Archive for » July, 2007 «

Jul

Google Page Rank – Chasing That Elusive Dream

Google Page Rank. If you blog, and have done any research on linking, you’ve probably read that you want incoming links to your pages from sites that have a ranking of 4 or above. This apparently, will help your Google Page Rank., which, in turn, increases your position in the search engines. It is written, that a higher position in the search engines, means more traffic to your blog. Talk about a domino effect.

It’s all about links. Should you buy links? Should you sell links? Should you beg for links?

Or……should you pursue reciprocal linking from a blog like mine–a blog that hasn’t even gotten a ranking yet? Some, will tell you “No”. I, say, “Yes”.

Here’s the philosophy behind my thinking.

I currently have a blog that has no ranking, or 0/10 on “Google’s Page Rank”. My blog, and all new blogs in their infancy, get the same ranking. But….blogs grow. Their ranking increases. So….if you link to my blog, which has a ranking of 0/10 now, and it grows, and receives a ranking of 4/10++, that will affect your ranking as well.

So, what I’m saying is, “Don’t be so shallow, and so selfish, that you won’t link to an infant blog” That could be compared to not dating a girl or guy, before they go through an “extreme makeover”. You know the ones. In high school, they were the geek or ugly duckling. You may have snubbed them, or made fun of the. Then, at your class reunion, you didn’t even recognize them, because they had gone through a transformation. Now, they’re “hot”. Maybe, rich. Or, both. Maybe they’re Bill Gates. Can you blame them, if they won’t even give you the time of day?

A new blog, is like the geek, or ugly ducking, in high school. The blog is so new to blogosphere, it doesn’t even “deserve” a ranking. How sad. But, blogs grow up. The authors may become “probloggers”. They transform, and start getting lots of attention., i.e. traffic and a higher ranking. Then….. you want some of that “link love”. But, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get any. Poor you! Maybe, you should have paid some attention to them when they were in their infancy.

Are you going to be saying, “woulda, shoulda, coulda?” when you see a new blog, mature into a well renowned blog? And, now you want a link from them? Or, are you going to start supporting blogs, in their infancy, not caring if a link to them, lowers your Google Page Rank?

Stand up! Be the “first kid on the blogk” to send some “link love” to a new blog. Go online, and find those new blogs. Give them support. Link to their blog in one of your posts.

Fast forward….years from now, you’re at that blogging convention of probloggers, and one of those “ex-newbies” (now a problogger) is speaking of how they succeeded in blogging. Your name, and your blog’s name is mentioned. What a proud moment that will be.

Spread the link love!

I set up a “page”, I’ve named “Blogging Buddies”. I provide a link back to every person (with a blog) who has left a comment, or has linked, to either this blog, or my OM blog. Want your blog added? Leave me a comment, or, share some link love with me.

Comments will be moderated, and I visit every site before posting a link on my “Blogging Buddies” page.

Category: Archives, Lessons Learned, Linking, Page Rank, SEO Tags: Blogging, Blogs, google, Page Rank 7 Comments

Jul

Are You A Stataholic

Barbara Swafford

Are you constantly checking your blog stats? Have you become a stataholic?

With new bloggers, it understandable that you check your stats often. You want, what you’ve written, to be read. After all, you started blogging to share with the world, what you feel is valuable information.

I’ve been a stataholic. When I first started blogging, I checked my stats every few hours. I’ve stopped that. My Google Analytics, AwStats and Webalizer are updated once a day, so checking those more often, is useless. The other stats I have enabled, are WordPress stats and Feedburner. I usually check those, about three times a day.

Checking stats can take away from the other priorities in your life. If you have another job, checking stats can distract you from your work, and possibly compromise your position. If you work at home, or are blogging after work, checking stats can take you away from the most important things in life-family and friends.

Checking stats often can also affect your mood. See the numbers go up, you’re happy. See a decrease, and your mood can plummet like the numbers. See the numbers remain static, and you get frustrated. Do you get the picture? Your stats can put you on an emotional roller coaster ride of hills and valleys.

To stop checking your stats so often, is like entering into a 12 step program. You first have to admit, you are a stataholic. Realize that checking your stats is affecting your mood, which in turn, can affect your creativity.

Set a limit for yourself. Allow yourself to check your stats 3 time a day-morning, noon, and night.

What’s the age of your blog? A new blog’s stats may remain low for months, especially if you’re not publishing indexable content.

