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SEO–The Value of Outlinks to MY Blog

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It started in the most natural way, someone read a post of mine and wrote one in response. I liked the response and respected the blog that it came from. I wanted my readers to know about it. It happened more than once. So I setup a feature called Two in a Row. It looked like this:

Two in a Row
Read this
Leaving a Guy a Place to Stand (the post on my site)

Then read this
Giving a Guy a Place to Stand (the post on the other site)

I had built an outlink. Later, when my post became archived, I transferred the outlink to the post.

On the surface, a cynic might say such outlinks only serve the receiving site, but I disagree on several points. Here’s my best thinking on it.

  • These outlinks serve readers and serving readers is why we’re here.
  • Outlinks to quality sites get readers to associate us with good information, which means they’re likely to return.
  • If I combine quality content with quality outlinks, the receiving blogs will be inclined to link back when the occasion arises. After all, they are already reading my blog, or the outlink would never have happened.
  • Outlinks connect my content to other quality content which underscores the relevancy of my content and that of the receiver.

All of these values add strength to the community. In terms of community, generosity is always good.

–Me “Liz” Strauss

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The rest of this week: More on Links and How Google Ranks Pages

The Sidebar Is How Readers Know Things

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Brian Shih of Brian Shih.com offers suggestions for Improving sidebar usability in his post on blog sidebar design.

Who wants to read about sidebars?

Think of your sidebar as a reader does, and you’ll soon enough realize that it’s a critical part of a blog. It’s your readers’ grounding point. The sidebar, after all, is how our readers know things–like who we are and what we offer.

In this well-researched post, Brian discusses the use of sidebar components, quoting experts and adding his own viewpoint to bring the article back down to the ground. He also takes examples from real-life–the blogs of Steve Rubel and Paul Stamatiou.

Though I disagree with Brian’s comments on a “popular posts” section–I’ve had great success with mine–this article is a solid review of design basics and worth the time of every reader–either as a first time hit or a quick reminder. That’s why I’m adding it to the Successful Blog Survival Kit.

Brian ends the post with his own thoughts on side bar usage. (Note the great example of a collaborative link–a thank you to a colleague for looking over the article.)

When WAS the last time you thought about your sidebar?

Thanks Brian for sharing this design post with us. A community blog needs to hear from many voices. I’m glad yours was one.

It’d be great to hear a response to what Brian brought to the table. So have a read, and come back to leave a comment. We’ve hardly talked design and navigation. What are your experiences with sidebars? Tell me what has worked on your blog?

Talk to me. Let’s discuss it. I get in trouble. when I’m alone. 🙂

ME “Liz” Strauss

Think Before You Intra-link

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You show your CD collection to a friend. She mentions that a certain CD is her favorite. You say, “If you like that, you ought to hear this. . . . ”

It’s the same when you’re writing a post, and you realize what you’re saying ties neatly with something you wrote last week, last month, or last year. You have to link to it. Your readers deserve to hear about it.

The Value of Intra-Links

Internal links or intra-links have three key values.

  • They offer readers more content on a subject they’re interested in.
  • They increase your page views when readers follow them.
  • When you use well-thought descriptive anchor text, they help search engines interpret the content of your blog.

Well-Thought Descriptive Anchor Text

Am I choosing for myself or for my readers? A random survey that I did shows that just about everyone could be better at anchor test. Text that says click here or this is not choosing for readers, nor is it well-thought, descriptive anchor text.

Well-thought anchor text states where the link goes so that when readers arrive, they’ll know they’re in the right place. The strongest anchor text uses keywords to show the relationship between this page and the next. The anchor text lets the reader and the search engine see the content connection–the relevancy–between the two documents.

Well-thought linking adds structure and context to how people and search engines see your blog.

Example 1: See my earlier post called “Think Before You Link,” which also talks about thinking through your link choices.

Example 2: You might also be interested in reading about using intra-links as blog promotion tools.

Intra-links draw readers further into your blog the same way they draw in search engine spiders. Readers become more involved and more a part of your blog with each link they follow. The involvement leads to a comfort-zone, a sense of belonging.

Who doesn’t want to look, when a friend says you have to see this?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

[via Aaron Matthew Wall, SEO Book]

Mastering Content in Your Niche

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Guest Writer: Gary Fugere

Gary Fugere of Earn a living without a job took me up on my call for posts by sending in his How to become the “Go To” in your niche.

This post, originally written as a submission to Darren Rowse’s 31-day challenge, offers head-on advice for getting in control of the information grapevine in your blogging niche. Main points that Gary covers include

  • Be a reporter, not a writer. Readers are looking for answers.
  • Get plugged in with a news aggregator such as Bloglines.
  • Learn to find compelling content nuggets. He offers several strategies, including how to master the nuances of Bloglines search, Google Alerts, Yahoo Buzz, and Google Zeitgeist. I was impressed that everything you need to know is there and complete.

To finish off the document there are eighteen additional links to resources you might explore. This post is well worth checking out.

Here’s a taste of the resources Gary has to offer.

Look Smart Search for Articles

Thanks Gary for sharing what you know with us. This is what a community blog is all about. 😛

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Blogging Hypothetical Question 2

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For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a bloggy-life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this BloggingHypotheticality.

Here you go. . . .

You receive an email that reads like this–only yours is from a real domain name.

Dear Sir/Madam:

Would you like to link to us?

Website: http://www.ilinkwithstrangers.com

Thank you very much.

What’s your opinion of this practice?

–ME “Liz” Strauss