Rand sent me the above comic strip and instructed me to let it inspire me (it seems he enjoys giving me the occasional homework assignment), and the first thing I thought of when I read it was, "Why do people blog?"
I read a lot of SEO blogs (around 50--not nearly as many as Rand), and I think that one major reason why blogs are crucial in the SEO sphere is that it's a great way to dispense information. For us, having a blog is like a written "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." We share information, tips, and tactics in order to build trust with others so that they can, in turn, share their magic with us. I love the camaraderie in the SEO world.
That being said, another (obvious) reason for the increasing onslaught of blogs (currently nearly 60 million tracked by Technorati) is because bloggers, quite simply, want attention. Obviously, I'm not providing you with some profound secret you didn't already know, but the comic strip made me think of a good number of blogs written by vapid people who think that everyone wants to read about the minutia of their day-to-day lives, when in reality they're too wrapped up in writing about themselves that they don't have time to read or care about what their family and friends are doing. It's a "Well, I'll just blog about the events in my life instead of picking up the phone, and the people who truly care about me will take the time to read it."
Bloggers, quite frankly, are the ultimate attention whore. They'll happily write about awkward, personal things that they probably would never tell you in person because hey, what do they care, they're hiding behind a computer, privacy be damned! Likewise, want to spy on that person you despise so much? Read his or her blog! It's like hiding in the trees with a pair of binoculars. Creepy.
I'm referring to the millions of random Blogspot, MySpace, and LiveJournal blogs penned (typed?) by people who lead excruciatingly insignificant lives, yet think that their Friday night at the club make for a compelling read. But, at the root of every blog, whether it's personal or business-run, is a desire for attention. SEOmoz is no exception. Case in point: Rand, Matt, and I were having sushi Friday night (yes, we SEOmozzers hang out a lot; it's not sad, it's cool and you wish you were a part of it), when, at the end of our meal, a guy approached our table and said, "Hi! I don't mean to bother you, but I really enjoy your company."
After some confusion (we weren't even sitting near him and he enjoyed our company?), he said that he works for a startup in Kirkland and reads our blog all the time. Imagine our surprise that someone recognized us in person, and we weren't even at a conference! After Rand chased after the guy to grab his email address, a lady at the table next to us leaned over and said, "I'm sorry, but what exactly do you all do?" Wow, just like that we were minor celebrities. Bashful embarrassment aside, it made our heart grow three sizes.
While our brush with fame was pretty cool, obviously, our inherent goal is to attract attention for reasons other than "we're self-absorbed and want the world to know it." In the case of SEOmoz (and other businesses), we want our blog to attract attention so that we can continue to brand our company and be more successful. For this Super Proposal Guy, yeah, he wants to attract attention so that he can fulfill his goal of proposing to his gal during the Super Bowl, but the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital will also benefit from the buzz. For Joe Morin, the man helping the Super Proposal Guy out, he's blogging to attract attention to the project, which will, in turn, help get his Storybids idea off its feet. Pretty crafty, huh?
I don't mind blogs or bloggers--the blogosphere occupies a good chunk of my job. I just think that there's a huge difference between blogs that offer a service, whether it be information, tips, or tools, and blogs whose service is to TMI you to death with content that reads like personal diary entries. While both types of bloggers want attention, at least the former use it to operate under the Forces of Good (or proactive intentions, anyway), while the latter absorb it and strengthen their Forces of "Me-vil."
Remember: only YOU can prevent superfluous blogs. Or at least not read them.
I read a lot of SEO blogs (around 50--not nearly as many as Rand), and I think that one major reason why blogs are crucial in the SEO sphere is that it's a great way to dispense information. For us, having a blog is like a written "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." We share information, tips, and tactics in order to build trust with others so that they can, in turn, share their magic with us. I love the camaraderie in the SEO world.
That being said, another (obvious) reason for the increasing onslaught of blogs (currently nearly 60 million tracked by Technorati) is because bloggers, quite simply, want attention. Obviously, I'm not providing you with some profound secret you didn't already know, but the comic strip made me think of a good number of blogs written by vapid people who think that everyone wants to read about the minutia of their day-to-day lives, when in reality they're too wrapped up in writing about themselves that they don't have time to read or care about what their family and friends are doing. It's a "Well, I'll just blog about the events in my life instead of picking up the phone, and the people who truly care about me will take the time to read it."