Learn from your stats. Do you need to concentrate more on keyword density? Meta Tags? , etc… Do you need to “clean up your site” i.e. do you have too many flashing banners, or have a site that’s difficult for your readers to “read” i.e. do you have a dark background and/or small fonts? Ask a trusted friend for constructive criticism.

Look at the big picture. Hourly statistics are only a small pie of the pie. Remember the law of exponential growth. Increases in your stats every month will result in tons of traffic over time.

Concentrate on publishing good, quality content. If you can share valuable information with readers, the stats will follow. It all takes time.

Are you a stataholic? Have you been a stataholic? Leave me a comment, and share your story.

Category: Archives, Lessons Learned, Stats Tags: Blogging, creativity, google, WordPress One Comment

Jul

Quit Blogging and Make Millions

Barbara Swafford

Would you like to be able to make a million dollars blogging? Of course, you would. Although most of us blog in an effort to help others, money always enters the picture, in one form or another. We may want to make a few bucks via our affiliate advertising, by selling an ebook, to gain exposure and become a public speaker, or we may have another motive.

Which probloggers do you think have made a million dollars? Steve Pavlina? Darren Rowse? John Chow? Maybe a few I haven’t named, but I doubt there are very many individuals who have reached seven figures, blogging.

Do you honestly think you can make a million with a tip jar, Google AdSense, Chitka MiniMalls, ClinkBank, Link Share, Commission Junction, or TextLinkAds, just to name a few?

Is it time for you to quit blogging and make a million, by doing something else?

Last night I watched “The Big Idea” with Donny Deutsch, the renowned advertising guru. To quote his bio,

he implemented his “leaner, meaner, faster, smarter” philosophy to transform a small advertising shop into one of the nationâ€™s top 10 agencies. The $2.8 billion full-service agency has provided clients with strategic marketing programs that are intrusive, effective and talked about. Prestigious clients include GM, Johnson & Johnson, DirecTV, Novartis Worldwide, and IKEA.

Reread that, his advertising agency is worth $2.8 billion.

On the show (7/19/07), Donny Deutsch, spent the hour promoting struggling entrepreneurs. These individuals have great ideas, have done their business plans, have done marketing and sales on a small scale, but now want to get national and worldwide recognition. He offered advice to each person, and gave them hints as to what to do next. How cool is that? Donny Deutsch, giving you free advice, plus letting you promote your product on national tv. That would be like having Steve Pavlina, Darren Rowse or John Chow, leave a comment on my site, and then “showcase” my blogs, on their site.

“The Bid Idea” concluded the show with Kim Lavine, President and Founder of Green Daisy Inc. She has been nicknamed, “the Mommy Millionaire. Kim provided the audience with links to six websites that are paramount to up and coming entrepreneurs. Included in the list are SCORE, The US Patent Office, and TradeShowToday.

But….the most interesting link was www.GoDaddy.com .It was suggested that you build a website. How ironic. Us bloggers have already done that.

What I’m suggesting is, if you have a great idea, go with it. For starters, check out “The Big Idea” website. For motivation, read the stories of the entrepreneurs who have succeeded, as well as these new entrepreneurs, who are destined to be the next millionaires. Their stories are filled great tips. Learn from them, just as you’ve learned from your favorite probloggers. Take your idea to the next level.

If you’re blogging, you already have exposure. Get a business plan. Get a patent (if needed). Promote your product on your blog. Do what’s needed to get your product on the market. Do your homework. None of these individuals said it was easy. But, if you have an idea, and you have the belief and passion, you can succeed.

The show that aired on 7/19/07 highlighted six new ideas. They were:
Eve Alexander A manufacturer of maternity lingerie.
Chilly Jilly A shawl/sarong in a bag
iHearSafe earbuds To protect children’s ears from load music
Klip-Flops A “design your own” flip-flop
Send A Ball A gift and greeting all in one (a ball)
Vroom An “energy” candy

These are all great ideas. Each product has a large target market. These entrepreneurs all have the potential to make their first million, in a very short period of time.

My question to you is, “should you quit blogging, and follow your dream?” As a blogger, you’re part of the way there.

It’s all up to you.

Update: Due to the popularity of this post, I have also featured this subject on my second blog. In that post, I have included additional links and more information to consider, when setting up a business. It can be seen at:Observation Mountain.com