It all started when Lori of “Think Like A Black Belt” sent out a tweet and included a link to an article in the New York Times about blogging.
Although it was an interesting article, what I found the most fascinating was what they wrote about a Technorati survey. In part, they said,
According to a 2008 survey by Technorati, which runs a search engine for blogs, only 7.4 million out of the 133 million blogs the company tracks had been updated in the past 120 days. That translates to 95 percent of blogs being essentially abandoned, left to lie fallow on the Web, where they become public remnants of a dream — or at least an ambition — unfulfilled.
Today’s Lesson
I dug deeper into the Technorati survey and found this tidbit.
In State of Blogosphere – 2008, Technorati notes only 1.5 million blogs were updated in the last seven days.
Although Technorati isn’t tracking all blogs, if we use their numbers, that translates to just over one percent of blogs are being updated each week.
Just reading by updating our blogs within 120 days, we’re placed in the top 5% of all blogs online, I find to be great news.
As much as we stress to produce quality content on a constant basis, to get noticed and to gain readership, just by updating, we’re keeping our blogs alive and out of the class of “abandoned”.
Granted, when we see there are 133 million + blogs online, the number can seem staggering, but to be in the top five percent is a real accomplishment.
I think this news calls for a celebration.
What do you think?
Today’s Assignment
When you realize you’re in the top five percent of all of the blogs online (based on the fact you’re updating your blog regularly), how does that make you feel?
Might you be in the top one (plus) percent, based on the fact you update weekly?
Do these facts make you feel less pressure?
Or do they make you realize it’s not as “competitive” in blogoshpere as you may have once thought?
~Barbara.
P.S. For the entire results of the Technorati survey, below are the links to each page.
State of Blogosphere – 2008
Who Are The Bloggers
The What and Why of Blogging
The How Of Blogging
Blogging For Profit
Brands Enter The Blogosphere
The one thing they might not be accounting for is the fact that WordPress is used for thousands (if not more) of other uses than a blog. For example, many photography companies take photos at people’s weddings and as part of their service they “post” pictures to a website.
Many of those sites are simple WordPress sites which are created, used for about a month or two, and then abandoned. However, since they are WP sites with built in ping abilities, sites like Technorati get notified that there’s a “new blog in town”.
That being said, their logic is still sound – many blogs are abandoned. For me, it makes me feel a sense of accomplishment that I am able to stick it through even the rough times.
Competitive? Oh no . . . it’s still WAY competitive. But bring it on!
.-= John Hoff – WpBlogHost´s last blog ..Lateral SEO Thinking: 3 Things Most People Don’t Consider =-.
Taking this survey and couple it with the news that many people don’t even know they’re reading blogs when they go surfing, it makes the term “blogging” much less important or necessary.
I can see why there’s a trend to shift the image of blogs back to a website with “articles” or “news” rather than a “blog” with “posts” – blogs have shifted so much from their origins as web logs (or online diaries) – that I wonder if the term is losing relevance?
In that vein I’ve recently shifted the look of my site to more of a typical website with regular content updates.
.-= Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome´s last blog ..The Positive Power of Peer Pressure =-.
I think these are great news for hard, consistent, honest workers, over those who want to get rich fast. 🙂
Hi Barbara,
It all makes me feel good – thinking that by sticking to this, even in the sea of many great blogs out there (like yours!) – that I’m in the top 5% is a feeling of accomplishment! And that’s a great way for me to start my day today!
.-= Lance´s last blog ..The Sunset Of Our Soul =-.
I bet you feel pretty darn good Barbara. Being in the top 5% yourself, you must feel a certain sense of acomplishment.
I think you hit a cord with a previous post, that the most challenging element of blogging is the time factor. I say, if you have time to blog, then blog.
Hi Barbara,
This is great news! I thought the stats on abandoned blogs would be high but 95% is a lot more than I was expecting. I guess we would land in the top 1% with weekly updates and that’s a great feeling.
There are a ton of fabulous blogs out there but I don’t like to think of them as competition. We all have different experiences and histories and as such something unique to offer. A lot of great things can come from working together as opposed to competing and there is certainly enough room for everyone.
.-= Sherri (Serene Journey)´s last blog ..Do You React Or Respond? =-.
I agree with Jeff about WordPress being used more frequently for non-blog sites. I’ve even created some – and after being created they aren’t updated very often. They are like static websites. They are probably a small percentage of the “abandoned” blogs but have to account for some of them.
I guess I’m glad to be in the top 5% 😉
I did a post a while back that looked at people who were commenting on my blog one year and how many of them were still blogging a year later. Unfortunately, that post seems to have disappeared when I moved the location of Exit78 to the root directory. As I recall over 50% of those who had been blogging regularly were gone a year later — and a couple of these had been getting quite a bit of big time buzz. One had even guest posted on Darren Rowse’s Problogger. These are the ones that I would say have had a failed blogging “dream — or at least an ambition.”
For the greatest majority, though, blogging is little more than a passing fancy.
