SEO TIPS: Getting the World to Blog With You

Ever notice that blogs use a much informal language than more serious websites do? And you can get away with almost anything on a blog, that wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate elsewhere. Flights of whimsy, sarcasm, satire…

This can be a plus, if you need an outlet for your creative side and your website isn’t the place. A lot of people don’t realize that over ten percent of online adventurers have read other people’s blogs, and at least three quarters of that number have participated by commenting in a blog, if not their own.

Never mind the fact that among the gazillions of bloggers out there are a multitude of blogs read by less than five people. A blog associated with your website can be just as popular as your main site if you play your cards right, and might even take on a life of its own.

Need a handy place to promote your widget? Put it on your blog. A place for links storage, for those family and friend links that sap the strength from your website, but you feel obligated to post? Put them on your blog!

Don’t be afraid to use your blog as an advertising tool. Most forums and blogs don’t object to you putting your blog name in your signature, where a web address would be frowned upon. You can get people to visit a blog much more readily than a sales site, and promote your site as a side to your blog!

Even reviews could help you – if you check out products in your field, and review them on your blog, it could provide a hook to people looking for similar products and maybe they will give your site a visit via your blog!

Don’t forget to plug yourself shamelessly. You found a new product (which I sell at my blog!) you revamped your home page (go check it out!) and you are having a big sale this week (so why doesn’t everyone just stop by?).

If you can get strong traffic coming into your website via your blog, you will have achieved your goal! You can monetize your blog, as well, but ba careful not to make it look too commercial. A few discreet ads are OK, but save the big guns for your main site.

If you feel uncomfortable touting yourself, have someone review you. When you pay for reviews of your site, that’s considered black hat…but no-one ever said anything about paying for a review of your blog, and if you have established a good traffic pattern from blog to site, you might find out that it pays to buy a little publicity for the one to ultimately benefit the other.

Just keep in mind that most of your actions on your blog will reflect on your site to some extent, and don’t shoot yourself in the foot. You are only as good as your reputation – and that of your closest affiliates. Your blog can be your best friend – or your worst enemy.