Bloggers, quite frankly, are the ultimate attention whore. They'll happily write about awkward, personal things that they probably would never tell you in person because hey, what do they care, they're hiding behind a computer, privacy be damned! Likewise, want to spy on that person you despise so much? Read his or her blog! It's like hiding in the trees with a pair of binoculars. Creepy.
I'm referring to the millions of random Blogspot, MySpace, and LiveJournal blogs penned (typed?) by people who lead excruciatingly insignificant lives, yet think that their Friday night at the club make for a compelling read. But, at the root of every blog, whether it's personal or business-run, is a desire for attention. SEOmoz is no exception. Case in point: Rand, Matt, and I were having sushi Friday night (yes, we SEOmozzers hang out a lot; it's not sad, it's cool and you wish you were a part of it), when, at the end of our meal, a guy approached our table and said, "Hi! I don't mean to bother you, but I really enjoy your company."
After some confusion (we weren't even sitting near him and he enjoyed our company?), he said that he works for a startup in Kirkland and reads our blog all the time. Imagine our surprise that someone recognized us in person, and we weren't even at a conference! After Rand chased after the guy to grab his email address, a lady at the table next to us leaned over and said, "I'm sorry, but what exactly do you all do?" Wow, just like that we were minor celebrities. Bashful embarrassment aside, it made our heart grow three sizes.
While our brush with fame was pretty cool, obviously, our inherent goal is to attract attention for reasons other than "we're self-absorbed and want the world to know it." In the case of SEOmoz (and other businesses), we want our blog to attract attention so that we can continue to brand our company and be more successful. For this Super Proposal Guy, yeah, he wants to attract attention so that he can fulfill his goal of proposing to his gal during the Super Bowl, but the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital will also benefit from the buzz. For Joe Morin, the man helping the Super Proposal Guy out, he's blogging to attract attention to the project, which will, in turn, help get his Storybids idea off its feet. Pretty crafty, huh?
I don't mind blogs or bloggers--the blogosphere occupies a good chunk of my job. I just think that there's a huge difference between blogs that offer a service, whether it be information, tips, or tools, and blogs whose service is to TMI you to death with content that reads like personal diary entries. While both types of bloggers want attention, at least the former use it to operate under the Forces of Good (or proactive intentions, anyway), while the latter absorb it and strengthen their Forces of "Me-vil."
Remember: only YOU can prevent superfluous blogs. Or at least not read them.
I read a lot of Livejournals (around 100--not nearly as many as Rand), and I think that one major reason why LJs are crucial in my social sphere is that it's a great way to dispense information. For us, having an LJ is like a written "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." We share information, art, tips, and life experiences in order to build trust with others so that they can, in turn, share their magic with us. I love the camaraderie in my social circles.
I don't mind blogs or bloggers--the blogosphere occupies a good chunk of my life. I just think that there's a huge difference between blogs that offer a story and personality, whether it be text, or art, and blogs whose service is to TMI you to death with content about marketing techniques. While both types of bloggers want attention, at least the former use it to operate under the Forces of Good (or proactive intentions, anyway), while the latter absorb it and strengthen their Forces of "Marketing."
It's all perspective, darling.
Valid point :)
I've been thinking about this and I decided to take a U turn after reading Shoemony's post today about what SEO is not and agree with Rebecca, not about blogging per se but about SEO/internet marketing in general.
I still wouldn't call myself an attention whore, but I'd say SEO is about getting attention and keeping it. It doesn't mean I'm hungry for attention - but your attention is part of what I'm after when I write something. Why do I want your attention? To sell you something, to make your life easier, to express myself, to make you want to link to me, to change your mind. So attension is a means to an end, not the final destination, but still, good content without any publicity is like Paris Hilton staying home (not to imply Paris Hilton is "good content").
SEOs talk about "marketing" and increasing "visibility", but what all that boils down to is getting your attention. What I'm after as a webmaster is to turn your attention into retension by repeatedly delivering the goods.
Halfdeck, thanks for putting it in a less aggressive perspective. I know a lot of people took offense to being called an attention whore, but that was just to get their attention, of course :P
At the root of my post was exactly your point, so kudos to you for putting it more eloquently.
