When I read the article, I was really surprised by the number of blogs that are basically defunct. The top 5% of anything sounds pretty amazing to me, and it gives me more push to continue writing on a regular basis. I’m getting ready to make a more significant push to become a defining voice in the fight against domestic violence and child abuse, and I will use my blog as a platform for advocacy. This is the first time I’ve started to see and define a purpose for my blog, and it feels good. If simply continuing to update it regularly will help ensure a voice…I love that idea.
.-= Tricia´s last blog ..Purpose…I think I’m getting closer =-.

This is a great point! Its true, anyone that does what you say should find themselves in the top 5% and possibly the top 1% of blogs.

Being the technical person I am I have to point a few things out…

Technorati measures rank my number of incoming links from other websites. This is called your authority. It’s one thing to have visitors, its another thing to have a bunch of other websites linking to you.

At one point I had over 100 incoming links and a technorati rank of roughly 30,000. Since my peak I have dropped down to about 60 links and a rank of 82,000. The main reason for this is that technorati only counts a link if it was made in the past 6 months. Anything older gets pushed out. So basically technorati ranks blogs by how often they are linked to in a recent time period of 6 months.

You can take those numbers of 30,000 or 82,000 and divide them by the numbers above and you can see that I fit well into the 1% category. In fact, you will see that both these ranks put me into the highest 1% of the 5% category.

As you know I worked hard in the beginning and have let things fall off a bit, and it shows. My goal at one point was to break into the top 10,000 in technorati. It can be done, but I need to do a lot more work.

In the end though, I just hope a few people are benefiting from what I am writing. That is a better feeling then getting some rank on some website.

Cheers,
Jeremy
.-= Jeremy Day´s last blog ..Get Out Your BS Monitor =-.

I agree, some sites are built only to last a short time, and others sit static and may not need updates. If someone is using a blog as a website, chances are, once they’re set up, they may not ever get updated.

Yes. Being able to stick around does give us a sense of accomplishment.

Hi Alex – Good point. With the term “website” being used/understood, by calling our blogs a website – and having it “look” like one, may be to our advantage. And, that’s also true, many people do not know they’re reading a “blog”.

Hi Miguel – That”s true. I’ll bet many of those inactive sites are people who thought they could make money blogging, only to find it isn’t easy at all.

Hi Lance – Yes. It is a good feeling to know we’re part of the active blogs. It’s confirmation our hard work pays off.

Hi Sherri – I agree. Other blogs aren’t necessarily our “competition”, but when I wrote the question, I couldn’t figure out a better way to word that.

Hi Mike – Thank you for sharing the results of your “survey”. I know what you’re saying. Sadly, many who I thought had a great future (and they were showcased in my NBOTW series), have disappeared, too. It makes me curious as to what they’re doing now.

Hi Debbie – You have stuck with it. I also know you love to write, so it’s been a great outlet to showcase your writing talent. Staying true to yourself is SO important. If we start feeling like a fraud, that’s when we need to call it quits.

Hi Lori – You’re welcome. Well put. It is an honor for any of us who have beaten the odds and still follow our passion.

Hi Positively Present – When we look at all of those who gave up, it does refuel our fire, doesn’t it? I can’t see you giving up. Plus, you now have a new “baby” to share.

Hi Kim – Thank you for sharing how some blogs get tagged as “abandoned”. And yes, it does feel good to be in the top 5% (or better), doesn’t it?

Hi Many Anne – You’re welcome. With this post I wanted to share with others that even though we hear there are millions of blogs online, it’s not as bad as we may have perceived.

Hi J.D. – That’s a good question. What numbers really matter?

I like how you shared the example of Amazon & Barnes. Narrowing our focus and dividing a niche sounds like the way to go.

Hi Tom – Yes, it is good to be rewarded when we are persistent. I also agree, seeing a blog that consistently delivers says a lot about the author.

Hi Chase – I’m happy to hear these facts ease your mind. When we first start blogging we read so much it gets confusing. Some claim we need to post everyday, whereas others say not. In the end, it comes down to just being true to ourselves and to schedule our posts according to what works for us.

Hi Valerie – It’s cool. You are WAY above average.

Hi Tracy – Your husband is funny, indeed. And yes, sticking with it, IS half the battle. The rest, I believe, will follow.

Hi Petra – That’s another great way to measure how well we’re doing. Landing on page one of Google is definitely a feat worth celebrating.

Hi Bamboo – That’s true. Being in the top 5% may not mean more subscribers and/or money, but we are all making a good go of it.

Hi Lisa – Observing what our fellow bloggers are doing can be very motivating for us to keep doing what we’re doing. However, if we begin to slack off, there’s always someone else ready and willing to take our place.

Hi Jan – Thank you for sharing the stories of your two friends. They’re a great example of how blogs do become abandoned. As for perfecting a system, that is something that does take time. With practice you’ll soon find your blogging rhythm. BTW: Six months of blogging is a huge accomplishment – give yourself a pat on the back.

Hi Paisley – That’s true. Blogging IS a commitment. The longer we blog, the more we find it we are our only competition. As we look back over our old posts, it’s a great way to gauge how far we’ve come.

Hi Betsy – Hear Ye! I love the banner idea.

Yes, sad but true, most people do not know what a blog is.

Hi Linda – Thank you. Definitely. Tenacity does pay off.

Hi George – I like how you put that, “…it sent a message to me, reinforcing the idea that if I keep sticking to it, I’ll be just fine.” We will be fine, won’t we?

Hi Marelisa – Congratulations! That’s great news to celebrate, isn’t it?

Hi John – Thank you for bringing that up. The stats are for those blogs that update regularly. It doesn’t say how good they are.

What you said is true. We do need to concentrate on producing the best blogs we can.

Hi Jannie – You’re welcome. Isn’t it amazing knowing how many blogs come online every day, only to find out, most won’t make it? It’s rather sad.

Hi Davina – You’re welcome. And, congratulations on your upcoming one year anniversary of blogging. That is a HUGE accomplishment. To think you’re working 80 hour weeks and still can maintain your blog. Great job!

Hi Kevin – Yes. Blogging is a true labor of love. Just like nurturing a child, we nurture our blogs and the relationships we build online. What a drag it would be to keep chasing an elusive dream instead of something we enjoy doing.