If there is anything that will prove how relevant a blog content is to the reading public, it would probably be its “shareability” value.  Is the content something which a reader may like to share or disseminate to friends and family?  Does the content present value to a particular niche or group?  Does the content possess an appeal to the general public which can make it shareable to almost anyone?

Although some people have the tendency to share anything and everything about themselves and what they do in real lives, these same people tend to be more selective when passing on information lifted from another source besides themselves.  Generally, if readers take the time to recommend a blog post to others, relevance has already been manifested.

A blogger who desires to produce share-worthy blog contents should first and foremost know what he/she is talking about.  Ignorance on a subject matter is easily detected on a single article.  You can produce lenghty posts with no substance in the same way that you can provide senseless short posts.  You can pretend to know so much by letting the subject matter drag on and on without any clear sense of direction.  You can also try to deceive readers by coming up with short teasers by making use of relevant words on irrelevant over-all content.

For any blog content to be share-worthy, it is important that you be able to give readers what they want which is true and valuable information.  It is a condition that a reader should find the content interesting enough to be shared.  Bloggers should be aware that people tend to share about things which they are passionate about so it would be best to provide posts that can inspire the release of such passion.

Comprehensive SEO campaigns provide careful attention to both the technical and content aspects of blogs.  There are no questionable strategies involved to get top ranking without due merit.  Desired viewership is obtained because search engines and users themselves say so. 

Do not be misled by “SEO experts” who stuff your site articles with top ranking keywords even when there is no clear relation between these words and what your site is offering.  There is only so much times that a word can be repeated in an article without being categorized as manipulative and misleading.  The moment the insertion of a keyword fail to make sense in a sentence or a paragraph, there is every reason to believe that SEO manipulation is being attempted. 

Keyword stuffing is penalized by search engines, sometimes so severely as to totally disqualify offending sites from future searches.  The use of popular keywords must make sense and the article itself must provide value through correct information.  Bloggers can make use of as many related keywords so as not to sound redundant in their articles. 

Blog success is admittedly an enviable position in the online environment.  It can spell clout and influence on readers and customers which then translates to income or loyalty whichever is applicable.  Ethical search engine optimization techniques can work wonders for a blog when handled correctly.  While it is not able to offer instantaneous results, it can provide a slow but steady route to achieving blog success.

Bloggers are reminded over and over again to come up with quality content if they wish to increase their readership.  Quality denotes value, worth, and excellence, and writers are expected to bring these into their work.  Quality can be the distinguishing element that can set a blog apart from the rest. 

In order for a content to be considered quality, it should be able to pack in certain factors that are essentially beneficial to the readers.  Although blogging has allowed many writers to indulge on self-serving writing, blogs that specifically provide articles for the readers and customers are usually those that are considered successful. 

Writing for the readers and customers would first and foremost require the inclusion of useful information.  If there is nothing to be read but flowery words and abstract ideas, the blog better be one dedicated to poems and other applicable literary works or it won’t encourage return business.  Online customers are usually pressed for time and are searching for a reliable source of information or a sensible point of view, at the very least. 

Blogs should be able to offer something new and exciting that is not offered elsewhere.  The biggest mistake that a blog writer can ever commit is to consistently offer rehashed versions of articles made by other writers.  A blog should be able to present its own identity through its content.  More than a matter of choosing an entirely unique topic which no reader will be interested in, quality content is about providing a different attack on an otherwise common topic which is considered universally appealing.  This would require extensive research in all possible forms and a finished product consisting of an article that is suitably presented in style and tone plus content that is useful, entertaining, and encourages readers to think and react.

Writing a blog post is a great way to send a message across to readers.  Maximizing its potentials however to grab attention and retain it gives rise to the question as to its appropriate length.  How long or short should a post be?   That is the question.

Long posts are said to generate more traffic from search engines.  Blog entries that are a least 1,000 words are generally considered long.  In certain types of writing that require much explanation to extensively cover a topic, long blog posts are somewhat expected. 

Short posts on the other hand, are said to be ideal for the average reader’s short attention span.  Blog entries having a length from 200 to 500 words are categorized as short posts.  These articles usually contain one main idea which is tackled to the point without much fanfare.  The emphasis is on providing a gem of an idea that is easily digested for the purpose for which the reader seeks the information for.

There is an unwritten rule that favors blog entries having a length anywhere from 200 to 600 words.  This length allows the writer to present his case with lesser risk of losing reader interest at the middle.  Definitive content works better than articles that have been way too extended.  It provides more value in relation to the time spent on reading them. 

