In a piece for Wired, Paul Boutin asserted a while back that blogging is dead. Quoting:

“Thinking about launching your own blog? Here’s some friendly advice: Don’t. And if you’ve already got one, pull the plug.

Writing a weblog today isn’t the bright idea it was four years ago. The blogosphere, once a freshwater oasis of folksy self-expression and clever thought, has been flooded by a tsunami of paid bilge. Cut-rate journalists and underground marketing campaigns now drown out the authentic voices of amateur wordsmiths. It’s almost impossible to get noticed, except by hecklers. And why bother? The time it takes to craft sharp, witty blog prose is better spent expressing yourself on Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter.”

Ouch. Well, we disagree. Wholeheartedly.

Don’t worry. The argument he made was back in 2004. Here we are in 2009 and blogging is flourishing. The amazing self expression of blog authors is stronger than ever. Helping readers. Helping each other. Sharing knowledge. Testing new ideas.

We know, from the strength of readership of you guys and others, that our sphere of work is stronger than ever. Whilst Twitter and others help to provide snippets of personal information, there is simply no substitute for the sharing of good, honest opinions and ideas. And let’s keep this real: we at Club Blogger tend to get a little more serious and keep things more helpful than a lot of what you may/may not read via Twitter.

Here’s to the future! It’s rolling towards us fast and we’re going to grab it with both hands!

Yes, I hear your brain engaging with that title! Ok, time for some light-hearted fun, but with a serious ‘twinge’. Some blogs are quirky but insanely powerful.

Well, Club Blogger takes a look. Interesting stuff – I’d really value your thoughts. Just don’t click away from us too much!

Yes, Google WILL have them on page 1…

1. The Huffington Post – millionaire socialite Arianna Huffington

2. Boing Boing – Lego reconstructions of pop videos and cakes baked in the shape of iPods (!)

3. Techcrunch – one of the most influential news websites across the entire technology industry

4. Kottke – keeping track of interesting things on the internet as far back as 1998

5. Dooce – one of the biggest public diaries since Samuel Pepys’

6. Perezhilton – the gossip site celebrities fear most

7. Talking points memo – sniffing out political scandal and conspiracy

8. Icanhascheezburger – see, create, submit and vote on Lolcats (captioned photos of characterful cats in different settings) – yes, you did read that correctly!

9. Beppe Grillo – popular Italian comedian and political commentator

10. Gawker – ’snarky’ gossip and commentary about the media industry

Well, there you have it. Please share your favourites.

Some think it’s the best thing since… Google. Others think it’s over-hyped. But ClubBlogger takes a look at how you get on the first rung of this particular ladder.

STEP 1 into the maze: Sign up with mobile to blog media posting services….

The web resources listed below “couple” with blogs so that different types of media captured on a cell phone can be posted to a web blog. If you subscribe to a couple of different resources such as Flickr for photos, Gabcast for audio feeds, and Flixwagon for live video feeds, you will have many media options for posting on your blog.

See below for a variety of mobile resources to select from. You can decide to subscribe to as many of the resources as you would like. The more subscriptions, the more mobile media posting options you will have. Additionally, all of the resources mentioned below have free account options so there is little to no cost to using the resources.

Post Static Video (MMS)

* YouTube
* Eyespot
* Utterz
* Shozu
* Uphoneblog

Post Audio (MMS)

* Utterz
* Evoca
* Gabcast
* Jaxtr
* Snapvine
* Cinch

Post Live Audio Streams

* Talkshoe

Post Images (MMS)

* Utterz
* Flickr
* Shozu
* Uphoneblog

Post Images at Map Location (MMS)

* Locoblog
* Flagr

Post Text (SMS)

* Utterz
* Twitter

STEP 2: Make your blog mobile

Use one of the following resources to get a mobile web address and subscription options with a short code.

* Feedm8
* Andanza
* Buzme

STEP 3: Get a Mobile Keyword for your blog

The following sites allow anyone to create a mobile keyword (such as “Africanvoice”). The keyword allows people to text message the keyword to a given number and then they can become a subscriber to your site. Being a subscriber allows them to receive updates, alerts and blog posts. Additionally, it allows the organization to keep track of subscribers.

* Textmarks
* Mozes

STEP 4: Check to see how “readable” your mobile blog is on a cell phone.

It is important to know how easy it is for individuals to read your blog on a cell phone. The following resource will “check” the readability of your blog on a cell phone.

* Ready.mobi

There have been a lot of studies into the correlation between domain registration length and successful Search Engine Optimization – particularly for those that are in Google top 10 for any competitive terms.

It has been theorized that the longer the registration length, the more trusted the domain to Google.

You know why? It shows you are serious about your business. Business owners that registered their domain for a longer time are mostly serious owners and have good long term plan for their domains.

It make sense that throwaway or spammy domains are registered for a short time because the spammers do not have serious funding. It is common sense that any long term plans in attempting to spam search engines will not work because of algorithm continuous improvement. This makes domain registration length of spammy domains very short (generally, at most 2 years).

