Choosing a blog topic is the most important factor in having a successful, well-read blog post that attracts comments and attention. Here is how to choose a topic for your blog post.

The most basic way to choose a blog topic is to look for an attention-grabbing story in the news. This can then be used as part of the blog post and title. The title is the first thing that people read, and it’s the most important factor. As long as you grab their attention you will convince them to continue reading. Choosing a topic that is controversial will also help you to create a good blog post, as people love to read about controversy.

Create an angle on a popular blog topic. In order to do this, look for those topics in your marketplace that always get lots of comments and attract the attention of many blog owners in your market. You should then use the same broad theme but create an angle, in order to make it original. This is a very simple way to choose a blog topic and will ensure you have a market for your blog post.

Another solid approach to choosing a blog topic is to make it personal. People love to read about the lives of others, and are always interested if you reveal something about yourself. However, ensure that the blog topic is also related to the market and gives them information that can be put to use. You could offer a story of how you used a certain technique in order to improve your skills in something. Make it personal, reveal an unknown truth and then provide a solution.

If your market is one that enjoys humor then you can reveal a joke as part of the blog post. This will not work in all markets, but it is an effective method to choose a blog topic. The idea is to link something that your readers are interested in to a joke that they will enjoy. This has been done with great success and can be used to connect to your subscribers and readers.

One of the most popular blog topics is to make a list of seven secrets or tips. This is done every day and still works to generate attention and attract a lot of readers. When you create a blog post around seven tips, you will almost be guaranteed to have readers, comments and increased traffic.

Using the methods above to choose the topic for your blog post will make the process much easier and will ensure more readers to click and read your content.

About the Author

Pat Lindle is an avid writer and blogger for his metal deck / steel deck company in Phoenix AZ. When not writing and blogging about his passions, Pat enjoys scuba diving, mountain climbing, and vacationing with his family.

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The recent update made by Google (Panda) is the first major change since 2009. There were many blogs that were affected by this update. Some experienced a drop in their traffic, while some experienced a surge. Whatever change your blog experienced, I’m sure you have noticed a lot of buzz around these algorithm changes. What is Panda all about? Let’s take a look:

No gibberish

According to Google, the Panda update was made to enhance the quality of search results. This made spammy sites disappear from the results. Though there still are some gibberish sites on search results, there are many websites that were pushed down in the search rankings. The Panda update is not perfect, but it did make considerable changes.

The update targeted low quality sites with superficial and shallow content, and brought down their rankings. The websites that were hit the hardest by Panda were content farms and article sites.

Content farms

Talking about a content farm, many people generally ask what exactly a content farm is. This is actually a very hazy area. Following the definition on Wikipedia, a content farm is a website that uses a lot of freelance writers to write content in order to rank high on search engine results. These websites earn money by getting many page views and thus selling ads on those pages.

This definition brings all the article directories under the definition of content farms. There are many content farms that are still standing strong, though some were penalized.

If you allow guests to post articles on your blog, chances are that some people add low quality content just for some backlinks. If this happens, your blog might have been affected by the recent updates. Opening your blog for guest posts is a good way to encourage reader activity, but some level of moderation is required so that it does not become a content farm.

Keep it Panda friendly

There are some basic steps that you can follow to optimize your website for Google Panda. Lee Odden, TopRank Online Marketing CEO, prescribes four steps that can work with the post Google Panda update.

1. Evaluate your blog for these characteristics: low informative value, short form, too many ads or duplicate content. If some part is being duplicated, just remove it. If the content is not too useful, add bits of information. Remove extra panels of ads. Make sure the person doing this has enough web development expertise and SEO knowledge.

2. For subsequent blog posts, focus on high quality useful content that is not duplicated from anywhere else.

3. Promote your content in such a way that it attracts links from other blogs. You can do it by providing content in a way that makes people comment on it. When people get interested in your website, they will talk about it, or post links to it on other sites. This will increase your page rank. But remember- keep it original.

4. Offer users a chance to share your blog on social media like Twitter and Facebook. Social engagement will popularize your blog faster than other mediums. This will be useful for both your blog and your readers.

Though there are some legitimate sites that got caught up in the Panda update, it has proven to be a windfall for real content marketers – the blogs that provide great content to their readers. Continue to feed the Internet with the best content with less stress on the sales pitch, and you will stay good in the eyes of Google.

If you are looking for something that would let the Panda update work in your favor then use all the organic SEO strategies that you know, and stop building low quality links. Maybe some content farms have been spared by Google, but judging by the direction Google is taking, their next update might not be so kind.

