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Taking a different approach to ghostblogging- anyone done it before?

by pbrite
4 replies
My brother runs a deep sea charter boat in Destin, Florida. Technically it's a yacht, and the other fishing charter folks don't like him because he's good at what he does on a pretty boat versus a rough rider. They won't list his boat on their charter websites because the boat owner is a rich guy who likes to use it for luxury and doesn't have a real concern about chartering right now. Basically he pays my brother a salary to "take care of it" so he can bring clients on it. I know, it makes me sick, too!

Any charters he gets is good, but it's not the primary reason for the boat at this time.

That leaves my brother in a conundrum. His boss won't give up any advertising money to market the boat effectively so that he can get steady work beyond the repeat customers. Destin is a hotspot for vacations and fishing because they host fishing rodeos and the water is really nice.

SO I proposed him the idea of creating a simple blog and posting articles for him. I create the buzz, get attention and reap any profits from the blog. In exchange he gets visibility and ups his web presence and exposes his contact info around the world versus the local area. Here's the blog

I've done some basic SEO/keyword searching to help Google find the articles.


Right now I have Adsense on the blog. I have five pre-written articles based on my brother's knowledgebase as a coast-guard certified and experienced captain. I'm not the expert so I suggest article titles to him. He gives me the straight dope. I print it and he approves/makes suggestions.

Since I just started it a week ago I've uploaded two articles, but I created backlinks in two forums, Facebook pages for Destin (and a nearby town) and Trip Advisor. The forums are surprisingly lax about allowing backlinks in posts, which is a benefit to us, I guess! I used Alexa's and other people's suggestions about using DMOZ and Yahoo! directory to find people looking for fishing articles.

Has anyone ever done a deal like that before? I guess you could consider it a joint venture. Any other suggestions? What's a good amount of backlinks to start with without overkill?
#approach #ghostblogging #taking
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    You want to attract charters, right? Here's a little tip from a fellow Floridian and angler.

    Probably the most common question any charter captain, guide or bait shop gets is "how are they biting?" Post regular (at least weekly), dependable fishing reports for your area, and you'll build a loyal following. Supplement that with trip reports of memorable trips, humorous happenings, tips like you do now, and you'll do very well.

    Give your brother a "resource box" with a call to action to book a charter.

    As for your own profit, maybe you can negotiate a 'finder's fee' instead of the Adsense. Or feature things like fishing clothes, sunglasses, etc. from Amazon or Bass Pro as an affiliate. All you're doing with the Adsense is drumming up traffic so you can send them to your brother's competition.

    I'd also consider investing $10 in a domain name and getting some real hosting. That's what your competition is doing.

    Of course, if any pretty girls in bikinis catch big fish, feature their photos.
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  • Profile picture of the author pbrite
    Wow, dude. those are some good tips. Funny thing is I live on the west coast while he's in Florida so we've decided to do weekly phone calls. WHen the season ramps up I'll task him for fishing reports.
    Also what do you think about related affiliates? I'm going through CJ and I would like to think that fishers also like golf. And definitely applying for outdoor wear and perhaps some vacation affiliates, too.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by pbrite View Post

      Wow, dude. those are some good tips. Funny thing is I live on the west coast while he's in Florida so we've decided to do weekly phone calls. WHen the season ramps up I'll task him for fishing reports.
      Also what do you think about related affiliates? I'm going through CJ and I would like to think that fishers also like golf. And definitely applying for outdoor wear and perhaps some vacation affiliates, too.
      Some "fishers" (better terms would be 'fishermen' or 'anglers') also like golf, but for most it's either one or the other. Remember, the whole point of the blog is to sell your brother's charter services. Trying to peddle golf tips and equipment is not the way to do that.

      One way to approach making your own profits is to have a section on what the family can do while the angler of the family is out fishing. Beach-y items fit here. You might also do well with an affiliate that does vacation rentals. That's big down here.

      I haven't tried it, but gift cards for popular restaurants might work. I don't know if it's the same in Destin, but in my neck of the woods we have some fantastic seafood places. Yet the tourists and snowbirds cram into Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Outback Steaks, etc.

      Here's something else you might discuss with your brother...

      Is he open to, or able to, provide other types of charters? Dolphin watching, for example. Or maybe just a leisurely cruise past some of the bigger/fancier/celebrity beach homes. Many captains down this way supplement their fishing charters this way.
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      • Profile picture of the author pbrite
        Wasn't planning on any golf articles b/c neither one of us does it, but I thought it would be an interesting small banner to put on the site.
        He provides other services. even scuba when it's not winter. I have a link to the services page. He bought a site and a host from a really crappy company two years ago. It was cheap but very hard for him to do anything in. I have to get his login info so i can fix it because the page is horrible.

        Funny you mentioned family. That's one of the articles coming up that I will syndicate after it's indexed. "Can you take the kids on a deep sea charter?"

        Destin does have national chains and family-oriented stuff and some really pretty beaches in the area, but most people know that when they are going to Destin, they are going to fish. I should consider an article for that and ask my brother what he does with the nephews on his off days.

        Also doing some articles on specific fish and his experiences. He has some sweet youtube vids of him catching fish and winning prizes in Destin. The goal is to do the fish profile and add the video in the article. I think those will do well in the fishing forums. Already posted links to the blog from there.

        BTW if you decide you want a charter and you head that way, I'll have him cut you a deal for all your help!
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