Building Your Online Authority Through Your Blogs.

Even as I write this blog on blogging, I know I'm hardly an authority on the topic, knowing that there are so many others who have come before me- bloggers, and various other blogs about building a better blog.

The beauty of blogging, however, is that everything you write about is all about you and your experiences. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, I might actually just turn out to be a blogging guru of sorts. Or some authority figure in some other way.

Read the rest of this article on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging", right here.

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogology 101: Building Your Online Authority Through Blogs

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we talk a little bit about how to slowly build yourself up as an authority figure using your blogs.

Even as I write this blog on blogging, I know I'm hardly an authority on the topic, knowing that there are so many others who have come before me- bloggers, and various other blogs about building a better blog.

The beauty of blogging, however, is that everything you write about is all about you, your opinions, your passions, and your experiences. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, I might actually just turn out to be a blogging guru of sorts. Or some authority figure in some other way.

In fact, when blogging, you should never be afraid of what people think, or if what you write about is right or wrong. Of course we all try to get our facts straight as much as possible, but beyond that, it's the whole "human" side of blogging that makes it so appealing. It doesn't get any more personal than that.

Authority is something given to you by your readers. I've known some not-so-heavy hitters literally become online superstars, and conversely, some real-life bigshots who are virtually unknown by the denizens of the blogosphere. You can be a complete unknown in a certain field- but as long as you're honest about what you post, and write from your experiences and opinions, and get people to read about you- it's really all you need.

For example- I'm not exactly a food critic by profession- I don't have a magazine column or a lifestyle section with my name on it on a newspaper. But I do have a genuine love for food (hence the girth), an appreciation for quaint, cozy hangouts, and I'm sure there are people out there who either would:

• a) like to read about food and quaint, cozy hangouts or
• b) like to share their thoughts about their own experiences on food and quaint, cozy hangouts.

In any case, it's a very viable target market. I don't have to be an authority figure just yet, but eventually, as I fill up my blog with more reviews on food, and stories of other cozy places, and links to other good reads, then perhaps more people will come read what I have going on, and keep coming back for more.

When that time comes, when people actually keep coming back to your blog to read about what you think about things, and when they bother to leave a comment, or interact with you in some way, then in a way, they have given their vote to you. They have given you some authority by simply patronizing your site.

So what's the plan? If I want to be recognized as a food critic, or at least one who recommends good food and quaint, cozy spots- then I'd better get down to writing about things along those lines.

Which is exactly what I'm doing now, as I'm taking bites out of this huge meatball sandwich I'm enjoying right now at this lovely little Italian deli/pizzeria called Fratelli's. My review of the place actually comes up in a separate blog entry elsewhere.

Keep blogging now, and authority comes later from your readers and regulars. Regardless of your stature in the real world, your online authority depends on the amount of work you put into your blog.

Personally, I'd tell you to build up both. Both online and offline authority. It's a great exercise in building and marketing the brand that is you.

Cheers, everyone!

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Tips For Bloggers.

I suppose it doesn't matter whether you've only just begun or if you've been at it for a while. There are some rather basic things we can all come back to from time to time. Here are a few tips to consider if you're seriously into blogging.

1. Write now. When you have the urge to hammer away at a keyboard and churn out some words- go right ahead- there's no better time than right now!

2. Write regularly. It's all about setting a rhythm- not only for your readers, but also for yourself!

3. Focus. Know what you want to write about and stick to it. If you want to write about something else, well you can always have another blog :)

4. Let your personality show. Your blog is all about you!

5. Write for your target audience. Can't please everybody. At least appeal to the kind of people you want to keep coming back.

6. Offer something fresh. This is where the effort comes in. Or sheer luck. You never know when an idea is going to be big, right? So keep those ideas comin'.

7. Offer something useful. It's great to come up with something interesting. But it's even better to come up with something useful.

8. Be neighborly. If you want others to read your blog, read others' blogs too. Drop a comment, interact and even cross-promote! All about the linkage, baby!

