Yesterday I started my 5 week “Blogging for Better Business” workshop. I was inspired to teach this intensive as I read and enjoyed many posts on Blogger Monday with Ann Evanston. Blogger Monday was started to help bloggers find a community that would comment. Let’s face it, you write a blog, you want comments right? RIGHT!
But wait, blogging for business may actually be less about the comments, and more about making sure potential customers find you, correct? That is why I started this intensive; I wanted people to see there are ways for them to get visibility to their blogs doing some very simple things technically that will make a difference.
1- Link to other blogs. Linking is one of the most simple strategies to increase blog visibility. Be sure to link to blogs:
- That inspired you to write your blog (First that is just good social media etiquette!)
- Where you did your research- give credit, again
- That are in your keyword niche and out rank you in search engines
2-Use keyword titles and be sure the permalink is keyword rich
- It’s not just the title; it’s the url (the permalink) that is created from the title that help search engine crawlers
- It’s best to set the permalink prior to publishing, because if you change it later you break the link anywhere you posted it (404 error)
3-Make sure you have categories that you will write relevant content to regularly
- unless you have a “niche blog” you are best to pick five, maybe seven categories and stick to them
- Don’t be clever with your categories; think like your customer
- The more you post to a category, the more “street cred” you get with search engines
These are just a few tips taught in week one of my blogging intensive. I bet participants are already making changes to their blogs! What changes do you need to make?
Ann’s next Blogging for Better Business Intensive starts Sept 7, 2011.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
It was a great first day on the webinar Ann – I encourage everyone who can to sign up for the September event! We all learned a lot and had a fun time 🙂
Great tips, Ann. Yes, we write out blogs to engage customers and turn them into raving fans and paying customers. We live for comments!
My two biggest problems with blogging right now, is making the time to do it and keyword rich titles and links. Since I took the SNCC bootcamp with Laurie Hurley, I understand how you are supposed to find good keywords through Google, but a lot of times I find it difficult to find the sweet spot between price and competition. I’m thinking maybe it gets easier with practice. Being a part of Blogger Monday has helped me for sure with reading other blogs and seeing how they do it as well as getting some traffic to my blog. Thank you for creating Blogger Monday. With the kids back in school, I plan on becoming a more regular participant and doing a better job with my blog.
My two biggest problems with blogging right now, is making the time to do it and keyword rich titles and links. Since I took the SNCC bootcamp with Laurie Hurley, I understand how you are supposed to find good keywords through Google, but a lot of times I find it difficult to find the sweet spot between price and competition. I’m thinking maybe it gets easier with practice. Being a part of Blogger Monday has helped me for sure with reading other blogs and seeing how they do it as well as getting some traffic to my blog. Thank you for creating Blogger Monday. With the kids back in school, I plan on becoming a more regular participant and doing a better job with my blog.
I love blogging, what more can I say? And I love coaching the blogging section of SNCC and helping people to understand why keywords and the title are so important. What I really, really love is the Google AdWord search tool and my students’ reaction when they realize how excellent it is to use when writing a blog. Finally, writing about things other than business is so cathartic. There is always someone out there that can relate and if I reach only one person who has a special needs kid or has experienced some of the personal stuff I blog about, I know my job is done. Fans and followers and sales will come eventually.
This is great. I missed taking notes on some of what you have here so I’ll add them to my notes. I love the focus I’m beginning to get for my business. LOved the first class and looking forward to the rest! If I can survive it! LOL
Julieanne CaseAlways from the heart! Blog: http://www.julieannecasefromtheheart.comReconnecting you to your essence, joy, vitality, youth.| Healing you from the Inside Out |Reconnective Healing | AgeLoc Skin Care | Pharmanex Supplementswww.thereconnectivehighway.com
Thanks for giving us a peek into the blogging workshop. I’m heading out of town so it wasn’t practical, but I learned so much from SNCC, I’m sure this workshop would extend that knowledge. I, too, still find it very difficult to find the right keywords in terms of competition and price (so many things I look up have neither competition nor appropriate price!), but at least I know what the goal is. I look back on some of my early blogs and there are no links at all, so that’s a change, too.
Your point, that blogging to attract business is about so much more than just getting comments, is useful to hear in itself. Perhaps you’ll write another blog on this for us!
Judy Stone-Goldman
The Reflective Writer
http://www.thereflectivewriter.com/blog/
Personal-Professional Balance Through Writing
I’ve loving the Blogging Intensive after just the first week. Proud to say that I knew most of it so far – even the bits I hadn’t got round to doing. This Intensive will make me do those bits thankfully!
I am REALLY looking forward to offering this product to my own clients after I certify!
