Januari 2017 - Blogging Tutorials

Senin, 23 Januari 2017

Monitoring Your Child’s Blog

Blogs are becoming increasingly popular and this popularity is not just with adults. Young children are also becoming interested in blogging. With the advent of social networking websites such as MySpace blogging is growing in leaps and bounds. Internet users now have a variety of options available to them for publishing and maintaining a blog. Additionally, the growing popularity of blogs currently available promotes an interest in blogging with other Internet users. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with a variety of blogs available online and are understandably interested in creating blogs of their own. In most cases children create blogs for social reasons but there are some savvy children who realize the potential for profit from blogging. While there are a great deal of benefits children can gain from blogging there are also some risks involved. Therefore parents should carefully monitor their child’s blog as well as all of his Internet usage. This article will discuss the subject of monitoring a child’s blog in greater detail.

Discuss Blog Expectations with Children


The first step parents should take when a child is interested in creating a blog is to thoroughly discuss the expectations with the child. The child and parent should have an open and honest discussion about responsible use of the Internet. This is important because these conversations can lay the groundwork for how the child will behave online. There are certain dangers which exist on the Internet but parents who understand these dangers and communicate with their children to share this potential for danger as well as information on staying safe while online are likely to have children who stay safe while online.

When a child is considering starting a blog, the parent should be involved in the process from the very start. The parent should not only be aware of the child’s intention to begin blogging but should also be aware of the child’s reason for wanting to blog and intentions for the blog. This is important because it can help the parents to set appropriate guidelines for the blog. For example a child may be interested in social networking through a blog but should understand there is the potential for danger with this type of blog. Parents should place limitations on the content of the blog and should advise the children to avoid disclosing personal information such as his full name, address and phone number on the blog. Other information which can be used to identify and locate the child should also be avoided.

Regularly Reviewing Your Child’s Blog


In addition to discussing blogging with the child and establishing ground rules for the content of the blog, the parents should also regularly visit the blog to ensure the established rules are being followed. Parents should review the blogs of their children on a regular basis but should not inform the children when these reviews will take place. This will help to prevent the children from altering the blog to eliminate questionable material during the review and replacing this material after the review is complete. This is important because it would be rather simple for the child to make changes quickly simply by saving files and replacing them with appropriate blog postings during scheduled reviews.

Monitoring the Blogs Your Child Frequents


Parents should also consider regularly monitoring the blogs their children frequent. This is important because the information children are viewing online can be harmful to children. It is also important because most blogs provide the opportunity for visitors to communicate with the blogger. In most cases this communication is in the form of comments which are left for the blogger and the blogger may choose to respond to these comments. In some cases the visitor may even have the opportunity to provide personal contact information to the blogger. Parents who remain aware of the blogs their children visit can review these blogs carefully to ensure their children are not behaving inappropriately online and are not inadvertently putting themselves at risk with the actions they take.



Placing an Order When Online Shopping



Online shoppers have a variety of options available to them for placing an order. Online shopping is already rather convenient for a number of reasons including convenience and the ability to shop for items from retailers around the world. The ability to place orders in a variety of different ways makes online shopping eve more desirable for some consumers. This article will discuss some of the options available for placing an order when online shopping including using the website to place the order, calling customer service to place the order and faxing or mailing orders.

Placing Orders through the Website


One of the most popular options for placing orders when online shopping is to place the orders directly through the online retailer’s website. In most cases online retailers offer the ability to add items to a virtual shopping cart while browsing through the available items offered for sale. After the consumer is done shopping he can review the contents of his shopping cart and add, subtract or modify the contents of the shopping cart as necessary before proceeding to the checkout process of the online shopping experience. During the checkout process the consumer provides information such as credit card information and billing address as well as the address to which the consumer would like the items shipped. The online shopper can choose to have the item shipped to himself or to others. Although shopping online is generally considered to be safe, consumers should verify the website is being made through a secure server which will protect sensitive information. One way to do this is to look at the website address. Secure websites start with https:// while websites which are not secure start with http://.

Calling Customer Service to Place an Order


Online shoppers may browse for items online but may decide to purchase items by calling a customer service representative instead of placing the order online. Customers may choose this option for a number of different reasons. Some online retailers may not have an option for completing the purchase online or these features may not be functioning correctly and in these cases the shopper will likely place the order over the phone. However, there are situations in which a consumer may opt to call customer service to place the order even when it is possible to do so online. This may include situations in which the order is particularly complex or situations in which the consumer has questions he would like answered before placing an order. Online shoppers who make a purchase this way should have all of the necessary information available before contacting customer service. This information includes the product number, billing information and shipping information.

Faxing or Mailing Orders


Online shoppers can also place orders by faxing or mailing the order to the online retailer. The consumer may browse for items online and even print the order form from the online retailer’s website. Although this is not the most common method of online shopping there are some consumers who still use this method. One of the examples to using this method is the ability to pay for an order with a check instead of a credit card. A credit card will likely be required for orders placed online or with a customer service representative. Customers who fax or mail an order form may have the option of using a credit card to pay for the order but may also have the option of using a check as well. This is ideal for online shoppers who either do not have a credit card or do not want to charge items to a credit card. Although there are some advantages to this method of placing an order from an online retailer there is one major disadvantage to this method. This disadvantage is the order may take longer to process than it would through other methods. When a customer places an order through a website or on the phone the order is typically processed instantly. However, when the consumer mails the order form it may take a few days to arrive and then may require extra time for processing. Even orders which are faxed in may not be processed immediately despite arriving quickly.




Using Guest Bloggers



Owners of a successful blog that has a large following may sometimes have the need to use guest bloggers. An example of when this practice may be a good idea is when the owner of a popular blog will be unavailable to post new blog entries for an extended period of time. In this case the lack of blog updates may cause the blog to lose traffic so it would be prudent for the blog owner to make arrangements for a guest blogger or a series of guest bloggers to post new items during his absence. The blogger may also wish to announce the intention to use guest bloggers during this period of time to ensure loyal blog visitors are aware of the situation and that it is only temporary. This article will discuss aspects of using guest bloggers such as advertising for guest bloggers, selecting guest bloggers and compensating guest bloggers.

