The Purpose of Labels

Labels, tags, keywords - what does that box at the bottom of your new post really accomplish?

What are they? Labels (or tags) make it easy to group related posts, without having to create specific categories for each subject. They give visitors the ability to browse all your posts that relate to a similar subject. When two or more blog posts are given the same label, visitors can easily click on the label to view those posts grouped together in the archive template.

Why should you use them? What’s more important is that these labels also serve as a great way for search engines to find your blog. When I’m deciding which words to use as labels for my post, I always ask myself “if I was searching this topic, which keywords would I enter in Google?”

Keywords are a source of traffic. Considering Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the highest priority in creating a successful blog, these labels will direct the traffic to you.

Mr. Ven of eMoneyMakingOnline.Com offers important advice on using keywords in your blog: “Don’t always write articles to stuff keywords instead “convey the message naturally” and you will ‘use keywords naturally’.”

How to do it? When creating a new post, there is a space at the bottom of your form marked "Labels for this post" (other platforms use “Tags”) Simply enter your keywords (labels), separated by commas. (If you click the "show all" link you’ll see the list of labels you've used before. Then just click on those labels to add them.) When you publish your post, the labels will be listed with it.

You can also add a list of all your labels in the sidebar of your blog, sorted alphabetically or by frequency of use and as a list or by cloud. Until you’ve built up a bank of labels, I would suggest using the list option. To add this list, go to add a gadget and add labels.

Remember: Relevant Labels = SEO.

Blog Design - Keep It Simple

Simplicity is the key to a good looking blog. Today’s web readers are inundated with a plethora of visually stimulating advertisements, ideas, posts and photos. The result is overwhelming, and can be exhausting.
A clean, crisp blog can relax the reader, and make them enjoy their stay on your blog. This doesn’t mean make your site boring - it just means it’s time to throw out the Comic Sans font, and put the fancy photo backgrounds back in your high school yearbook. Here are just a few simple guidelines that will give your blog the air of professionalism, without giving up your originality or personality.

Fonts: Step away from the Fancy Fonts. They can make your blog look unprofessional, and often, childish. America’s Most Fonted – the 7 Most Hated Fonts has Comic Sans the worst font of all. Just Google “comic sans” and you’ll find a long list of web designers that share the sentiment, including websites like bancomicsans.com.

The top 7 Most Hated Fonts in order:

1. Comic

2. Bradley Hand ITC
3. Curlz MT4. Papyrus
5. Vivaldi
6. Kristen ITC
7. Viner Hand
A good rule of thumb to follow is to make sure the font you use is “Sans Serif” such as Arial, Calibri, and Verdana. Let me explain.
“Serifs” are the small finishing strokes on the end of a character such as Times New Roman. “Sans serif” fonts do not have these finishing strokes.
Serif fonts have been widely used in traditional printed material such as books and newspapers. But once you start using the web, with varying screen resolutions and sizes, serifs become difficult to read, and hard on the eyes. When it comes to fonts that are being viewed on a screen – SANS SERIF all the way.
Backgrounds:White Text on Black Background is bad. We can’t read your blog. Tatham Oddie explains the scientific reasoning which has to do with your iris opening to receive more light, and create a “fuzzy” effect. Just keep in mind the key is readability. Downloading blog templates can be great, but can also be disastrous. You want our blog to stand out because it’s good, not because it’s a prime example of what not to do. Fancy backgrounds with photos can work if they don’t distract from the most important part – your posting. Make sure the background behind your post is clean, clear and offers enough of a contrast for even the lowest resolution screens.
Photographs/Pictures:We are a visual generation – we need photos. Text only means a boring blog.

Break the monotony with photographs, videos, slideshows, etc. But again, make sure the photos don’t detract from what you’re saying. Also make sure when you are adding photos that they are scaled properly, meaning not out of proportion and check the creative commons for the legality of using someone else’s photo. To get more information on legally using photos go to Blogger.com’s help page on posting photos.