Must writers then stop at 600 words?  Definitely not if it would take more to provide a comprehensive discussion of the topic at hand.  Terminating an article just to conform with the rule as to word count is not a viable move for any writer.  One way of striking the right balance between long and short entries is “compartmentalizing” ideas within a long blog post, through the use of subheadings.  Another is to present a topic through a series of articles instead of just one word-heavy article.  Writers must remember that readers rarely notice the length of articles that are truly informative and pleasurable to read.

First of all, find your niche

As mentioned earlier you can write whatever you want but if you are working on using it a marketing strategy well then focus on that purpose. If you are promoting an insurance company, be sure to write about anything that’s related to this niche. But approach the subject in a distinctive voice and unusual angle.

Write keyword rich titles

If you want your blog to get better ranking in the search engine results, make sure to include a keyword or two to three keywords in your title. You should try to provide all necessary information using a few words. The title should be succinct at the same time descriptive of the content.

Be consistent

It is important to keep feeding your readers with new information all the time. You need to follow your blog with another log consistently so that your followers will continue to visit your site to get up to date information. Daily inputs are great because your followers may turn elsewhere if you do not give them something to be curious about.

Always research on your subject

Although it is okay to write your own opinions, it is not okay to give out false information. You need to ensure that when you publicly announced something that you are sure about it. Otherwise your readers will not trust your next post.

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Blog monetization is an extremely interesting aspect of blogging because it is a way of making your writing efforts profitable.  Before you go to that part, you need to do what comes prior to that.  Build your site or your blog first before anything else.

Choose a niche or make your own mark in a general interest blog.  Topics of general interest such as politics or show business gossip tend to attract a wide range of viewership and readership thus we will notice the proliferation of sites and blogs tackling these topics.  To be able to rise above the rest, contents will have to be more worthy of attention.  This can be achieved primarily through unique and current articles and a site that is easy to navigate.

Niche blogs have smaller markets but customer potential can be as high because of the relative concentration of searchers looking for specific information.  A computer user who visits a niche site can be safely presumed to be a prospective customer because topics, products or services are identified.  Compared to general sites which may comprise of more misses than hits, niche sites are quite clear as to what they are offering.

Development of your blog’s strength is a required preparation for obtaining a steady stream of traffic.  Use your knowledge, expertise, and experience to give your blog its needed advantage.  Don’t hold back on useful information because you are developing your own site or blog.  Prospects for blog monetization are magnetized by sites enjoying considerable traffic.  You may need to solicit ads at the beginning while your site or blog is unknown.  Everything becomes a lot easier when you have an audience to speak of.

As an Internet search engine for searching blogs, Technorati considers it its business to measure a site’s standing and influence in the blogosphere.  Through Technorati Authority, a site’s ranking is determined by its linking behavior, categorization and other related data measured over a short, specific period of time.  The rise or fall of a site’s ranking is affected by the frequency of providing content referenced by other sites.  A number of interesting key issues are offered in its just recently published State of the Blogosphere 2011 which is annual study of the trends and growth observed in the world of blogging.

According to the study,bloggers are made up of hobbyists, professional and part-time bloggers, corporate bloggers, and entrepreneurs.  Hobbyists or those who report no income from their blog comprise the most number at 61% while entrepreneurs comprise the least number at 13%.  As to gender, at least 3/5 are male.  Majority of bloggers are within the age bracket of 25 to 44 and at least 1/3  are over 44. 

Most bloggers are believed to be in circumstances that allow them to pursue blogging such as self-employment.  Revenue obtained from blogging usually serves only as a supplement to a regular household income.  Majority are married and close to half are parents.  Both personal and professional benefits are seen as the major driving forces for continued blogging.

It is interesting to note that almost 1/3 have worked with traditional media where at least 24% are still employed while maintaining separate blogs.   Average blogging experience is two years.  Majority update their sites 2 to 3 times per week.  Majority of bloggers are also highly educated holding a graduate degree, some graduate work, college graduate, or have some college work.  Education in this regard is associated with the blogger’s knowledge and expertise.

Review sites are websites that provide reviews of products, services, businesses, and even people.  These reviews are usually done by professional writers who have taken the time to do their “homework” in coming up with objective results.  Reviews are primarily beneficial to any site because of the additional traffic created and the corresponding links provided.  Blog owners should try using this window of opportunity as provided by review sites.

