Now what do I do? I'm used to the website format, where I write a keyword-focused page, and if I did my homework well soon I'm on Google's first page with that page and get found for my keywords, along with all the long-tailed ones.

Each page has a title, description, etc., and that's what people see when they find my site.

But a blog is sort of like one long page, isn't it? Where does SEO come in?

Thanks for all the great advice!

Gina

Your message is loud and clear here. You're actually talking to your readers here and not at them. Chances are, if someone is just starting out as a Blogger, he or she may make a few mistakes along the way. However, if they pay attention to what Problogger like you talk about, they'll reduce making mistakes.

I hate being a journalist…I'll rather remain a blogger with business approach to my blog.

Thanks for hitting us with that brick every once in a while, David. It's like you said in your 6 Figure Blueprint…we need something of our own to offer to really make the money. It seems like we all go through this process from focusing on traffic & covering our blogs with ads, then to affiliate marketing, then finally to our own thing.

It's cool to want to help others and share info for free to build authority but I think a reader is sort of looking for some sort of offer or product that will help them beyond our content. By not offering that “continuing ed” maybe we are really doing a disservice to our readers.

So, I hereby declare that by the end of this coming week I will be ready & I will finally have something to actually market myself!

Greetings from rural Australia.

My first job, at 13 years old, was working in the local department store in my small town. I gave it up when I started university at age 17. In those 4 years I learned that selling is the most important job in business. It doesn’t matter how clever a product is, or how sophisticated a company is, someone has to convince the public they can’t live without widget xyz or company bda.

I always wondered why bloggers had banner ads and if they ever made any money from them. Because I’ve never clicked on one. Now I know.

If you’re not selling something, you’re not making money. And the easiest way to make money is to sell something you love and believe in so much, you’re passionate about it. Your enthusiasm wins people over and if the product is good and you’re honest and trustworthy, you can’t fail.

It doesn’t need to be your product. And it doesn’t need to be a downloadable product. I design, make and market my own textile products. My business is purely mailorder. Taking orders and posting parcels. And it’s a very successful business. But I also have two products in my catalogue that aren’t mine, which I just love, and sell hand over fist because I can wax lyrical about both in a genuine way.

And everything can be sold if presented properly. Remember Pet Rocks?

What you say is true. Having a following of 400,000 readers is only an ego trip for the blogger if their followers aren’t buying something and putting money into their account.

The tricky bit is balancing the scales so you don’t appear to be only selling, selling, selling. Which drives everyone away.

A good post, David. And you answered my question about banner ads.

Take care,

CAROL

Carol Jones
Director
Interface Pty Ltd
Post Office Box 139
KANDOS NSW 2848 Australia
Tel: +612 63 58 85 11
Fax: +612 63 58 85 10
Designers of The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover
My simple solutions for difficult problems make every product a joy to use
Visit my website at http://www.simplesolutionsfordifficultproblems.com

“Have something to offer them.”

The corollary to that, of course, is to have something to offer the audience *that they would be willing to pay for.* And even for aspiring probloggers who figure out the first part – that they need to have some actual product or service beyond the blog posts themselves – identifying the second art can be terribly hard.

But I suppose that's where market research comes in.