You know, a blog is often little more than a diary, albeit an online and public one. If you think about it, in many cases it's still private, since often you don't really know who is speaking, but rather just their online persona.
I wonder if Ann Frank would have been a blogger? I think so. She had the advantage of being a great writer, with an average and boring life up until the series of events that led up to her death.
Sometimes, an apparently boring life can take on new meaning in retrospect, or when circumstances force it to to become more interesting - at which point the boring details become all the more important and poignant.
Ian
I think the click-clack of her typing would have given away her hiding spot.
Great. Now I have to wipe the water off my computer monitor. Thanks, Rebecca.
It's always a pleasure to put a smile on the face of one of my favorite bloggers :)
Oh, how I love it when you mock me.
I honestly don't think that the badillion atrocious blogs out there (and even some of the good ones) can be compared The Diary of Anne Frank. There are good books; there are good blogs. And there are very bad examples of both, too.
Personally I think that anyone who could deem someone else's life as "excruciatingly insignificant" is the ultimate "attention whore" whether it be blatantly personal or masked by business intentions.
Yep, that's me.
Yeah, and you smell, too, Rebecca.
My mom said that it's what makes me special!
No she doesn't, we remove employees who bring stink into the office with them
One reader's noise is another one's signal.
The me-blogs on LJ, MySpace and Xanga have different objectives and hence target audience - when Trixie writes 'DuN g0 WaTcH Ap0cAlyPt0, it sux0rs' she is providing an arguably useful information service and tip to her readership of best friends & bestest friends. In that regard, her blog certainly fulfills its purpose.
People can feel compelled to write awkward/personal stuff in blogs because they may not be good articulators IRL, perhaps lacking the confidence or ability to say what they feel. I remember 20/20 hindsight was a bitch as a teenager :)
Now don't get me wrong, I can't stand the illiterate stuff that can spews forth from 99% of blogs but if someone is genuinely entertaining, who cares if they're self-absorbed and want the world to know it! Jack Marx is one of my favorite bloggers and he blogs on "matters of cultural import and issues of no social consequence at all" - his award-winning post on Russell Crowe is a classic pure 'noise' piece that is riveting reading.
Instead of ranting against useless blogs, I'd rather bemoan the prevalence of poor writing technique in the blogosphere. Thank goodness for Brian Clark and his brethren!
Apocalypto does kinda suck, but only in a Mel Gibson way. If only Pixar would tacckle serious issues...
Amen to that. I can get behind this argument.
As they say in LiveJournal-land, IAWTC.
I've been a "contemplative-naval gazing" blogger since 2001 but it's never been about attention. It's been about finding a voice, managing thoughts (even and especially trivial ones), and keeping a journal-- since I never could manage to write one by hand.
I think there are attention-whoring blogs, no doubt, but I wonder if the people who write them really mean them to be that way or if they just come off that way. Blogs serve a purpose, if not for the reader, then for the writer. Community? Self-expression?
It seems like blogging must be about something more than attention ... the vast majority of blogs don't get much attention at all.
Naval, as in "the Navy"?
Besides, if keeping a journal has never been about attention, why not just write down your thoughts on Word? It would fulfill the same function, yet it's not about attracting attention.
Yes, as in the Navy! :D Toot-toot!
Hm, I guess that I'd say that there are definitely social aspects to blogging that writing in Word wouldn't satisfy, but less about attention and more about sharing. For example, I wouldn't expect my friend in North Dakota to call me and chat about how her cats destroyed her Christmas presents, or email me photos, but I do think it's fun that she shares and I like to read about it. I think the insignificance of such things make them special and it's comforting to know about her daily life even though she's far away.
Couldn't agree more!
omg.
My blog is 100% me-vil. I write superfluous blogs all day. Now, I must quit and return to writing corporate poopy.
So long blogosphere; it's been a fun ride convincing you all that I am way cooler than I actually am. :-(
Awwww, you don't count.
No! That would mean the breakup of the SEO Boyband, and I just couldn't take that.
You're cooler than me.
I guess the main question remains is why web surfers read such superfluous blogs. Is that in a way fulfilling a human social need that would not have been fullfilled any other way in today's fast paced busy culture? Is it curiosity? Or maybe it is part of the addiction for reality shows? After all if people were not interested to know about other people's real life stories, reality shows whould not have the success it has right now.
