While much of your information is accurate, I believe you have a fundmental misunderstanding of why the Sandbox Effect occurs. It is simply the result of the competing effects between the “freshness factor” and “TrustRank” as these two play out over time.

These competing factors have a much more pronounce effect on a brand new site, hence the “sandbox effect”.

Well you have eased my mind on whether I should “have my say” on your business blog…but know, I am of old school, and will still respect the fact it is a business blog…and will try to keep my typos to a minimum

I understand what you are saying about us being ourselves on our blogs, and if some are alienated by profanities, it is their choice not to frequent particular blogs. As mentioned in my earlier post, it’s more of a children’s issue, than an adult one. We, adults, know what offends us and are free to click off.

With this blog being about blogging, I realize it may be read by any age group. I normally do not use curse words in my daily life, and don’t feel they have a place in my blogs either. Anyone who follows my writings, will realize that’s just me. Others can express their individuality in their own way, and I respect that. I guess that’s what I like about blogging…we can learn about each other and their personalities, through their writings.

I think it is great how you picked up the big client, due to your openness. You know who you are, and the type of clients that made for a good “fit”.

It’s so great to see you make such a good come back. I know last year was tough for you, but it sounds like you came out of it, a wiser person.

No, I didn’t change it! Hope you don’t mind. I’m not really that worried about the comments. I’d rather it was informal and pretty open.

The site has generated our biggest ever contract, and they openly said that because we poked fun at ourselves in the about us section, they instantly preferred us to others.

It’s interesting to consider the difference between a formal and topic-specific site and just having a conversation. I loved it when someone commented that they would NOT do business with a company that had the director’s taking frivolous punishments on video.

That was a great debate. And I must admit the swearing issue interested me too. Should we allow? Shouldn’t we?

Another blogger I know who uses profanities argued it’s a good filtration system. He argued about a blog allows you to be yourself and if it alienates some clients, then he’d rather not have them.

He talked about being true to yourself and attracting clients you can get on with and open.

I agree that the profanity issue should at least be bleeped. And I suspect children will not even dig beyond the front page to a comments section to see even any bleeped profanities on a blog topic or web-site that doesn’t interest them.

So I suspect that moderation or a regularly diluted tone, bowing down to a corporate sound, is probably not the way to go.

I to would much rather deal with clients who do not insist on a false and stuffy “image” of unecessarily professional language and pretence.

We are all people. We switch on formality at the right times, and speak frankly and openly with those suppliers we trust.

One confided cash-flow challenges. And because I’d been open with him about our failure, he was able to ask some advice. I was able to introduce him to help.

Sorry, just realised I’m waffling again! But I feel as though comments on a business blog should be as free-flowing as on a more personal one.

I do try and keep to the topic a bit more on the company one, but humour and letting typos go if relevant doesn’t take away the real-people feel of a comment. Hence few edits if any.

I did bleep a word recently – purely because I don’t know how browsers currently filter or could potentially filter a visitor. If the natural filtration of them leaving due to offence happens, then so be it. I would probably not have got on well with them as a client!.

Those “instant hits” is something I have seen for several months on my OM blog…but I do try to use keyword density on that. Today, I noticed I was in first position on a post…..only because I had spelled a person’s name wrong (not on purpose), but I had four hits based on that spelling of his name. Who knew?

I think with your post on Digital Dictation, you are in a smaller keyword niche, and the wording of your post helped to get those hits. So whatever you are doing, keep doing it. BTW: I read that great post. I hesitate, at times, to leave comments on that blog of yours, as it is your business blog. Plus, if I do, I want to make my comments sound somewhat intelligent…and not make a typo like I did on that one…did you change that, or are you letting everyone have a good laugh?

Catherine,

When you type in your blog name, are you using your complete address? If I type in bloggingwithoutablog, I get hundreds of results. I don’t use the www or http or the .com. That will also show you other sites where your name appears. Let me know if that works.

I, too, am hoping that Google starts evaluating sites based on dates. I waste so much time trying to figure out how current the information is…nothing worse than writing a post and finding out the information is obsolete.

I know what you mean about the server – it sounds like a great idea until things go wrong.

Like Ian – I have noticed individual blog posts get ranked pretty quickly. But, when I search my actual blog name, I’m only getting a couple of the most recent posts. , so i’m really not sure how they work it.

And I agree – it would be more useful if they would include the most relevant posts. There’s nothing worse than looking for up to date information on a topic, only to be taken to a page which is a decade old.