If you're a new writer, just entering the blogosphere, you'll find an overwhelming amount of advice telling how to blog, how to monetize your site, what rules to follow for search engines, how to create passionate readers, and how to boost your traffic. One element that's often missing is the all-important subject of what to blog about in the first place. Let me urge you to follow this simple flow chart to help answer that question:
I'm not suggesting that it is impossible to make a name for yourself in these fields, but I would suggest that it's considerably more difficult to become popular, stand out from the crowd or capitalize on success. The fact of the matter is, if you can start up a local blog about the independent hip-hop scene in Seattle or the financial side of the restaurant business or the intersection of immigration and entrepreneurship, you've got a far better shot at becoming a leader in your field.
Many folks are shaking their heads reading this, saying, "but, Rand - those niches don't have a developed readership yet - I doubt I could get more than a few hundred people reading a blog in that space, while DailyKos and Engadget have 20,000+ readers." It's true - arenas like technology, politics, and celebrity gossip do have a huge built-in audience. However, I'd argue that blogging is still a very, very young field and an emerging form of media consumption. While there may not be a massive market for blog readers in the field of traditional Spanish cooking today, my preference would be to take the leadership role and have a shot at becoming the Michael Arrington of sofritos and paella, instead of an also-ran Apple fanboy.
I've illustrated the primary problem with launching a blog in an over-saturated market below:
The bar-chart above isn't precise, but the message is an obvious one. The top 10 (sometimes 20 or 30) bloggers in a particular space are exceptionally popular. Thousands of feed subscribers and a million or more page views each month are common for these giants of their respective industries. Following on their heels are a slew of sub-niche and second-tier bloggers. In a popular arena like gadgets or politics, these too can attract a significant following. I'd probably say that SEOmoz, in the grand scheme of web production and marketing blogs, fits squarely into this arena.
The last, tertiary group contains thousands of blogs, most with fewer than 50 daily readers. It's not that these blogs are unimportant or a waste of time - far from it. If you have the passion and the desire to blog and are familar with the stiff competition you face to build an audience (or, better yet, aren't concerned with an audience and simply blog because it's what you love to do) then, by all means, don't stop. However, if you want to break into the top ranks of your niche, I'll use one, final example to help make up your mind.
Three Hundred and Ninety.
According to the latest count from Lee Odden's Online Marketing Blog, that's how many unique blogs cover the SEO/M sphere - and that's just the ones he's reviewed. There are dozens, and probably hundreds more. While I'd love to read all of these each day (actually, I'd probably only love to read a couple dozen), it's simply not possible. There's so much to read in the SEO world, so much coverage of every news event, so many people vying to land an interview, get a scoop, break a story or take a new angle that the struggle to get a new blog noticed borders on impossible.
I receive an average of 10 emails a week asking me to review a post made by a new blogger in the search marketing world. Of these, I write about less than 10% - not because I'm a heartless bastard (despite what Rebecca says), but because only 1 out of every 20 is worth writing about. Danny and the SEL crew probably receive 2-3X this amount (if not far more), and yet, since its launch last November, I'd guess that SEL has covered maybe 20 stories total that link to the tertiary level of search marketing blogs.
Saturated fields are tough competition, tough places to find stories and have dismally high abandonment rates. If you decide to enter a crowded media landscape, at least go in with your eyes open.
BTW - Let me know what you think of the graphics in SEOmoz posts. They take a little while to make, but I personally enjoy the visual stimulus.
Hi Rand =)
I must disagree with you on this one! I really don't think you should discourage people to blog about any of these subjects! You are more or less saying "you have no hope in hell" to become successful and get loads of traffic unless you are a great writer or have a wealth of personal expernience etc etc. I actually think you are being a bit condesending (and you know I love you Rand). Imagine if you read this blog before SEOmoz was successful would you not feel a little deflated and dissapointed?
Besides if you understand and know how to search engine optmise your blog, YOU CAN reach that audience and increase your traffic. The whole point of SEO is that it's not only the BIG companies that gets a chance to be at the top. Ok i might not have the greatest looking blog yet, and I only have an average of 20 visits a day, I'm going to continune improving and I will get there. Too all of you that have just read this post, don't be discouraged!
ps: i might have a small blog but my blog is number 12 on Yahoo for "seo blog". ok yes I know i'm not really getting any traffic from Yahoo and it's not the same as if I was on the first page of Google for the same keyword, but all in time...all in time..
I have to disagree with you here, Lisadit.
Though Rand and I have not seen eye to eye in the past, this post actually takes my past complaints about an oversaturated SEO blog market and not only helps you to see the overwhelming odds a newbie must face, but also points out that there are hundreds of thousands of niches out there that no one or almost no one is writing about!
How great would it be if not everyone in the world wrote a blog in response to something Matt Cutts or Danny Sullivan wrote today?!?!? How great would it be if people specialized and brought fresh information that no one else was offering?