About the Author

June Buckley is an SEO specialist and avid blogger. She likes writing about social media, business blog hosting, internet marketing and mobile technology.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

While podcasting is much bigger than it was a few years ago, it’s still not as big as a could be. Many bloggers have yet to get into the art of podcasting. Some are shy and aren’t ready to take that next step, while others want to, but just don’t know how to take that step.

Whatever your reason may be for not adding a podcast to your blog, you may want to consider the benefits. Podcasting is not just a marketing tool, it’s also a way to set yourself apart from the competition and really get in touch with your subscribers. So before counting it out, take a look over these reasons why you should add a podcast to your blog.

Educate Yourself

Having a weekly podcast can be a great learning experience for you because you’ll get to learn about new topics from the people that you talk to and interview. What better way to expand your knowledge than by talking to experts in that area? Your new-found knowledge is also a great way of increasing your authority and establishing yourself as a great source and leader in your industry. You’ll be able to expound in greater detail on the topics that you cover on your blog and build more trust with your readers.

Expand Your Reach

Through your podcast you’ll be able to network, connect and get noticed by new people. You’ll really get to do a lot of expanding because the people that you invite on your podcast will of course share the podcast with their network. It only gets better from there because some of those people will then share the podcast with their networks and so on.

Also, with the ability to publish podcasts for free on iTunes and other places, you’re bound to reach an entirely new audience. It’s a great way to build your brand and increase your exposure. People that may have never even heard of your will come across your podcast just by searching or browsing within your category.

Convenience

Your readers will now become listeners and they’ll really appreciate the convenience of being able to listen to your content on the go (via a mobile device) or while multitasking right at home or in the office. Listening actually takes less cognitive effort than reading, plus the Web has really made people more lazy. So, it’s only natural that your readers will enjoy listening to your podcasts because it will save them time and energy.

Build Relationships

Your podcast will give you the ability to improve your relationship with your current readers and build new relationships as well. It’s much easier to build a personal connection to a human voice than from writing; text can be so impersonal. Hearing your voice will let your listeners into your life and get to know the real you. You can also interact with them more and even respond to questions, remarks or feedback that they send.

If you’re now ready to take that next step, there are numerous resources on the Web to help you get started. Some methods are easier than other; so just be sure to find the method that best suits your needs and you’ll be a podcasting pro in no time!

About the Author

This post was written by Lior who advises to a live chat support software company called iAdvize. Lior Also works for an MA in Israel studies program.

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Let’s play! Today’s post is a fun, creative exercise that I’d be happy to complete with your help through the comments section. What is the exercise about? Blogging tips, of course.

This post is part of the change I wish to bring to Blogsessive and get closer to you folks, your needs and thoughts!

What I will do: Using the ODD letters (A, C, E, G, I, K, M, O, Q, S, U, W, Y) of the English alphabet I will list 13 blogging tips, each in a sentence starting with that letter.

What you could do: Share your tips and views by completing the sentences starting with EVEN letters (B, D, F, H, J, L, N, P, R, T, V, X, Z).

I’m sure that each and everyone of you has something to share with the community, so let’s get creative!

The Blogging Alphabet of Blog Tips

A. Acknowledge the latest trends in your area of blogging. Always stay up to date, informed.

B. …

C. Connect with other people, with bloggers in your niche. Offer help. Network. Friends are some of bloggers’ greatest “assets”.

D. …

E. Experiment with different approaches in your written speech. Depending on topic, you might find that different “voices” impact people in different ways. Push your communication skills.

F. …

G. Guide your audience through your content, through your posts, or posts’ paragraphs. Make your content accessible and readable.

H. …

I. Innovate. Don’t go on the same routes as everyone before you. Find your strengths and build a unique brand upon them.

J. …

K. Know when it’s time to let go. If an experiment or an idea doesn’t prove effective, leave your feelings aside and let it go before you’ve invested too much time and resources.

L. …

M. Mix your posts. Every once in a while add a small drop of fun. Informal and educational posts are great for your audience, but too many such posts in a row can become boring. Remember when you were in school. Your favorite teacher must have been the one that knew how to make learning fun!

N. …

O. Organize yourself. From writing habits to files, contacts and even structure of your blog’s categories. Create a pattern that will save you and your readers time!

P. …

Q. Quiz your target audience from time to time. Run polls and ask for views and opinions. Or make it even better. Run a real quiz and have some cool prizes ready. It helps getting more engagement from your community, as well as loyalty.

R. …

S. Seize opportunities as soon as they come up, especially if you’re an internet marketer. We’re living in an extremely fast world and what today is opportunity, tomorrow might be old news.

T. …

U. Unburden yourself. Learn how to delegate or outsource certain tasks while you focus on those you’re more skilled at or more time/cost effective.

