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Newbie About to Launch His Blog but Had Some Questions

by ikelove
13 replies
After working on the design and content for my site for almost two months, I'm almost ready to launch my blog/site/ All I have left to do is write the actual blog, but I had some questions first.
I would love to hear some feedback. My address is: The Viable Alternative

I have already chosen a keyword so far but I'm not quite clear as to how you use it. What are the ways that one can make use of keywords. Do I simply just put them in the blog that I write?

I am also curious as to how backlinks are made as to regards to your chosen keyword(s). When you post the blogs that you have written on different sites like ezine, articlesbase, etc., are the backlinks that you create supposed to include the very keywords that you have chosen? For instance, if I post an article, and my keyword is "personal development", do I at the end of the article create a backlink that says something like, "for more about personal development visit my site." Will that count as a way to use your keywords?

Also, I haven't created any type of product yet nor have I chosen any affiliate product to market, should my first and foremost concerns be to provide value and build a subscriber base?

Any suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Ike
#blog #launch #newbie #questions
  • Profile picture of the author KenJ
    Hi Ike

    Forget your blog for the moment.

    What you need is a game plan for your business. A blog without a plan is like winking at a girl in the dark - pointless.
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    • Profile picture of the author ikelove
      Originally Posted by kenj View Post

      Hi Ike

      Forget your blog for the moment.

      What you need is a game plan for your business. A blog without a plan is like winking at a girl in the dark - pointless.

      I know, good point. I just felt that I needed to take some action and stop reading and dilly dallying. The phrase, "don't try and get it right, just get it going" has always inspired me. I just thought I'd build subscribers and work from there.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
    Write a welcome post that stays on top and in that welcome post have your keywords. The post should be 2 - 4 paragraphs long and it should state what your site is about and the plan of your site. Many miss this step with having no welcome message but I think it is important to have depending upon what you are trying to do..

    Backlinks will be created in your resource box most of the time, some places allow links in the article itself... But to answer your question, your article should flow right into your resource box. Do not just say click here for more info but instead flow the article into the resource box.

    Here is an example, I am only posted that last part of this article: (social media techniques would be my keyphrase or anchor text)

    ------ Articles last few paragraphs -------
    Providing great quality content is only one of the things you should be doing. You also need to provide quality keyword filled titles that not only will lead to more traffic but higher search engine rankings. Be clever, witty, or even controversial in your titles just remember that the title will also be used as your anchor text for search rankings.

    Another thing to keep in mind is that nobody likes a spammer so it is good to create several different titles and descriptions for your bookmarks. This will help increase the visibility of your bookmarks as well as allow you to target other keywords for the same website your are bookmarking.

    -------- Resource Box ----------
    You can also outsource your social media bookmarking to qualified individuals that can help increase your exposure using social media techniques. Choosing a quality and proven social bookmarking package is going to give you the best over-all website coverage.

    Obviously the ---------- is not going to be in the article but I split it up so you can see where the resource box actually is...

    By flowing your article into your resource box you will see better results because you are not really selling at the person reading. They are not thinking "oh ok another sales pitch" ...

    James



    Originally Posted by ikelove View Post

    After working on the design and content for my site for almost two months, I'm almost ready to launch my blog/site/ All I have left to do is write the actual blog, but I had some questions first.
    I would love to hear some feedback. My address is: The Viable Alternative

    I have already chosen a keyword so far but I'm not quite clear as to how you use it. What are the ways that one can make use of keywords. Do I simply just put them in the blog that I write?

    I am also curious as to how backlinks are made as to regards to your chosen keyword(s). When you post the blogs that you have written on different sites like ezine, articlesbase, etc., are the backlinks that you create supposed to include the very keywords that you have chosen? For instance, if I post an article, and my keyword is "personal development", do I at the end of the article create a backlink that says something like, "for more about personal development visit my site." Will that count as a way to use your keywords?

    Also, I haven't created any type of product yet nor have I chosen any affiliate product to market, should my first and foremost concerns be to provide value and build a subscriber base?

    Any suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

    Ike
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  • Profile picture of the author carltonriddick
    Ike,

    You do want to start building your list within your niche. What is your niche?

    Then focus on post consistently to your blog. It is great that you are taking action.
    This is the main reason so many people fail is because they do not take any action in the first place!