What if you didn't have to wade through the hundreds of SEO blogs to find fresh quality info because this person focuses on this aspect and this person focuses on that? If we only had 30 commentators on the "state of the union" and the rest honed in on details, we would eventually have hundreds of specialized experts.
Not to mention that some people blog about SEO who would be much better off blogging about up and coming New York painters or silk plant designing or even the psychology of blogging... something that isn't already being done by a hundred or a thousand other people.
It's true that there are some people out there who can defy the odds. But for those of us who already have too many industry blogs to read, it would be a far greater service if newcomers found their own niche and simply wrote comments on blogs like this when they felt the need to voice an opinion.
Lisa - I think you're just being too modest. You're one of the most compelling people I've met in the SEO industry, and if I had to guess, I'd say you fulfill all of the criteria in my flowchart above. Is it a bit over-the-top? Absolutely, but I think it's good for folks who are thinking about blogging in those sectors to consider those questions.
As for us and SEOmoz - if I had entered the field today, there's no way I'd write about SEO. 2.5 years ago there were fewer than 10 well known blogs on the subject and a huge demand for daily information.
I certainly dont' mean to be condescending, nor to suggest that there might not be some great, passionate, devoted writers who can have success in those fields. I'm just trying to get budding bloggers to consider going the road less traveled and reminding them of the potential for far greater rewards.
Agreed. Heck my little blog doesn't have that many readers, but it has a few that are kind enough to pass me some linkage when I post something decent. Do I consider it a failure? No, I consider it a challenge and a way for me to develop different skills. (Unlike quite a few of you that came into this field from the marketing side, I came into it from the development side).
>>>despite what Rebecca says
Well if she's telling you that to your face, how on earth am I supposed to blackmail her? ;-)
Eh - all depends on why you're doing your blog and who you are. I agree that certain people like Danny have a huge advantage over most others in starting a new blog, but I wouldn't say not to do it at all.
What I would say is to give it a try - if you start building a readership, then work harder at it and attempt to hit the next level, whatever it may be. If you've been blogging for six months and you still have a tiny readership and a low ratio of inbound links, then this probably isn't your thing and maybe change directions or start something else in a different arena.
Something is missing from your list though rand - passion and personality. Makes for better sex, makes for better blogging.
Sugarrae, I read your blog regularly, and it's definitely got personality! :)
Thanks WebGeek - I blog for me, which is likely pretty apparent lmao. My old personal blog had a name that stated as such. LOL. Just looked through your portfolio - you've got some nice work in there dude, seriously.
Edited to add: Pretty pictures that don't require me to think as hard are always good rand. If JC has to spend time making them? Ohhhhh... even better. :P
You're welcome! One of the great things about your blog is that you're real and I think that's what keeps people coming back. Gotta say, the James Bond-esque (or maybe Jane Bond-esque?) logo rocks. :)
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed my work. :)
I think you can blog about a popular topic, but you need to be willing to be very creative and put a slant on it that other people don't. For instance, women bloggers in the SEO industry are already set apart a little bit for bringing a different perspective to it (I'm not being sexist; I'm a woman myself after all).
I know that Rebecca, Jane, and Mystery Guest's posts are appealing to me because they have a slightly different slant to them - this may also be because they focus less on "tech" issues, and they are written in a highly conversational style. I hope I'm not being controversial here, so perhaps it's their fresh take on SEO and not their gender that draws me in.
Anyway, whether you blog about a popular topic or a more obscure one, no one will come to you if the posts are infrequent and the writing quality poor. If you can manage quality posts on a regular basis, you're already standing ahead of the 1000s of blogs languishing in obscurity. If, on top of that, you can add a "twist" that makes you stand out, you're in.
I guess I'm saying that no one should be discouraged from writing about any topic, as long as they meet the criteria of 1) quality writing; 2) consistent posting; 3) uniqueness.
Although your advice may be well rounded for the average blogger, I firmly believe that entering an oversaturated field, may just be the best thing you can do, given that you have some creativity, are willing to write to the largest audience group and have a stylized approach to content delivery.
The reason why I say this is:, 1, those topics already have large reader bases established online. 2. The changing audience of the "too established" competition in combination with the low quality new comers who dilute the marketplace create a perfect opportunity for a hardworking newcomer to grow a HUGE blog readership in a short period of time.
Allow me to clarify with Internet Marketing as an example. As the bigger Internet Marketing blogs become more established and hit thousands of subscribers, they seem to start targeting their blogs at more and more of a technical or extremely internet savvy audience (which is not where the big money or audience levels are) This probably has to do with how boring it gets to write to an audience level you no longer are (ie write for business owners and professionals with average computer skills when you’re a full time geek).