V. …

W. Write. Write every day. Even if it’s not going to get published on the blog. Write as an exercise. Train your creativity and your writing habit until it all comes much more natural.

X. …

Y. Yield the best results by investing in your blog. Blogging consumes resources: time, money, energy, creativity. Be prepared to use them in order to succeed.

Z. …

Contribute to the alphabet

Leave your tips and contributions in the comment area and please use your NAME, not keywords. The best contributions will be selected for at PDF mini-ebook that I’ll make available for free download on the blog, and all contributions will be attributed to their authors with name and website link.

Sounds cool? Then jump in and let’s have fun!

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A new edition of ‘Domain names for bloggers’ is here. This edition will also be the last on Blogsessive since I’ve been working on something new the past few weeks that will replace this successful series. On average, about 50-60% of all the suggested domain names have been registered, which makes me think that this lists deserve a “space” of their own. Stay tuned and I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this new project.

Today’s list features available domain names related to WordPress, web, design and development. So, pick your favorite, go register and start blogging with a great name!

Web & Design Domain Names

• TutorialLounge.com
• BeautifulTypography.com
• DesignCaseStudies.com
• CSSeffect.com
• ByCSS.com
• CSSsnippet.com
• WritingCSS.com
• BetterHTML.com & BetterXHTML.com
• CodeImprove.com
• WPDesignBlog.com
• WPGoddess.com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

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Time for a new list of hand-picked available domain names that you can use to start a new blog or website. Without further ado, here are today’s shining stars:

Available Domain Names

• AnnoyingNews.com
• AnnoyingRumor(s).com
• SolidGossip(s).com
• HelpfulGift.com
• PresentAdvice.com
• BrainyGadget.com
• GlamorousGadget.com
• GlamorousShop.com
• TripAdvising.com
• OutstandingWriter.com & OutstandingWriters.com
• OutstandingWriting.com

Today’s Specials

• FemaleWriter.com
• MaleWriter(s).com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

The blogosphere is big. No, wait. Actually, is HUGE and keeps on getting bigger every day with thousands of new blogs being launched. In such a competitive environment, the chances of “making it big” with your blog are drastically reduced, unless you play your cards right. Unless you publish a unique blog, it will disappear like dust in the wind.

But what’s behind a unique blog? Does your blog have what it takes to be considered unique? Let’s find out!

Unique is a collaborative term

It’s not just about the topic you choose for your blog. With 133 million blog records indexed by Technorati since 2002, I’m yet to be convinced that there is a topic of real interest that hasn’t been approached. I’m not saying not to look for something new. I’m just saying that there are also other things that make your blog one of a kind. Among them, these are the ones that matter most:

1. Choose a domain name with a twist! Make it short memorable.
2. Get a custom design. If you cannot afford one, at least get a premium theme or a free theme that offers enough customization options.
3. Write you own content. Don’t copy. Don’t rewrite.
4. Find your own voice. Develop your own writing style, with your own twist. Some choose a certain amount of humor while other prefer a more professional, balanced approach.
5. Explore your topics. Go beyond the surface information. Analyze, share views and opinions and guide your readers. Add that extra-feeling of personal experience.
6. Brand yourself. Find your spot and personality in the blogosphere. Be the “thinker”, “helper”, “announcer”, be whatever fits you, just pick a role and stick with it.

All of the above are meant to make you easier to identify in a mass of amazingly similar blogs and bloggers. If you want to survive as a blogger, you need to find a way to take your blog out of the crowd. You need that unique blog!

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Once again, here goes a nice assortment of available domain names ready to be registered by you, a blogger or simply a domainer.

Available Domain Names

• KillerSave.com
• CSSGuidelines.com
• PSReference.com (PS – Photoshop)
• PSManual.com (PS – Photoshop)
• PSPTricks.com (PSP – PlayStation Portable)
• SomeJournal.com
• BeautifulBlogger.com
• HumourBlogger.com
• CambridgeObserver.com
• AllAboutIceland.com
• AllAboutTunisia.com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Yesterday, Fi (Fantasy Interactive) sent out alpha invitations to their new product, Kontain.

This is one product I’ve signed up and (not very) patiently waited for its launch, as it should be pretty revolutionary in terms of user-friendliness. Basically, it’s the first Flash-based blogging platform open to world wide free public access.

Here’s how the folks at Fi describe Kontain:

Kontain is a free destination for users to media blog and share photos, videos and audio with friends, family, colleagues and even beautiful strangers. The core of each user's experience is media-driven and Kontain takes the everyday concept of blogging to a wider audience by making it easy for users of all demographics to "kontain" and share their life online. Simple enough for Mom and Dad, yet flexible and sophisticated for a web veteran, Kontain aims to be the Internet's premier destination for user-generated content.