Advertising for Guest Bloggers


There are a number of locations where a blog owner can advertise for guest bloggers. Job boards specifically for bloggers or freelance writers are an excellent option for finding guest bloggers. Job boards for bloggers are frequently visited by experienced bloggers who are looking for new opportunities to blog for compensation. These bloggers may have specific experience with the subject matter of the blog or may simply be adept at creating interesting blogs on a variety of subjects. Job boards for freelance writers are another great option. These writers may not necessarily have experience blogging but they may have other writing experience that is useful. Blog owners should consider posting a detailed messaged specifying the type of work required and duration of the project and asking for clips from the writers which can be used to verify the writer’s skill level.

Blog owners may also wish to advertise for guest bloggers on message boards related to the subject of the blog. Visitors of this blog may not necessarily have writing experience but will likely be quite knowledgeable about the subject of the blog and therefore be capable of producing interesting and insightful blogs.

Selecting Guest Bloggers


Selecting a guest blogger should be done carefully to ensure the guest blogger is reliable and capable of producing articulate, informative and interesting blog posts. Blog owners who advertise for a guest blogger on job boards for bloggers and freelance writers should ask for clips demonstrating the writer’s ability to write blogs which are interesting and informative. When advertising on a message board for a guest blogger, the blog owner might want to consider using the applicant’s previous posts to evaluate his writing ability and knowledge of the subject matter. He should also consider the type of response the applicant’s message board postings typically elicit. This is important because it is a good indication of the type of response the blogs will elicit. Blog owners should also ask the applicants for references and should contact these references to obtain information about the bloggers work ethic and ability to complete projects.

Compensating Guest Bloggers


Blog owners should also carefully consider how they intend to compensate guest bloggers. This can be done in the form of financial compensation or through allowing the guest blogger to post a brief biography with a link to his personal website or blog at the conclusion of the blog post. The latter form of compensation is essentially free advertisement space for the guest blogger. The blog owner may also wish to compensate the guest blogger with a combination of money and free advertising space. Regardless of the method of compensation chosen the blog owner should discuss this with the guest blogger before work commences and should enter a written contract with the guest blogger which explicitly states the terms of the compensation to avoid disputes. 



Tips for Keeping Your Blog Up to Date



Keeping a blog up to date is one of the most important aspects of blogging. This is so important because regular blog visitors expect new postings on a regular basis. Not all visitors expect to see a new post as often as once a day but most blog readers expect the content on the blog to be updated on a regular basis. In most cases visitors expect new content on at least a weekly basis. However, depending on the subject matter the visitors may expect updates on a basis which is either more frequent. Similarly visitors may not be interested in receiving this type of information more than a few times a year. Blog owners should be aware of the frequency of which readers expect new posts and should make an effort to oblige the readers with updates this often. This article will discuss methods for keeping a blog up to date including scheduling a regular time to post blogs, using publishing tools wisely and hiring guest bloggers when necessary.

Finding Time to Post Daily


One way to help to ensure a blog remains up to date is to schedule time to post blogs on a daily basis. This is especially important when blog readers expect new posts on a daily basis or at least several times per week. Bloggers who allot a specific block of time each day to researching, writing and publishing blogs are more likely to have a blog which is up to date than bloggers who plan on accomplishing tasks when they find time to do so. There may still be days in which the blogger is unable to publish a new post on the blog but these days will be less frequent than if the blogger does not have a block of time strictly dedicated to keeping the blog up to date.

On days in which the blog is unable to devote time to blogging, the blogger may wish to at least publish a short message explaining why it was not possible to post a new blog entry. This will let readers know you are aware of their desire to read more information but are simply unable to publish a new blog post. As long as this does not become a regular occurrence, blog visitors are not likely to stop viewing a blog simply because the blogger skips a day or two.

Taking Advantage of Publishing Tools


Some blog publishing tools enable bloggers to write blog posts ahead of time and specify when each post should be published. This is an excellent feature for bloggers who want to publish new posts daily but are unable to dedicate time each day to writing blog posts. This way the blogger can dedicate a block of time each week to write blog posts and have the posts published throughout the week. This is often an easier method for many bloggers because they are able to be more efficient this way.

Hiring Guest Bloggers


Bloggers may also want to consider hiring guest bloggers to assist them in keeping a blog up to date. This can be a worthwhile method for bloggers who are not only having difficulty keeping their blog up to date but are also interested in providing readers with a little variety. However, blog owners who opt for this message of keeping their blog up to date should carefully consider how the dedicated blog readers will react to this change. This is important because some readers may not be interested in reading blogs written by a guest blogger. Therefore the use of a guest blogger can actually be more detrimental to the blog than not updating the blog regularly. Bloggers can gauge reader reaction to the use of guest bloggers in a couple of different ways. The simplest and most straight forward method is to poll the readers about the use of guest bloggers. This can be done by asking readers to comment on the issue and tabulating the comments received. Another method to gauge reader reaction is to introduce a guest blogger and compare the traffic the guest blogger receives to the traffic the blog owner receives.

 





Optimizing Your Blog for Search Engines



Bloggers who are interested in building high traffic to their blog and maintaining a successful blog should pay particular attention to search engine optimization techniques which can help to improve the search engine rankings of their blogs. Search engines all employ some type of ranking algorithm which is used to determine the order in which websites are returned when an Internet user searches for information on a particular topic. However, not all search engines use the same algorithm for this purpose. As a result there is no simple solution to optimizing a blog for high rankings on all search engines. There are a few tips though which can be useful with most search engines. These tips include using relevant keywords, generating back links to your blogs and using image tags in a beneficial way.

The Importance of Keywords


The use of relevant keywords in blog posts is one of the most common and also one of the simplest ways to optimize search engine rankings. However, not all bloggers agree on the best ways to use relevant keywords to optimize search engine rankings. Some bloggers believe keywords must be used often to create high keyword densities while others believe using keywords at lower densities of 1%-3% and paying attention to placement of the keywords is the most worthwhile strategy. Still other bloggers argue that simply using relevant keywords as they come naturally in the flow of the blog posts is sufficient to ensure search engines understand the content of the blog.

Regardless of the keyword strategy a blogger opts to employ all bloggers can benefit from researching relevant keywords. They may have a blog which pertains to a general subject such as gardening but may not be aware of the search terms typically used by Internet users when researching this subject. Fortunately there are many programs available which generate related keywords for a particular time which provides the blogger with other keywords they should consider incorporating into the blog. For the example of a blog pertaining to gardening the blogger may want to use additional keywords such as container gardening or home gardening to attract more interest from search engine users.