At the same time, with all the experience of writing so many articles, the big boy's posts tend to get longer and more and more thorough. (look at all the words in this seomoz post) as they move father into the direction of DIY (Do it yourself) or news reporting. Now while this trend is happening, almost simultaneously 1,000s of new blogs pop up, but don't get updated or have enough time invested into them due to the lack of initial profitability when faced with so many competitors. Take a look at the toprankblog list, 90% of them are updated less then twice a week and have HUGE usability problems.
Now these two trends continue until eventually there opens up a large untapped market gap, that most people can't see. It lies in a new blog writing to a less technical audience that is interested in the subject, but not in DIY or a HUGE flurry of too much news, or the long over drawn articles the top dogs are pumping out.
I'd go with you on the lenth of some blog posts - Danny Sullivan's in particular seem to have transformed into scientific theses - way too long to read on a daily basis.
I'd guess that this is also the reason that some people's responding comments also tend to get a bit wordy?!
;)
I tend to leave long ranting comments, but in general I think it's better to "rant" in the comments on other people's blogs (gives you a lot of click thrus) and keep your business blog posts shorter and faster to read (if you have to write a long post provider summaries at the top for people short on time.) I don't know, what do you think?
Plus the SEOmoz blog is full of SEO geeks, so it's a good place for serial comments and rants. I also don't read Danny Sullivan on a daily basis anymore; too much information, too long of posts. I need something shorter and more to the point for daily reading. I still browse Search Engine Land weekly though.
PS. My "Seomoz is full of SEO geeks" comment was not an insult. I'm an SEO geek!! So please don't thumb me down for it. I mean it as a complement.
Actually, your use of SEO geeks is why I gave you a thumbs up. Geek is chic, afterall!
Lest other readers think your opinions of SELand are indicative of a trend, let's remember that Danny's blog (in a matter of just a few months) has already become better read than SEOmoz. I personally read everything that's written there (or at least skim).
I think you're being a bit self effacing there... I'd put them on the same level myself.
However, it's an unfair comparrison, to bring timescale into it. After all, he can leverage an audience that 99.9% of start up blogs can't. He's a recognisable name, and he can trade off that.
It gets as much traffic as it does, because it's his blog, not because it's good. Althought it is good. I'm not saying it's bad. Ah heck, you know what I mean...
But yes, I'd say SEOmoz is "up there" in the elite.
Count me in on the 2nd part (and then reading stuff that catches my eye) - there just aren't enough hours in the day otherwise..
The market gap I was talking about is real, whether or not you believe me. Danny receives traffic, due to his name recognition he built up from SE watch in addition to his extremely frequent updates. Even if his blog sucked (It doesn't remember I read it myself), people would still visit it a lot, but it doesn't address the very real, very large market gap I refereed to. Since you have so much experience in your field and have been blogging for so much time, I believe you can't / won't see what I'm talking about.
First question: How many unique visitors per day do you think a successful blog in SEO & Internet Marketing should have? 10,000, 20,000? How many viewers does Seomoz have?
Second question: If I personally build an Online Marketing Blog and get it to that daily level of viewers (hopefully a lot more then that) in less then 1 year, with a new domain and a new blog name, would you believe me?
Oddly enough I've been thinking about this exact same topic for the last few days. And I too mostly agree with you. I have a blog and naturally enough it mainly deals with seo. And I know that tomorrow I can write the quintessential post on something like linkbaiting and no matter how good that post may be only so many people will likely ever read it.
I'm certainly biased, but I'd like to think my blog is good, maybe not s good as some, but better than many. Yet I wonder if the market for seo blogs is simply so over saturated that no matter how good I make mine there's little hope of every being widely read.
However, I have to disagree with you about entering a saturated market based on one point. I've always believed you should do what you love to do. You should do things you are passionate about. I could probably go out and write a blog about early American pottery and maybe dominate the niche, but I wouldn't write on that topic. Not because of the amount of traffic or lack of traffic the topic may generate, but simply because I have no interest in the subject and that would come across in the writing.
I agree with you about how competitive some markets are and how it might not be the smartest decision financially to enter one of those markets, but to me I'll enjoy my life more in trying to compete in that space regardless of the competition than I will competing in another space I could dominate, but have no interest in,
I think the passion I have for seo keeps me working at it more than I would for another industry and that passion will help lead me to a better product as well as more thought about where I might be able to find a niche I can compete in within the overall saturated general topic.
The graphics are great. I know they take time to create so I will understand if I don't see a lot of them, but they do add visually and can also convey more information than the words you might have used in their place. I'll be glad to see more.
vangogh - I'd say that you and I are still in agreement. Note that I wrote above:
This also applies if you already have lots of traffic and simply want to offer them a chance to read the blog.
That's what I get for reading at 2:00 AM. I miss a few things here and there.
Some examples of subniching the the top 10 into smaller segments that may be more popular than tertiary ones:
Over-saturated or not, people should follow the obvious rule of not writing about that which they don't understand. You could be a talented writer and you may be blogging in a unique sphere, but just choosing a subject that others aren't writing about it no use unless you're somewhat of an expert.