The Alpha launch features (which would soon be backed up by a lot more features that are currently under development) as listed on the Kontain website are:

• Easy to Kontain your life
• Upload Photos, Videos and Audio
• Explore Kontain’s most popular
• Search the media way
• Personal dashboard
• Ratings and Popularity
• Commenting
• Basic privacy settings

A look into what’s in development shows us high resolution media uploads, galleries and collections, messaging, groups, subscriptions, stats, possibility of having your “kontainer” embedded on other websites, multimedia comments, rich(er) text editing, notes over multimedia and many more features.

Here are a few screenshots to help you familiarize with Kontain:

Get your Alpha account!

By the time I’m writing this post, there are still 8.500 accounts available (out of 10.000 a few hours ago) for this Alpha version of Kontain. If you are interested in this service, just go ahead and sign up for a free Kontain account.

My only worry for the time being is the SEO value of this platform and how will Google approach Kontain blogs, but I’m sure that the experience Fi has in the interactive media field will be put to a good use search-engine wise.

Kontain your life!

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

It’s been a while since the last domain names blog post, but here goes another episode of “Domain Names for Blogger”, with some great finds today!

Assorted Domain Names

• FreshWriter.com
• WritersIdea.com
• EfficientWriting.com
• DesignersFuse.com
• BankingObserver.com
• StageObserver.com
• SciFiPlex.com (Registered & Live blog)
• BlogAClip.com

And since Twitter is so en-vogue, care to compete with Darren Rowse’s newly launched TwiTip.com?

Twitter Related Domain Names

• TwitterTrainer.com
• TwitterShow.com
• InfoTwitter.com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

When gathering resources for a new blog topic, not only the research methods are very important, but also the locations. Some online resources offer more in-depth and trust-worthy information than others, or simply more information.

Where should one start when researching topics? What are the best research resources? Some would say encyclopedias, others would say specialized informational websites. I’d say both.

This is one post you’d like to bookmark for further use, as the list of categories, resources and links will grow each day, and THIS post will get updated each time.

If you’d like to suggest an entry, feel free to contact me.

Please note that the following list is based on my preferences.

Important: Content theft is not research! Respect the authors of these resources and do not copy their work.

List of covered categories of resources

1. Astronomy & Space
2. Automotive Industry
3. Biology
4. Career & Jobs
5. Computers & Gadgets
6. Encyclopedias
7. History

Astronomy & Space Research Resources

1. NASA
   www.nasa.gov
2. Google Space
   Includes Google Sky, Google Moon & Google Mars
   www.google.com/space
3. Hubble Site
   hubblesite.org
4. Space.com
   www.spacecom/
5. Space on About.com
   space.about.com
6. Discovery Space on The Discovery Channel
   dsc.discovery.com/space/
7. Absolute Astronomy
   www.absoluteastronomy.com
8. Encyclopedia Astronautica
   www.astronautix.com
9. Space Today
   www.spacetoday.org

Back to categories list

Automotive Industry Research Resources

1. Car and Driver
   www.caranddriver.com
2. Motor Trend
   www.motortrend.com
3. AutoBlog.com
   www.autoblog.com
4. Bikez.com
   www.bikez.com
5. Motorcycle.com
   www.motorcycle.com

Back to categories list

Biology Research Resources

1. Biology Online
   www.biology-online.org
2. Biology Browser
   www.biologybrowser.org
3. Discover Life
   www.discoverlife.org
4. Biology on About.com
   biology.about.com

Back to categories list

Career & Jobs Research Resources

1. WetFeet.com
   www.wetfeet.com
2. Salary.com
   www.salary.com
3. Vault.com
   www.vault.com
4. Sparkplugging
   www.sparkplugging.com
5. Simply Hired blog
   blog.simplyhired.com
6. FreelanceSwitch
   freelanceswitch.com
7. Freelance Folder
   www.freelancefolder.com
8. Careers on The Wall Street Journal
   online.wsj.com

Back to categories list

Computers & Gadgets Research Resources

1. Tom’s Hardware
   www.tomshardware.com
2. Hardware Central
   www.hardwarecentral.com
3. PC Magazine
   www.pcmag.com
4. Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB)
   www.esrb.org
5. CNET Software Reviews
   reviews.cnet.com/software
6. PC World
   www.pcworld.com
7. Gizmodo
   www.gizmodo.com
8. Engadget
   www.engadget.com

Back to categories list

Encyclopedias

1. Encyclopedia
   www.encyclopedia.com
2. Wikipedia
   www.wikipedia.org
3. Britannica
   www.britannica.com
4. MSN Encarta
   encarta.msn.com
5. Symbols.com
   www.symbols.com

Back to categories list

History Research Resources

1. The History Channel
   www.history.com
2. World History Connected Journal
   worldhistoryconnected.press.uiuc.edu
3. History of Nations
   www.historyofnations.net
4. U.S. History Site
   www.ushistorysite.com
5. History Orb
   www.historyorb.com
6. The History Guide
   www.historyguide.org

Back to categories list

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Another list of available domain names for bloggers makes its way to you. Finance, advice, entertainment, quite an assorted list we have today!

