Lessons Learned In Blogging for LA2M Feb 2010

Lessons Learned In Lessons Learned In BloggingBlogging

By: Christopher RizzoHow To Build How To Build

A Better BlogA Better Blog

Background• Recent graduate from U of M.

• B.A. in Economics and Organizational Studies

• Passion for music, writing, and websites.

• Started blogging as a hobby.

• Hobby turned into a job at Online Tech.

The Rizzo Music Experiment• Started blog in Nov. 2006 on Blogger.

• Question: Could I get people to visit.

• Control: Online marketing only.

• Learned as I went.

The Result

Visitors in 2009

How Did I Do It?

I mean besides hard work, dedication, and a little bit of luck.

Blogging 101A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

-Wikipedia

Blogging 201A successful blog is a website the serves a specific purpose, focused on a specific topic, providing either:

That is updated with new content on a regular interval.

• clear and useful information• entertainment• a combination of both

Where Is Your Blog?

Content TrapsPersonal Business

Use as a journal. Use as a commercial for business

Content is hard to relate to. Content is only about that company’s news.

Can be uninteresting. No value added. Small audience interested.

Before you post: Ask why my audience would want to read this?

Lesson #1: Avoid the Confusing and Boring.

How I Started: Wrote about my favorite songs.

Who cares? Boring!Problem:No focus.


My Solution: Topic: 90s Music.Purpose: To teach people about all the great songs of the 90s.


Why was this a good solution? •Topic not too broad, not too specific.•Know a lot about it. •Love writing about it.

How To Avoid the Confusing and Boring.

• Clearly define your subject.• Mission should be to inform or entertain or

both.• Make sure your source has the knowledge to

inform or the charisma to entertain.

Examples• Mashable.com – Social Media• SEOMoz.org – Search Engine Optimization• Problogger.net – Blogging• TechCrunch.com - Technology• Textsfromlastnight.com – Funny Texts• FML.com – Funny Stories

Lesson #2:Give Them What They Want.

How I Started: Wrote a paragraph on this random

song, wrote a paragraph on this random album.

Problem:No plan.


My Solution: • Establish a weekly playlist and article

series.• Began work on “Pillar Posts”• Make Information Easy To Find


What are Pillar Posts?

Pillar posts are the articles that hold up your blog.

The always relevant/helpful/highly

entertaining posts that any new visitor would enjoy.


1. Identify your Audience content delivery preference.0 Is that lists, countdowns, short news pieces, in-depth cover stories,

podcasts, videos, tutorials, guides, how tos, long or short stories?

2. Write a mix of pillar type posts and posts that keep them coming back for more.

3. Highlight your best content in a place where all visitors can see (sidebar, under post, nav bar).


How do I figure out what my audience wants?1. Ask.2. Use visitor data (pageviews, comments).3. Test, Test, Test.

Lesson #3:Google is Your Friend.


from


How I Started: I knew nothing about how Google ranked webpages. I wrote titles and content without any regard for how

Google interpreted my content.

Problem:Didn’t know HTML nor SEO.


What is SEO?In a nutshell it is providing a search engine with the information about a webpage so that it can reference it accurately and appropriately in web search.


Why is knowing HTML important for SEO?Google “crawls” the HTML code. If you don’t have the right search terms in the right places, Google cannot tell what your webpage is about.


Single Most Important Place to Put Keywords:

The Title: <title>Keywords</title>


This is why it is so important to write descriptive titles.

Make sure the title of your post is the title of your webpage.

Do some keyword research (Use Google Keyword Tool for Ideas)


Other Onsite Places to Put Keywords:0www.website.com/keyword0<h1>keyword</h1> - Heading tags0Image Alt Tags. Alt=“keyword”0In the post itself.0<a href=“”>keyword</a>

Remember:Don’t Over do It!

Onsite Optimization


Example:94,000/190,000From this page


Besides onsite optimization,

Link Building is Key


1 link from highly “trusted” site (ex. CNN.com) = 1,000s of links from small websites/directory sites.


Ways to get links:• Guest Blog• Exchange Links• Promote Content• Give Testimonials• Content Licensing (images, data, news)• Speak at a la2m event.


For more info on SEO Visit:http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleWebmasterHelphttp://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.comhttp://www.mattcutts.com/http://www.seomoz.com/

Or message me @ www.linkedin.com/in/csrizzo

Lesson #4:Social Media is a Puzzle.

But it is Solvable.How I Started:

Use social media sites because they’re free and popular.

Problem:Using for wrong reasons.


But it is Solvable.0 “Cool” Brand/Blog/B2C = Facebook Fan Page0 Social Company/Blog/Person = Twitter0 Likeable or Useful Content = Stumbleupon and Digg.0 Anything Video (Entertainment and Tutorials) = Youtube

Find which one is right for your blog.


But it is Solvable.Successful with:

0 StumbleuponNot so successful with:

0 Twitter0 Facebook


But it is Solvable.How StumpleUpon Works:

0 Toolbar for rating webpages.0 Uses thumbs up/thumbs down to rate content.0 More thumbs ups the more heavily rotated the piece of content is in their toolbar.


But it is Solvable.

Why Stumpleupon?0 Some of my posts have wide appeal.0 Users found them useful.0 Little time required.

50,000 / 275,000 from Stumbleupon

Lesson #5:Keep at It and Enjoy the Ride.

A blog doesn’t become successful over night.

Thank You

Christopher Rizzo

http://www.linkedin.com/in/csrizzo

[email protected]

Lessons Learned In Blogging for LA2M Feb 2010

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