Postcards from the Funny Farm

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Google PR is a joke. Bad blogs get high PR all the time. Let’s discuss value and how you can get it on your blog.

It seems the trend these days to get “quick fixes” to long term issues. For example, today I saw a popup ad that said colon cleanser could solve your weight loss woes. Is it possible? Maybe. As far as blogs go, the same amazing claims are out there for traffic and PR. I even asked my wife for a $25 program for my birthday Monday that claimed to improve backlinks. Thank God she said no. It was a momentary lapse of reason.

I’ve been at the task of improving Google PR for over a year now and not much has helped. The stuff that has been worth my time doing however has been stuff that increases the VALUE of my posts and blog. This stuff increases my traffic and decreases the bounce rate: SO … having said all that, I am starting a series to discuss the things that I have found useful in bringing more value to my blog. In the end, after Google PR is a distant memory (which it will become if it doesn’t reflect value) blogs of value will remain standing. I will examine a letter from the word VALUE in each post in this series. I’d encourage you to subscribe so you don’t miss anything. Let’s start with what you can do to create more value for your blog: V.A.L.U.E. V=visceral

1. Be visceral with a target of 200 words

If you are like me, you have to look up visceral to know what it truly means. I knew it meant to be “of feeling” but check out the other definitions:
Visceral \Vis”cer*al\, a. [Cf. F. visc['e]ral, LL. visceralis.]
1. (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or affecting the viscera;
splanchnic.
[1913 Webster]

2. Fig.: Having deep sensibility. [R.] –Bp. Reynolds.
[1913 Webster]

3. proceeding from emotion or instinct rather than from
intellect; deeply emotional; — as, a visceral reaction.
[PJC]

4. dealing with coarse or base emotions; — as, a visceral
literary style. –[RHUD]
[PJC] (source)

Doesn’t that say it all for a valuable blog post? Write from a place of inspiration. That will vary from writer to writer, but many things never change. There is a new site out there dedicated to talking about writing and blogging called “Wriging.” Check that one out for sure. I chose 200 words as my target because shorter that that is often considered spam by the search engines and more than that often makes me click away. Let’s face it, who has time in their bloghop to read more than 200 words. Oh and guess what else? IT’S EASY TO WRITE 200 words! Everybody likes stuff that’s easy. Sometimes longer posts are okay when they contain excellent research. Andy Beard’s Niche Marketing is an excellent example of how long posts can be okay. USUALLY however, less is more folks. This one is, many apologies, 402 words (eek I am such a hypocrite). I hope you see my point.

Write 200 visceral words is the first part of adding value to a post/blog. Next time: “I”. If you can’t wait, send me an email, I will reveal it to you privately for $25 (LOL. j/k … maybe). Derek’s price will be slightly higher.

How did I do in May of 2008?
Traffic
Goal: 2650 total unique visits for the month and 100/day avg
Actual: 2920 total unique visits for the month and 91/day avg

I feel good about the daily uniques for the month. The daily average is a little short of my goal. I think my link love resolve will help those numbers so I am planning big for June.

Publishing
Goal: 5 total publishings may include guest blog posts.
Actual: 3

• The Man Page
• Good Taste
• It Might be Love (future publishing)

I slacked on my guestblogging this month. I put more time into my other blogs and investing in backlinks. I plan to try this goal of “5″ again for June. If interested, send me a message or a comment.

Money
Goal: 300 dollars through these sources - 1) PayPerPost 2) PayU2Blog and 3) Private advertising.
Actual: 270 dollars. I have 2 open spots for ads at $10 a month if you are interested.

I’m interested in getting my traffic higher. I feel this will make the ad spots all the more alluring. As it is, those who advertise on my blog get an interview and links throughout each month they stay here. Hopefully more will show interest. PayPerPost and PayU2Blog probably are the culprits that caused me to lose my PR again … I don’t really care. Google can bite me. As long as I am meeting my personal goals, I am succeeding in my book.