Blog Domain Names

• DealsAssistant.com
• EstimateProfit.com
• InvestementAdvocate.com
• PayoutReview.com
• TvSeriesReview(s).com
• GeneticsMagazine.com
• RideAdvice.com
• SUVAdvice.com
• UberImprovement.com
• InnovateMore.com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Another episode of “Domain Names for Bloggers” and another list of available domains for you to choose and start blogging with the best name!

General & Niche Domain Names

• PhotoblogGuide.com
• SuperTechniques.com
• EstateProspects.com
• GreatRumor.com
• SaveHumor.com
• UrbanFables.com
• BloggingBonus.com
• MultimediaDebate.com
• PoliticalABC.com
• PoliticallyOK.com
• PrivateGadgets.com
• TravellingIdea.com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

The “Domain Names for Bloggers” series comes back to offer some suggestions of available domain names to those looking to start a new blog. Check out this wide variety of niches and domains:

Niche Blogging Domain Names

• EduBlogging.com
• BigBucksBlogging.com (Make Money Niche)
• LondonAwake.com (Nightlife Guide ?)
• MobilesReview.com
• OpportunityBase.com (Start-ups, freelancing, business ?)
• BetterPitch.com
• HumorRush.com
• LostErotica.com
• MetsJournal.com (New York Mets Fan Blog)
• PDFBookClub.com

Brandable Domain Names

• Macabulary.com – (Exclusive Apple/Mac Blog)

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

One of the most important and accessible visitor-to-reader conversion tool you have at your disposal is the blog homepage.

Having a poor homepage structure combined with the lack of relevant information or ways to find it will definitely push visitors away from your blog, while a clean, intuitive homepage will most likely become a decisive factor when it comes to turning visitors into readers.

From design aspects to coding advice, this article is dedicated to the process of improving your blog’s homepage.

Blog Homepage Design and Usability Tips

Your design is a very important factor in the visitors’ decision on continuing to browse your blog and eventually come back to read newer posts later. Don’t get me wrong here, as I said in a past post, content is king still, but for it to really make a difference there are other conditions that should be met. One of them is a good design.

By good design I mean a layout that perfectly fits your blog’s topic and target. Excessive, flashy, eye-candy graphics are not required on a financial blog, for example, but would be an added plus on a design/inspiration blog.

No matter the niche of your blog, there are a few things that will definitely improve your visitors’ experience, helping them find their way around through the huge amount of information that blogs usually contain. While in some cases you may consider skipping one or two of them, most times, checking all of the following would be a great idea:

1. Get a custom logo design;
2. Get a custom blog design;
3. Use a smart, descriptive tagline;
4. Encourage visitors to act;
5. If it’s important, keep it above the fold;
6. List recommended and/or popular posts;
7. Use extended post excerpts;
8. Add interactive elements.

Below you can read more about each of these requirements.

1. Get a custom logo design

Step out of the ordinary. Get an original, memorable logo, one that would speak about you and your blog. Sure, a custom logo requires an investment, but then again, no pain – no gain.

2. Get a custom blog design

Want to impress your visitors? Then, get a custom blog design. Even if it’s a totally original design, or a customization of a premium or a high quality free theme, you’ll definitely create a stronger impression on your visitors. If an original or premium theme requires too much money, you could start with one of the themes suggested in these 2 posts: 20 Free 3 Column WordPress Themes & 20 Free Corporate WordPress Themes.
Also, a mascot, something that people will always associate with your blog can also be considered. A mascot will also add an emotional factor in the visitor-blogger relationship.

3. Consider a smart, descriptive tagline

A tagline will be one of the first things your visitors will read. Make it short, smart and 100% relevant to you blog and visitors will know right from the start that they’ve come to the right place.

4. Encourage users to act

The time spent by a visitor on a page is extremely short. Make smart use of this time, not by driving you visitors crazy looking for options, but by offering them the most important options upfront. Encourage them to navigate through your blog, to search for more information, to subscribe to your feeds.

5. Keep important stuff above the fold

In web design, “above the fold” refers to the first scroll window. Give your users most of the things they need from the first glance on your blog. Consider a top navigation for pages with a “Home” button, since not everyone is used to clicking the logo to return to the homepage. Offer a search facilities and subscription options in the first scroll window.

