from your blog, and communicate with your audience via an automated email system. Each time you post a new article, your subscribers will automatically receive an email notification. Instant newsletter.
Getting Started
Blogging can be done in a number of ways; there are free options out there that allow you plenty of space to write all you can at no cost. If you are interested in creating a custom site, with your own graphics, extensions, and management options, you will want to establish a custom blog on your own domain.
If you already have a domain (such as www. yourname. com), it is best to establish your blog on a ’sub-domain’. Your Web guy will know how to do this. Name your sub-domain with a keyword for the best search engine optimization (such as widget. yourname. com).
If you are the technical type, or you have someone who takes care of your Web systems; take a look at wordpress. org and download a copy of their latest open source blog software. Once installed you are ready to go.
Art Gib is a freelance writer. Read more about seo blog tactics at www.orangesoda.com. Interested in developing an inexpensive custom blog, featuring your own graphics, technical support, and training that will get you started; contact us at the URL above.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Importance Of Private Label Articles (1)
On average, a single 700-word article will take about two hours to compose from scratch. If your intention is to create a website with over 50 pages, then you can see how daunting and time-consuming the task of simply writing content will be.
Are You Ready To Go International? (2)
And while English is still the most widely used Internet language, it's not the language of choice for many, many Internet users. So are YOU ready to communicate in this international medium?
Internet Marketing Services - Ways To Maximize Your Online Sales (3)
First, as an Internet marketer, there is a need to impose high security standards because this is one of the contributory factors that prospective clients in deciding whether to buy your product or services or not.
Seven Steps To A Better Photograph Part One (4)
Take a look through the photo archives, particularly those of family portraits, and you will see that more often than not, the subject, or subjects was always the focal point of the shot, regardless of what was in the background.
Modern Trends In Customer Service (5)
These specialist traders have led to an increased focussed on customer satisfaction when it comes to advice on buying products. The purpose of modern shops is to advise their customer base on what is the best option, not for the good of the shareholders but for the customer.
Steps To Be Taken While Designing A Good Coporate Logo (6)
Topics: corporate logo design, logo design, business logo design, custom logo design, logo design services An excellent logo grasps the eyes of viewer and makes them curious to know more about the company.
Video Blogging : Effective Internet Marketing Strategy (7)
You can not afford to waste time by doing it all over again in the business world. This thing must be noted. Learning from video software is encouraged and advisable to help you on how to manage editing your recording You can visit some video-blogging websites and strive to get ideas for others video-bloggers, especially, you can visit the high-ranking video blog sites.
The Simple Equation For Online Profits (8)
The research leads to your next factor, your product. Your research has told you what product you should sell to your niche. Now you need to get your hands on that product.
Smart Planning For Trade Show Promotions (9)
Sometimes that money machine might not be the best choice. It might be inappropriate to the venue or outside your budget. For that matter, it might be the wrong choice because it is so popular.
Get The Most From Your Business Promotion Money Machines (10)
One of the most popular event entertainment ideas is the money machine or cash cube. Money machine basics You've probably seen money machines at trade shows or other events.
Creating Powerful Video Product Comes In A Simple Way (11)
As long as you know what are the basic things to be done like the genre and the tapping your client's desire- like creating a video-product that relates their life.
Build Revenue From Affiliate Programs With Article Marketing (12)
You'll create valuable back links to your site and bring targeted visitors to your affiliate program. Brad McGovern is the Marketing Manager at www.articlemarketer.com and offers advice and news of note to article marketers.
Elevate Your Online Business Success By Creating Video Product (13)
These sites offer video distribution though RSS or real simple syndication. This system makes viewer able to subscribe your video and receive video alerts every time you have the latest update for your website.
How To Get An A+ In Sales And Marketing (14)
2. What are the competitor's weak points/ 3. How can I take the answers from the first two questions, and make my business so successful it will blow the competition away?
The Benefits Of Using One Central Resource For Your Affiliate Programs (15)
The time saving benefits you'll get from using a site like this are clear. No more trawling through pages and pages of search results on Google to find an affiliate program that looks promising.
Web Site Builder: Easy Fast Way To Creating An Online Presence (16)
Then figure out what the web site builder offers you in terms of all these things. Most programs will allow you to add in all that you need but adding forms and optimization takes a certain level of skill depending on the complexity of your program.
The Importance Of Patience (17)
If you've truly got what it takes then developing your patience is just as beneficial and important as developing any other skill that you possess. So take a look at yourself, do you have the patience required to turn your fledgling internet business into something that other people will be talking about in the months and years to come?
How To Write An Attention Getting Subject Line (18)
You can change all that. While forwarding an email message is relatively after producing your newsletter. Getting people to open them is not as easy. You don't want to waste all the time and effort used in making the newsletters, you want people to read them and have their interests piqued.