Ever notice that rules are broken exponentially based on how obvious they are? ;)
While I agree with the overall sentiment, I think it is more important on the delivery of the information.
One might possibly write about something without being an expert in a way that encapsulates the thoughts, questions, and concerns of the neophytes while hopefully inviting experts to join in the conversation
But of course writing as an expert without the expertise is another matter. What the web has done to propel the word "guru" into common and popular use is frightening.
Maybe the T-shirt for this period of time could be reflected as:
I think it's exciting, now the word "expert" or "guru" no longer necessitates BS politics, organization memberships and the "buddy buddy" concept. You don't need anyone's permission to publish, to reach an audience and delivery any message you want, period.
Like never before it's about the marketing, and the performance based on the marketing's claims. Since everyone can claim whatever they want, it's now up the person making the statements to backup what they say with evidence, and real world performance.
A new Search Marketing "expert" or "guru" could rise from obscurity to being worth multiple millions of dollars and they don't need anyone's permission or any organization membership or even any college degrees or professional endorsements. They simply have to be able to market to an audience and perform on what they claim.
It's a very powerful concept and I'm glad the old power plays restricting access to the guru category are permanently broken. Make a claim, market the hell out it and then perform and you're in. Doesn't matter if the old industry pros like / endorse you or not!
Focusing on a targeted niche could also be a strategic move. If you are starting out at zero and trying to run with the elite, you are not only trying to position yourself with or against them, but every other blogger who is trying to join that coveted position.
There is nothing to say that you couldn't broaden a niche blog gradually over time. You build a name as the goto blog for "widgets", which is a niche of "woggles." Gaining the attention and"votes" from the elite that you are looking to join helps you further your authority much faster than if you were simply trying to join them on the same topic. For one thing, they may appreciate your deeper insights, but they also may feel less challenged.
It would seem that once that authority is attained at that niche level, you could broaden your focus to work your way back up the long tail.
That's really the happy medium. Find the broad topic that you're passionate about, look for an under-represented niche within that topic, and use it to test the waters. I think that's a much more likely recipe for success than targeting a topic based solely on the market share.
I agree with WebGeek...
Option one would be to take on a topic that does not have too much competition, but if you can't choose that, then you have to really love what you're blogging about.
Rand wrote:
Regardless of the topic, you're love (or passion) forblogging about your specific topic is what keeps it fresh.
Great post, Rand. And the graphics rock. :)
I think it all boils down to what you said here:
This post merely points out the realities - it doesn't discourage anyone...in fact it gives some good direction to those wishing to start a blog.
Personally, I always like to get in over my head, so I chose SEO and web design for my blog topics. What fun would it be without a challenge, right? But heck, they are topics I'm passionate about. :)
From experience, I've noticed on DailyKos, that you can write a great article and be a great writer and still not crack the front page. Obviously there will be a few people who crack into these niches. The web isn't what it used to be a few years ago when if you blogged, you had a pretty good chance of getting readership and even make a profit. Now, everyone and there Mother can start a blog. This causes more competition from readers and more difficulty to really make a name for yourself and/or site. However, I agree that if you have a unique voice in a sub-niche, you can make it a bit easier.
I think your caveat about professional goals (in the flowchart) is an important one. I know, for example, that my usability blog is never going to have the audience Jakob Nielsen does, but my objective isn't to get rich being a blogger. In addition to building my own credibility, especially in my local market, the blog is primarily an exercise in self-education. Writing decent posts means doing my homework and learning more about a field I sincerely enjoy. At the same time, it's an exercise in becoming a better writer. Although I've done a fair amount of writing, the internet (and especially commenting on blogs) has made me, like many people, a lazy writer. I realized this in particular when ranting on political blogs. Being a conscientious blogger has improved not only my general writing but, I hope, my blog commentary, both of which have been invaluable to me professionally.
Nice use of the word caveat :) And I agree too, on that point.
I'm also a great fan of the word caveat (in fact I used it somewhere today - I should add as a caveat that I can't remember where!)
;)
On a vaguely serious note, the point about using a blog to build your reputation is I think vital - if I'm looking at an agency to use that I've found at an event or something other than through the engines, and they have a blog that has useful, insightful comments, it may influence my decision of whether to use them.
So they may not have got me with their blog in the typical way, but it might just by the tipping point in terms of using their services...
I'd add some stuff like:
Are you willing to stick it out for months or even years?
Will you post on a regular schedule?
If you will do those two things it doesn't matter how creative you are or how great your writing is. Consistancy will win over many readers and improvements in writing are almost inevitable if you keep at it regularly.
I mean, really, the first question excludes 99.999% of everyone!
Oh, and as mentioned above if you can break stories first you'll have a definate advantage.
I do agree that developing your own market is much more powerful.