Generating Favorable Back Links


Back links are also another common factor used in search engine ranking algorithms. Many search engines consider the number of back links pointing to a website as well as the quality of the websites which provide these back links. This means the search engine rankings of the website which points to your blog could influence the amount of weight the back link contributes to your own rankings. This is because some search engines consider higher ranking websites to be more valuable than other websites which do not rank well and therefore reward websites receiving back links from these high ranking websites quite favorably.

Some search engine algorithms also consider whether or not the back links are reciprocated or not reciprocated. In these cases non reciprocal links are usually considered to be more valuable than reciprocal links. Also, back links which come from link exchanges or link farms are typically not considered to be very influential to search engine rankings.

How Images Can Improve Search Engine Rankings


Bloggers should also be aware that any pictures used on their blog can be used to improve search engine rankings with some search engines. This aspect of search engine optimization is often overlooked because many bloggers believe the pictures are not viewed by search engines. While this is true the search engines do crawl the code of the blog in addition to the content on the blog. This means the search engine will view the information provided in the image tags. Bloggers can take advantage of this by using the image tags to provide relevant keywords which can bolster search engine rankings. However, care should be taken to ensure the keywords used in these tags also accurately describe the image because blog visitors will often see the text included in these tags when they scroll over a picture on the blog.
Promoting Your Blog



Blogging can be a great deal of fun for some bloggers but for others it is a source of income. Whether this income is earned through an AdSense campaign, paid advertisements, affiliate marketing or some other type of revenue generating source one of the key elements to maximizing this profit is by driving greater traffic to the blog. This is because the more visitors the blog receives the more opportunities there are for the blogger to have visitors click through the advertisements in the blog. There are a few basic techniques which bloggers can rely on to promote their blog and increase traffic to their blog. This article will cover a few of these key concepts including participating in relevant message boards, optimizing the blog for search engines and keeping the blog interesting to visitors.

Active Participation in Message Boards


Participation in message boards which relate to the blog topic is actually one very simple way for blog owners to drive traffic to their blog. However, one caveat to using this type of promotion for the blog is to avoid violating the rules of the message board. This is important because some message boards have strict regulations regarding the inclusion of links to other websites on the message board. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the blogger being banned from the message board and may also cause other message board users to not think highly of the blog owner.

Another careful consideration for the blog owner is to avoid posting the web address to his blog in a way which will be considered spam by other message board users. This is important because other message board users are likely to not visit the blog if they believe the blog owner is simply spamming the message board. This can be avoided by including the link to the blog in the signature and ensuring the posts made on the message board are informative and of interest to the other message board users. Building a reputation as a useful contributor to the message board will be beneficial to enticing other users of the message board to visit the blog.

Optimizing Your Blog


Search engine optimization is another factor which blog owners should also carefully consider. Optimizing the blog for search engines can be beneficial because improved search engine rankings often lead to increased blog traffic. Depending on the amount of competition on the blog subject rising to the top of the search engine rankings may not always be easy. Blog owners who have a blog with a very popular subject may face stiff competition for search engine rankings from other blogs and websites which may have the means to hire professionals in the search engine optimization industry to assist them in achieving high rankings. However, there are some steps the blogger can take to attempt to boost rankings. Some of these steps include researching and using relevant keywords naturally throughout the blog postings, incorporating these keywords into the title, META and image tags and avoiding black hat optimizing techniques which could result in the blog being penalized by search engines.

Keeping Your Blog Interesting


Finally, one of the simplest ways a blog owner can help to drive traffic to his blog is by regularly updating the blog and keeping it interesting. This is important because a blog which is interesting is much more likely to not only maintain blog traffic but also generate new traffic. This is because readers who are interested in the posts on the blog are not only likely to keep coming back to the blog but are also likely to recommend the blog to other members of the target audience. This type of word of mouth advertising can be very beneficial because those who have an interest in the content of a particular blog also typically have friends who would also be interested in the blog. Once one blog owner recommends a blog to one or more friends, these new blog visitors are also likely to recommend the blog to others if they find it to be interesting, useful or otherwise worthwhile.



Products to Make Blogging Easier




There are an assortment of products which can simplify the process of blogging. Although blogging is not a difficult process there can be some aspects of blogging which are overwhelming to new bloggers or bloggers who do not have a great deal of Internet experience. These products can be very beneficial to the blogger by simplifying the design process or helping to make the blog more appealing to blog readers. This article will discuss some of the products currently available to make blogging easier including blogging software programs, website design software and keyword generators. 

Blogging Software Programs


Blogging software programs are some of the most obvious programs which make blogging easier. These programs are readily available and many of them are free to use. Blogging software programs can greatly simplify the process of publishing a blog especially if the blogger employs the templates included in these programs. In some cases the act of publishing a blog once the blog has been set up may be as simple as typing the text of the blog into a text editor and pressing a button to publish the blog. However, there will be some work required of the blogger upfront to set up the layout of the blog.

Even the design process is greatly simplified by these programs especially if the blogger opts to use the templates in the program. The blogger may only have to scroll through a list of options and select those which he finds most appealing. Based on these selections the software will generate the blog with the appropriate layout, colors, fonts and even advertising options. More ambitious bloggers may opt to utilize their programming skills to customize these templates but this is not necessary and the blog will function sufficiently without any additional customization.

Website Design Software


Website design software can also be a useful tool for new bloggers who want to create a blog which is aesthetically appealing and also functional. These software programs make it possible for bloggers who do not have any design experience to create a blog with a unique appearance. When using this type of software the blogger can scroll through options, make changes on the fly, preview changes and even upload photos for use in the blog. As these changes are made in the software design program the code for these design options is automatically generated, updated and stored as necessary.

Keyword Generators


Bloggers who are trying to attract a great deal of web traffic to a website should also consider the use of keyword generator to assist them in determining which keywords they should be using in their blog. The blogger may want to make the blog interesting and informative as a priority but the judicious use of keywords throughout the blog and in the code of the blog can contribute to higher search engine rankings for the blog. This is important because high search engine rankings often translate to high blog traffic. This is because Internet users heavily rely on search engines to assist them in finding the best websites which pertain to certain keywords which are used during searches. These high search engine rankings essentially act as free advertising for the blog owner because Internet users expect the highest ranking websites to be the most informative websites so they are likely to visit blogs which rank well with search engines as opposed to blogs which are buried on later pages of search results.
When Others Do Not Approve of Your Blog



Regardless of the topic of a blog, all bloggers face the potential for situations in which others do not approve of their blog. Although this type of reaction is popular with blogs focused on political or controversial issues, bloggers who maintain a personal blog may also face disapproval from those who do not approve of the bloggers choices in life. This article will discuss subjects such as dealing with negative comments on a blog, dealing with criticism from friends and family members and will touch upon situations in which blogging can cause legal problems for the blogger.

