Keyword Focus
November 23, 2009 by Russell Hall
Filed under Articles, Notices
The Reason My Blog Posts Are Thinning Out On This Blog!
The more time I spend online and build blogs and websites the more and more I realize that this WHOLE game revolves around keywords.
I get lots of clients asking me to make them a blog or a CMS site for which they have grand designs of using as a platform to launch their online career and/or some latest product, gadget or service.
The startling thing is that they all have their focus in the same wrong places. What I mean is that they're invariably focused on design, trendy or cool sounding names, graphics, appearance, all kinds of blogging and site features including optin forms and newsletter blasting,.. BUT,.. they fail to focus on and give any kind of real attention to where their customers, clients and site visitors are going to come from.
WHAT ARE YOUR KEYWORDS FOLKS?
Unless you know from the outset what market you're competing in/for and what the specific keywords are that relate to your market, product or service then you're just wasting your time and your blog or site is going to be left to toss around like a cork on an open sea of competition.
Take this blog for instance,.. The Russ Rave,… it's a classic example. Sure I like my blog and I'm quite content with its appearance and layout and cool backend functions but what about traffic? I mean targeted traffic? This blog is so wide and diverse in its topics ranging from Copywriting and Internet Marketing, to WordPress themes, plugins, videos etc.
Whilst I get traffic across those areas its really spasmodic and hardly worthwhile. I mean, theses days the whole blogging scene is really streamlined and focused. Gone are the days when you could start a blog about "blogging" and expect to be successful,.. because you're competing with the Darren Rowse's, the Yara Staraks, the John Chows, The Gideon Shalwicks etc. And then there's the "make money online" niche (if it can still be called a "niche"… more like a monolithe!) In that niche you're up against the Frank Kerns, Mike Filsaimes, John Reeses, Lee McIntyres etc. So you have to be pretty dedicated and focused if that's going to be your ball game.
So,.. what I've decided to do is to dedicate myself and my time to breaking out into other more defined niches and create blogs specifically around that. It's not that I'm not interested in "making money online", its' just that my performance so far in that niche has been woeful (making the odd sale) but I do make money online by building blogs and CMS sites and selling associated services and products around that,- so that's where I'm going to really focus. It just makes sense really. So I'll have a blog for Wordpress and blog technical support and stuff, and a blog for website design, a blog for SEO etc etc. I'm actually working on them right now and spending a bit of time to get the keywords right so that I can highly for certain phrases that I know will get me some very targeted unique visitors who'll be looking for exactly the things I'm offering.
I'll be posting specific URL links later as my other blogs and sites evolve! <<< WATCH THIS SPACE >>>
In the meatime,.. this blog THE RUSSRAVE will stay active and published and will just be treated as my personal soapbox and "home" platform where I'll post stuff from time to time and just see how it evolves.
The reason I'm doing this is to be laser focused on promoting and marketing via keywords that are specific to the markets of which I'm interested in pursuing.
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Hello Russell!
I have just discovered you today via the Warrior Forum (bought your “Keyword Diamonds” and am considering buying your Wordpress WSO as well).
This post (”Keyword Focus” or “The Reason My Blog Posts Are Thinning Out On This Blog!”)is directly addressing something I have been very concerned about for some time.
I have just finally officially started my blog (it’s still not really working yet) on New Years Day (my first New Years Resolution for a very long time.)
One of the reasons it took me so long was that I was unable to decide on the format for the best presentation of my sites to attract “traffic.”
My own inclination is just to have a blanket blog where I write about whatever I feel to write about. (I have LOTS to say!) But the general opinion was that “minisites” and “niche” blogging is the way to go.
So I have been in a dilemma as to whether to follow my own feelings or to listen to the expert advice.
The result thus far has been not getting started at all.
So I have chosen to start my general blog and then branch out into micro sites later (but I am worried about the dreaded “duplicate content” penalties or filters (if such actually exist).
At least this way I could actually get started.
But now I have read this post and you have basically confirmed that the experts are right and that my general approach shall probably not be successful. Not good news! There are some similarities between this blog of yours and my intentions but mine would be much more diversified and therefore even less focused for traffic.
Oh well, I will continue for now anyway, at least I can get can get started.
I can refocus later as you are apparently doing.
Thanks!
Wayne.
P.S. I have “followed” you on Twitter as well.
Wayne Cochrane´s last blog ..Beginning! 1.1.10 Hello! Welcome!
Thanks Wayne,
although I must admit to having been very inactive on Twitter lately. It’s a good medium but I had to put into perspective the 2 to 3 hours every day I was spending on Twitter in relation to the returns I was getting from other activities,.. such as posting on my own blogs, adding new content, working on new products, and spending quality time on the Warrior Forum.
Having said that I will start Tweeting again real soon but with a renewed perspective and game plan.
Russ
“The result thus far has been not getting started at all.”
This is an all too common thing Wayne but at least you’ve now got it more than half beat because you’ve “decided” to get started on something and I can assure you that things will evolve from there,.. even if it means spinning off onto an entirely different niche and domain at least by getting started you’re giving yourself a springboard and generating your own momentum,.. so good for you!
If you read Yarro Starak’s blog he talks about this a lot,- i.e. most people start off a blog talking about blogging or even worse “how to make money on the internet” and yet they haven’t got experience in either and are just one of thousands of new blogs coming online everyday that all have exactly the same idea!
Number 1 rule…. BE YOURSELF,…. and talk honestly about the things you’re interested in and/or passionate about.
After that it’s purely a business proposition,…
Find a market
Find a product
Create your USP and marketing model
Deliver the goods and keep the customer/client happy
That’s where people go wrong (we’ve all done it).
It’s kind of like the guy that’s into Snowboarding and so decides to open up a snowboard shop in his street that’s nowhere near the ski slopes,
and has zero traffic of potential customers,..and if and when any do arrive all they find is his own collection of snowboards and a few old magazines and accessories lying around.
Contrast that against the guy that has a passion for snowboarding and creates a business plan, raises working capital, finds a commercial high traffic area premises, and then ensures his shop is equipped with the latest and other varied allied items and has a great look and feel making his customers feel that they’re in the right place for advice, support and the best deals on all that they may need.
Russ