Louise Edington
Breaking Through Online Frontiers
http://louiseedington.com
I’ve missed the blogging intensive but hopefully in the future when time permits. I am learning so much from SNCC and the blogging section. It’s challenging coming up with a searchable title, but I am determined to get there and do it. I see the value in all the is being taught and just very excited to be a part of the learning. You ROCK ann!!! Living life with Sparkle.
Ooops, missed #1, yikes, linking to….as in other blogs I like?!! Anyway, I am really glad I am part of this intensive…I love blogging, finding the time and the content (as you said!) is where I need to focus. As much as going thru SNCC really prepared me and gave me blogging techniques, I am still learning…so getting these tips is fabulous…I look forward to the rest…had no idea about permalinks or the $4….which will open things up for my keyword searches which kill me sometimes…lol! BUT, I know, finding the “sweet spot” is worth it, and makes ALL the difference!!! Thanks for an interesting fun first week:)
Rita Brennan Freay
http://ritabrennanfreay.com
Never an end to what we can learn! It is difficult for me to take part in webinars and other such wonderful events during business hours…it is just the nature of our business and what I have to do each day — I don’t have the freedom of some other entrepreneurs out there! So I appreciate getting these tips here and in SNCC! I know,too, that I don’t always take the time to put what I have learned to good use with my blogs, and have to commit to doing better if I want to attract potential customers. I have not quite figured out the best key word strategy or the best way to use links, but hope to continue to learn as time goes on. I feel very fortunate to be in this group of amazing people and have learned so much already!
Wow, the first week was already jam-packed – can’t wait to see what the other 4 weeks will hold! Doing your 30 day writing challenge, Blogger Monday and this Intensive seems like a lot all at once, but honestly, it’s kind of like when I cluster events. You focus your time and energy in one area for awhile to give you a lot of bang for your buck. It’s like bootcamp.
Love the blogging intensive already, this morning I already penned a new style blog, and made notes for a bunch more that have relevance to my clients. It feels good to understand the why behind keywords, permalinks and tags, and to have a safe place to get answers! Thanks Ann.
Jennifer Duchene
The Home Makeover Mixtress blending lifestyle, laughter and Chic Cocoons™
http://LYShome.com
Already learning so much, and we’re only one class in. I’m both looking forward to and slightly afraid of the next four classes. My brain is already on overload and I’m “working” more than I should/want to be, at least until kiddo is in school next month. Now if I can figure out how to give up sleep, I’ll be able to get it all done and get everything else done that needs doing around here, lol. Still struggling with finding relevant key words with competition/price requirements as it pulls “related” terms that have nothing to do with what I need (ex. perfect mom becomes perfect gifts for mom… so not what I meant).
This is a must for the blogging business person. The insight into the SEO strategy, the category strategy and key word strategy alone is worth the investment. This is for me my foundation to launch my business. I hope you will continue to offer this in the future because I will surly recommend, I already have a friend in mind who is starting a new business. Thanks Ann
Kirk Zacharda
“Beinf fit Mind-Body-Spirit”
Blogging for business is all about strategy and I got a ton of strategy from just the first week of the intensive. I need to integrate the keywords into my posts and my title more effectively. I want to be clever with my titles and I know that gets in the way but can’t seem to stop…is there a 12 step program for that addiction?
Darcie
Devoted to finding all things delicious.
http://discoveringdelicious.com
Ann, great tips in this blog to make sure that we are blogging with a strategy. After all what good is a blog if no one is reading it and making use of the information? You’ve taught me how to come up with an effective title for my blog posts and I’m more mindful of it. Blogger Mondays is an amazing community!
Thanks, Ann, for a great beginning to this intensive workshop. You logically and systematically present valuable, practical tips for making our blogs more effective and more “findable”.
Years ago, when I wondered how a successful website got that way, I’d look at it’s Page Source and hope to discover the answer somewhere in all that code. I still do look there, but I really appreciate how your strategic advice cuts to the chase — opening doors and saving us time & trouble.
It sounds like your intensive is going smashingly well based on all the happy comments below. I hope to take one someday. Thanks for the quick tips via this pink spoon!
The next change I need to make is to ‘get into’ the writing & videoing on a deeper, more consistent basis. My challenges are the impossibility of being in two places at one time, having only 24 hrs to each day and limited energy. I’m feeling more creative about how I’m handling it all and thinking I can somehow incorporate the above in a blog!
One of the things I most appreciate about your blogs, Ann, is that so many of them contain these succint lists of specifically what to do. It’s your style in general and when applied to blog territory, it makes the information that much more useful because it can be saved and referred to later.
I’m a bit lost in Blogland right now, feeling like a need a shift but not sure what it is.
Yet am sure I will find my way and grateful that I always have quality material like yours to consult.