Dealing with Negative Comments on Your Blog


Negative comments posted on a blog are one of the most common forms of disapproval a blog may receive. These comments may be posted in response to a specific blog posting or may be posted as an objection to the blog in general. These negative comments may be very troubling to the blogger but fortunately there are some methods for dealing with these comments.

Bloggers who are concerned that negative comments may influence other blog readers have a few options for dealing with these negative comments. One way to do this is to set the blog to not allow comments. This will effectively eliminate the comments but it will also eliminate comments from supporters of the blog as well. Another option a blogger has is to simply delete the negative comments as he finds them. This is not a very effective method because other readers may have time to read the comments before they are deleted. Bloggers who are online often and are not concerned about negative comments appearing on the blog for a short period of time may utilize this method. Another method of dealing with negative comments includes rebutting these comments on the blog. Finally, bloggers often have the opportunity to ban visitors who are leaving negative comments from making future comments.

Dealing with Criticism from Friends and Family Members


Bloggers may also face criticism from friends and family members for the content of their blogs. Friends and family members may not use the comment section to express their disapproval but may express their concerns directly to the blogger in person, via telephone or via email. This can be a difficult situation for bloggers because they may be torn between maintaining the blog according to their vision and keeping their friends and family happy. In many cases friends and family members may object to a blog because they believe it can be potentially harmful to the blogger or because they are concerned about how the blog will reflect on them. In these delicate situations the blogger has the option to either delete or modify the blog or to speak to the friends and family members to explain his feelings without making changes to the blog.

When Blogging can Cause Legal Problems


Bloggers should be aware there are some situations in which their blog can cause legal problems. Making statements about another person which are untrue and defamatory can result in the subject of the blog seeking retribution for libel. Other blog postings can also be found to be illegal for a wide variety of other reasons. Bloggers may assume freedom of speech laws protect them fully but there may be situations in which the statements in a blog are not protected under freedom of speech laws and the blogger faces legal ramifications for his postings. Blogging which violates the copyright laws of another can also cause legal problems.







Managing Multiple Blogs




While some bloggers may focus exclusively on only one blog at a time, there are many bloggers who manage to maintain several different blogs concurrently. However, not all bloggers do this successfully. Some bloggers compromise quality of content as well as quantity of content by trying to maintain too many blogs while other bloggers have the ability to keep several blogs up to date and interesting to visitors. There are a few key elements to maintaining multiple successful blogs. This article will discuss some of these elements including keeping content original, keeping blogs up to date and budgeting time to work on each blog.

Keeping Content Original


Bloggers who maintain multiple blogs must be careful to keep the content of each blog original. Even if the blogger maintains several related blogs it is important to ensure each of these blogs has original blog postings. This will help to prevent blog visitors from feeling as though the information they are receiving is not original. It will also help to prevent readers who frequently visit one or more of the bloggers blogs from deciding to start only visiting one of the blogs because they feel the postings are redundant.

Bloggers are also advised against stealing posts from other similar blogs. This is not only illegal but is also not likely to help the blogger much because dedicated readers of the original blog are likely to realize the new blog is simply stealing content from a more successful blog.

Keeping Each Blog Up to Date


Bloggers who maintain multiple blogs are also advised to ensure each blog is kept up to date. This means they should take care to post on each blog regularly. Doing this will help to avoid problems which stem from blog visitors feeling as though the blogs are stagnant. Even the most interesting and informative blogs can lose traffic quickly if the blog visitors do not see new content on a regular basis. The Internet is continually evolving and updating. As a result Internet users can afford to be finicky and are not likely to remain dedicated to a blog which does not post new information regularly because they can likely find other blogs available which do provide updates on a more frequent basis.

Finding Time to Work on Each Blog


Bloggers who maintain several blogs are also tasked with the dilemma of finding time to work on each blog. However, this is very important because bloggers cannot afford to neglect one or more of their blogs. Doing this can result in a marked decline in blog traffic. Therefore bloggers who wish to maintain multiple blogs must budget their time carefully to ensure they are dedicating sufficient time to each blog. This time management exercise may start out by assessing the needs of each blog. Some blogs may require a great deal of time and effort each week to keep the blog functioning properly while other blogs may require only a small amount of time for the same purpose. In general blogs which require a great deal of research will require more time and energy of the blogger than blogs which are based on the bloggers opinions and feelings and are therefore not as research intensive. Once the blogger has determined how much time it will be required to maintain each blog, he can schedule his time accordingly. However, he should plan to evaluate how well each blog is operating and may have to make adjustments to the schedule as needed. Additionally, he may also need to make a decision to eliminate a blog or enlist assistance in keeping the blogs updated if necessary.

Maintaining a Successful Blog


Creating a blog is relatively simply. However, maintaining a successful blog is a far more difficult process. This is because there are so many different factors which can contribute to the success of a blog. Some of these factors include the subject of the blog, the popularity of the blog and even the aesthetic layout of the blog. Additionally, the ability to properly promote the blog and reach a large audience of interested Internet users will also have a profound impact on the success of a blog. Although there is no one simple formula for creating and maintaining a successful blog, there are some basic tips which can help to ensure a blogger will enjoy success with his blog. This article will outline some of these basic tips including posting new entries regularly, writing for a specific audience and properly evaluating changes made to the blog.

Posting New Blog Entries Regularly


The importance of posting new blog entries on a regular basis cannot be underestimated. This is so important because regular postings offer dedicated blog visitors an incentive to keep returning to the blog. Readers may visit a blog originally by chance but become committed to returning to the blog regularly based on the content which is provided on a regular basis. If the blogger allows the blog to become stagnant, the readers do not have motivation to keep coming back to the blog. However, if there are new posts on a regular basis, visitors are likely to return to the blog often in anticipation of new postings.