Polarizing the audience is great. More bloggers need to get off the fence and start straight talking. Enough with the bland posts that cover butts (or brown nose). The reason why I enjoy reading people like Shoemoney (see the brown-nosing right there) is because they have loud opinions and aren't afraid to polarize their readers.
I'd never have picked this post to hit the half century comment mark within two days. I can already envisage a SEOmoz comment-prediction tipping comp. Before every SEOmoz post you should get everyone in-house (or a panel of 'experts', just like a real fantasy league) to take a guess at how many comments you'll get within a week. That'd be fun.
Imagine if we were to write a post called, "Jason Calacanis is Right: SEO is Bullshit." I think our server would explode.
Seomoz is a "consulting, Internet marketing and search engine optimization services" company.
I think you guys are reverse engineering DIGG to gather E-mail addresses and link data - for a Good cause. Nicely done. You caught me reading about me.
On the other hand, here's me using you, come see me not talking about me at:
https://michael-holloways-blog.blogspot.com/
We didn't submit it to digg.
rebecca,
Awe! I thought I was on to you!
You should!
Whatever happened, it worked to big up that marriage proposal.
Here's a new site I put up today. A new concept, a FilterBlog where I edit more - write less.
michael holloway
Uh, what?
Um. Que? Aw, man, did I get hired on at a covert spam operation? Was all that work I did just a cover for Rebecca's link-whoring and mass-emailing? Oh, Michael. You have convinced me that it's all been lies. I shall quit immediately.
/idiocy
:|
OK, OK. Your real, your all real. I believe you.
Sounds like you guys have fun at SEOmoz.
Great article.
I thought I'd caught you guys!
Good luck.
Check out my new attempt at attention - a newish idea, a FilterBlog where I get to edit more and write less; at:
https://filter--blog.blogspot.com/
What amazing conceit. I'm sure that's what the Internet needs... self-appointed messiahs who take it upon themselves to label what's insignificant and what's not.
Spare me the self-righteousness.
Just my opinion, WJ. Thanks for providing yours, though--I've never been called a "self-appointed messiah" before.
You are welcome. There's always a first time. 'Millions' of people probably haven't had their lives judged 'excruciatingly insignificant' either.
Oh, sure they have--their lives were just too insignificant for them to notice :)
I think hobo-appointed messiah works better for Rebecca. :) Though this brings up an interesting point ... isn't every blogger, in some way or another, a self-appointed messiah? Spreading their own gospel out in hopes of getting converts? I say this not to be sarcastic or rude. in But in their own blog, the writer gets to be right. All the time. And in choosing what they write about, they determine what is significant and insignificant to them ... Just a thought.
can i get an amen?
hey at least I don't hide behind a blog, I make video's of my stupid-ness :)
I am totally guilty, I am Attention Whore
So what makes you any different from these bloggers.
I'm referring to the millions of random Blogspot, MySpace, and LiveJournal blogs penned (typed?) by people who lead excruciatingly insignificant lives, yet think that their Friday night at the club make for a compelling read.
Why do you think bashing them makes for an even more compelling read?
50 blogs huh? Seems like you are the one with the insignificant life.
Good riddance.
Wow, defensive much?! Admitting your insignificance, whether or not you keep a private blog, is rather enlightening, you know. I believe my life is probably excruciatingly insignificant to most of the world's population. Are (is :P) you suggesting that yours isn't?
PS: As Rebecca doesn't keep a personal blog, she really can't be compared to the people who blog about their sleepy Sunday in bed or their snowy walk to the shops on Monday morning.
Oookay, fiiiiine, *sighs* I'll let you drag me out.
Please, at least get it right! Walk to WORK. And Sunday was spent on the couch, not in bed. I realize you've been trying *very* hard to be more specific as to your *precise meaning*, but you didn't have to... the personal bent was apparent from the beginning. :)
If you're going be zen about insignificance, perhaps the whole lot of you ought to exercise some humility as well. It's disgusting SEOmoz staff use this and other work-related blogs to belittle people. How old are you, eight? Rand, do you really think this kind of thing is acceptable business practice? Seriously.