Being supported by the services of a review site that is especially helpful to bloggers is an efficient way to promote your blog.  You might think that you don’t need it because you have great content to offer to the readers.  Although quality content is of primary importance to a blog’s success, there are steps to be undertaken to ensure that your content gets to be seen by its target audience.  No blog, no matter how good, can survive and excel without a healthy dose of promotion and optimization.

A blog that is ready in terms of design, content, and room for improvement will find a review to its advantage.  Paid reviews will not mean glowing comments all the way.  A good review notes the good as well as the bad.  It has to be remembered that a review can provide exposure, links, and feedbacks that can result to the most honest assessment yet of the potentials of any blog. 

It is often said that we are known by the company we keep.  Have the courage to have your blog reviewed by a respected site.  Blogsearchengine.com provides the service for a standard fee of $ 14.99.  By signing up as member and paying the fee through the paypal gateway, a blogger can have access to a reliable review.  It only takes about a minute to initiate the process.  Members have the option of upgrading to advanced membership package, if they wish.  New members should expect to receive an email confirming their chosen username and password.

Branding

Branding is your identity. If done right it will shout out many aspects of what you want to get across in a single image. Many visitors will cite your brand logo as a point of reference when searching for your blog especially if visitors forget your site address. In turn, your brand will make people feel a certain way if you give them reason to. In other words, if your blog is well written and researched your logo will immediately invoke a feeling of trust and desirability to your visitors.

Stay Simple

Nike, Coca-Cola and Apple are the top three most recognized logos in the world. Looking at these designs, simplicity is the most prominent feature. When designing your logo stick to one or three colors with minimal detail. Less is more here and if you can come up with something that the mind can recognize and decipher within a millisecond then you may have a chance at high recognition.

Adaptability

You must remember that your blog logo should have the ability to represent you on many different levels including a variety of sizes, colors and applications such as digitally blown up onto a t-shirt or even embroidered onto a hat. The logo for mobiloans, for example, is relatively simplistic but it is colorful and stands out. Therefore, if it is in color make sure it looks just as stunning in black and white. If it is small see how it looks if it is enlarged. Testing how your logo fares across the board will avoid production problems later on down the line.

Represent with the Right Intent

You may think an ice fire breathing purple dragon is a memorable and cool logo but if you are blogging about first time parenting it will send a confusing non-memorable message. Keep your logo consistent and applicable to your specific blogging niche.

Backwards ‘S’

The brain is believed to process information in a backwards ‘s’ direction. This is called the Ogilvy layout named after advertising pro David Ogilvy who used the ‘s’ and sometimes the letter ‘z’ as a direction for his most successful advertising campaigns. Therefore, if your logo applies, use the top portion as the spot for the most important information, the middle as the next most important and the bottom for a type of signature or tag.

Research

Other logos in your blogging genre could be similar to your idea. Look around to avoid this as well as to get an idea of designs that seem to be working for other bloggers. Take note of the colors and the detail or simplicity used.

Make sure you have patience and flexibility when creating the perfect logo for your blog. The more time it takes to figure out, the more of a chance it will be successful.

Your brand. People remember images more quickly and easily than they do words. That means that your blog’s theme is a defining part of your brand, and you want people to be able to recall your blog in their minds and, therefore, be familiar with your brand. When you change your theme, you weaken your brand. The change can also be viewed by your readers as a sign that you are unfocused and unsure of what you want to convey with your blog . . . and that your brand is not a reliable one. Of course, there are times when it just makes sense to update your theme. Just use theme changes sparingly, and only when it’s for the overall betterment of your blog.

Navigation and organization. Your readers need to be able to get around your blog easily, without feeling like they are figuring out a puzzle. If you are getting a lot of reader comments and messages with suggestions for making your site easier to navigate and your content easier to find, then it is in your blog’s best interest to change the theme to a more user-friendly one.

Theme customization. If you find that your blog is growing and you want to grow your brand along with it, but that your theme won’t allow for customizations that can work for your brand, then you may need to change to a theme that allows you more creative license. Sure, your readers will have to adjust to the new theme, but if it ultimately strengthens your brand, that adjustment period is worth it.

Changing your blog’s theme is not a decision to take lightly. After all, it’s not just the look of your blog that is affected by the change – it is your blog’s brand, and your brand is your lifeline. There are times when it is best for your blog to change the theme. These guidelines should help you be able to identify those times. Whatever you do, involve your readers. Let them know about the change, and tell them it’s to better your blog FOR THEM, and they’ll most likely stay loyal.