I’ve spent a
great deal of time in the last week attempting to increase my blog viewership.
I’ve tinkered with everything from SEO (search engine optimization), keywords,
metadata and coding. Life was much simpler just focusing on writing.
Content is King!
Some folks
believe it is all about content. Content is king! Forget about algorithms, SEO
and attempting to understand what makes the search engines the happiest.
What is SEO?
My Blogger
blog site rates my own blogs high in a Google search, but I noticed once I log
out of Google+ the ratings plummet. Google Blogger doesn't seem to play
well with other search engines. I attempted to add metatags information
inside my code to allow other search engines to
find “keywords” and rate posts higher. Some experts believe the attempt is no longer
valid in the SEO game. From my own experience, I believe they’re right.
The
experiment didn’t seem to improve my ratings within Bing or Yahoo.
SEO is kind
of mysterious function. The rules within the cycle of parameters sometimes
change. It’s similar to the Federal Reserve (lots of secret information).
WordPress- A Bloggers Best Friend
I experimented with the free version of WordPress (WordPress.com) in my early blogging days. I found it easy to use and the search engine results are stellar! The only problem with the free version- it doesn’t allow affiliate marketing. So I switched to Google Blogger.
In the near future I will probably switch to the
pay version of WordPress (WordPress.org) using the Thesis or Genesis Framework Themes. For hosting I will likely use Go Daddy or Bluehost.
Note: WordPress.org allows you to add affiliate marketing links and you own the content posted.
Why spend
valuable time worrying about SEO, when the Thesis or Genesis framework can
optimize my work and reach possible viewers? Keep it Simple
This brings
me back to focusing on clarity and writing. That’s what it’s all about. Without
quality content, it doesn’t matter what or where the material is displayed if
nobody is interested or I can’t earn your respect and keep your attention.
List of Blog Rules
·
Choose
a catchy, popular or interesting topic.
·
Write
a catchy headline.
·
Use
sub headings (a plus with search engines and a great way to divide the story
and keep it interesting).
·
Use bullets or numbering to breakup blogs and allow easier readability.
·
Blogs
should be limited between 500-600 words.
·
Blogs
with fewer words are a better idea (Seth Godin is the king of pithy blogs),
keep it short and easy to read.
·
Respond
to comments and treat your followers with respect.
Stats Tracker
I’ve done a fairly decent job of attracting
new viewers (a third or more of all viewers are new) each month and my page views
double each month. Overall, my visitors average over 8 minutes on my blogs per
visit. Not bad at all.
Google
Blogger features its own statistics tracker, but I really like the
functionality of using Google Analytics (and it’s free).Find your Niche and Build a Tribe!
My biggest
concern is reaching out and finding my tribe of followers. Expecting everyone
to read my blogs or like what I have to offer is unrealistic and a recipe for
failure. One of the biggest secrets to online marketing and writing is to find
your niche and build a following.
Give Credit where Credit is Due
So, I thank
all of you for reading, following, and commenting on my writing. Without you-
none of the inspiration would be possible to continue to do something meaningful that matters!
Thank you-
from the bottom of my heart!
Until
We Meet Again,
Jim Carver
Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School
“Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and
links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and
third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I
strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy
of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my
work. Thank you.