Goals for June 2008 are:
Traffic: 3000 uniques
Publishing: 3 online, may included guestblogging
Money: 200 bucks

Final thought:

Getting a blog “seated” in the search engines through backlinks is a full time job. In changing domain names I lost about 80% of my backlink Google Juice. I’m learning ways to build it back up and I appreciate my readers who come to this niche and find inspiration and psychology to make their lives better. Watch and see how I do in June. -Damien

Ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed spotting the fake in a picture. Whether it was looking for “Where’s Waldo” or better yet an optical illusion. For example, does anyone remember those MAD Magazine “Fold-In” features on the back cover? They were so awesome. When you looked at the picture it looked like something normal and harmless like the Statue of liberty, but after you followed the “fold-in” directions, you were shocked to see something different altogether.

Well, that’s what this post is about: looking at traffic on your blog in a whole new way. Since
analyzing data is a big part of what I do for a living, I am an elementary school teacher, I have a lot of experience with averages, means, outliers, irrelevant data, and anomalies (note that word, it is verrrrrry important to blog analysis). What I set out to do here is show the stuff that counts in your stats and not just high numbers. It has been said that higher numbers will get your ads clicked more … in my experience? No. (I have had stretches where my blog was averaging 800 visits a day and still only minimal clicks on Adsense). And, from the people I talk to, I am not alone in this knowledge. SO … what does it all mean and how can I use my traffic stats to help me earn money and real, “staying,” subscribers? These things take time like muscle growth for the body. After more than a year at this stuff, here’s my fifty cents (scroll past the computer):

1. Pamphlet services only drive-by, or click-by, traffic. Let me explain. A real estate agent is new to a neighborhood. He has no leads because no one knows him. He makes pamphlets with his best picture, offers free stuff, and he follows up. Is there anyone who hasn’t received this stuff on her/his doorstep? This creates interest and what I call “pamphlet traffic.” Nonetheless, the potential client will not be hooked in unless he/she makes a positive connection and like the person. Put this in the perspective of “pamphlet traffic” generating services like Entrecard … etc. These are not good or bad for a blog but they will only produce a lasting reader if the reader does more than click on the Entrecard E. Because this sort of marketing takes a long time, is it your best time spent looking for subscribers? and/or readers? The 20-30 minutes (or even hours sometimes) I have spent dropping Entrecards could have been better spent I think. Let me go on to show how.
2. Knowing your stats is helpful. Watching your analytics helps you gauge your progress as a blogger. Get a good stats provider and set monthly goals for your blog. The can be as big as or as small as you hope to achieve. You can get progress meters to show off your goals publicly and you can do periodic series to share with your readers what is working for you. Through time, I have narrowed my three priorities for Postcards from the Funny Farm down to:
   a. Traffic
   b. Publishing -and-
   c. money. Every month you’ll find me reflecting on my goals and setting new ones.
3. Spend the most time of your day on your own blog, but THEN Bloghopping. Use your own favorites and blogroll to get out there and really read with a cup of coffee. Dialog between blogger is what makes it an amazing viral writing phenomena. If people like your writing they will return but if they like your writing AND they feel a connection to you as the writer, they will never leave!

On a very reduced scale, I have become famous and “hit it big” with my blog finally. I set a gaol last month to make $100 and I surpassed it (it is still surpassing). I set a goal for a certain amount of visitors and so far I am set to surpass it. I set a goal to guest blog on 5 blogs this month and I have surpassed it. So, … in my eyes, the only eyes that can matter to a serious blogger, I am the big time baby! Of course I am being glib, but you should be excited when you meet your own goals, otherwise you’ll never know what to measure success by! Last: remember that a lot of traffic or rank doesn’t always mean people are reading and retunring. That is what it takes to make money. Kep that in the back of your mind when you have a really high traffic day … or DESOLATELY LOW ONE! On those days just imagine that each of your “80″ for example uniques could end up being your subscriber/reader for life ;)

Any questions? I promise to answer them all.