The length as well as the depth of a blog post can vary considerably based on the subject of the blog and the expectations of the target audience. However, in many cases even a relatively short blog entry offering only a small amount of information may be enough to keep readers interested. This can be useful when the blogger is unable to provide in depth posts but in the long run, blog readers are looking for a certain degree of sustenance and will likely expect the blog to be updated with new posts regularly. Furthermore they will come to expect a certain voice and quality to the blog posts so bloggers who enlist the use of guest bloggers should carefully screen guest bloggers to ensure they are capable of posting blogs the audience will appreciate.

Understanding the Blog Audience


Successful bloggers should also be adept at understanding the blog audience. Most successful blogs focus on a rather exclusive niche which draws a unique set of visitors. By keeping the information posted in the blog related to this niche, the blogger helps to ensure the audience will remain interested in the blog. However, the subject matter is not the only important aspect related to understanding the target audience.

Bloggers should also be well aware of the type of information the blog readers are seeking and the way in which they prefer to have the information provided. This is important because some blog readers may enjoy lengthy pieces while others may prefer posts which are brief and to the point. Still other blog visitors may prefer to have posts provided as bulleted points in an easy to read manner. Providing the information in a way in which the visitors can process the information easily is as important as providing quality information.

Evaluating Changes to the Blog


Finally, all successful bloggers know how to make changes to the blog carefully and evaluate the effects these changes have on blog traffic. This is critical because a blog which is already successful can be doomed to failure if the blogger makes a chance which is not appreciated by the dedicated visitors and does not address the concerns of the readers. To avoid this potential problem bloggers should be careful to only make one change at a time and to allow ample time to evaluate the effect the change has on website traffic as well as the comments from readers before deciding whether to reverse the change or make additional changes.

Similarly a blog which is looking to increase website traffic can run into problems if they make too many changes and do not evaluate how these changes are affecting the blog’s traffic. A better strategy would be to make small changes one at a time and evaluate the effect of the change carefully before making more changes. This will help guide the blogger to produce a successful blog.
Learning about Blogging



There are a number of different reasons for a blogger to start and maintain a blog. Some of these reasons include generating revenue, promoting a cause, providing useful information and staying in touch with family and friends. Although these reasons for starting a blog may be quite different, all bloggers should spend some time learning about blogging before embarking on a blogging experience. This will help to ensure the blog achieves its intended purpose and will also help to prevent the blogger from making mistakes which can be detrimental to a blog. This article will discuss methods for learning about blogging including studying successful blogs and using the Internet to research the subject of blogging. This article will also briefly explain the importance of promoting a blog.

Studying Successful Blogs


One of the simplest ways for prospective bloggers and new bloggers to learn about blogging is by studying successful blogs. Those who have recently started a blog or are considering starting a blog can learn a great deal simply by reading and studying successful blogs. Bloggers may choose to study blogs which focus on a similar subject but this is not necessary. Bloggers can learn a great deal about maintaining a successful blog by studying blogs related to any subject. This is because factors such as writing style, blog design, font type and colors can all contribute to the success of the blog.

In studying other blogs, the blogger should pay particular interest to aspects of the blog which attract his attention. This is important because these aspects also likely appeal to other blog visitors and contribute to the success of the blog. Modeling a blog with these aspects in mind can go a long way towards contributing to the success of a blog.

Using the Internet to Research Blog Tips


The Internet can be an excellent resource for learning about the subject of blogging. There are a variety of different objects related to this subject. These articles may contain tips for starting, maintaining and optimizing a blog. They may also contain tips for generating traffic to a blog and keeping visitors interested in the blog. Bloggers are advised to study the information available online carefully and to always consider the source of the information. Considering the source of the information is important because it can help to ensure the information gleaned from the Internet is reliable. However, this can be difficult because it is not always possible to determine the source of information available on the Internet.

Another option for verifying the validity of information available online is use other sources to confirm the information. This means a blogger may find one article which provides several tips for operating a successful blog but still searches online for information which will corroborate the information available in the original article. This may sound redundant but it can help to prevent the blogger from accepting false information as being correct.

The Importance of Promoting a Blog


Finally, bloggers should understand the importance of promoting a blog and should investigate methods of promoting their own blog. Promoting a blog is so important because it is through this type of promotion that a blog gains traffic. Gaining traffic is imperative to the success of a blog in most cases. The few exceptions include blogs which are maintained solely for the bloggers personal use as well as blogs which are maintained for the purpose of keeping friends and family members up to date on events in the bloggers life. All other blogs can benefit from increased blog traffic.

Bloggers can learn about how to successfully promote a blog by considering how they learned about blogs which they read frequently. This is significant because Internet users who read blogs likely have similar methods of finding these blogs. For example a blog reader who learned about an interesting blog through participation in a relevant message board will likely consider remaining active in message boards which are relevant to his own blog as a method of promoting his blog.

Is Blogging For Everyone?




Blogging is a relatively new phenomenon. It basically involves the creation of an online journal which is displayed in reverse chronological order. The blogger who is maintaining the blog may opt to post new blog entries as often as he desires. This may involve posting new entries more than once per day, daily, weekly, monthly or even at a less frequent interval. The postings in a blog are typically related in some way but they can be about any subject the blogger desires. Bloggers may maintain a blog for a number of different reasons and these blogs may be private or public in nature. This article will describe the difference between a private and public blog and will also explain blogging professionally as well as blogging for personal reasons.

Private vs. Public Blogs


Blogs can also be private or public. Private blogs are ones in which only the blogger and others who have been approved by the blogger can view the blog postings. Public blogs are available to any users of the Internet. A blogger may opt to make a blog private or public depending on whether or not he is comfortable with others reading the blog. For example a blogger who creates a blog for the purpose of venting about frustrations in life may opt to keep a blog private so friends or family members are not able to read these vents. Conversely a blogger who is blogging for a purpose such as to promote a cause will likely opt to make the blog public so his message can reach as many Internet users as possible. However, bloggers who create a blog to express themselves through their writing, poetry or other form of expression may opt to make the blog private or public depending on whether or not they want to make these personal feelings available to others. Some bloggers in this situation will make the blog public because they want to reach others who may either share their feelings or may benefit from reading their blogs. There may be other bloggers in this situation who will make the blog private because they do not want others to see these personal forms of expression.