We didn't write that post, one of our users submitted it. (anyone can submit articles to drivl)
What on earth makes you think Jane's talking about you? That's pretty presumptuous and self-centered.
Kat, I'm not sure if you're paranoid or bitter or what, but if constantly reading our company's blog and checking in on our side projects is only going to upset you and make you think that every thing we write is some sort of personal attack on you, then maybe you'd be better off not reading any more. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if something upsets me then I sure as hell try to minimize it.
Nah, I'd forgotten about Drivl until Jane linked to it in a comment here-- Just went back to check it out. But I do like the SEOmoz blog!
There are tens of millions of blogs out there, I think you're being a bit presumptuous in assuming we're in any way talking about yours (or you personally).
I wasn't even aware of your blog until you linked to it. And honestly, you most certainly aren't the only person who walked to work in the snow on Monday: half of SEOmoz did as well.
Rebecca has an opinion that personal blogs are used mainly to get attention. You have a personal blog and (apparently) take offense to that opinion. That's fine to disagree, but questioning the professionalism of our business practices because you feel her arguments hit too close to home is ridiculous.
Oh, I don't take offense to her opinion... I was just participating in the discussion. I just took offense to it being personal. But if it's not, I certainly do apologize!
Interesting post Rebecca.
I never thought of it this way - but I think I am an attention whore . Is there a 12-step program for this?
Actually, I love writing and truly enjoy getting information that I find important out to the masses, but since you posted this I realized how often I look at the traffic stats.
If I didn't care about the attention, I wouldn't take the time to look at this, right?
Oh well - isn't admitting the problem one of the first steps to recovery? :)
I don't think there's anything wrong with being an attention whore, or that you should worry about finding a "cure." I just think it's funny how up in arms people are about me saying that at the root of every blogger is a desire for attention. "What? No! The nerve! Certainly I don't care about the attention my blogging brings!" Uh, yeah you do.
I dunno rebecca, I was mostly weird about feeling like my life was insignificant, being painted "me-vil", and about the prompt to avoid blogs like mine.
Without the strong language, this post probably would have been a whole bunch of "me too" comments.
-beer bitch mcgee
I admit the post was a bit polarizing...but aren't these comments more interesting than "me too!"?
Plus, I don't think your blog's superfluous. Yeah, it's got aspects of "This is a personal blog," but it's also quite often business/SEO-related. In this case, there's value in your blog aside from the typical high school-level drivel-blogging that I run into all too often.
I don't think people are up in arms per se, just disagreeing. :) I mean, I for one would differentiate attention (i.e. sharing thoughts with friends, socializing, maybe every now and then getting a letter from someone your mundane writing touched) from attention-whoring. It seems unfair to classify the social web as attention whoring... I agree that MySpace is a blight upon the net, but what about Facebook, Consumating, LibraryThing, and the rest of the Web 2.0 sphere where people share personal quips & pics? Are they all insignificant, or might they mean something to the people who use them?
I think it's legitimate for seasoned bloggers to feel defensive when they probably get quite a bit out more of blogging than the satisfaction of seeing their thoughts in public. After all, how many bloggers really do check their stats counters, track links, or bug people to read their blogs? I think far more just put it out there and are grateful if they get a response-- not because they WANT one but because it's good to feel a connection with someone. And while I'd venture to say that attention is a one-way thing, I don't think blogging can really be classified as such. :)
But yeah, I do have a lot to say on the subject... I've been keeping a rather insignificant blog since 2001. But it has netted me two great jobs and a number of friends I wouldn't have met otherwise. Like many other things, I'd say don't knock it til you try it. It can be addictive! :)
Your point is great, Scott: all those people who say they don't care about the traffic or the readership and that their online journals are solely personal should disable commenting and discard whatever they use to monitor traffic. Hell, make the thing private, and it's just like the pink diary you hid from your brother when you were eleven :)
Rebecca, congratulations on hitting Digg's front page with this one! Nice work!
"excruciatingly insignificant lives"
(quietly cries and holds his blanket)
Rebecca,
Thank you for reinforcing the recent article in the Wall Street Journal stating that blogs are insignificant (or were they referring to the bloggers themselves?). But, I blog to help others, keep on top of my industry (SEO) and build my reputation. I don't seek out attention, but if it comes, so much the better.
