By Ron Jones , June 29, 2009
While no one knows every element that each search engine includes in their algorithms, one thing that everyone can agree on is that a site needs to have quality content in order to rank. For many sites, one of the easiest ways to add that quality content on a consistent basis is by starting a blog.
Blogging has grown in popularity for the past several years. According to New Media Lab in Austin, blogging grew by 68 percent in 2008; 356 million people worldwide read blogs; and 77 percent of active Web users read blogs.
In 2008, 184 million people started a blog. If you've been wondering about blogs or planning to start one, then this two-part article is just what you need to learn the basics.
Who's Blogging?
To get an idea who is blogging in the U.S., New Media Lab also provided these numbers:
What is a Blog?
A Weblog, or blog, is essentially a personal (or professional) journal on the Web. Individuals or organizations cover many different topics and express lots of different opinions. Some blogs are very influential and have many readers, while some are merely intended for family and friends.
The main purpose of a blog is to provide commentary or news on a particular subject. Blogs are also a tool to inform, educate, and connect people with you to help them to make a decision about your product, service, or business. And because there's little to no cost to setting up and maintaining a blog (except for your time), many individuals and organizations now have a platform to share their thoughts and opinions.
The Importance of Blogs
Blogs allow millions of people to easily publish their ideas and many more to respond with comments. Blogs should be thought of as a form of two-way communication between a publisher and interested readers.
Get enough people participating in a blog and you're essentially having an online conversation or discussion. Blogs enable us to become active participants in the conversation instead of just passive readers.
How to Set Up a Blog
First, you need to think up a name for your blog. With so many blogs out there, thinking up something unique and relevant to your blogging content will serve you well.
Once you have a name, you should lock in a domain name for your blog. If you already have a domain name, you can choose a domain name like "www.example.com/blog" or maybe "blog.example.com." If you're starting from scratch, you can go to a domain registrar like Network Solutions, GoDaddy, or MyDomain for help. If you can get your main keyword into the URL it will really help with your SEO efforts as well as help readers identify what your blog is about.
Picking a Blogging Platform
The next step is to pick your content management system that provides you the tools to manage your blog. The best part: most of the tools are free.
The top two platforms are Blogger and WordPress. Blogger is free, but can be fairly limiting.
WordPress offers two versions: a hosted solution with limited features, and one that requires you to have a server to host your blog. Make sure to compare the features.
After picking your platform, it's time to design your page. Several tools can help you customize your blog design, including WordPress Themes, Template Monster, and Unique Blog Designs.
Some HTML or CSS knowledge is needed to get the design the way you want it. Or you can pick one of the built-in designs provided by your blogging tool.
Make sure the option for readers to leave comments is on. This will help your blog to feel more like a conversation is happening. A combination of positive and negative comments is good because it makes your blog appear to be real and down to earth.
What is RSS and How Does it Work?
RSS stands for real simple syndication. Basically, it's the most common way of promoting your blog online.
Most blogging tools automatically produce an RSS feed for you. This "feed" can be subscribed to just like a news feed or podcast and gives blog subscribers a way to stay up to date on your latest blogs. Your blog feed can also be submitted to sites like Feedburner to allow people to find your blog in much the same way they might find your Web site via search engines. For more on RSS, try this RSS feed tutorial.
Adding Social Media and Links
Add links to all of your social media profile pages, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You should also add links to any other personal or corporate pages you have.
Additionally, link to your blog from all of your social media profile pages. Many social bookmarking plug-ins can help promote your blog, including:
In part two, we'll talk about blogging and tips and best practices for filling your blog with quality content that will help you get good followers. Stay tuned.
Submissions are now open for the 2009 Search Engine Watch Awards. Enter your company or campaign before July 17, 2009. Winners will be announced at SES San Jose.