Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
I read an article recently about an expert blogger who only commits to two or three posts per week. From his perspective, the website is a complete success and doesn’t require more content than what’s delivered. His focus is that of the people who follow his blog. He writes for his followers without putting much thought into building content for search engines. This demonstrates how personal views dictate what you would call “success.”
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Followers Are Good
Initially, I created most of my websites in order to engage a large audience. I want to write to the masses and possible help those people along the way. I didn’t really put much thought into “followers” until I connected my blogs to WordPress.com through JetPack.
I relish in the idea that my material has attracted others to follow the blog. It means those individuals are interested in what I have to share. As I continue to develop the sites, it’s those individuals who visit my pages who help the other aspects of the site grow. However, they are not the ones I focus my content on. The fact is, I write for search engine optimization in the hopes to attract a larger audience. Headings, bullet lists, keywords and all go into every piece I write in order to score well in search engines – even this one.
Why I Focus More on SEO
I would love nothing more than to sit and write a few blog posts per day and not have to worry about money. Although I developed Writer Sanctuary and Crossing Colorado to help others, eliminating my regular job would allow me to focus more on these sites. You see, I hate life at the moment. Although my primary income centers around freelance writing, which I love, it’s keeping everything else going at the same time that stresses me out. I am spread far too thin, and being a full-time blogger would alleviate a great deal of that pressure.
I implement Adsense, InfoLinks and affiliate ads in order to generate a bit of cash. Currently, I’m making roughly $0.50 per month from the sites. That’s OK, though. Both Writer Sanctuary and Crossing Colorado are relatively new. But in order for those revenue streams to be valid, I need traffic. It’s the traffic from search engines I am hoping to accumulate. The more visitors I get, the greater the potential for making money.
Helping others is still a major concern for me. It’s why I keep writing even though I would make more money scrounging for change in Walmart’s parking lot. I like the idea of someone leaving my sites with a greater understanding of the topic. I’m the type of person who values knowledge in all forms. If one person discovered a life-changing fact on my websites, then this whole process is worth the effort.
I know, I sound a bit on the greedy side. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford to blog as a hobby. If I won the Powerball tomorrow, it would be a different story. I hope no one thinks less of me for wanting to make more money through these sites.
All of the marketing I do for my blogs is based on what’s free and available. Otherwise, I could invest money to attract a larger audience. Since I’m not really selling anything on my site, the return on investment would be quite low.
The Difference Lies in Frequency
After exploring the Internet a bit, I’ve discovered those who value followers create less content than those who focus on SEO. Every article I write earns a few more impressions to the site every day in search enginges. The more I write, the greater the likelihood someone will find something of value. I’ve also discovered that the more content I create, the more often my pages are seen. And not just the ones I recently developed, either. In fact, material on Writer Sanctuary written more than a year ago is gaining more impressions now that I’ve been regularly creating content.
In reality, there is no truly right or wrong way to develop a blog. It all centers around what you call a success. If your goal was to have 10 followers and you have 12, then your site was a success by your own standards. It’s OK to follow the guidelines of others. Just keep in mind that your objectives may be completely different than what someone believes is the right way to develop content.
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