Blogging Professionally


Blogging can actually be done as a source of income for some bloggers. There are a number of companies who maintain a network of bloggers and pay bloggers to maintain a blog in the network. These bloggers may be compensated per post, according to the number of page views the blog receives or through a combination of the number of posts and the number of page views. A career as a blogger requires a great deal of dedication. The blogger must be willing and able to update the blog regularly and to keep the blog interesting to readers.

Blogging for Personal Reasons


Blogging can also be done for personal reasons. Some bloggers use their blog to stay in touch with family and friends while others use it to express themselves or to share information with others. Blogs created for personal reasons can be a great deal of fun but the blogger must be sure to avoid allowing the process of maintaining the blog to become a stressful situation. A blog which is maintained for personal reasons should be an enjoyable experience for the blogger.




Improving the Search Engine Rankings of Your Blog




Bloggers who are interested in reaching a large audience with their blog should consider paying special attention to search engine optimization of their blog. Reaching a large audience may be a priority for a number of different reasons. One of the obvious reasons to attempt to generate increased traffic to a blog is to generate a profit. Bloggers who rely on high blog traffic for their revenue are obviously interested in increasing traffic. However, bloggers who create their blog to promote a cause may also be interested in increasing traffic simply to allow their message to reach a larger audience. Regardless of the reason to want to increase traffic, one of the best ways to do this is by optimizing the blog for search engines. This article will discuss the importance of search engine rankings and offer tips for optimizing a blog.

Why Search Engine Rankings are Important


The importance of high search engine rankings is they can contribute to increased Internet traffic to the blog. This is because Internet users who use search engines to find information on a particular topic are much more likely to visit websites which appear on the first page of the search results than they are to visit websites which appear on subsequent pages of the search results. The websites appearing on the first page of the results are likely to get the most traffic. However, Internet users are not likely to search through more than a page or two of the search results when looking for more information on a particular subject.

High search engine rankings essentially act as free advertisement for a blog or website. This is because many website users rely on popular search engines to assist them in finding useful information on the Internet. The search engines apply complex algorithms to evaluate websites and rank them accordingly for specific search terms. As a result Internet users put a great deal of value on the search results produced and trust these results to lead them to the best available websites relevant to the keywords they specified in the search.

Tips for Optimizing a Blog for Search Engines


One of the most common ways to optimize a blog or website for search engines is through the use of relevant keywords. Specifically the practice of applying specific keyword densities to the content of the blog is a common search engine optimization tactic employed. Blog owners and others who attempt to optimize their websites do not always agree on the optimal density for keywords but many believe a percentage of approximately 2%-3% is appropriate.

Another method for optimizing a search engine optimization is to place relevant keywords into the code of the website. This includes the title tags and META tags. This is important because search engines often consider the prominence of keywords when evaluating a website. This refers to the location in which the keywords first appear. Placing keywords early in the content of the website is helpful but it is important to note the search engines view the code first so keywords appearing before the body of the blog will be crawled first by the search engines.

Blog owners can also help to increase their search engine rankings by generating back links to their blog. This can be accomplished in a number of different ways. One way to do this is to find other websites willing to place a link to the blog on their website. This is beneficial because many search engines factor the number of links to a website into their ranking algorithm because these links are considered to be one website vouching for the validity of another website. Some website owners may be willing to do this in return for a link to their website on your blog. This is known as reciprocal linking and some search engines may not value this link as highly as a link which is not reciprocated. There are also some link exchange programs but these links may not be beneficial because many search engines consider the rank of the website linking to your blog. Therefore, if the website linking to your blog does not rank well, the back link will not improve search engine rankings significantly.




Finding Your Blogging Niche


Finding your blogging niche should be one of the aspects of blogging which the blogger carefully considers before starting a blog. This is especially important if the blogging is being done for the purpose of financial compensation. Ideally a blog owner should select a blog subject about which they are passionate and knowledgeable. However, bloggers should also carefully consider the direct competition as well as the purpose of the blog before starting their blog. This article will discuss these considerations in greater detail in an attempt to assists bloggers in choosing a subject for a new blog. This information is applicable to both bloggers who are completely new to blogging as well as experienced bloggers who are considering starting a new blog.

Isolating Your Interests

One of the first considerations for a new blogger is his personal interests. This is important because a blogger who is passionate and knowledgeable about a particular subject will not only have an easy time coming up with ideas for new blog posts but will also likely be highly successful. This success will likely be attributable to the fact that blog visitors can sense his passion for the subject matter and greatly appreciate the knowledgeable posts which are informative and accurate.

The interests of the blogger may run the gamut from subjects which are widely popular to subjects which are of interest to only a small subset of the population. However, there will likely be interested readers regardless of the subject of the blog. Therefore bloggers are not discouraged from opting to blog about even the most obscure subjects. However, bloggers who are seeking financial gain through high blog traffic should consider selecting a topic which appeals to a larger audience.

Evaluating the Competition

Once a blogger has selected one or more subjects he is considering for a blog, it is time to begin evaluating the competition. This includes viewing other blogs covering the same subject matter. This will not only give the blogger a good indication of whether or not the market is already saturated with blogs on this subject and the quality of the existing blogs on this subject. Based on this information the blogger can make an informed decision about whether or not he feels capable of competing for blog traffic with the existing blogs.

Considering the Purpose of the Blog

Another important consideration for bloggers is the purpose of the blogs. Blogs can be created for a variety of reasons including financial compensation, personal use or to promote a cause. Bloggers who are starting a blog for personal use may only wish to consider their own interests when starting a blog because they are not likely seeking high blog traffic. However, bloggers who are creating a blog for purposes of generating a profit or promoting a cause do have to consider factors such as the ability to generate blog traffic. In these cases the blogger should choose a subject which appeals to a large audience. Additionally, the Internet should not already be saturated with blogs on this subject because it will likely be difficult for the new blog to garner a share of blog traffic. Finally, blog owners should consider the quality of the blog they are capable of creating on a particular subject. The blogger should choose a subject where he is confident he can not only make regular posts but also ensure these posts are original, informative and interesting.



Finding Blogs to Read




There is a wide variety of blogs currently available. Internet users are fortunate to have a large number of blogs to choose from when seeking a blog to read regularly. There are also often many blogs available which cover a particular subject. Blogs can be about any subject imaginable. Some blogs are created to entertain while others are created to inform. Some blogs are created to generate a profit while other blogs are created to help others. With so many blogs currently available online it can be difficult to determine which blogs are worth reading and which are not. It can also make it difficult to limit the number of blogs the Internet user reads. This article will provide information on finding and selecting blogs to read including using search engines to find blogs, finding blogs through participation in message boards and seeking recommendations for blogs from friends or family members.