And the graphics are good though I think you should stay away from charts that aren't "entirely accurate". That's just bad form and misleading - we all know how people "read" web pages. ;)
I don't really agree with this article. While the data makes sense, I feel this is discouraging to any hopeful blogger thinking about joining the many bloggers currently online.
I think the emphasis should be more about a topic you are familiar with, and perhaps privy to as opposed to choosing a topic that you may be interested in.
I don't think any topics are necessarily off-limits simply because they're popular, or already spoken for. I think a topic would be considered off limits if you aren't an expert on, or passionate about said topic.
Anyone has the opporuntity to breakthrough if they work hard enough and know enough about a given topic. That's why companies rise and fall, and come and go. It's competition.
Sending out a message that it's best to avoid a certain subject, imo, is the wrong one.
This reminds me of a post in a screenwriting blog I read a while back entitled Throw in the Towel. It starts of telling all the aspiring screenwriters reading the blog how awful their stuff is and how they'll never amount to anything in Hollywood.
As it progresses, it's tempting to give up. After all, breaking into the biz is hard. But at the end was a little encouragement. That is, if you got to the end - the VERY END.
And so it is in the blogosphere. I think bloggers need to remember that blogging is writing (ok, except for photo blogs and video podcasts). I know it LOOKS SO EASY. But good writing is hard. AND IT SHOULD BE. If you want to get rich quick, win the lottery or marry a rich person (without a prenup). But by all means, do not, under any circumstances, get into any field of writing for a quick buck.
There's so much to read in the SEO world, so much coverage of every news event, so many people vying to land an interview, get a scoop, break a story or take a new angle that the struggle to get a new blog noticed borders on impossible.
I would argue with that. As Solomon was saying above, it's probably easier in the SEO field to get a blog noticed -- and I'd add that specialization is the best way to do it. Look at guys like Brian Mark, who blogs specifically about the Google OneBox, or Mike Blumenthal, who blogs almost completely about Google Maps -- they're both doing great stuff and getting noticed for it, mainly because there's a culture of blogging in this industry.
Most of the markets that our sites cover are still pretty virgin territory when it comes to blogs.
Often this means that the ones we have get very limited traffic, which can be very demotivating for the journalists writing them. What I would add to this post therefore, is that if you are trying to get a client (internal or external) to start blogging, the hardest part is often to convince them it is worth doing it in a sector that hasn't got a fully fledged blog audience already.
However, we do have a couple which have become the SEL for their sectors (biofuels and trucks since you ask) and these are our examples of why its worth it.
When I recommend forming a blog to a client, I don't do so with the vision of a massive readership. I tell each client to start a blog if for no other reason than to generate fresh content for their website. Imagine how competitive one oil and gas investment website will become if it becomes the ONLY one among competing sites to regularly add fresh content.
The regular readership may come or go, but the importance of client blogging is consistent content. Chances of being found during search increase, and those who visit are likely to read more pages and stay longer because the client site is an authority (especially in comparison to those others who just have the same static pages every time you visit).
Of course, I definitely wouldn't mind if a client ended up building a larger readership than I have. But that would just be icing on the cake.
Here is another thought: one of the attractions of a blog (to a reader) is its voice. Even the best writers can't tell a story in a way that would appeal to everyone. The same with a blog, I think. Given enough pesistence, promotion, time and talent, even in a saturated market you can develop an audience that finds your story telling voice more engaging then others. Given, of course, that your blog is as good as the others.
P.S. The graphics are spiffy and informative, keep them coming.
I mostly agree with the post but I would probably add that not all competitive niches are the same. For example Gadget blogs are not really about the quality of the posts but more about speed. If someone has the time to write 10+ posts a day out of which 2 are original (not quoted from other blogs) he will probably do well when he manages to get in the feed reader of Engadget's, Gizmodo's (and any of the other big gadget blogs) editors.
Politics and Internet Marketing on the other hand probably fit much better your diagram
I was just reading this post and thinking, "oh well...... my blog isn't getting THAT many hits, and I've been traveling lately so no time to sit and write...." more or less feeling my inner Eor, when I logged into my typepad account and saw a huge surge in traffic over the weekend b/c someone stumbled upon my content...
Of course Rand is mostly correct, but I can't help but snicker when anyone who's near the top of his field (in this case the internet marketing audience) tells others that mostly it's a waste of time to compete.....
I think there is a lot of logic here. It's not saying that you can't go after a saturated market, but just like business, going into a well established area means that you not only have to satisfy your audience, you need to give them reason to try you when they may already be satisfied. And at some point, there must be some kind of tipping point where adding a new blog to follow means dropping another one off.
I do think there is an interesting evolution though of the blog... naturally, it almost has to evolve into more detail, higher level, or focus in on some specific areas. This might vary depending on the subject, perhaps not as much an issue if you are blogging about new products that provides new content every so many weeks.
