Tech Startups: December 2010

NVI Solutions suggestions on blog optimization:

"So you’ve started a tech blog and want to attract some attention. Maybe you’ve got the greatest ideas about new web trends or perhaps you want to share your thoughts on hacking the latest techno-gadgets. Writing it in your blog isn’t enough. Without attracting visitors you might as well be writing in your bedside diary. How do you get noticed so that readers will see what you’re up to?

1.Submit Your Blog to Search Engines

This may seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people forget something as simple as submitting your blog’s URL to the search engines. They may already know you’re around, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check. For what it’s worth, it also lets them know you pro-actively want to be submitted, as opposed to passively wait around for them to index your sites in good time.

2.Submit Your Posts to Social Bookmarking Sites

Search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing are not the only ways to boost traffic. Take some time to submit your posts to social bookmarking sites like Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Digg for a quick and easy way to get more readers on your blog.

3.Don’t forget SEO basics

Don’t forget to optimize your pages for search engines when writing blog posts. Be sure to include a reasonable number of relevant keywords and links. Don’t drown your blog post with excessive keyword usage or irrelevant links, which can result in lower rankings or even a complete ban from the search engines.

4.Tag Your Posts

Tags are easily recognized by search engines. It is worth the few extra seconds needed to include them in each of your posts.

5. Host your own blog

To be truly successful, you should pony up enough dough to host your blog on your own domain using your own server. Domain names are priced in the single digits these days, with even the biggest domain name registrars only charging a few bucks for a “dot com” domain name. Decent server space can be had for just a couple of dollars a month as well. This not only gives you complete control but prevents you from losing valuable search engine rankings should a provider go belly-up.

6. Build quality inbound links

Inbound links are like word-of-mouth advertising in the real world. People don’t vouch for other people if it would tarnish their own name. Inbound links show that someone is willing to put their own reputation on the line in making a reference to you. So build your rep and get those inbound links!

7. Hold off on advertising.

Don’t start throwing up ads on your blog until you’re established. Having more ads than content is a huge turn-off to readers.

8. Participate at Related Forums & Blogs

Regardless of your subject matter, you’re more than likely not the first one to blog on it. Forums and communities already exist out there, with dozens and dozens of bloggers happily writing away. Join in on the party and participate with them. You will not only become part of their community, but will attract readers and inbound links as well.

9. Write content that doesn’t suck.

Believe it or not, search engines are not the visitors you ultimately want to attract to your site. You actually want human beings to come to your site, read your content, buy stuff, etc. Search engines are merely a means to an end, not the end itself. Search engines help you get traffic, but if you base your entire strategy around gimmicks and “black hat” techniques, you’ll only end up angering visitors once they arrive if your website comes up short on content. Tech people are not stupid. Nothing makes a technical users more upset than wasting time with a “spammy” website. Having real content keeps users’ interest and encourages them return for more. Returning users tend to comment and participate in conversations. User participation is almost like getting content for free, extra content which further builds your search engine ranking at that.

10. Don’t use a default template.

Default templates are boring. Although Jennifer Aniston may not have listened when she quit her waitress job in the “Office Space,” it pays to have adequate flair on your website in order to stand out from the others.

About the Author:

NVI Solutions is a Montreal based company that specializes in interactive strategy. They offer a wide range of services that includes web design, seo services and social media marketing.

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