6. Recommend some of your most important blog posts

Displaying a list of the post popular posts or personal favorites will encourage users to further browse through your blog.

7. Use extended post excerpts

In some cases, bloggers decide to only display blog post excerpts on the homepage. If you’re one of them, consider using the <!–more–> tag to display extended excerpts for at least one or two of the most recent posts to keep your visitors interested and to allow them contact with your writing style from the start. My next post will explain how you can achieve this from the coding perspective.

8. Add interactive elements

Consider using interactive elements like polls or forms (but keep them short and relevant). This kind of elements will encourage interaction between visitors and and blog, thus creating a strong relationship.

Conclusions

Think of your blog’s homepage like it was your own home. Would you keep it the way the constructor created it? Wouldn’t you want to paint the walls in your favorite color(s)? Wouldn’t you want to add furniture, paintings to add that personal touch and to create comfort? It’s just the same with blogs, only that instead of thinking only through your specter of wishes, you should also consider your visitors’ needs and action routines.

Instead of making them look for everything, try and offer most options (not necessarily all) upfront, but be careful not to create chaos instead of a clear, organized and useful structure.

Photo credits to Chris Lim.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

There’s this saying that goes around that “content is king“, which I’m sure that we all agree upon, but what does it mean? Why is it that so many people recommend writing high quality, original content and why some blogs don’t really make it big, despite the quality posts they publish? Let’s take a closer look at this matter and find out what it takes to make a king out of your content.

A king without a kingdom

Just like most websites, a blog is defined by many attributes. Among them, the most notable are the content, the design, the usability and its visibility. Excelling in any one of these categories, but ignoring the others will not be sufficient to make your blog stand out.

Think of your content as a king without a kingdom. Who is it going to rule over? How will people find your content if it doesn’t get enough internet and search engine exposure? How will readers navigate through your older posts if you don’t guide them or give them the required tools to find what they are looking for. How do you expect them to react if your blog looks like thousands of other blogs available out there? Why would they expect yours to be different if you don’t take the time to at least make it look different?

It’s highly important that you work on the whole ensemble of things that can improve your blog’s quality, before thinking of making a king out of your content.

Blog design and usability tips

Before making any decision on your blog’s design, keep in mind that a blog is meant to be read, not admired. Starting from here, consider the following:

Use web-friendly fonts in sizes that make them readable on most screen resolutions. Sans serif fonts (Arial, Verdana, Tahoma) are the most readable fonts used online, unlike pure serif fonts (Times New Roman, Georgia), which are more readable on printed materials. A size of 12 pixels/points or more should make them visible on most resolutions.

Go for a fixed website layout instead of a fluid (screen resolution dependent) one. While some readers might prefer a website that stretches to fit the entire amount of available screen space, the majority might have a problem reading extremely long lines of text. Find a resolution (between 900 and 950 pixels should be OK) and stick with it.

If going for a fixed layout width, then center it on the screen. People with bigger screen resolutions will see a lot of unused space around your blog or on the right of it. By splitting this unused, white space into two equal parts, on the left and on the right of your blog, the sensation of too much unused space will be minimized.

Use dark fonts on white or light backgrounds. Studies have confirmed that black on white is much easier to read than white on black, and is more relaxing also, allowing your visitors to read more without feeling tired.

Right hand sidebars are more user-friendly. No matter if you have one sidebar or one large one split into two smaller ones, keeping the sidebars on the right has its advantages. First of all, think about the fact that every browser (few exceptions) has the scroll bar on the right and people do use it a lot. It would the helpful to provide your visitors with more navigation options in the same area. Further more, code-wise, a sidebar positioned on the right, will most likely generate the code after your content’s code, which is a positive thing when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO).

Ease your visitor’s path with more/enough navigation and search options. That search form is basically built in every blog template, but how about suggesting people some related or popular posts on your blog? Maybe even a personal favorites list, like I did with the “Best Of” section, here, on Blogsessive?

If content is king, promotion is the court’s jester

Obviously, great content without enough promotion will simply remain great UNREAD content, and we wouldn’t want that. So, what should be done?

Network, network, network. You’ve heard this already, but it’s really important. Make friends; join discussions on blogs, on forums, on social media website. The more friends and loyal readers you gather, the bigger the chances of having your content promoted well.

Find the social media networks that work for you. Don’t simply take someone’s advice that DIGG is the God of social media, or who knows what other website they’ll point you to. Try out more and see which one brings the best results.

Learn and apply at least some basic SEO on your blog. No one says you have to be an expert in search engine optimization. Just learn enough to keep a clean and search engine friendly website. Result will soon start to show in an increasing amount of visits from search engines, with queries relevant to your content. If those visitors will be happy with what they’ve found, chances are that you’ll turn them into future readers or even subscribers.