But if we've learned anything about the online market, then we can expect the long tail of blogging to evolve over time. I think we'll see a cascading evolution where more and more specialty niche blogs get referenced from the more general blogs. This will be a natural give and take, the smaller blogs will gain mention from the big players, and the big players will be able to pull concepts and references, adding their own take or spin on this other content. The niche blogs then gain a highly interested, highly targeted audience... perhaps smaller, but more passionate about the topic.
Thumbs up on the graphics!
So I'm a few days late commenting on this post, but I had to say it... Rand, where's your 'root for the underdog' spirit?
You can't not do something just because someone else is already doing it (or a lot of someones)
Sure, most people won't be able to break through the noise, but some will, and most of the rest will be following what they believe in, or enjoy, making the effort worth their while!
totally agree M.Valiant.
I commented on this post a few days ago but I'm still thinking about it. And although I very much appreciate the kind words from Rand about me =) I still don't agree with the principles of this post. I really do think it's discouraging to new budding SEOs. I was MSNing another SEO yesterday and he was saying he hasn't posted since he read this post, and I realised neither have I!!!
Rand: you are a very respected and looked up to SEO, I don't think you realise the effect you have made by coming out with a post like this. Being discouraged by someone you idolises can totally deflate you.
Ps: I'm not saying I will stop blogging about SEO though as I'm probably more likely to try harder if someone says I can't do something (I call it the "Erin Brokowich syndrom")
Idolize? Your wording is very interesting there. I see so much popularity vying in the SEO click, it's funny to me, because this isn't acting or filmmaking. No offense Rand, you seem cool and all.
I read seomoz, as I read lots of blogs, but I don't understand all the personal commentary. Why do you care, I mean I understand commenting, I get the whole social media, contribution thing, infact I'm building my future on it, but I still don't get; why do you care so much what his opinion on blogging is??? I like to make my points and debate as much the next guy, buy why are you so discouraged by a competing seo firm's owners opinion that he posted on his company blog. It's nothing to get discouraged over.
Even though you don't care about my opinion, I'll give it anyways, I would start working on how you can differentiae yourself, build your own business and gain new readers. This isn't an insult, but it seems to me like there are tons of seo geeks out there spending countless hours reading, researching, and networking and not enough time on building up their own online sites and for that matter their business.
PS. Lisa, Why are you blogging on blogspot? If you're serious about building up an SEO blog you should host your own blog and design a custom theme (or pay to have one designed). It's definitely the way to go.
Thanks for your comments Solomon.
Ok maybe “idolizing” wasn’t the right word to use, “looking up to” is more accurate. Basically I look up to Rand and SEOmoz because they have achieved so much, inspired a lot of people and they are a great bunch of down to earth people. I started reading SEOmoz about 6 months ago, and they are the ones that inspired me to start my own blog in the first place! Now that is a gift, if you can inspire people to feel that they too can become great!
I work for a medium sized Integrated Marketing Agency, and SEO is currently just a small department. I don’t have loads of people to bounce ideas and theories of. The SEO community (and SEOmoz) really matters to me as it helps me grow. Isn’t that the whole point of SEO blogs, to share experiences, theories etc??
I have a blogspot because that is what I could get for free when I wanted to set up a blog. I wanted to test the waters and see if I enjoyed it, whether I was any good at blogging etc. I also wanted to convince my bosses to give me my own company SEO blog and prove what benefit blogging could have to the company and to my development as an SEO. I have now proved the benefits (which have been countless) and I will be getting a separate Base One Search website with a SEO blog in the next few months =)
I feel I have to clarify, I’m not taking Rand’s post personally. I have no intention of quitting blogging! I’m just trying to voice an opinion that I feel this post is against what I think SEOmoz does best, inspire! I have met Rand, he really is not that kind of person that would intentionally discourage anyone, he is super positive. But this post can defiantly be read as discouraging, and that’s not what these guys do! Does that make more sense?
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France
That did clarify things greatly. I think it's really cool that you like SEO and are excited about the search community, but I'm especially glad you don't have any intention of quitting blogging. I find writing a blog to be very rewarding in and of itself, although I do plan on growing my current search marketing blog (launched 10 days ago and already over 100 subscribers) A LOT this year. I say the more blogs the better!
I totally understand the want to bounce ideas off of people, sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy in my work isolation (I work by myself and few people actually get what I'm doing) combined with my 12-18 hours a day at the computer, but it's going to be well worth it, especially if the company I own/work for continues to have the success It's already started.
Ah, quote time! Nothing like inspiring quotes to change the mood :)
Heres one of my fav':
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got..." - paraphrased from Einstein
So keep putting in the effort and if you love what you do, you will eventually hit your sweet spot!
Lisa - the post isn't meant to discourage anyone. It's meant to give folks an idea that they need to go into the blogosphere with their eyes open about the level of competition and the landscape of readership. Sometimes those are discouraging to see, but it's better to have the knowledge, IMO, than to fool yourself into thinking it's going to be easy. Right?
