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The Professional’s Guide to Blogging
©2008 SEOmoz This article serves as a guide to defining and understanding what blogging isand how a new blogger can create, write, and promote a blog of his or herown. It covers how to choose an appropriate blogging platform, how tooptimize a blog for search engine rankings, provides tips on how tobrainstorm appealing blog content, and identifies how to promote andmeasure the success of your blogging efforts. Additionally, at the bottom of this guide are two comprehensive appendices that provide links out tovaluable blogging resources, software, tools, and plugins.
Table of Contents
Section I: Why Blog? Research and Statistics on Blogs
1.The Growth of Blogging as an Online Platform2.Blogging as an Online Influencer3.How and Why People Consume Blogs
Section II: Choosing a Blogging Platform
1.
Blog Platform Features and Functionality2.Notes on Specific Blog Software3.Hosted Blogging vs. Registering a Domain
Section III: SEO for Blogs
1.The Principles of SEO for Blogs2.Search-Friendly Platforms3.Plugins and Options for Bloggers4.Keyword Research, Selection, and Usage
Section IV: Writing for Blog Audiences
1.Crafting a Blog's "Voice"2.Techniques and Tactics
Section V: Content Strategies for Bloggers
1.Discover Interesting and Worthwhile Topics2.Beyond Text: Images, Multimedia, and Widgets3.Involve the Audience
 
4.Syndication Options and Strategies
Section VI: Creating & Launching Viral Content
1.Pros and Cons of Viral Content2.Predicting Viral Worthiness3.Strategies for Helping Content Become Viral4.Launch and Promotion Tactics
Section VII: Measuring Success: Blog Statistic Software Applications
1.Free Analytics Options2.Paid Analytics Options
Section VIII: Promoting Your Blog
1.Blog & Feed Directories2.Blogrolls3.Memes, Contests, & Community Projects4.Comments, Trackbacks, Guest Posts, and Other Participatory Strategies
Section IX: Monetizing Blogs
1.Choosing When to Monetize2.Display Advertising3.Pay Per Click4.Text Links5.Affiliate Programs6.Sponsored Posts / Advertorials7.Other Monetization Techniques
Section X: Closing Thoughts
1.Appendix A: Valuable Resources2.Appendix B: Recommended Software, Tools, and Plugins
Section I: Why Blog? Research and Statistics onBlogs
The Growth of Blogging as an Online Platform
First of all, what is a blog?
 
 
A blog, which is short for “weblog,” is a website that is usually maintained byindividuals or groups, and more recently, businesses, which offercommentary and ideas for a larger audience. A typical blog features anentry, often sprinkled with graphics and video, followed by comments byreaders. The entire layout of the blog is displayed in reverse chronologicalorder with the newest entries posted first.Blogs are different from static websites because they also incorporate socialelements. Most, if not all, blogging software includes RSS (real simplesyndication), which is a format that allows content to be shared among manypublications. Blogs often invite users to comment, and an ensuing dialog canoccur which can generate hundreds to thousands of responses.
Why should you start blogging?
 
Let’s take a look at the statistics.In April of 2008, the Technorati blog search engine was
tracking
112.8 millionindividual blogs. In the previous year, Technorati chairman Dave Sifryreleased his
State of the Blogosphere
, where he acknowledged that there were70 million weblogs with 120,000 new blogs arising daily. Every second, 1.4new blogs are being created from scratch, with 1.5 million posts per day or17 posts per second. In one year, from 2007 to 2008, the size of theblogosphere increased 62%.While the number of blogs is growing, however, the number of regularlyupdated blogs is approximately
13 million
.In 2005 (and later updated in 2008),
Business Week
wrote a fascinating pieceon how blogs – coupled together with social media – allow individuals toactively participate in online communities. Business Week calls the blog“simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since theInternet itself.”In 2004, a Pew
Internet & American Life Project report
was released that statedthat at least 32 million Americans consume their news through blogs. That’smore than 25% of Internet users.Another
report
from 2004 found that nearly half of internet users havecontributed their thoughts and files to the online world. Whether by bloggingor by social media, content creation is preferred by more than 53 millionAmericans. The report finds that the average age of content creators is 25. These are your influencers, and these are also your customers.
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