Start some contests, offer some freebies. Free stuff is always nice and appreciated, but remember to always offer good quality freebies. If you’re going to give away junk you might just get an opposite reaction from your visitors.

The coronation of a king

As I’ve said before, a king without a kingdom cannot exists, so take your time to build your blog from the most basic item that you can work on to improve. Only by having a rock solid foundation you can make a true king out of your content, and YES, content is king!

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Interaction has always been one of the strongest points of blogs. Every blogger sharing advice will tell you how important it is to interact with bloggers in your niche, through comments. Some of them will tell you that comments even generate a great deal of traffic, which is true, but not in the way most people understand it.

Traffic generation through comments is a thing to look for in the long run. Don’t expect to receive 1000 visits only by posting a comment on a famous blog; that is not going to happen (with some very rare exceptions). Instead, focus on leaving meaningful comments on every post that you read and enjoy, focus on leaving comments that stand out.

How can an outstanding comment help you?

First of all, I’ll say that in my opinion, leaving a comment is not a thing you should do to get or expect something in return. Still, constantly posting interesting comments will help build up your reputation with certain communities in your niche. Reputation generates interest. Member of those communities will want to find out more about you and will come to your blog, where, if they find great content there’s a good chance they’ll visit again and again, becoming loyal readers.

Further more, not only community members could find interest in your comments, but also blog owners. This can help your networking efforts and also generate a good amount of backlinks to your articles if the blog owners find your content relevant to a post they’re going to write or simply add in those “link round-up” posts.

As I said, the effects of focusing on leaving outstanding comments are not instantly visible, but rather show themselves in the long run, by generating a constant or increasing amount of “secured traffic” based on loyal, returning visitors, by growing your own blog’s community and by building up a better reputation for yourself (creating awareness).

6 ways to make outstanding comments

Whenever I decide to leave a comment on a blog post I ask my self three questions:

1. Was that post useful or interesting to me?
2. Can I express a valid opinion on the topic?
3. Will my comment be useful to someone?

If the answer is “Yes” to at least two of these questions, I then proceed to leaving the actual comment following a few personal guidelines:

1. Never leave short and meaningless comments.
I’m sure that everyone has seen those “Great post, X!” comments floating around in the blogosphere. I’m sure that some people really feel that way about a blog post, while others leave that kind of comments only to get listed between the commentators. Showing appreciation that way it’s nice, but unfortunately it will rarely get you noticed.

2. Extend the topic
If the topic happens to meet your field of expertise, try to leave a comment that will extend the blog post. Explore other possibilities and ideas. Think of it as writing a small follow up.

3. Provide personal insight
If you are familiar with the topic and have personal experience with similar situations, don’t hesitate to share. Different tips apply and have different effects to different readers. Talking about your personal experience will help comment readers identify with your situation and estimate future effects.

4. Be communicative
After all, comments are a form of interaction. Whether you’re going to engage in a discussion with the post author or the community, it will prove to be a good strategy of getting you noticed. Blog owners appreciate community members that contribute to starting and developing interesting and intense discussions.

5. Identify yourself
Comments are not trackbacks. Trackbacks are automatically left by blogs and blog posts, comments are left by humans (spam bots not included). Start using a real name or at least a nick name in the “name” field of the comment form. Personally, while in most cases I approve almost every comment, even if it’s signed with a keyword phrase (as long as it is on topic), I tend to show less interest in comments not signed with a name. Imagine a real life conversation going like this:

“Hi Alex, these are good tips! I’m looking forward to implementing them.”
“Thank you, ‘internet marketing‘. I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed them.”

Sounds a bit weird doesn’t it? It’s not a pleasant situation.

6. Be a critic, not a hater
No blogger should think that he holds the absolute truth and must be ready to be criticized. If you’re going to leave a negative comment, try to use common sense and arguments. If your critique and arguments are valid, it’s likely that the author will give you credit for them and even be thankful and so will the community.

Things to avoid when commenting

Just like some things are sure to get you noticed and give you a good reputation, other things could have a negative effect on you and your blog. Avoiding the following should keep you safe in most cases:

• Do not over-promote yourself or your blog /services;
• Do not include irrelevant or too many links in your comments;
• Do not link again to the same URL provided with the comment form;
• Do not harass the author or members of his community;
• Do not use caps excessively;
• Do not use excessive text formatting (bold, italic, underline);
• Do not make excessive use of emoticons.

Over to you

These are my personal guidelines, guidelines I follow when posting or reading comments.
Now, tell me, what do you consider a good commenting strategy? What do you do in order to leave outstanding comments?