Despite being aware of this, MOST DO NOT KNOW that the top 10 ranking domains for any competitive terms in Google are registered on the average of 10 years! It has been randomly sampled.

So, if you are seriously into long term ranking, register your domain for around 10 years. Stats say it shows high probability of 1st page ranking.

Of course, bear in mind that the length of registration itself does not mean your domain will rank because of relevance. You still need a lot of SEO work for this. Hand-in-hand with a long registration period, sites must provide compelling services and make themselves helpful to visitors. These are vital ingredients for long term Google ranking success and any good SEO specialist will emphasize this time and time again.

We will be revisiting this topic in more detail. I’d really like to hear your thoughts in the meantime, plus any specific experience of the topic.

To kill any blog, just stop posting to it!  Whatever the reason, whether pace of life, other projects or lack of enthusiasm. None of us like to think about these things, but if you want a successful blog, you must!

Everyone experiences similar issues in the world of blogging.  Learn from them and move on.

Keep it vibrant, keep it interesting and keep it useful.

HERE ARE MY 5 TOP TIPS:

1. Why not try something NEW. What we find helpful in lifting posting back up is to open the door to something new. Try topic you’ve not looked at before, start some kind of project or competition, start a series of posts or write in a different style or voice – sometimes doing something ‘new’ can not only give you energy but your readers also.

2. Just like ‘conventional’ writers, bloggers suffer from ‘blocking’ – bloggers block, if you like.  A great tip is to try a new blogging environment. Why not leave the house to do some blogging. If you’re not able to actually take your mac/pc out of the house (you don’t have a laptop) then grab a notebook and head out with that to brainstorm topics, write or do some planning of your blog. Go to the park. The cafe. Wherever you enjoy.

3. Set REALISTIC goals and deadlines. Be clear with yourself as to targets and goals, but don’t be too ambitious. Set yourself some achievable goals to get yourself going again. Perhaps your goal will be simply to post once this next week. Then after that, post twice, three times… your own pace but a targeted pace. If you’re simply feeling apathy, try writing shorter posts. Why not break down the topic into something more bite sized? It will probably read better and you’ll appreciate it more.

4. Set rewards/incentives. Some people respond well to this – set yourself a few rewards that you’ll give yourself when you reach certain milestones.

5. Convert something from your daily life into a post. Personal life experience interests readers and it will interest you. Why not video yourself doing something, record a conversation, use an email interaction etc. So many things that you do each day are potentially very powerful, great content for your blog – the key is to be aware of them and find a way to collect and use them.

Very, very importantly, read this but don’t let it distract you from the task at hand. Go for it. I know you can. You know you can.  It’s in there – let it out!  Good luck, but most of all enjoy and let it flow.

When it comes to building a successful blog, nearly every blogger has heard that linking is important. After all, we are told, the search engines love to see links. But, is it really a good idea to link everything that you possibly can within your blog? Or, should you put a little bit more thought into where and to what you decide to link?

Outgoing Links

When it comes to outgoing links, there are varying schools of thought. While some believe outgoing links should only be made when absolutely necessary, others believe you should make every effort to include at least one or two outgoing links in your posts. Since the magical algorithms used by the search engines are kept secret, it is difficult to say which school of thought is best for the search engines.

When it comes to pleasing your human visitors, outgoing links are always appreciated when they are linked to relevant and helpful sites. Therefore, regardless of the outgoing link strategy you choose, be certain every link you create links to a site that is relevant to the post and is from an authoritative site. The higher the quality of the link, the higher your visitors and the search engines will rank your site.

Incoming Links

Incoming links are also touted as being highly important in order to create a successful blog. In many ways this is true. After all, if other blogs and websites have links to your blog, you will be more likely to receive visitors from those sites. At the same time, you should exercise some good judgment when trying to get a link to your blog posted on other sites. Otherwise, your link could potentially have negative effects on your blog traffic.

Having an incoming link from a less reputable website can negatively effect your blog in a couple of ways. First, if it is posted on a site that is not too reputable, it may actually hurt your reputation as an authority in the area. Second, your search engine ranking could actually be negatively impacted by an incoming link from a site that is of poor quality.

Internal Linking

The other linking option you have available is to link within your own site. Internal linking offers a number of benefits to your blog. First, it makes it easier for your site visitors to navigate through your site and to find other posts that are relevant to the topic. Not only does this make your site more informative and helpful to your readers, it also encourages them to delve further into what your blog has to offer.

Another benefit to internal linking is the fact that search engines love blogs that link within themselves. Internal linking makes it easier for the search engine spiders to crawl through your site and to determine what the site has to offer. So, as you are building up your blog, be certain to start linking your entries right away – it is much easier to do it from the start rather than trying to get caught up later!

Are you looking for a great way to help draw some more traffic to your blog? If so, you might want to consider creating a few articles and submitting them to article directories. There are many benefits that can be derived from submitting articles to article directories and, best of all, it is something that you can do for free!

