I dont think that the design is too bad, though in some places it does get a little too white. If I were you I think I would try and change the content and layout of your sidebar, just to make it look different from all the other wordpress blogs out there.
Good design. I like more subdued sites. They seem to show an understanding of "content is king" and don't smother the content with gimmicks. The logo is fine and reflect te text oriented aspect of this site. Good layout too. The fluid layout works well, especially with the referential nature of content. Looking at content: are your updates frequent enough? Do you notice a see-saw effect in your site visitors statistics? I am not sure about SEO niched site, but many other niches do well with more frequent updates. Overall, a good, clean site. A very good, professional looking effort. Good on you.