    Great job!
    Signature

    If you do video marketing, you have got to see this - http://bit.ly/SVP-Video-Marketing-Made-Easy
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    • Profile picture of the author ikelove
      Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet View Post

      Write a welcome post that stays on top and in that welcome post have your keywords. The post should be 2 - 4 paragraphs long and it should state what your site is about and the plan of your site. Many miss this step with having no welcome message but I think it is important to have depending upon what you are trying to do..

      Backlinks will be created in your resource box most of the time, some places allow links in the article itself... But to answer your question, your article should flow right into your resource box. Do not just say click here for more info but instead flow the article into the resource box.

      Here is an example, I am only posted that last part of this article: (social media techniques would be my keyphrase or anchor text)


      James
      James, I really appreciate your input, because I was a bit confused how keywords were used. When you say "resource box" I assume you mean the user's "signature"? Kind of like when I see people posting here they have the link to their blog posted on the bottom of ALL their posts. Or is your resource box something that is blank each time you write a new article?

      Also, what is the main purpose of a welcome message? Is it strictly just to rank your page on google for the keywords you choose?

      Last, on your OWN site, where there is no resource box, on average, how many times should you be using your keyword? Does one suffice?

      Thanks again.



      Originally Posted by carltonriddick View Post

      Ike,

      You do want to start building your list within your niche. What is your niche?

      Then focus on post consistently to your blog. It is great that you are taking action.
      This is the main reason so many people fail is because they do not take any action in the first place!

      Great job!
      My niche, as you can tell from the site, is personal development, but I decided not to go with that keyword because there's too much competition. I went with a keyword that had 5,500 searches per month. So the best way is to build a list before I come out with a product?
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      • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
        Originally Posted by ikelove View Post

        James, I really appreciate your input, because I was a bit confused how keywords were used. When you say "resource box" I assume you mean the user's "signature"? Kind of like when I see people posting here they have the link to their blog posted on the bottom of ALL their posts. Or is your resource box something that is blank each time you write a new article?

        Also, what is the main purpose of a welcome message? Is it strictly just to rank your page on google for the keywords you choose?

        Last, on your OWN site, where there is no resource box, on average, how many times should you be using your keyword? Does one suffice?

        Thanks again.
        Your resource box is what is at the end of your article, some refer this to as your about the author section. Some contain 2 links and others 1 link, it depends upon the rules of the article directory.

        You welcome message serces 2 purposes:

        * To welcome the visitor and let them know what the site is actually about

        * To use for search engines and seo purposes... This may or may not work on your site as it depends upon what you are trying to do which goes back to your plan and goals you have..

        Keywords should be used several times, I would suggest reading up on SEO and trying what best fits for you.

        Lastly I think this thread will help you if you take the time to read it ..
        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...eza-first.html

        James
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        • Profile picture of the author ikelove
          Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet View Post

          Your resource box is what is at the end of your article, some refer this to as your about the author section. Some contain 2 links and others 1 link, it depends upon the rules of the article directory.

          You welcome message serces 2 purposes:

          * To welcome the visitor and let them know what the site is actually about

          * To use for search engines and seo purposes... This may or may not work on your site as it depends upon what you are trying to do which goes back to your plan and goals you have..

          Keywords should be used several times, I would suggest reading up on SEO and trying what best fits for you.

          Lastly I think this thread will help you if you take the time to read it ..
          http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...eza-first.html

          James
          James,

          Thanks once again. I actually read that WHOLE thread that you posted about a month or so ago. You where quite a VOCAL participant, lol. I got the lesson from that thread LOUD and clear. I did read about SEO, and now about the Google Keyword Research Tool and how to research keywords. The thing was, no where did I read where they specifically told you how to actually use them. The gist of what I learned was finding a keyword between 2,000 and 20,000 searches a month, and use it to market your site by posting on forums, social bookmarking sites, and article websites like ezine, etc. I also heard guest blogging helped as well.

          My goal is to hit monetize the site. I still haven't a plan on whether I'm going to give away a free e-book to get subscribers to opt-in, or whether I should sell one. I have a long ways to go, but I was tired of reading and wanted to get started. My desire initially was just to inspire people with my blog from my own experiences and I knew that since there's money in this niche, ideas would come on how to make money. I just didn't want to sit around anymore.

