10 essential destinations for bloggers
ByHooked on bloggingI’ve only been at this blogging lark for a short time, but I’ve been amazed at how enjoyable it is and how it really hooks you.
Not only is it great fun finding topics and researching and writing about them, the whole blogging world has been a revelation to me.
I’ve just read – you guessed it – another of the ‘…for Dummies’ series (don’t worry, there’s only one to go now on Search Engine Optimization, though I have added a few more to my Amazon wish list!) and this time it was Blogging for Dummies by Brad Hill.
The book is extremely good for web and blog newbies, and talks you through the different options available such as Blogger, WordPress and so on.
I’ve extracted a list of really useful websites from the book which I’ll pass on for the benefit of other bloggers or anybody thinking about getting started.
First though, a short but useful list from the book on essential blog optimization habits:
- Keep pages on topic
- Be mindful of keywords
- Make your entry titles count
- Keep pages short (Yikes! I’ll have to take note!)
Now to the ten blogging websites…
The website says: ‘BlogPatrol is a FREE blog counter service that answers important questions about who is reading your content. The counter portion of the service provides a free blog counter widget on your blog. The site stats portion of the service provides you with free blog stats reports to keep you up-to-date on every aspect of your readership.’
I say: Lots of useful blog stuff here, well worth checking out and giving it a try.
The website says: ‘News, plugins and themes for blogging applications.’
I say: Lots and lots of useful blog resources and tips, add it to your list of sites you need to give the once over.
3 http://www.codingrobots.com/blogjet/
The website says: ‘BlogJet is a Windows blog client for managing multiple blogs, with features no web-based blog editor can match.’
I say: This is a download for ‘power bloggers’ and it does cost, but it’s worth being aware of even in the early stages of a blogging career. Older versions are free to download.
4 http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writebetter
I say: This is an article on writing a good blog post, it’s very useful, as is the entire website.
The website says: ‘Promote content, build and measure audience, make $’
I say: I like this site, I’ve signed up and I’m going to see how it works for me.
The website says: ‘BlogPulse is a window into the blogosphere… open it daily to discover the people, issues, blogs, posts, commentaries, tidbits and news that bloggers are discussing.’
I say: Wow, there’s a lot to take in here. Make sure you set aside some time to get your head round this one, but it does have a lot of useful stuff in spite of those intimidating graphs!
The website says: ‘…a comprehensive starting-point for both writers and readers of online journals. Whether you call us diarists, journalers, or bloggers, we’ve got everything you need to know all about the people who tell all.’
I say: In spite of it’s old fashioned and basic appearance, if you start to explore there’s some nice material on this site.
8 http://www.bloguniverse.com/
The website says: ‘Blog, Podcast and Video Blog Directory’
I say: Looks like one big Google Ad, but it does actually do what it says on the box in spite of that.
The website says: ‘Stay up-to-the minute on all your favorite news, blogs and feeds. ‘
I say: I like this one and have signed up and will use it. It’s free too and you can add your own blog.
The website says: Not a lot really … just ‘Icerocket blog search’
I say: A site of few words, but it does just that and seems to have a reasonable mix. Worth a look, not a detour though.
Anyone else have feelings about this?
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