Is Blogging Now More Than Simply Writing Blog Posts?
Experiment: Can a ‘pure’ blog be found by the general public? No inside network links, no pushing traffic from inside established sources, no using freebie directories and all that jazz.
Point 1: You can’t get any organic search engine traffic unless you have inbounds links. I’ve tried it. For months. No links in = no traffic. Well maybe 1 or 2 search engine visitors, but that’s it. I quit that experiment and moved on ;).
Point 2: You can’t get any inbound links until people know you exist. If someone is looking for information and finds it on your blog–they may link to it. But…remember–they can’t find it by using a search engine. And your blog is not in their feed reader to catch a post of yours to link to because–again–no one knows you exist.
Possible Opportunity: If Technorati ever speeds up and becomes a viable search option, you *may* have some of your blog posts found by searchers using Technorati. However–how often do you search Technorati? It’s pretty painful aint it. Never mind that it seems 9/10 ping’d posts don’t seem to make it.
So it’s a tricky situation. No one can find your posts unless you have links in, and no one links to you because for them–you don’t exist.
I’m trying an experiment to see if it’s possible for new bloggers to flourish without link resources at their disposal, or blogging buddies at their fingertips. NO SEO link tricks, no traffic pushing from an established source.
Blogging IMO has become even MORE social than ever because of the above. You *have to* get out there, shake your butt, comment on a million blog posts, link to a million blogs, contact a bunch with tips or info, sprinkle some holy water around and hope that eventually a link to two will find your blog so that you can eventually begin to rank for *minimal* search engine traffic that will hopefully mean more inbound links that will send some traffic.
It’s exhausting.
I’m finding that blogging isn’t about just writing posts on your blog. At least if you want more than just you reading it. It’s also about socializing and networking. It’s A LOT OF WORK if you’re operating ‘unconnected’ and most of your time is not spent writing your own content, but shaking your butt off-blog.
Interesting aint it.
Blog Bloke:
November 27th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
Hi Terry. Well said and thanks for dropping by. It’s al about the conversation. Here’s more food for thought.
45n5:
November 27th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
I much prefer google blog search over technorati:
blogsearch.google.com
Good points.
Bonnie:
November 28th, 2006 at 12:14 am
It’s a tough one to be out there marketing. Right now that’s exactly what I’m doing. I really think the syndicates help but you still have to have your blog out there in a place where people who might want to look at you will see you.
I’ve tried searching technorati and rarely get anything useful!
Terry:
November 28th, 2006 at 12:43 am
But everyone else? It’s a loooong uphill battle methinks.
Terry:
November 28th, 2006 at 12:45 am
Empress:
November 28th, 2006 at 11:50 am
It’s definitely a very long hard road to see the online money. I think it’s especially hard if you’re just starting out and you’ve been razzle/dazzled to think that it’s so easy to make money online.
It takes a lot of work - and I don’t think we can really get away from the social aspect - especially with blogs… I’ve found it easier to get my blogs linked to over HTML sites… I thought it was more to do with the interactivity that blogs allow.
It would be really interesting to see how one would do with a project where you didn’t use the resources you’ve built up - and just did it all from scratch. Would it work?
-Nash:
November 28th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
Yeah it is exhausting! ha! and whoever said that online you don’t have to connect and network to get exposure and make money. - I think the trick is to study always, be persistent, and focus.
Terry:
November 28th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
That’s what I’m aiming to find out ;). I want some ‘new properties’ that aren’t connected in any way to stuff I already have out there and not connected to any traditional link building methods. Why? I think it will play out down the road if a site can pass Google’s inbound history sniff test (which is getting more finicky and stronger as time goes on). It’s something I think is a good idea for me to be doing right now.
Aint that the truth