0 Google PR = Dumped by Blog Rush (?)
This blog, like 10,000 others was dumped by Blog Rush (called Blog RASH by the All Tips and Tricks blog…. VERY FUNNY!). Apparently, I’m in GREAT company, which makes me worry about the two remaining blogs that passed the Blog Rush "quality" test. (Read more about the supposed "quality controls" over at SEOpedia "Blog Rush is A Scam")
From what I can see, the only difference between the blogs that passed the test and this one are the ones who "passed" were the ones who "passed" were out of the Google Sandbox and had a PR ranking. This blog is still serving it’s sandbox sentence and as such, has no page rank. Because it’s relatively new (and unfortunately, NOT an only blog child) it hasn’t had the attention (a.k.a. posts) lavished upon it that I do my "favorite" blog children. However, it does have more than 10 posts and it hasn’t had a month of inactivity. (Speaking of Blog Rush, Snowboard John has a GREAT post on how to avoid common Blog Rush mistakes which are good advice for ANY blog post, not just those trying to attract Blog Rush traffic.)
The Right Truth blog was dumped by Blog Rush and the author suspects it’s content based. The Right Truth blog has a Google PR of 0 but an Alexa in the top 500,000.
Tamar Weinberg suspects her blog was suspended because of a less than glowing review of the service she posted. I searched this blog to see if I had made a similar post, but I had not. (I have made derogatory posts about blog rush on other blogs which I did NOT enroll in the service.) Again, Tamar’s blog does NOT have a Google PR ranking.
All Tips also cites 134u.com’s blog rush dump notification post. Again, another site without a Google PR ranking according to my Firefox plugin.
John Cow’s blog which sports a GREAT Alexa ranking (13061) but no Google PR was also dumped.
Local SEO Guide is another blog with GREAT Alexa numbers but no Google PR.
Just when I thought I had the pattern nailed down, I got to SEOCog’s blog. Oops! Not only is SEOcog’s blog a "lucky winner"… it also sports no PR rank. Rats. HOWEVER, it is a Blog Spot blog, so it’s not technically a self hosted blog…. so my theory may hold, just with an exception for multiuser blogs.
Then, I discovered WpTutorial, a self hosted blog site by Mike Paetzold. Despite the fact that WPTutorial doesn’t have a Google PR (according to my plug in), he’s still sporting the Blog Rush widget in his sidebar. He’s not one of the over 10,000 who were dumped.
RATS! So it’s official. There is no rhyme or reason for the Blog Rush Dump!
As for me, I am VERY leary of the "money for nothing" stuff…. and after reading SEOCog’s efforts to be REMOVED from the service, I’m very glad I didn’t list my older, more established blogs with the service.
Blogs as marketing tools
The name of this blog is EZ marketing tool, but it could easily be effective marketing tool as well!
See, Blogs Generate Buzz and Increase Search Engine Rankings. The key to this success formula lies in:
- the ease of quickly and easily creating reciprocal links.
- the ease of creating and publishing content
However, it’s more than just creating links and spider bait. Blogging can become more, as Liz Strauss discovered in her secret to an outstanding blog.
Of course, the first step is naming your blog. Then, create a vision for where you want to go with your blog. Remember, you’re trying to create a conversation with your potential customers or clients.
RSS and your blog….who, what where and why!
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is a quick and easy way to keep track of the latest content from your favorite sites without actually taking the time to surf over and pick up content.
Mandy, over at Build A Blog has done a GREAT job of outlining the step by step method of blog subscription in her post, What Is RSS And How Does It Work?
Money Making Scoop shows How To Increase Your RSS Subscribers. Keep in mind, it’s important to sign up for feeds correctly, as pointed out by BONTB.
Remember, when it comes to RSS feeds, the headline is EVERYTHING.
Keep in mind that the readers you get via RSS are usually technically savvy readers. These will usually be other bloggers or other technically savvy internet users, so if that’s your target audience, then be SURE your site is included the 55 Active RSS Directories
If you are creating a blog as an easy way to communicate with less tech savvy readers who may not understand RSS, then be sure to offer a regular email newsletter to your subscribers. After all, Chris G said it best: "Get the people side right and you have won over half the battle."
Making Money with Blogs
There’s no doubt about it, there are many money making blogs out there. There are TONS of people who tout this popular formula:
Your chosen Niche Market + Write Great Content = Lots of Traffic and Lots of Money.
First, you must define how you want your blog to generate income. Through your own product sales? Through Google AdSense? Through other advertising? Through affiliate marketing?
In his post "Why Blogs Suck" Andy Beard is gracious enough to pull back the curtain on what kind of numbers it REALLY takes to make money blogging for affiliate income.
He references a 2% conversion rate for his blog….which is generally considered a successful conversion rate on the internet. (What, you though 1000 subscribers = 1000 customers? No way!)
Personally, my favorite use for blogs is for independent service professionals as a GREAT way for them to build credibility and trust. Whether you’re a consultant, a coach or an attorney, many service professionals are selling nothing more than what they know. When your product is knowledge, there’s no better way to showcase the knowledge than through a self hosted word press blog.
Got ADD? Then you may have the qualities needed to be a successful blogger!
According to Rich Schefren of Strategic Profits,
"People with ADD are exceptionally suited to excel as online entrepreneurs because of — not in spite of — our so-called “affliction.” You should think of it as an advantage."
Turns out, Rich isn’t the only one who thinks a diagnosis of ADD is a diagnosis for online success.
Pete Quily lists 151 Positive Qualities of ADD.
Turns out, those of us who have been labeld "ADD" are actually:
- high energy
- quick learning
- highly creative
- multitasking
- highly adaptive
- constantly seeking stimuli
All of which come in VERY handy for the business professional with a blog to maintain!
Essential business blogging basic: Know Your Audience
If there is one piece of advice business bloggers MUST take to heart, it’s this: Write with your audience in mind.
In the article, Tips for the new business blogger, Spinning Sillk Media writes:
Remember who your readers are. Depending on your business your readers may not be interested in the technical specifications of your industry. A
Make certain you are writing to be understood by your audience. Copy Blogger goes IN DEPTH addressing this issue in their post: Developing Content that Connects. However, one key piece of advice is to keep it simple. Just remember that your audience is everything. Their interest determines what you write.
If you’re blogging for yourself, well… then you’re not technically "business blogging". Think of blogging as speaking. What would you say to a potential client if you were speaking with them on the phone? How about sending them an email? Well, think of blogging as simply conversing with customers or clients you haven’t met yet. Remember, blogging is simply a way to talk to potential clients/customers you haven’t met yet.
Here’s a great post on questions to ask yourself before writing for your audience.
5 Reasons NOT to launch a blog
1. Do not launch a blog if you don’t have anything to say. That’s just dumb.
2. Do not launch a blog if you have to have complete control over content. Comments happen. Sure, you have control over whether they’re displayed or not, but if you don’t want feedback on your content, then don’t blog.
3. Do not launch a blog if you twist the truth. Your blog is an open record. If you blog and then apply for a job, remember what you’ve posted on your blog can come back to haunt you.
4. Do not launch a blog if you are terrified your ideas will be stolen.
5. Do not launch a blog because you are afraid you’ll be accused of "following the crowd".
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