Idiot's Guide to Blogging

Do You Have What it Takes to be a Professional Blogger?

I'm always blown away by the number of people who dream of a career in blogging- I talk to several every day. I am one. You may be one of them, too.

But the truth is very few will ever make it.

Over the years, I've learned that blogging is a lot like the music industry. Many people dedicate a lot of their precious time and energy to blogging in hope that they will one day 'make it big'. They dream of sharing their knowledge, stories, and opinions with the world and getting paid for it. And just like in the music industry, very few strike it rich.

Success in blogging depends on you, what you have to offer, your voice, writing habits, time management, patience, and endurance, among many other things.

Let's say you have quality content, you know how to pull in the traffic and get your readers involved, and you've created a small but strong brand.

But do you have the time to be a pro blogger?

While blogging is an ideal work-at-home job for many, there are a lot of people who don't realize that they will still have to work full time, even when they are able to completely support themselves through online writing. Pro bloggers who only work part time hours are very few and far between, and it's taken them years to get to where they are.

And what about the path to a successful blogging career?

If you're a stay-at-home mom, you're a step ahead of the game, granted that you've got excellent time management skills. But what if you already have a full time job? Can you tack on a few more hours each day, yet still have time for your family and get a full night's rest, just to do it all over again the next day? And can you do this several days a week for the next couple years?

Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to discourage any aspiring pro bloggers from following their dreams, but I've noticed that many bloggers are either misinformed about all the work involved, or they tend to sugarcoat the cold, hard truth.

If this is your dream, go for it, but know that the road is a rocky one.

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Quantity is Just as Important as Quality

There's a lot of talk about quality content in the blogosphere, and if you've been following IGTB, you probably know I've done my share of lecturing about its importance, too.

Quality content is what makes your blog worth reading. It's informative, keyword-rich material that often shows up on the first page of search engine results. It's what other bloggers link to. It's what starts blogging trends. It's what influences new ideas.

But I'm not going to stress the importance of quality today.

I feel that as we progress into the age of web 2.0, we're forgetting some of the most valuable lessons that the web 1.0 bloggers taught us about creating a successful blog.

Quantity is just as important as quality.

Look at your blog's stats. If you have a steady flow of traffic coming from search engines, you will probably find that most of your visitors do not enter your blog from the index page, but rather through a post page. And the more post pages your blog has, the more traffic it will receive (given that you provide quality content and practice SEO regularly).

Think of it this way- each page link that shows up in search engine results is a doorway to your blog. Would you rather have 60 different ways people could enter your blog, or 600?

If you want a significant number of people coming to your blog each day via search engines, it's important that you post often. While posting two days a week seems like a lot of work for some, it only adds up to about 8 posts a month. Multiply that by 12 months, and that's 96 posts a year. Compare that to another blog that is updated 5 days a week (240 posts a year), and that's a difference of 144. If they are both supplying readers with content that is of the same quality, which will fare better in search results? The blog that is updated more often, right?

Of course, I don't condone sacrificing quality for quantity (because quality has a direct effect on your blog's success), but I do believe that if you want to pull in more visitors from the SE's, you need to post as often as possible. (But be sure not to overload your readers with too much information at once!)

What are your thoughts? How often do you post, how long have you been doing it, and how has it affected your search engine traffic?

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Sunday Links: 22 Tips for Higher Search Engine Rankings

After posting about IGTB's rise to PR4 and sharing how I achieved it, I've received a LOT of emails from new bloggers asking for more tips to help boost their PageRank. Apparently SEO tips are in great demand, despite the thousands of websites out there that distribute them freely.

After reviewing several article submissions and doing some further blog research, I've compiled a short list of helpful SEO articles- that's 22 tips total!

Do you have any more tips to contribute?

Maximize Traffic With 10 SEO Power Tips - Rhyan dot Net
10 basic SEO tips that every blogger should know.

5 Tips for Defining Your Own SEO Process - Business OnLine SEO Blog
It's important to have a consistent SEO process if you want high rankings in the SE's. These 5 tips can help you create your own routine.

5 Tips to Effective SEO Keyword Research Analysis - NYCityWatch
Appearing on the first page of search engine results often requires ongoing keyword research.

The SEO Mindset for Artists: Are You Ready for a Long Haul? - Empty Easel
Not just for artists- this article demonstrates the common "waiting period" before your optimization efforts kick in, and the importance of regular SEO practices.

Link Building Tip: Get Free Backlinks From Getting Free Reviews - Link Building Bible
This post lists 7 websites that will review your blog for free.

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