Using Search Engines to Find Blogs



Search engines are one of the most reliable resources Internet users often rely on to find useful websites. However, it is important to note search engines can also be extremely helpful for Internet users who are interested in finding blogs to read. An Internet user who is looking for a blog on a particular subject can start the process of finding these blogs by entering relevant keywords or phrases into a popular search engine and carefully reviewing the results provided for this search. However, this type of search will not necessarily provide the Internet users with blogs. In fact the search results may not include a blog on any of the first few pages in the search results despite returning pages upon pages of links to useful websites.

One simple way the Internet user can use search engines to find blogs relating to a particular subject is to include the word blog with the keywords or phrases entered into the search engine. This will help to filter the search results and may push blogs towards the front of search results. However, Internet users are better off searching for collections of blogs and then searching within these collections for ones of interest.

Finding Blogs on Message Boards


Many Internet users rely on message boards to find interesting and informative blogs. This is because many message board participants who have a blog often find ways to make others aware of this blog. This may either be through the process of incorporating a link to the blog in the message board user’s signature or, when appropriate, supplying the link to the blog directly in the message body of a post on the message board. Although many bloggers may take advantage of the opportunity to promote their own blog through message boards, those who are interested in finding new blogs will likely not have time to review all of these blogs. Therefore, it is wise for these Internet users to be somewhat discriminating about the blogs they choose to visit. One way to do this is to only visit blogs of regular forum posters who offer valuable information to the conversations on the message board. The Internet user may also wish to avoid blogs which appear to be posted as spam. This is important because these blogs are not only likely poor quality but also visiting these blogs only encourages the blog owner to continue to spam message boards with his link.

Seeking Recommendations for Blogs


Finally, Internet users who are seeking blogs to read on a regular basis can consider seeking recommendations from friends or family members who share a particular interest. Friends or family members who are interested in the same subject as you may already regularly read blogs relevant to this interest. Asking them for recommendations is worthwhile because they have no reason to do anything but recommend blogs they really enjoy and assume you will be interested in as well. Also, this method of finding blogs is ideal because your friends and family members likely know your tastes and expectations well and will likely steer you in the right direction.



Design Elements of a Blog


A blog may be essentially an online journal displayed in reverse chronological order but it is also a website which requires the same attention to detail any other website requires. It also requires the same design elements as a regular website which does not also function as a blog. Bloggers have decisions to make regarding design elements of the blog such as colors and layout, fonts and the inclusion of advertisements. Although many blog software programs provide a variety of templates which make designing a blog rather simple, blogs can also be highly customized by bloggers who possess some programming skills. This article will discuss some of the basic design considerations bloggers encounter.

Colors and Layouts of a Blog


The colors and layout of a blog is one of the most obvious design considerations bloggers must consider when starting or re-designing their blog. Bloggers may use a solid color background, blocks of different colors in the background or pictures or textures in the background. These background elements can be any color imaginable. However, bloggers who are considering the colors to use in their blog should consider using colors which will be aesthetically appealing to most blog visitors. This is important because the use of garish colors which are harsh on the eye can result in diminished blog traffic.

The layout of the blog should also carefully be considered by the blogger. The blog should be arranged in a fashion which is appealing to blog visitors, suits the subject of the blog and is presented in a logical manner which is easy for visitors to follow. Again, this is important because failure to use a layout which meets these criteria may result in blog visitors choosing not to visit the blog anymore because the layout is confusing or unappealing.

Fonts Used in a Blog


Bloggers have a number of options available to them when selecting fonts to use in their blog. These options include the font chosen, the text size and the color of the text. Bloggers should consider choosing a font which works well with the overall design of the layout of the blog and suits the subject matter of the blog but also is a font which common. This is important because blog visitors may have trouble viewing the font if the blogger selects a unique font which is not common. The text size and colors of the text should also be carefully considered. These elements are primarily important for readability. Text size should be set so members of the target audience can easily read the text. For example a blogger with senior citizens as the target audience may opt to use a text size slightly larger than usual. The colors used for the text should also be selected to enhance readability. One way to do this is to select colors which are appealing to the eye but also contrast with the background color.

Inclusion of Advertisements in a Blog


Bloggers must also consider the inclusion of advertisements when they are designing their blogs. This includes determining whether or not to include blogs. Once this decision is made, bloggers who opt to include advertisements must carefully consider how and where they wish to display these advertisements. Advertisements can be displayed in various locations throughout the blog and can be designed to be discrete or obvious depending on the preferences of the blogger. Advertisements can also be a variety of sizes and shapes and are highly customizable in a number of different ways.


Dealing with Comments on Your Blog




Most blogs allow visitors to the blog to post comments on any of the blog posts. These comments may pertain to the blog posting or may be completely unrelated. The comments may also be positive or negative in nature. Regardless of the type of comment left by a visitor the blogger may choose to deal with these comments in a number of different ways. The blogger may answer these comments, block individual visitors from leaving comments in the future or use administrative features to delete comments or set the blog to require approval of the comments before they are posted on the blog. This article will discuss each of these options for dealing with comments on a blog in greater detail.

Answering Comments on Your Blog


Bloggers who receive comments on their blog may wish to answer these comments. Most blogging programs allow the blogger to post comments on his own blog which enables the blogger to answer comments directly. With this feature a blogger can deal with a number of different situations including negative comments, positive comments and questions. Bloggers who receive negative comments on their blog may opt to answer these comments directly with a rebuttal to the negative comments. This allows the blogger to recognize the criticism and defend his original post. Bloggers who receive positive comments may also wish to answer these comments to thank the visitors for the praise. Still other bloggers may receive comments which ask a question about the blog post or the blogger himself. Bloggers may opt to answer these questions to develop a better relationship with the blog visitors.

Blocking Comments from Individual Visitors


Another option for dealing with blog comments which are negative in nature is to block comments from individual blog visitors. In most cases bloggers will have the ability to blog a particular user from leaving comments on the blog. The blogger may wish to use this option in situations where the comments from the blog visitor are extremely mean spirited. The blogger may also wish to ban individual blog visitors from making comments if he has previously attempted to explain his point to the visitor but the visitor continues to post negative comments. A blogger may also wish to ban an individual blog visitor from making comments if he believes the comments are being left as spam.