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Friends, relationships, family, these are today’s topics in the Domain Names for Bloggers series.

Available Domain Names

• TabooSmashing.com
• DefinitelyLove.com
• TeenageCrushes.com
• GirlyCrush.com
• CrushCoach.com
• CoolestMother.com & CoolestFather.com
• EligibleDad.com & EligibleMom.com
• FriendshipAdvisor.com
• Befriended.net

WordPress?

• WPTip.com
• WPTweaks.com

For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.

Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

What do Digg, Mixx, StumbleUpon, Reddit and other similar services have in common? Well, many things, but among them, the abundance of newly launched “make money blogging” and “make money online” blogs.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, except for the fact that at least 95% of them are meant to fail. Are you part of those potentially successful 5%? If not, it’s probably due to at least one of the following 20 reasons.

1. You’re competing in a VERY crowded niche;
2. You have no authority;
3. You don’t give a damn about personal and blog branding;
4. You have no proof you’ve already made money using the methods you promote;
5. When it comes to reporting your income, you’re suddenly very quiet;
6. You’re not providing advice, but rather guide readers through a series of affiliate links;
7. Instead of talking from experience you keep reviewing other bloggers’ opinions;
8. Your free eBook is just another make money online tips compilation;
9. Everything you say has already been said;
10. You blog posts are filled with keywords, so many that we can hardly find a natural, valid opinion;
11. You leave comments on other blogs using spammy keywords for the author name and as if that is not enough, you throw one or two links in the comment too. This will affect your reputation, sooner or later, but it will;
12. Instead of focusing on making your blog better you keep kissing John Chow’s a$$, hoping for… what?
13. You’re not Chow (actually, you should be happy for that);
14. You forget that in order to teach people how to make money blogging you should first teach them how to become better bloggers;
15. Filling you blog with AdSense, text links and banners doesn’t get you enough money to say that you’re a money maker. Why? Because it drives readers out. Good bye traffic, good bye earnings!
16. Don’t tell me I can make tons of cash with AdSense. That time is long gone. Have you seen any new $XX,XXX.XX cheque photos lately?
17. Interesting that you have reviewed gazillions of money making services and guide us to them, but, have you made even a cent out of them? No, the paid review doesn’t count;
18. You’re actually full of s#it. So much gibberish, not a single concrete advice;
19. Are you ready to go full time blogging about making money? If not, stop telling us how to make money when you obviously don’t;
20. And last: My grandmother’s pension is bigger than your monthly income. Fake it ’til you make it DOES NOT WORK.

Do you own a “make money online” blog? Do you find yourself in any of the above situations? If so, stop pretending. If you don’t buy it, neither will we.

Also, remember that you don’t want to make money blogging. Not right from the beginning at least.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Here comes another SEO Sunday, but this time, instead of writing another Blog SEO Tips post, I’m going to review and recommend you a free eBook on SEO for WordPress 2.5 Blogs by SEO and PR consultant Mihaela Lica.

I’ve just finished reading her book and believe me, those 44 PDF pages where really worth it, and the best part is that you don’t have to do anything to get the book. No subscription is required, no commenting contest or link backs. You just click the link in her blog post and start reading.

The book will guide you through steps like installing and setting up your WordPress 2.5 blog, setting up permalinks and onsite & offsite optimization tips and techniques.

Here are the contents of this eBook, just to have an idea of what to expect:

Introduction
Chapter 1: Hosting
Chapter 2: Installing WordPress and Keeping Your Site W3C Compliant
Chapter 3: Optimizing Permalinks
Chapter 4: Basic SEO Techniques Made Easy
Chapter 5: Avoiding the Duplicate Content Penalty
Chapter 6: Creating Google Sitemaps
Chapter 7: Other On-page SEO Techniques
Chapter 8: Optimizing Images
Chapter 9: Pinging
Chapter 10: Important Linking Tips
Conclusion

I’m going to be honest with you and tell you that most of the SEO information provided is not revolutionary. So why do I recommend it?

Because it’s a must read! Because most of us forget about the most basic things when it comes to keeping our blogs clean and search engine friendly. I know I do it, and I bet that if a SEO specialist would take a look at my blog’s code will run like crazy.

And I’ll give you one more reason to download and read this book. Why would you want to spend hours searching the internet, filtering all the information and in the end getting the same result, or maybe poorer, when you have it all in one PDF.

Did I mention that it’s free? Yes, I know, we all love free stuff, as long as it is good quality. And free, high quality is always hard to find.

Still here?

Ok, you need to do this now. Scroll down, you see the big picture? Click it, get your copy and enjoy it! Don’t forget to come back and tell me what do you think about it.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive