It’s a mystery to many bloggers as to how to make their blog stand out with so many blogs being created every day. There are many types of blogs and there are many purposes for blogs.But there are few tactics that are applicable to almost all of them.Some companies choose to hire a consultant but others like to try things out themselves.It’s important for Bloggers to have a general roadmap for their Blog to be successful.
Always decide on a stand alone domain name like www.sauravpro.com/blog directory of existing site www.sauravpro.com Avoid hosted services that do not allow you to use your own domain name!
Don’t blog for the sake of blogging. Have a purpose.If you launch a blog, blog 3-5 times per week .Keep the blog short and to the point with average of 300 words per post.Try making each post unique and of high value.If you have an opinion,or you are serious,funny, politically incorrect or correct,or have morality,then chances of succeeding are high. Make sure you interact with the blogosphere including linking, commenting and guest blogging.Also use social networking services, forums and discussion threads to connect with other bloggers. If they like your stuff, they will link to you.Remember to request feedback or reviews of your blog from them.It is great if you can connect with other influential bloggers. Start by linking or commenting on their blog.
When making blog posts always cite the source with a link and don’t be afraid to mention popular bloggers by name. Use keywords in the blog post title and use anchor text when you link to previous posts you’ve made.Use your blog to gain press or media credentials at relevant industry conferences and use the event to create content, connections and to increase your knowledge.Always respond to comments on your blog and when you detect a mention of your blog on another blog, thank that blogger in the comments of the post.Research and comment on relevant industry related blogs and blogs with significant centers of influence.Know your product, know your audience and be consistent to avoid frustrating your audience.
Leverage your network, before and after the post goes live, to help promote your content. Make sure people know about you and your blog..
Always ask yourself the below sets of questions when marketing a blog.
Does my blog generate sales
How do people know about my site
Which portion of my campaign or promotion works
At what point are we losing potential buyers.
Always remember and take into consideration the below points.
Customize blog look and feel templates -ie design.
Obtain and install customizable blog software.
Research keywords and develop a glossary – Keyword Discovery, WordTracker, SitePoint, SEOBook Keyword Research.
Setup a Google account for Sitemap, validate and prep for future submission.
By putting your blog on a sub-domain or sub-folder on your domain, you are able to consolidate Link equity.
Identify authoritative blogs, web sites and hubs for outbound resource links and blogroll.
Enable statistics for tracking – Google Analytics, ClickTracks.
Submit RSS feed and Blog URL to prominent RSS and Blog directories / search engines.
Engage in an ongoing link building campaign.
If podcast or video content are available, submit to Podcast and Vlog directories.
Submit blog url to paid directories with categories for blogs ..
Monitor inbound links, traffic, comments and mentions of your blog – Google Alerts, Technorati, Blogpulse, Yahoo News, Ask Blogs and Feeds.
Full feeds allow you to benefit from web scrapers and build links for you. Make sure you put keyword optimized hyperlinks within your post, specifically to pages that are more difficult to build Links to.
Steps to get you started on how to organically build Links:-
1. Notify your friends
Give them a reason to link to you and read your blog.
2. Link out
Blog software will often fire off an email when someone Links to your blog. Link to influential blog and try getting on their radar. Don’t Link for Links sake, but do it with purpose and to provide value.
3. Make a big list
Check out the TopRankBlogs. It currently has approx. 60,000 Inbound Links.
4. Get on ‘other lists’
Make comments on other blogs in a way that adds value and gets you noticed. Once you get on one list, publicize that publicity and you’re likely to get on multiple lists.
5. Make a tool that will standout
For example, an RSS Tool created by TopRank Marketing SEO Guru, Thomas McMahon, has over 260,000 Inbound Links.
6. Run a campaign or contest
Give recognition to a useful tool while letting the community interact and engage. Or run a poll and create a badge for the winner, which gets placed on their site and Links back to your blog.
Create a badge page and make it easy for someone to upload the badge to their site, with a Link back to you.
7. Get Syndicated
Getting syndicated, in an intentional way, to create Inbound Links back to the blog.
Collectively, the Inbound Links add up.
8. Network OFFLINE
Make it obvious what your blog is. Print your blog URL everywhere you list your phone number or website.
BONUS Tip.
Dynamically embed a Link to the post in your RSS Feed.
Important points to remember:
Give blogs a reason to Link
Remember the golden rule
Don’t obsess, focus on value
Quality is better than quantity
(but quantity has a quality of its own)
Make subscribing to an RSS feed easy with:
One click subscriptions
Email subscription
Auto discovery tag
RSS directories