When they see how much work it can be, it’s not long until they are off to some other fancy or back to spending their time doing something more fun for them, like watching so-called reality TV.
.-= Mike Goad´s last blog ..Saving money… and gaining time! =-.
I’m making my way back into the top 1 percent since my break. That’s good news, but wow! that’s a lot of blogs! It can be a little daunting to know there is still that much competition. Still, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I often find when I come up with an idea and then notice the competition, I simply give up. Well, maybe give up isn’t really the word I want, but basically, I find it’s not worth the effort. For instance, I once tried to make purses to sell on e-bay. Have you ever looked at how many people sell purses on e-bay? A LOT! The competition was fierce and trying to break into the market was difficult if not impossible. It took too much material, labor and time to make a product that I couldn’t make a profit on even if I did manage to sell it. So, my supplies lay in the basement gathering dust. However, even when times get tough I’ve stuck with blogging. I don’t make any money from it, really, but I enjoy it. I think I’ve stayed true to myself, too. It’s easy to get caught up in building a readership and betraying yourself. I know a lot of mommy bloggers build their blog by giveaways and I respect that, but it’s not for me. Everytime I try to “pimp” a product so I can get readers it just doesn’t feel right. So, I’m not going to do that. That’s not why I started blogging. I blogged to write. Whether that’s for 10 or 100 people, that’s what I’m going to do. When my heart is in it and when I have the time to do it.
.-= Debbie Yost´s last blog ..Dreams Realized =-.
I’ve found a nice new way of keeping regular posts is to setup a few ideas for blog series. Like a weekly video post or maybe a weekly music post. That way you can get a bulk selection of posts together and post them periodically throughout the year. Or have them ‘scheduled’ if you have WordPress.
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for the mention!
I don’t care about being at top of such rankings as a status thing, but I like it as a pat on the back for having beaten the odds, as a recognition of having learned so much about blogging the last year, and as a reminder to honor those who keep on blogging despite the odds.
.-= Lori Hoeck´s last blog ..The key to using keys in self defense =-.
I read this article too and reading about all of the abandoned blogs actually does make me feel a lot better. I feel like it’s daunting to think about all of the blogs out there (even though I’m not really competing for anything) and to know that most people have abandoned their blogs makes me realize how important mine is to me. At this point I cannot imagine abandoning it!
.-= Positively Present´s last blog ..10 lessons from the classroom of life =-.
I love hearing this! I’m still moving into a more “clockwork” schedule of posting and not quite there on a consistent basis.
But according to these stats, even my blog would be in the top 5 percent. Woohoo!
Thanks for being an ongoing source of motivation, inspiration and general support, Barbara. 🙂
.-= Mary Anne Fisher´s last blog ..How Doing, Being and Having More Could Be Screwing Up Your Life =-.
It feels good Barbara,
Maybe I am even higher up than that since I post on average 4 times a week.
I plan to continue to post frequently but I might need to trim it down to three days a week. I have a lot of other things that I need to be doing.
I used to think that a blogger needed a consistent schedule and needed to post every weekday in order to be successful. I don’t feel that way anymore. People can subscribe to your feed and get updates quickly and easily. In fact, some of my favourite bloggers have cut back on their posting frequency and it hasn’t effected me as a reader at all. That is definitely good to know.
So, yeah it kind of does take the pressure off now and lets me know I can blog less and focus on developing my podcasts, interviews, and other assignments I really want to work on.
.-= Chase March´s last blog ..The New Cities Interview Part 2 =-.
Hey that’s great news and it excites me. This means I’m way ABOVE AVERAGE. 🙂 How cool is that??
Now you got me wondering what numbers really matter.
What’d that Twain guy say about stats? 🙂
I wonder if being in the top 5% in your niche even helps. I remember reading in The 21 Immutable Laws of Branding that there’s no place for #2 on the Web. The example they gave was, Amazon is #1 in books on the Web. Barnes doesn’t matter. The ah-ha was you have to narrow your focus and divide the niche. For example, Barnes would need to be best in class for something like “business books” experiences.
.-= J.D. Meier´s last blog ..Is Will a Skill? =-.
I was aware that I was in the top 5% based on Technorati and Alexa. That’s cool. I’m still more impressed when a blog delivers on it’s purpose for the blogger. It’s good to persist and be rewarded for it.
.-= Tom Volkar / Delightful Work´s last blog ..Five Disturbing Ways To Make More Money =-.
Totally flip, but on some site (Alexa maybe?) it said something about my site being in the top 2% in terms of traffic. I told my husband and he said “Congratulations! You beat 10 million geocities and angelfire sites!”
I just about peed in my pants. He’s hilarious.
But seriously, I am proud of myself for sticking with it, that’s over half the battle, I think.
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..The Museum Of Snack Foods =-.
Personally, I’m happy with a page one placement on Google. My search terms are very competitive, so this alone would key me in on whether I’m doing well.