Web Tools Provide Accents To Places Of Business (19)
Marketing dollars were not wasted because the people appreciated finding out about low priced products in the sales ads they received through the email marketing campaign. James Brown writes about www.findinternethosting.com
Experiment With Colour On Your Website (20)
Take the colour red, for example, if we're driving and we see a red sign or a red traffic light, we automatically recognise it as an indication that we should stop; it's seen as a danger sign.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Learn Internet Marketing From Real Experts (1)
Topics: mentoring, internet marketing mentor, mentors online, learn internet marketing, coaching & mentoring When it comes to making money online the fastest way to get yourself over the initial learning curve, is to join a coaching or mentoring program that will provide you with the tools that you need to ensure your success.
Live Your Dream - Make Money On The Internet (2)
For instance, if you are an artist, you should consider web design or graphic design as a business venture. This of course will require some software skills, but can be learned if you have the right skills in the first place.
Product Review: SpamArrest (3)
How Much Does it Cost? At the time of this writing, SpamArrest subscriptions are $5.95 per month (or you can save by signing up for a year or two at a time: $44.95 for one year and $74.95 for two years.) You can add features for an additional fee, but I have the basic subscription and have never needed anything beyond that.
Importance Of Private Label Rights Versus Writing Your Own (4)
PLRMO welcomes marketers who are searching for Fresh, Unique and Quality Private Label Articles. Plrmembershiponline.com is the only site giving ideal private label content solutions to your internet business.
Finding Top Multi Level Marketing Company (5)
You may earn slightly less when you recruit other people into the program. Finding programs that pay high commissions is best but look out for companies that promise too much.
Discover The Tightly Held Secret That Will Explode Your Online Income Automatically (6)
Have you ever sent an email out to someone and got a message saying something along the lines of I'm on vacation. Please contact my assistant? That was an auto-responder.
Being An Online Video Publisher - Getting Started (7)
There are sites that cater video-publishing. These sites allow you to download, upload, broadcast your own video and that is an effective way to broadcast your product in the global community.
Prepare Your Trade Show Display In 5 Easy Steps (8)
Sweat The Small Stuff A trade show is the perfect opportunity to audit and assess your collateral materials. That should include everything from business cards to leave behinds and rate cards or price lists.
Work At Home Internet Businesses Need Several Affiliate Programs (9)
For instance one site can be the source of digiproducts, which you can offer as an affiliate to your work at home internet business visitors. Many have over 10.000 digiproducts and commissions are even 75 % to salesprice.
Simple Tips For Generating Web Site Traffic (10)
You can also include tips about your product. This is really effective in generating high traffic for your web site. You can also use the technique for generating internet traffic by providing freebies with valuable content to subscribers the moment they sign up for your guestbook or newsletter.
Article Directories: A Partner On Maximizing Your Exposure With Articles (11)
Furthermore, since you have posted it on a free article directory, others who have similar websites about law will inevitably use your article for their website. Since they must attach your byline to it, this will bring you even more exposure for every website or blog that re-posts your article, benefiting you from the traffic that they get to their website.
Use Customer's Questions To Establish Your Expert Status (12)
Answer Customer Questions to Achieve Expert Status Answering customer questions and a thorough and informative way is a great way to establish yourself as an expert. One amazing article will attract some attention, but creating a list of informative articles will secure your expert status.
5 Simple Tips To Make Your Trade Show Display A Success (13)
An attendee list is the best way to start prospecting. 3. Prepare your display materials. Your display company can again be your best friend here as they can assist in preparing the materials that fit with your overall image and can ensure you have all the materials you typically require.
Boosting Sales Using Promotional Products (14)
Consider some ideas that you can apply in giving hit promotional products to your customer: You can include the promotional item with every order that your customers make. If your product is Internet-based, give it during product delivery.
How To Create Your Own Information Product (15)
If you've spent anytime in internet marketing, you're probably already aware of this fact. The best thing about creating info products is that it's so easy. All you really need are: 1.
How To Increase The Amount Of Time Your Visitors Stay On Your Website! (16)
The fifth thing that you can do to ensure that your traffic stays on your website for an extended amount of time is to offer one or more free products.
Can Your "Free" Marketing End Up Costing You Thousands? (17)
This simply means, when someone subscribes to your publication, he must confirm his subscription before he is actually added to your mailing list. If you don't use a double opt-in, you're not violating any CAN-SPAM laws, but double opt-in is definitely a best practice.
Advantage Of Having An Online Presence (18)
Topics: Advantage of Having an Online Presence, What are the strengths of having an online presence What is the advantage of having an online presence and what are the essential reasons for you to have an online presence?
How To Optimize Your Website For Ask (19)
Another feature of Ask Blogs is the ability to sort by popularity, so stickiness and incoming links become extremely important. Ask Mobile is a neat feature that provides mobile users with search results by reformatting websites into one column.
Searching For Qualified Business Lead (20)
Sit on the bus and you will be surrounded by them, in short, free leads are everywhere. The art of turning a free network marketing lead into a qualified lead, however, is not as easy as some would have you think.