>> This
post on a popular discussion forum set me thinking - and
I came up with 12 reasons you should blog.
Read them and get started on your blog. Or better still,
go get your blog up and running and THEN come back and
read this :)
#1 - You Do Not Need To Know HTML
One of the biggest hurdles many hopeful website creators
face is they don't know to design a webpage. Blogs
overcome this - all you do is type into a box, and the
blog software automatically converts it into a webpage
and publishes it on the World Wide Web for anyone to see.
#2 - You Are 'Forced' To Keep Your Content Fresh
Blogs are essentially online diaries. It doesn't make
sense to write in your diary every month or two.
Similarly, running a blog itself 'forces' you to update
it often. And refreshing your blog often makes it more
useful to readers and consumers - and by extension, to
search engines who are in the business of presenting
*their* clients with valuable resources.
#3 - Your Blog Is AUTOMATICALLY Optimized For Search
Engines
Search engines love fresh content. But that's not the
only way blogs are powerful tools to rank high. Indeed,
most blogs are structured to offer a high degree of
search engine optimization.
All sections of your blog are linked together. The terms
used as link 'anchors' are keyword-optimized. Categories
can be created to host themed content. Navigating
through your blog is intuitive. Archives can be
customized, and generate hundreds of pages of content
that act as 'search engine spider bait'.
#4 - You Get A Built-In Linking Structure
With very few exceptions, most blogs are structured to
be a tightly integrated network of links - to other
sections of your blog! It's quite easy for a visitor to
get 'lost' within your blog... without ever leaving it.
Calendars link to posts on specific dates. 'Recent Post'
listings point to your freshest content. Archives
connect all your earlier posts. Search boxes let
browsers look for certain kinds of content. And it all
happens automatically, without you spending hours on
creating a link structure or sitemap!
#5 - You Generate Multiple Content-Rich Pages
Every post you make on your blog is content. And by
intelligently setting up your archiving preferences, you
can turn each post into many different forms of content,
each on a page of its own. Blog regularly for a few
months, and you could end up having a 100+ page website
- all filled with relevant, keyword-optimized, themed
content!
#6 - You Can Keyword-Optimize Your Blog Extensively
All parts of your blog's template can be customized. And
a very powerful way to do it is by inserting relevant
keywords. It's a do-it-once job that will give you
ongoing benefits for as the life of your blog. You can
include keywords in your blog title, description, blog
post headings, trackback links, comment invitations,
archive titles, and category names.
#7 - You Create An Online Community
If your blog is on a specific theme, you can build a
loyal readership and develop an online community. You
can even take it a notch higher by tying it in with a
forum or membership site. Ask for comments, suggestions,
ideas and feedback, or invite reader participation.
Pretty soon, your blog will be growing organically -
even if you don't write a lot!
#8 - You Initiate Conversations With Readers
Of course, the first step is yours - to initiate a
dialog with readers. You could do it with your blog post,
asking a question or by inviting comments and
interaction. Your blog will be read by an audience
that's already interested in your subject or theme. This
conversation will be priceless to you, the blog owner.
#9 - Your 'Inbound Link' Process - Trackbacks
Blogging is about distributed conversations online.
Links are an integral part of such an informal network.
Trackbacks are a kind of blog technology that make it
possible - and simple! Your blog will benefit from the
inbound links a trackback will bring, and you'll also
get extra traffic from other sources.
#10 - You Can Syndicate Your Content Easily
Getting readers for your content is good. Getting your
content out where many more readers can see it is GREAT!
Syndication (via RSS feeds) is built in to most blogging
platforms, giving you a quick and easy way to get a wide
readership for your blog posts.
#11 - You're Creating Stuff Search Engines LOVE
Search engines exist to offer their audience a
compilation of the best resources on a subject or
keyword. Your blog is the answer to a search engine's
prayers! By sticking to a theme and presenting the
content in an organized, structured, intuitively
connected pattern, your blog will be appealing to search
engines in a way only a very professionally planned and
designed website can ever hope to be.
#12 - You Get 'Alternate' Traffic Sources
Remember what we saw about blogs being linked and
networked together? Bloggers like to share opinions with
others. And when they 'talk' about you, they are going
to point to your site, or a post on your blog, to show
their readers what they mean. They become 'alternate'
traffic sources - for YOU!
Other tools like blog rolls, furls, favorite bloggers
and more can drive sporadic - but sometimes big floods -
of traffic your way. And best of all, it's effortless
and costs you nothing!
Not yet convinced? Well, then maybe blogging isn't quite
your cup of tea. But if you trust me, try it - you just
might be pleasantly surprised.
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