Using Administrative Features


Still another option for dealing with comments on a blog includes using administrative features to delete comments or modify the settings to not allow comments to be displayed until the blogger approves them. Blog owners typically have the ability to delete a comment left by a blog visitor. Deleting these comments is usually a quite simple process. However, it is not a completely effective method because other blog visitors may have the opportunity to read these comments before they are deleted. Therefore, deleting the comment may prevent some visitors from reading the comment but will not ensure the comment is not seen by any blog visitors. However, there is a way for bloggers to make sure visitors do not read negative comments. Most types of blogging software have options which require the blogger to approve all comments before they become available to the public. This gives the blogger the ability to delete a comment before it is read by any of the blog visitors. The blogger can simply delete any comments they do not wish others to read before the comments are published.

Careers in Blogging

 

Many freelance writers are beginning to find blogging is one of the newest career opportunities available to them. Blogging is essentially a series of postings on a particular subject which are listed in reverse chronological order. These blogs may be about a variety of different subjects and may be personal, political, informative, humorous or any other category desired by the blogger. However, the key to a successful blog is a blog which pertains to a subject which appeals to a wide audience. Additionally the blog should be updated regularly and should provide useful content to the readers of the blog. This article will provide some information on finding career opportunities in blogging, will discuss the benefits of this type of career and will provide information on how writers can manage a blog successfully.

Finding Blogging Career Opportunities


Although blogging career opportunities are becoming increasingly popular, many writers are not aware of how to find these wonderful opportunities. These career opportunities may be offered as ghost writing positions or as positions offering a byline to the writer and finding these blogging opportunities is often very similar to finding any other career opportunities for writers. Companies seeking a blogger may post the job opening in the same manner in which they would post other openings with the company such as accounting positions or administrative positions. Therefore, writers interested in a position as a blogger should utilize the same job search websites they rely on to find other career opportunities.

Bloggers may also wish to visit career websites and message boards which focus exclusively on careers in blogging. The ProBlogger.net website is just one example of a website dedicated exclusively to putting bloggers in connection with those who are interested in hiring a writer for a particular blog. Interested bloggers should also consider joining message boards for those who blog for a living. This can be beneficial because here bloggers are likely to share information regarding the companies for which they work as well as any information they have about companies who are currently looking to hire bloggers.

The Benefits of a Career in Blogging


There are many benefits to pursuing a career in blogging. Perhaps one of the most alluring benefits to a career in blogging is the work can typically be done as a telecommute position. This is because as long as the blogger has access to the software necessary to write and upload a blog, there is no need for the blogger to perform the work from a specific location. This means the blogger can reside virtually anywhere in the world and can likely perform the necessary work from his own home. However, not all blogging positions are telecommute positions. Some companies may require bloggers to perform the work onsite as a matter of personal preference.

Another benefit to a career in blogging is the ability to accomplish work at a pace which his convenient to the blogger. The blogger may be required to upload a new post to the blog according to a regular schedule but the actually writing of the posts can be accomplished when it is convenient for the blogger. Many blogging software packages enable the blogger to set a specific time for a specific post to be uploaded. This allows the blogger to write several posts at a time and have them publish according to a pre-determined schedule.

Finding Time to Blog


One of the problems which many bloggers face is finding the time to blog. This is especially difficult if the blogger maintains several blogs or if the blogger maintains a current events blog in which posts must be timely in order to be relevant and of interest to the readers. Writing blog posts in batches and scheduling them to publish as needed is one way to deal with managing several blogs. However, writers of blogs related to current events must take special care to budget their time wisely to ensure they are publishing topical blog posts. One way this can be accomplished is by setting aside time daily to reading current events to derive inspiration and then scheduling time after that to write and publish the blog. For example a blogger with a current events blog might choose to review the previous day’s news the first thing in the morning to ensure they are reviewing all of the relevant news from the previous day before writing the blog post.
Blogging with Wordpress


Wordpress is one of the many options available to bloggers who are looking for free software online which makes it incredibly easy to publish their own blog. This software is easy to use, provides a variety of templates and offer excellent support to bloggers. There are many options available to bloggers and other blogging programs may be better known and offer slightly different features but many bloggers are quite pleased with Wordpress. This article will offer some useful information for bloggers who are considering starting a blog with Wordpress such as reasons to choose Wordpress, tips on starting a blog and information about the support offered by Wordpress. Based on this information as well as their own research bloggers can decide whether Wordpress is right for them or whether they should seek out a different blog network.

Reasons to Choose Wordpress


There are many great reasons to choose Wordpress to start a blog. Some of these reasons include a great variety of templates, the ability to categorize and tag posts easily, features such as spell check, previews and autosave, the ability to post text, audio files and video files, a variety of privacy options and the ability to track statistical data related to the blog in addition to other great features. Some of these features may be more important to some bloggers than others so deciding whether or not Wordpress is right for you will largely be a matter of personal preference. For example bloggers with little or no programming experience may enjoy the myriad of templates available on Wordpress while bloggers who are concerned about privacy issues may be more interested in the privacy options available through Wordpress. Carefully investigating these features will help bloggers determine if they should start a blog with Wordpress.

Starting a Blog with Wordpress


Bloggers who opt to start a blog with Wordpress will certainly not be disappointed by the amount of time it takes to start a blog. A blogger can literally start a blog with Wordpress within minutes. This is tremendously important to bloggers who are eager to get started and do not want to deal with a long process to start a blog. The only requirements for starting a blog are a valid email address and a username. The blogger enters this information into the signup page and receives a password almost instantly. Next the blogger simply has to check his email, follow the activation link provided and use the password provided and the process is complete. The blogger can start blogging immediately.

Support Offered by Wordpress


For many first time bloggers the type of support offered is very important. This is because first time bloggers may have quite a few questions about the process of starting a basic blog and once they establish a basic blog they may have additional questions about using advanced features and customizing the blog. Wordpress offers a great deal of support for bloggers of all skill levels. The support offered by Wordpress includes the ability to contact the support staff as well as the ability to receive support from other members through online forums. Although the support staff is incredibly responsive some bloggers enjoy the ability to communicate with other bloggers in forums. This is because the forums are active 24 hours a day and bloggers can find support from peers at any time.



@templatesyard