Blogging and Marketing Resources for the Average Blogger and Business
Posts tagged Commentary
PageRank as a Measurement Tool
Aug 9th
PR Checker Badges
Recently, I offered to provide free blog reviews. I am very pleased to say that the response has been great. I have several in the works and will be posting the next one soon. Thank you again. Where appropriate, I’ve been showing that blog’s Google PageRank (TM) as a way to further define their success. Since this is a great tool for getting a quick read on how Google sees your blog (or anyone else’s in which you are interested), I decided to place the tool here for your convenience.
What is PageRank, you say? Let me explain.
Many of you already have a badge on your blogs showing your PageRank, but you may not know what drives the number. First, there are many sites that measure and provide statistics. The one I use, PR Checker, is simple and has the best looking selection of badges.
Let’s start with how Google describes it. After all, it’s their trademarked and patented tool. (In the spirit of full disclosure, notice the TM above for every reference on my site.) Google says,
“PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page’s value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves “important” weigh more heavily and help to make other pages ‘important’.”
Of course, it is much more complex that this, but in essence, “the higher the ranked sites that link to your site, the higher your PageRank.”
As I often do, I turn to our friends at Wikipedia to dig deeper. This entry is about all the detail I care to consider – or serve up. If you have trouble sleeping at night, I’m sure you can find even more detailed descriptions on the web.
A while back, I posted about the value of relationships in a post comparing online and offline businesses. This is probably the number one piece of advice I could give. Visit blogs, engage in the topics, provide clear perspectives, make your visit there valuable, and they will reciprocate. A relationship is built, a link back may ensue and you’ve just added some PageRank juice to your site.
Dave
Diversify Your Monetization Strategy
Jul 13th
Affiliate Revenue at Risk
To continue thinking Monetization for one more post, I thought it important to talk about a recent news item. ”Amazon Cuts North Carolina Affiliates to Avoid Tax.”
While the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit has been a forum for much Monetization discussion (note the relative size of Monetization in the tag box to the right), it bears mentioning that like any investment strategy, diversification is an important strategy in monetizing your blog.
In “The Move to Monetization: No Google Adsense,” I recapped my unsuccessful attempt to reinstate my Adsense account after it was disabled for reasons I still can not determine. I’m not in this situation, but IF blogging was my primary or only source of income, and IF all my eggs were in the Google basket, I’d be, well, hosed.
Many people do this with Amazon, but for those in North Carolina, the opportunity just went away. The State of North Carolina is close to passing a law that would force companies to collect the tax if they have in-state online-marketing affiliates. As a result, Amazon has ended business relationships with marketing affiliates in North Carolina to avoid collecting sales tax in the state.
It may come as no surprise that affiliates make up a small portion of Amazon’s traffic, so this move won’t hurt much. But it does help Amazon avoid substantial headaches in trying to manage the taxation.
As the economy continues to chug away at the bottom of its cycle, more states that need to fill budget gaps may be looking use affiliates as a way to force companies to collect a sales tax for online purchases. Amazon also has threatened to pull out of its affiliate business in California, Hawaii, Rhode Island and other states. States including Maryland, Minnesota and Tennessee have rejected similar laws.
The irony of the North Carolina direction is that they have likely reduced (not increased) state revenues by driving this commerce activity out of the state.
Protect yourself. Evaluate your revenue model and be sure there are many sources in that model. Adjusting one that fails is one thing. Completely changing to a new “single source” may be devastating.
Dave
Energication for Renewable Energy Education
Jul 7th
Energication for Renewable Energy Education
The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit has been my repository for all things related to my new hobby, blogging. This will continue to be a place to share what I learn, but I also want to share the result of two other passions: renewable energy and education.
First, education.
For the last eight years, I’ve been a school board member. A lot of work, but a very rewarding experience.
Now, renewable energy.
As a self-proclaimed solar geek, I’m always looking for innovative and successful uses of solar technology. Taking a page from the school district’s math initiative, I put two and two together – and got Energication.
The combination of Renewable Energy and Education, “Energication” is my latest project bringing information of value to educators about renewable energy curriculum. My hope is that it will become a central topic in all schools across our nation. For now, I’m just happy our local district is interested in pursuing the concept.
Renewable energy is our future. Electricity will be the currency of that future. Through Energication and speaking in person to any school who will listen, I am looking forward to helping our students have some “spending money.”
The first effort is to pursue a working solar system and related curriculum through a grant application. You can read more about it on the site.
Dave
Donate Life Northwest Raffle
Jun 9th
Donate Life Northwest
A good friend of mine is the Program Director for a small non-profit organization in Portland called Donate Life Northwest. They are responsible for the statewide public education about the importance of registering to be an organ donor.
Part of their fundraising efforts is an annual benefit raffle which is coming up in August. I am reaching out to all Ultimate Blogging Toolkit readers and fellow bloggers to buy a ticket or two. There are six great prizes and if by an unfortunate chance you don’t win, all of your charitable gift is tax deductible and 100% goes towards their wonderful programs.
You can buy tickets online at their secure website:
https://donatelifenw.ejoinme.org/MyPages/AnnualBenefitRaffle/tabid/131609/Default.aspx
And what great prizes!
- Grand Prize: Roundtrip airfare for two on Alaska Airlines within the continental US
- 2nd Prize: Seven day stay at Eagle Crest Ridge in Redmond, OR (sleeps 6)
- 3rd Prize: Central Oregon Getaway – weekend stay in a cabin on the banks of the Metolius River and dinner at Chloe Restaurant
- 4th Prize: 16GB Apple iTouch
- 5th Prize: A one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry piece by local artist Jessica Vasi
- 6th Prize: Beach Getaway – Two night stay at a charming cottage on the Yachats River in Yachats, OR (sleeps up to 6)
For more details on the prizes and some pictures of the getaway cottages, you can check out their website.
I’m already signed up as an organ donor. If that appeals to you as a way to help another person, sign up or just buy a raffle ticket. Hey, you may get to pick up one of these prizes.
Donate Life Northwest
PO Box. 532
Portland, OR 97207
Office: 503-494-2257
Fax: 503-494-2290
Register today to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Thanks for your support.
Dave
Yes, It’s Been A While
Nov 29th
Posted by Dave in Uncategorized
5 comments
First, if you are reading this, thank you for being patient. I appreciate every one of you who follow. I’ve been developing some other project ideas and I’m now in a position to move them forward – and the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit will be a part of them. Stay tuned.
Secondly, for those of you who have asked about a Free Blog Review, again, thank you for staying with me and yes, I will be conducting each and every one of them.
Again, thank you and look for some new concepts to be introduced as part of the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit. I’ve missed this interaction, but very excited to be bringing you fresh perspectives in the near future.
Dave