Finally,
Consistency: A consistent approach to layout, colours and fonts allows readers to adapt quickly to your design and get comfortable. The visual language of your blog is a reflection of who you are and what people can expect. Don’t speak in a number of tongues.
Impress visitors with not only a great first impression, but also an even better lasting impression.

Your First Post

This may be the hardest post to write. If you don't know where else to start, how about "Welcome to My Blog"? Explain why you've started your blog, and what kind of things you plan to write about. This launch post will also serve as a reminder to you whenever you find yourself deviating from your theme as you continue to blog. Keep your posts short, develop momentum, stick to what you know. You probably have a lot of helpful information that other people would like to know.

Let's Get Started

Step 2
The rules to blogging are simple:
Be Clear – Simple and concise.
Be Accurate – Spelling and punctuation counts.
Be Yourself – Whether it’s controversial, persuasive or personal, be expressive make it worth reading.

The first thing you need to do to start is determine your focus. What do you want to write about? The more popular your theme is, the more the search engines will like you, remember both theme and frequency of posts will give your blog more “Google Juice”)

Before committing to that theme, ask yourself some questions.
Does it lend itself to ongoing posts and discussions?
Does it excite you? Will the topic motivate you enough to write about in the long term? Do you want to be known as an expert on the topic?
How much time do you have to write and research your topic?

Next, offer the basics in your blog. Make readers feel comfortable and at home. Make sure there is an easy way to leave comments, have clear titles for your postings, offers a blogroll of your favourite blogs and don’t forget to fill in the “About Me” section.

Finally, get connected. Find blogs in your niche area and add value through participate. Comment on their postings and suggest they do the same on yours. There are blog groups for everything from crock-pot cooking to zebra watching, they are easy to find by going to Google and clicking on “search blogs” the same you would select “search the web.”

Meg Hourihan said it best on her blog, “When we talk about weblogs, we’re talking about a way of organizing information, independent of its topic. What we write about does not define us as bloggers; it’s how we write about it (frequently, ad nauseam, peppered with links.” Meg Hourihan, by the way, is co-founder of the company Pyra Labs, the creators of Blogger.

What exactly is a Blog?

Blog is short for Weblog which originally meant a personal log on the web. As interest grew people referred to it as We-Blog and now, simply Blog.
As Lee Lefever of Common Craft explains "Blogs are websites that are organized in blog posts." It's an easy, inexpensive way to reach a large group of people. At first it was more of an web diary, personal, shared among a small group of friends. September 11th changed all that. Catherine Seippe discussed this for the American Journalism Review, she wrote "But after September 11, a slew of new or refocused media junkie/political sites reshaped the entire Internet media landscape. Blog now refers to a Web journal that comments on the news--often by criticizing the media and usually in rudely clever tones--with links to stories that back up the commentary with evidence."
Blogs are usually in reverse chronological order, giving readers the feeling of getting the information as it happens. They share a common format so that readers can skim through it quickly. Skimming another necessity in our multi-tasking world. Postings are often short, and to the point. So instead of rambling on about blogs, check out the video from one of my favourite blogs commoncraft.

Why Blog?

Step 1
Before you start your blog, figure out why you want to do it in the first place. Is it for personal or professional reasons? Some people start a blog to give potential employers a glimpse into what and who they are, a richer impression above and beyond that nerve-racking interview. A blog enables employers and/or customers to get to know you and like you before they work with you. Just remember when you decide to commit to blogging that, like everything else, what you put up on the Web will last forever somewhere in cyberspace.
Personal bloggers use blogging as an outlet, a way to express themselves. Blogs allow us to have online conversations with people who are interested in the same things we are. Whether it's creative writing, political writing, technical writing, there's a niche for it. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to educate or illuminate or aggravate – just remember to stay true to your niche. Always keep your audience and your common theme in mind.
Why shouldn't you blog? You shouldn't blog just because you "think" you should blog. If you don't have the time and commitment - stop now. As Li Evans of KeyRelevance says, “If you don't have that passion to sit there and write blog posts and communicate with your audience, you shouldn't be blogging.” Your disinterest will show through in your blog. A stale blog or an abandoned blog does nothing for your reputation.