If you are trying to run or launch an online business…you need to be blogging. At the very, very least, keeping your blog updated is like making sure the Open/Close sign on your shop window says OPEN. An abandoned blog looks like dust accumulating on the counters, windows smudged, and that closed sign sitting there – does anyone ever turn it over? Is anybody home? Who’s going to buy from a shop like that?
I see this problem over and over – someone’s site looks great, they’ve added lots of new products, but no one knows they’re there because they’ve only published a few blog posts! So then they think their site/internet biz is not working. Gah!!
I am REALLY REALLY REALLY pushing this BIG TIME. You MUST MUST MUST blog!!
The first thing that will happen is the spammers will find you and begin posting comments. That’s good, because it shows you’ve just popped up as existing online! But don’t approve those comments (look at the comment poster’s email and website for Russian, eastern European addresses, or commercial websites, or just general nonsense), unless they look legit.
KEEP BLOGGING.
The next thing that will happen is real people will begin commenting. Now you know you’re starting show up on the web. As more people comment, your site gets more opt-ins (which shows you more web traffic is coming in), and THEN you will start to show up at a decent ranking in search engine results. Depending on how many sites are in your niche, this could take 6 months to 3 years! But you must not give up, you must keep blogging – at LEAST one blog post per week.
The more you learn about integrating keywords and search engine optimization (SEO), the more “findable” you’ll be, too. How many times have you typed in specific phrases or keywords into Google, and been surprised or delighted to find a blog by someone who’s already done what you want to do, or researched your problem, or learned the hard way – and wants to share it with you, for free? That’s one great way for you and your products to be found in the great sea of the internet – and believe it or not, it doesn’t have to be random and you can definitely influence the likelihood of this happening with a few tricks and some know-how.
The other reason to blog at least once per week is so that people know you’re serious and “active”. A friend of mine went to one Freedomite’s site, but noticed that she hadn’t blogged for 2 months, so figured she was shutting down, or going out of business. Thus, she didn’t even consider buying anything from her. Don’t make that mistake! Blog!
Consider it maintenance, infrastructure, foundation, or simply keeping up appearances – the truth is, that blog is all of those things and more for your business.
But it’s also your playground, your open journal, your stage, and your laboratory. Don’t blog because you have to – blog because you want to.
Seriously, I blog because it’s fun, educational, and beneficial for ME as well as my readers and my business. Or, DO blog because you have to, if that’s how you get going: set yourself a weekly goal of one blog post a week, and stick to it. Bribe yourself, threaten yourself, or find your flow – I don’t care, just blog!!!!
…capiche?
Say it with me now: build your email list, and blog. Build your email list, and blog.
There IS an exception to this rule, and that is if you have a business that does NOT rely on traffic generated by search engines. For example, let’s say you have a high-end consulting business where you only have room for 5 clients and all your clients come to you through word of mouth. In that case, you may not need a blog at all! Because your site may function solely as an extended business card, or brochure. Your site may also be the internationally-accessible place for magazines, or events looking for speakers to download your press kit.
In scenarios like that, you do not need to blog regularly. But, if you need to have a steady flow of visitors to your site in order to get yourself and your stuff out there, then you absolutely need to publish at least one blog post per week, or you won’t show up on search engines and no one will know you exist!
In the rest of this unit, we’re going to look in depth at HOW and WHAT to blog, how Facebook (or the social media site of your choice) can be a simple, cheap, and effective marketing platform, and how to optimize your posts for search engine ranking and searchability.
Just remember – blogging is the single, GREATEST thing you can do to build your site traffic, your reputation, your brand, and your search engine ranking. Okay…rant is over. Mostly. For now.











Lastly, in the Keywords field, here’s where you choose a maximum of five keywords or keyword phrases and separate each word or phrase with a comma. So if you have a keyword phrase do not insert the comma until the end of the phrase. Do not use more than 5 keywords or it looks spammy and will decrease your ranking.
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