Okay, it might seem to you like I'm living in a timewarp but could someone tell me what the point of blogging is - from a webmaster / financial point of view? Now I know blackhats have software to "write" multiple spam blogs to get links to spam websites - but I don't want to do that. So what's the point of writing blogs when I could spend the same time writing content for traditional websites? Is there any? I know my questions might seem a bit retarded but please could someone tell me about this so I can get out of my timewarp.
Explorer, I don't agree with all the hype but blogs do have a role. They are easy to update and have a different and more immediate feel than traditional websites.
Another point of blogging is it gives you the tools to get your message out to other mediums other than your own personal website and search engines. Blogs are also another way to create backlinks for your website by having them picked up by other outlets. Where with just writing content for your website you have to wait for the search engines to index and pick up that content with only the possibility of receiving 1 single backlink from that content on your site, whereas with a blog you can pick up several BLs with one post.
Look at it as an extension of your web site. The part that doesn't have to be perfect and can include your own personal touch. A well written blog can convince a visitors to become a client. just like the name Ford can draw you to a dealership, but the way that the sales person handles everything can make a difference between you leaving the store and making a purchase.
Thanks for those replies - and I see where you're coming from in terms of immediate feel dburdon and personal touch Mike. Those two reasons are probably not enough to push me personally over to blogs though. Las Vegas Homes raised a couple of other points. How does this work? Thanks
By setting anchor text links inside your text to point visitors coming from other outlets to your website. You then must setup Atom/RSS feeds to blog directories that have this content picked up by other websites that will display your articles, almost like adwords / adsense. All blog programs have the functions to allow you to do this. I would also suggest to look around on the search engines for blog portals to submit your blog to as well. Hope this answers your question.
Right, thank you. A couple more questions if you don't mind, I know it's a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string" but what sort of inbound traffic do people expect coming into their blog from RSS etc? Do people's blogs get tripped up for duplicate content if other sites are showing their content?
I do not believe they do. Most of the sites that pick your blog post up are only displaying sniplets of your blog post and the link is coming from the blog portal that picked it up. As for the traffic I can say at least in my industry which is real estate, I have had customers contact me from seeing blog post that I have made. You always want to try and get your website address in the first part of the post, simply because that will show within the sniplet of info that others are showing on their sites.
For me, blogs are more about being the only author on a website and allowing people to comment on my articles if they wish. I run a few "traditional websites" and they are mainly retail sites. Not something that needs comments, RSS, quick updates, etc... "From a webmaster / financial point of view?" Financially speaking, I make more from my blogs than my retail sites. I can count on money everyday (from adsense), where I might see a sell every few days on the retail side. On the retail sites, users come for my products. - On my blogs, users come for me.
Look at a blog as a great way to manage content. By using a good blog software, like wordpress, for your website, you can create and modify content easily and have it all in the perfect place without extra work. Not all blogs are just pointless chatter.