Understanding Article Directories

Put simply, an article directory is a website where individuals can post article that they have written. Some article directories are more stringent about the types of articles they will accept, but it generally is not difficult to get an article posted if you adhere to the directory’s guidelines. In addition to having your article posted on the directory’s website, other people can also post your article on their websites. If you include a link back to your blog within the article or in the author bio section following the article, anyone who reads your article can simply click the link and be redirected to your blog.

The Benefits of Article Directories

One of the major benefits of writing articles for an article directory is the fact that it can help you get established as an authority in your niche. Of course, simply posting to your blog on a regular basis should be helping you establish yourself as an authority. Nonetheless, when your article is accepted by an article directory, you help to expand your audience and to demonstrate even further that you are someone who knows what he is talking about.

Another benefit to submitting to an article directory is that it can help you reach a greater audience. There is no doubt that the key to a successful blog requires reaching as many people as possible. When you submit articles to an article directory, individuals looking for articles written on your topic may find your article and post it to their websites. Since article directories require links to stay in place when sharing their articles, getting your article picked up by another website will help you reach yet even more people. If they like what they read, those who read your article in the article directory or at a site where your article has been posted may very well follow the link and become a regular visitor to your site.

Finding Article Directories

There are literally dozens of article directories on the Internet for you to select from. Here is just a partial list of some that you may choose to submit to:

• http://www.articlesbase.com/

• http://www.articlenetworks.com/

• http://www.articleonramp.com/

• http://www.inpop.net

• http://www.article-zine.com/

• http://www.articlewise.com/

• http://www.seositemanager.com/

• http://www.add-articles.com/

• http://www.articlerich.com/

• http://www.articlevillage.com/

• http://www.submityournewarticle.com/

• http://www.article-outlet.com/

• http://www.articles-live.com/

• http://www.earticlesonline.com/

• http://www.articleloft.com/

• http://www.ezilon.com/articles/

• http://www.ezinearticles.com/

• http://www.articlealley.com/

• http://www.ideamarketers.com/

• http://www.articledashboard.com/

• http://www.goarticles.com/

• http://searchwarp.com/

• http://www.amazines.com/

• http://www.articlemotron.com/

• http://www.articleblast.com/

• http://www.articlebin.com/

• http://www.articleshelf.com/

• http://www.free-articles-zone.com/

• http://www.propertyarticles.org/

• http://www.articlebasement.com/

• http://www.dxarticle.com/

• http://www.articlevista.com/

• http://www.particlearticles.com/

• http://www.articlefrenzy.com/

• http://www.articleblotter.com/

• http://www.articlesphere.com/

• http://www.article-space.com/

• http://www.moreonrealestate.com/

• http://www.articlesup.com/

• http://www.propertymagnate.com/articles/

• http://www.articlecat.com/

• http://www.submityourarticlesnow.com/

• http://www.articlefeeder.com/

• http://www.postarticles.com/

• http://www.articleshowroom.com/

• http://www.articles-abundant.com/

• http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

• http://www.articlecrash.com

• http://www.articletrader.com

• http://www.articleclick.com

Of course, you should use discretion when deciding which article directories you will submit to, as submitting an article to a low-quality article directory may result in poor back-links that could potentially do more harm than good to your search engine ranking.

Now that you have started blogging and earning some cash from your efforts, it is time for you to start thinking about tax time. Many bloggers get into the business without even thinking about the fact that they may ultimately have to pay taxes on their earnings. Yet, if you fail to report the money you have earned from your blog, you could potentially find yourself in a lot of trouble with the IRS. Therefore, if you haven’t already, you should start taking these steps in order to prepare yourself for tax time.

Keep Track of Your Earnings

The first thing you need to do in order to prep for tax time is to keep accurate track of your earnings. If you have affiliate links on your blog that are earning you some cash, for example, you need to keep track of the money you earn each month from these links. If you are selling a product such as an ebook, you need to keep track of these sales as well.

Fortunately, many affiliate programs will provide you with monthly statements and annual statements that summarize your earnings. In addition, if your customers use a company such as Paypal to purchase products from your site, you can make it easier to keep track of your sales by setting up separate Paypal accounts for each product or blog you own. Not only will this help you keep better track of your income, it will also make it easier for you to monitor the success of a particular product or blog.

Taking Advantage of Deductibles

As a business owner, there are also many deductibles that you may be able to take advantage of. Be certain to keep track of all of your business expenses in order to keep your overall tax burden down. You may be surprised by all of the items you may be able to deduct from your taxes. Some possible deductions include:

• Business expenses for the use of your home if you do your work from home

• A portion of your utilities if you do your work from home

• Expenses related to travel associated with your blogging business (i.e. for attending conventions)

• The cost of purchasing equipment associated with your blog, such as your computer, your printer and printer paper

Of course, it is best to consult with an accountant in order to be clear on what can and cannot be deducted from your business expenses. This way, you can be certain you are filing an accurate return that you can stand behind if you happen to be audited. And, remember, if you are filing your taxes as a sole proprietor, you and your business are not considered to be separate entities. Therefore, your business tax burden is your personal tax burden as well. In addition, your income will be taxed as a small business as well as part of your personal income, so you want to take advantage of every deduction possible!