Blog Rolling, rolling, rolling , raw hide !
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A post by Becky @ PreBlogging.com. I take the more simple approach to blogging topics, i.e. a no nonsense approach to things. This is my 4th guest post here (wow it’s been a month), please check out the other ones , [1] , [2] & [3] and if you like them maybe swing by my own blog !
What is a Blog Roll ?
A blog roll is basically a collection of blogs you recommended and link to. This normally is displayed along the side bar. And getting some people to link to you on their blog roll can really help to start traffic rolling in. Typically blog rolls are displayed on every page, so this means lots of new back links, which will also help your SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages). Being on the blog roll of someone is seen as very much a positive vote for the blogger you are linking.
What should I do with my Blog Roll
You can use your blog roll as a tool to get other people to link to your blog, i.e. swapping blog roll links. So if you put someone on your blog roll, you should ask them to return the favor. Swapping links is one way of using your blog roll, but you may also want to monetize your blog roll. It can be easier than you think to sell a link on your blog roll. One thing I do is offer links to new people who comment on my blog, and charge anywhere from $5 to $25 a month for the privilege. You can sell it easily to someone who doesn’t have many inlinks.
Optimize Blog Rolling
One thing to remember when arranging to be on someone’s blog roll, is that you can get the person to tweak the link text, you can get them to change it to something that will help you even more. Here on John Cow Dot Com, I have a link on his blog roll with my chosen link text, “Guide to Blogging“. This has two results, one is that I will rank higher for this term in the search engines, and two, if it is catchy enough, a user will click on it as they have something in mind they want to find out by visiting your blog. So you get a visitor who is interested in finding out about that topic and you make the search engines love you that little bit more.
Getting on other people’s Rolls
Lately I’ve come across many great writes via google blog search. Just type in a few key words and find some new blogs. If you find that they have a high number of commentators or many links on Technorati, these are the blogs to invest in sooner rather than later. Typically I will offer some of these bloggers $20 to $50 if they will include me on their roll for a year. To new bloggers, who don’t know the value of what a link or series of links is worth, these seem like really decent offers. And in fact this $20 might even help the blogger to be motivated about posting and getting more infamous in the blogosphere. Getting links to your blog is a key way to increase your traffic and a key way to insure that your blog will continue to grow.
My don’t of blog rolling
I would say that you should try and stay away from the bigger bloggers, like ProBlogger / Shoemoney / John Chow and the likes. These guys have more than enough links to their blogs. Seriously, you can be using your links for better effect than helping these guys further. To me it doesn’t look good if you link one of these guys on your list, in 99% of the cases these guys are not going to care. And they possibly won’t notice it either.
If you look at blogging as a method to capture your readers, you don’t want to be sending them to the guys who are already rich and famous. You want to keep your readers on your page, rather than directing them to some of the so called A-List Bloggers , especially without getting any return from your investment.
Credits
For more interesting ideas you can go to PreBlogging.com and read my 5 Step Guide to Blogging.
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John Cow dot Com [url] #8 – Google Bot on April 16, 2008 @ 7:06 pm John Cow dot Com [url] #9 – Yahoo on April 16, 2008 @ 7:03 pm John Cow dot Com » Blog Archive » Blog Rolling, rolling, rolling , raw hide ! [url] #10 – Yahoo on April 16, 2008 @ 7:02 pm John Cow dot Com [url]
That picture with the “What should I do with my blogroll” text above it… Wipe your ass with it?
You dint read bob – “You can use it as a tool to get other people to link to your blog” :d
exactly guys !
Becky
Nice one! Blog roll = toilet roll??
bog roll is slang for toilet paper in England (I can’t speak for Scotland, Wales and Ireland (both of them))
I have a difficult time keeping a straight face re: b(l)og rolls.
L.
I also have a blogroll but I just use it as a bookmark for all the blog I read.
The link thing doesn’t matter much to me, but I probably should be linking to less popular blog so they just might link back.
It’s just very convenient to have all the blog you read to be listed on a blogroll.
I don’t use Google Reader or ever subscribe by RSS. I am a bookmarker!
well you could be selling the Warrior Blog
you should probably check out http://del.ico.us/ for your bookmark needs,
Becky
i dont get the title. but good post.
see here (enjoy)
Great post! I was exactly looking for this kind of information after one of reader ask me how much cost to be on my blogroll. I think I will considered to sell some links on my blogroll. The idea of paying for a whole year, it’s not a bad idea. Thanks
I agree, I don’t link to other blogs that I don’t think have something to offer my readers.
I like the part about staying away from the mega-blogs. I just can’t see my self selling a spot on my blogroll. I certainly am not going to pay someone to put me on theirs. If I put someone on my blogroll, it’s because I like them and read their blog regularly. I’ll use other methods to make money:)
nice stuff definately! worth while read!
I don’t link to big time bloggers but I do read them!
Firstly, good photo to depict a blogroll. Now, I’m not gonna pay to get a link back. If I like your blog I’ll just give you a link whether it’s on a blogroll or an in-text link. If I know you’re linking to me, I’ll make sure I link back to you one way or another. That’s my view of it. I’ve followed this policy and I think I’m doing all right. What I had discovered is that if you keep posting good articles and other infomation and be nice to people, they will come and check you out. But never link to an A-list blog ‘cos they have no time for you. No doubt, you may NOT hit the fast lane yet but that’s all right with me. It comes down to what path you want to follow. The choice is yours.
I have linked to JohnCow.com. Should I remove it
?
“I have linked to JohnCow.com. Should I remove it
?”
The choice is yours…
I think you should, if you manage a little blog, or may be a good one but never biggest than John Chow or ProBlogger, once your readers join to this bloggers, they’ll surely find the same, more and may be best info, and then they wont go back to your site.
I think exactly like you when you said
Thanks for the great tips Becky. I also use my blogroll just as a bookmark right now, as I’m ashamed to say I’ve never got into reading RSS feeds yet.
But, I’ll definitely try paying to join other people’s blogrolls.
I totally disabled blogrolls from my blog, just had some few links at the footer and that’s all. But before I removed it I was just adding intereting links from my niche.
Wanna trade links? *grin*
I haven’t really formalized what I will do with my blogroll, though I only display the 13 most recently updated blogs at the moment. I like to give a link back if someone links to me. I need to get round to putting up the whole blogroll on some page somewhere.
If your in the blogging for money, and readers you should just stick to your league.
Great post! I was exactly looking for this kind of information after one of reader ask me how much cost to be on my blogroll. I think I will considered to sell some links on my blogroll. The idea of paying for a whole year, it's not a bad idea. Thanks