BTW - Solomon is right, you really need to get off Blogspot - you'll never be able to 301 it to a brand if you want to go beyond what they have (and many of the cool blog features won't be available to you either).
Really? Blogspot have instructions on how to do exactly that - having said that, since I bought a domain recently I'm still awaiting instructions from the domain purchasing company on exactly how they can tie up with Blogger.
I kind of agree with this. The bad thing about blogging in an overcrowded market is you won't likely be read or discovered unless you already have a well known name. But, if your passionate about this topic and want to develop your writing/blogging skills... Blog about whatever you want. If you want to get popular or make some money while doing it, You might want to go a little deeper into the topic and find a niche market within. Either way, blogging will help develop your writing skills.
So a good or bad writer? I am not sure what category I fall in, I am a new writer. I started my first blog after going through a hard time in my marriage and my therapist suggested that I start writing to not only have some self release but to hopefully be able to help other women or marriages with my personal experiences. After reading article after article and many forums, I am not sure if I am just a poor writer or nobody really cares what I have to say. I have started using google adsense and a few pay per click ads, but really I have very low readers. I have tried endlessly to optimize, to traffic my link..... but I guess I should just realize it is not about the money, and take in the fact that it feels good to get my thoughts out. I would love to see what you think? Honesty is very important and respected.
I look forward to hearing your opinion~ best regards
The thing I feel everyone over looks whether it an overcrowded market or a less competitive one is time. Because a few sites explode quickly people feel that is the norm online and have no patience to develop a strong following and write consisten good content.
I really enjoyed the comment how the bigger the blog the more technical they get. This is a good reminder as the more technical people are not interested in services in most cases. It is a good reminder to constantly understand who your target audience is.
The one challenge I have is the more uninformed business owner which is my target don't like to comment so one post can read and be successful with very little comments on the post.
I think you have some valid points, it is obviously easier to make it in a market with little or no competition. At the same time if blogging is still in its infancy even the markets that seem saturated could have a huge potential for growth. A good example of how this works off line is the big 3 U.S. auto makers. They dominated the market for years, but Toyota and Honda found a way to break in and now are dominate forces.
Love the graphics. Adds a new dimension to the blog. Gonna have to add some to mine
I can understand where this subject is coming from, and there are millions of posts on this topic all over the internet.
To me you need to blog about something that you are passionate about. In my opinion what you blog about needs to be fun for you. If it feels like a job, chances are you're probably going to quit is a short while.
If you're gonna spend months anylizing and trying to decide what you should blog about, you will find huge competition for all things blogable. So blog what you feel comfortable and pasionate about. People will catch on to your passion and follow that.
I love and blog about technology. Although I have not been doing this for very long, things are starting to pick up. There are a lot of sub-niches in some niches.
And its just like Yaro Starak from Entrepreneurs Journey says, you have to be a good marketer and a good blogger. Not just one of the two. This is the same reason why some businesses fail. They don't have the right marketing strategy.
This is a great article. I love the flow chart. The graphic elements help take a post with quality content to the next level.
You hit such a great point about niche blogging. I think most people think that they'll only get a popular blog by writing on popular topics. But they forget those topics are saturated.
I like your point about blogging still being a young market. Those wanting to break onto the scene can start a unique focus and give it time.
P.S. Keep the graphs coming.
Point taken or not…
I want to write a book, to be more precise a thriller or maybe an Italian recipe book. Oh damn, I read that these markets are over saturated... Maybe I should just write about some obsequious subject, that may or may not be compelling to others - "the niche market".
The word "Saturation" is really a marketers’ dream; one that is used to disenchant others into entering that specific field. I have been in this industry since 96, and have built over 300 major corporate websites. Every website that I have built has the same thing in common (apart from me building them); they all have competitors selling a similar product or services. The word "saturation" never entered in the design or build process. Imagine if the following conversation happened between Scott Forstall and Steve Jobs:
We know that this conversation never happened and would have been a shame if it had. The fact is that Apple’s iPhone has created a stir and inspired other companies to move forward.
One thing I have learnt over the years is that there is always room for competition. If it was not for the likes of James Dyson who challenged various vacuum cleaning companies; new and innovative ideas would not have come to fruition.
My thoughts are simple: write about what inspires you and keep at it, even when you feel your audience is not growing fast enough.
Please remember, most articles you read are simply opinion base and should not be taken as gospel.
The real estate industry is still in its blogging infancy... but Realtor blogs are a perfect fit for marketing to the broad audience they need to generate leads. I'd expect saturation to happen pretty quickly in this industry as the new wave of Realtors discover the benefits of blogging.
You're absolutley right on! I setup / optimized/ and promoted 4 real estate blogs last month and this month I'll probably setup another 10, and after that hopefully 100 (My company is going to be in national real estate trade magazines next month). The race is on!