Blogging is different for everyone, wrangling everyone into the "attention whore" category isn't fare for anyone. It's like putting all SEO's into only one category, I certainly would not. Those who do put everyone in a single category are showing their lack of understanding for the given topic, especially blogging.
Man, I wish I had gone with you guys to Sushi too. Stupid new couch...
I realize that blogging is different for everyone, but I still think that at the root of everyone's intent is a desire for attention. Maybe "attention whore" was too strong/harsh a phrase, so I'm sorry if that offended you.
omg u calling me a attention whore! ITS ON NOW
Oh great, a grudge with shoemoney is the last thing I need right now...
Seriously great article. Its funny you start your blog cause its your own little place to vent... then people come and read it and call you a attention whore... whatever ;)
Rebecca,
I am just trying to make a point that everything is different to everyone. Shoemoney seems a bit insecure about the comment, but I (was not offended) am very secure in the fact that I do it for myself first, anything else is gravy!
Oh, and LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.
I'm looking, I'm looking! Sheesh. :)
Good luck with Shoe!
so i guess you agree with henry david thoreau >> "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"
uplifting!
Well put! ;)
Oh sure, it's easy to criticize from behind your fancy blog. You SEO'ers think you're all so hot with your sushi and your groupies and your horseless carriages ;)
I may be a link whore, but I AM NOT an attention whore. I mean, sure, sometimes I walk the information superhighway in fishnet stockings trolling for attention and sometimes people pay me for it, but still...
Actually, we here at SEOmoz have reverted to horse-drawn carriages. There's something grand about using beasts of burden to power your transport and we're all about pomp around here.
We also wear top hats and say things like "Haberdasher," "jolly good," and "cheerio." But that's just because we like using fake British accents.
lmfao! Jolly Good mate! We'll need to hit the trough and get pissed one day!
If you're headin' across the pond to Jolly Ol' for SES in February, we should most certainly take a jaunt to the rub-a-dub for a pint.
Damn, you West Coast SEO guys are old school!
Good heavens, man! Do you want to give away ALL our quirks to every Tom, Dick and Harry? Pshaw; it's just not cricket! Now, get on with it.
In Portugal most blogs are seen as personal blogs or "internet garbage" because most of them are used to talk about the autors personal life and such topics that only the author will read. Now they have advanced to photoblogs, and now they can be the real "attention whores".
I've made my blog as a complement of some of my websites, where I could talk about the articles I've wrote in a personal manner, giving my opinion and saying what I think without compromising the professional side of my other websites.
Let's look at this from the start Blogs started as online personal diaries Web entrepreneurs saw the opportunity and started treating them as an online income source SEOs saw the opportunity and started using them as tools of the trade. Now we are the good guys and genuine pure blogging is evil.
How would you define "genuine pure blogging?"
Not motivated by money
"Attention whore" is such a whorish word, Rebecca. Can't we call them "attention tramps"? After all, no money is exchanged.
Hey, I'm an attention whore, no doubt.
The thing is, the best way to get attention is to focus on the reader. Funny how that works.
If I do something that I think is really cool and worth remembering, I write a Word document and save it on my computer. It fulfills the "I need to write about this" craving just fine. Things I write about that I think others will be interested in either get filed in the "things to put in future book of short stories" file, or submitted to a site like Drivl.
I guarantee that I can find out some incredibly detailed information about a lot of people I vaguely know, simply by way of the things they post about themselves on the internet. I'm guilty of spreading some information about myself too, but I know that you all don't really care about my life, as interesting as I find it to be!
More cartoons!
OK, I'm feeling a little dense-- is there an intentional ironic connection in this rant between attention whore-type blogging and link bait, or am I grasping at straws here?
If it's link bait, it wasn't intentional. I was just doing my job.
...but obviously, the attention to the post is welcome ;)
...as well as well-deserved.
But the purpose of blogging to create link bait seems more tangible - it's not just for attention, but rather the benefits of that attention (increased traffic, links, better rankings, etc). There's an ends there that extends beyond attention.
What about the benefits of attention to social blogging? New friends? Community? Shared ideas? Connecting with people who have had the same feeling/experience as you? Not tangible, but I wouldn't deem them unimportant.