.-= Petra Norris´s last blog ..Frank Lloyd Wright’s Legacy is Lakeland’s Treasure =-.
I feel that the blogosphere is as competitive as ever. That’s part of why I enjoy it, though. I love the challenge.
Being in the top 5 percent is cool, but it doesn’t really translate to having lots of subscribers or making lots of dough.
To get into that echelon takes something really special. Something all of us are making a good go at.
.-= Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog ..The Meaning of Life =-.
Wow, that feels great. Who knew?!?!?
However, when I look at my Google reader, I know I’m following all kinds of people who also fall in the top 5%, so then reality sets in, and I go out and walk and shoot some more pictures………………..:)
.-= LisaNewton´s last blog ..Los Angeles Historic Walks =-.
Very interesting. I have a reader who used to have a blog but since then had abandoned it because of a flame war she had with another blogger. I have since influenced her to return to blogging. But then again, I have another actual friend who I had convinced to take up blogging. He had signed up with blogger, wrote a solitary post and never bothered with it again. He’s been addicted to online gaming.
So I think that’s figure is true. It’s a bit surprising that only 5% had stayed the course. I thought the figure was much higher than that. Well, they had the figures anyway.
Personally, I feel no real sense of accomplishment. I have just logged my 6th month of blogging last June 4. Have yet to hit a more sane blogging rhythm. And I would love to perfect a system to make my blogging routine less bloody – not a product of guesswork . “)
I do feel an enormous sense of accomplishment every time I post. I’m not competing with other blogs/bloggers but trying to improve my posts one at a time. I am finding blogging more and more interesting even though I don’t understand the whole stats thingy yet. Blogging is a commitment whether a personal blog or a business blog.
.-= Paisley (Paisley Thoughts)´s last blog ..Catch Your Daydreams =-.
We should make a banner – “Proud to be in the Top 1% of All Blogs” LOL
Seriously, when lots of people don’t even know what a blog is? Hard to believe, but outside our little blog bubble, that’s very true.
.-= Betsy Wuebker´s last blog ..HITTING THE GREAT RIVER ROAD TO GALENA =-.
I feel that there is so much competition still out there. Being part of the top 1 percent is a good feeling! Folks who hang in there definitely have the tenacity to keep a business rolling no matter what. Congrats to all of us who are still standing! 🙂
.-= Linda´s last blog ..The Winds of Travel =-.
Barbara,
It makes me feel GREAT! It makes me feel hopeful.
In the short time I’ve been blogging – less than a year – I can recall about a half dozen blogs in my own community that just went away. All of a sudden no posts, no updates about what was going on. And these looked like rising stars. The owners were active and engaging. While I was sorry to see them go, each time it sent a message to me, reinforcing the idea that if I keep sticking to it, I’ll be just fine.
Cheers
George
.-= Tumblemoose´s last blog ..Children’s Book Publishers – How to Wow Them With a Perfect Query Letter =-.
My “Abundance Blog” is in the top 5% of blogs! Barbara, you just made my day. 🙂
.-= Marelisa´s last blog ..Write, Publish and Market Your Ebook: Step-by-Step Tutorial =-.
Feeling very proud to hear it put that way!
I just Googled and see that there are perhaps 170,000 new blogs a day, That was 4 years ago. That means there will probably always be stiff competition, so it’s more important than ever to do all the things you advise us to, to make our blogs be all that they can be.
Just signed up with Technorati — exciting, thanks for the tip.
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..“Blame Tara Who?” Meme =-.
I think it shows the standards are not that high. Just with a little consistency you can get to the top 5%. But really of those 95% only a few were ever much good. People just need to concentrate on doing what they enjoy and they will create better blogs that last.
.-= John Hunter´s last blog ..Y-Combinator’s Fresh Approach to Entrepreneurship =-.
Hi Barbara. This is great news. I’ve been feeling slightly annoyed that I’ve been crazy busy with work (that IS good turthfully from an income standpoint), and have had no time (especially in the last week) for blogging. After close to an 80-hour week I feel so out of touch with everyone online. But… I have managed to luck out by having a few drafts prepared. Thank you for this… I am in the top 5% as I’ve continued to update once or twice a week for almost a year. It is my one-year anniversay in one week and what a sense of accomplishment given these stats!
.-= Davina´s last blog ..Captivated By a Metaphor =-.
Blog building is a labor of love. It really has to be. I know folks who are “niche site” builders, and they always seem to be chasing trends. If the money comes in, they stay motivated. Otherwise, they’re off to the next hit.. or miss. What a painful way to stay at it.
.-= Kevin Sandridge´s last blog ..The Right Way to Receive Lakeland Mortgage Gift Funds =-.
Hi John,
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.
Thanks, Barbara. It’s great what a paradigm shift can do. I’m flagging a bit today and was just about to log off, but this has inspired me to go the extra mile.
.-= janice´s last blog ..Birds, Bees and Blogging =-.
Hi Barbara,
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 =-.
Barbara,
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 =-.