          My next question I have: Is it wise to put up a "welcome blog" on a site like ezine since they might consider it "fake" being that it's not really an article about any particular subject matter? I ask because I read a lot from MANY people on here about how ANAL ezine is, so I don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

          Any good resources to learn more about SEO?
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          • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
            Originally Posted by ikelove View Post

            James,

            Thanks once again. I actually read that WHOLE thread that you posted about a month or so ago. You where quite a VOCAL participant, lol. I got the lesson from that thread LOUD and clear. I did read about SEO, and now about the Google Keyword Research Tool and how to research keywords. The thing was, no where did I read where they specifically told you how to actually use them. The gist of what I learned was finding a keyword between 2,000 and 20,000 searches a month, and use it to market your site by posting on forums, social bookmarking sites, and article websites like ezine, etc. I also heard guest blogging helped as well.

            My goal is to hit monetize the site. I still haven't a plan on whether I'm going to give away a free e-book to get subscribers to opt-in, or whether I should sell one. I have a long ways to go, but I was tired of reading and wanted to get started. My desire initially was just to inspire people with my blog from my own experiences and I knew that since there's money in this niche, ideas would come on how to make money. I just didn't want to sit around anymore.

            My next question I have: Is it wise to put up a "welcome blog" on a site like ezine since they might consider it "fake" being that it's not really an article about any particular subject matter? I ask because I read a lot from MANY people on here about how ANAL ezine is, so I don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

            Any good resources to learn more about SEO?
            I see nothing wrong with a welcome on the front page of your site .. It has always helped me get better listings and better results on any site I built.. I have built 10,000's of sites and all of them have always included some type of welcome.

            Think of it this way, a 1 pages sales sites is more or less still the same thing as a welcome message. If it did not work people would not have sales pages...

            As for SEO you will never get the same answers from anyone.. Some self proclaimed experts will tell you this and that while others will tell you what worked for them only .. So the best thing is to test and tweak as it will not be the same results for everyone anyways..

            I do basic SEO on my sites and they have always reached about a 90% - 95% score on SEO.. It works for my sites but does not mean it will work for everyones.

            James
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  • Profile picture of the author jrod014
    Like Kenj said, have a plan before you begin to establish a blog. Figure out the goals of your blog and what you want it to do.

    Will you try to gain subscribers by offering a newsletter or e-course?

    Will it be a niche specific blog?

    How will you monetize it?

    Brainstorm then run with it.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeGriffith
    You need to read a bit about keyword research and SEO to get maximum exposure from the search engines. It's not that complicated, but it would help. It would also help if you have a basic understanding of how article marketing works and how it ties into promoting your blog.
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    PLR Article Rewriting Service
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  • Profile picture of the author Sparhawke
    I am still not really sure what you are promoting or selling...

    I click on a page and I think "here we are, might actually get somewhere this time" and again you keep rambling on about the definition of two words :p

    It is like this page, I could go to any magazine in the world and read some self-affirming crap that no one ever really takes seriously there.

    Even if you promoted Oprah that would be a start, and show me the direction you may eventually wish to take.
    Signature
    “Thinking is easy, Acting is difficult
    And to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world ~ Goethe”
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    • Profile picture of the author ikelove
      Originally Posted by Sparhawke View Post

      I am still not really sure what you are promoting or selling...

      I click on a page and I think "here we are, might actually get somewhere this time" and again you keep rambling on about the definition of two words :p

      It is like this page, I could go to any magazine in the world and read some self-affirming crap that no one ever really takes seriously there.

      Even if you promoted Oprah that would be a start, and show me the direction you may eventually wish to take.

      I hear you. I created my blog after researching a list of the top self- improvement blogs at Personal Development Blogs. I see that a lot of these sites have an e-book that they give away for free in exchange for your name and email address. I thought it best to build up a subscriber list by providing value like good blogs, podcasts, etc. then when I've built trust with them sell them an affiliate product or my own. I honestly haven't figured that all out yet. What I was told from other people here was to build up a list first and focus first on giving value.

      Does that sound reasonable?
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      • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
        You are complicating things for yourself. You could have had several blog posts up by now.

        You can always write, and publish/unpublish posts.

        You add them (keywords) in as tags, and use proper categories.

        What kind of content did you envision on your blog when you started?

        I say just go write something.

        It's not like it is permanent. That blog is very naked right now.

        You will want a couple of posts up before you will even have something to really link to. Drop some posts, then you can fix em up later on the kw's as you learn.
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        "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

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