Graphics are a definite plus. I can only read so many different blogs until my eyes hurt. Keep the visual graphics coming.
I loved this post... loved the graphic too - especially the "Yes" that shot out the right side for folks who want to be rich and famous. I'll be chucklin about that one for a while.
I'll also reflect on it a while related to one of the blogs that I am making a decision about.
>Let me know what you think of the graphics in SEOmoz posts. They take a little while to make, but I personally enjoy the visual stimulus.
"A picture's meaning can express ten thousand words" - Chinese proverb.
Did you use or have you tried Gliffy? https://www.gliffy.com/
The first part of your flowchart is a bit out there, being one of the best writers in your niche would be better though that is still not neccessary to be a popular blog. Most bloggers just aren't exceptional writers.
Oh and the graphics are a great addition.
I have a feeling many people (do or will) disagree with this post. Not saying they're right or Rand's right, but it will push some buttons.
I personally blog about SEO as a practice and learning experience, English is not my native language, so it's more like a professional challenge to me and a way to build my self up in the field .
The graphics are great Rand, continue using them, post are more self explanatory that way.
Some may or may not agree with the tips here but this is still a great post. It will be hard to stand out in an overcrowded market but it will even be harder to write about something when the passion is not there. Insightful post and very open to debate.
I choose this as the "Post of the Day" in my blog.
https://postawards.blogspot.com
On a completely different point than my other comment, I do think we're going to see a culling of the blog ranks over the next 2-3 years. The people who think think they can get rich off of AdSense or by scraping someone else's content are going to move on to some other half-assed scheme (thankfully), hopefully leaving behind a richer blogosphere.
I forgot to mention, definitely keep the graphics coming. I am a very visual person, and it helps break up the monotony of a longer post. Plus you make them look so nice, who wouldn't want to see them?!
Now we know that Rand thinks he is one of the best writers on the web and that his point of view is one of the most compelling out there! Rand, you should work on your confidence problem! Just kidding, I would have to agree with your points and the fact that the SEOmoz blog is one of the best out there, the only one I read regularly. Vangogh, note that your point fits Rand's flow chart -- if you are writing for your passion, the answer to the last decision point may be "no", so you should feel free to blog about politics, internet marketing, etc. and you do not offend Rand's model.
PS A big "thumbs up" for the graphics!
Hey - the flowchart doesn't apply to me; I started the blog when there was very little competition in the SEO blog market. As I said above, I wouldn't do it today, precisely because I don't fit those criteria.
Sounds like the consensus is that graphics are good :)
Oh yeah Rand, I LOVE the graphics. Please continue to create them. I get sick of the huge amount of text only blogs out there. I'm personally trying to add more graphics to my blogs as well, although most of my energy is put into a huge workload launching a new company and an aggressive video project yet to be announced. Keep the graphics!!
As someone who's got quite a few sites, I'm going to poke my nose in here...
My "main" blog, which is the one most people here will know, is the common sense marketer one. This has the lowest readership. Why? Because I do no promotion at all on it. It's just a place for me to post my thoughts on just about whatever I want. It's more a way for people to find me, if they google me, and see what I'm about.
Now, I have several other sites, with blogs. One is an F1 site, which I've only just set up. Basically, it'll be a fantasy formula one league (more on it when it's done, I'll be doing some case study stuff with it).
That one will explode in about a week. I've been working hard on getting everything set up and in place, and it's now built to be scaleable to millions of users.
I've also go others that deal with little hobbies of mine. Poi (a dance form, with balls of fire on chains), one on model building (out of toothpicks mostly), an online game site...
Guess which ones get the most hits? Yup, the less popular niche ones. The most visited site (although not a blog) is one I help out with called World of Arl, which is a forum story based online game.
I think the problem here though, is that most of the people who read blogs like this are going to want to start a blog about online marketing; it's what they know about and know that there's a huge readership available if they do it well.
Sadly, it doesn't always work like that. You have to do something that stands out a mile away (Drinkbait anyone?) and grabs attention. Most people aren't going to do that, for whatever reason.
Take away points?
1) Be creative. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should. In fact, it's a sign that you can probably innovate and go another way.
2) Write about what you know. And what you're passionate about. If you don't love it, don't blog it.
3) Give it time. A blog can take up to six months or more to gain serious readership. Don't worry. Just keep blogging, and keep it interesting, and readers will come (with a little promotion).
4) Be active. Get into the communities in which you're blogging about. Though, if you're blogging about something you love, you'll already be there. Or you should. But make sure you are.
Sorry, unrelated note: By the way, Pete, when I clicked from your profile to your site, https://www.thecommonsensemarketer.com/, I got the "Index of/" page with the list of directories and such. You might want to look into it. Sorry about posting it here, but I didn't have any other way to let you know.
Noted. Cheers bud. I'm on it... *leaps into action like a stealth ninja moose*