9. Instead of writing long, looongg paragraphs, stick to short ones. Makes it a lot easier to read, and it's easier on the eyes.

10. People love lists!

Read the full version of this article here on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogs, Bloggers and Blogging.

Blogs (short for Web-Logs), are essentially online showcases of a person, usually posted for all the world to see.

Blogging is just like writing something on your journal, except that this journal is now online, and that (depending on how much you want to share) it is available for people to interact with.

When you do maintain a blog, you are in effect, a blogger. And there are thousands of bloggers out there all over the world, blogging on so many different things.

Read the rest of this article on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogology 101: Ten Tips For More Effective Blogging.

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we touch on Ten Things to Keep in Mind for More Effective Blogging.

I suppose it doesn't matter whether you've only just begun or if you've been at it for a while. There are some rather basic things we can all come back to from time to time. Here are a few tips to consider if you're seriously into blogging.

1. Write now. When you have the urge to hammer away at a keyboard and churn out some words- go right ahead- there's no better time than right now!

It's called creative tension by some- where you suddenly find yourself wanting to write with a terrible sense of urgency- before the impulse to write goes away. And sometimes, it goes away just as quickly as it set in earlier on.

It might be just a spontaneous thing, but it's that all-too-important element of inspiration that matters. So if it hits you, don't ignore it. Write. And write right away.

2. Write regularly. It's all about setting a rhythm- not only for your readers, but also for yourself!

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. That should be just about enough time to allow your neural pathways to form loops in your system to help you go through the movements easier. But besides just forming habits, it also needs a conscious commitment on your part.

Blogs ARE commitments. As they take on a life of their own through new content and reader interaction, all the more they need you- the blogger- to sustain that life.

3. Focus. Know what you want to write about and stick to it. If you want to write about something else, well you can always have another blog :)

It's really all about contributing to the overall positive reader experience. Your readers go online because they're looking for something particular. If you say your blog is about technology, then give your readers technology.

This way, you not only give readers a reason to keep coming back, you also make yourself more marketable, and that's always a good thing.

4. Let your personality show. Your blog is all about you!

Personality is what separates you from other blogs, and even other media. There may be thousands of, say, music blogs out there, but only you can write about what YOU like, what YOU feel strongly about.

Ultimately, it's what makes blogging so interesting: you can let your passions show. Unlike newspapers or magazines, you can make your own rules, set your own standards, write anything however you want it written. You can, therefore, give your blog its own voice- your own.

5. Write for your target audience. Can't please everybody. At least appeal to the kind of people you want to keep coming back.

There are thousands, if not millions of blogs out there, and anybody can find a site that personally appeals to them- that's the whole beauty of the internet.

Your blog enjoys this same privilege; you don't HAVE to appeal to everybody- let radio and TV pander to the masses. Your blog should at least appeal to others who feel and think the same way you do. Ultimately, it's all up to you- whether you want to share about needlecraft and crocheting with mature homemakers, or write about digital audio and video editing for young entrepreneurs- the choice is all yours.

6. Offer something fresh. This is where the effort comes in. Or sheer luck. You never know when an idea is going to be big, right? So keep those ideas comin'.

The internet is both a boon and a bane. True, you can find just about anything online, but on the other hand, we've just about seen it all.

Offering something fresh might not be so hard- just ask yourself a simple question: what one thing interested me today? Then write about it. Put a personal spin into the topic. Slap on a picture, add a link, even share a video with it. You just gave your readers something to talk about.

7. Offer something useful. It's great to come up with something interesting. But it's even better to come up with something useful.

They say that the most successful ventures today should: a> help you save time, b> help you save effort> and c> help you save money. Or a combination of any two, or even better, all three.
Again, this is all part of contributing to the overall positive reader experience. It's what separates your blog from all the other websites that just waste your time.

8. Be neighborly. If you want others to read your blog, read others' blogs too. Drop a comment, interact and even cross-promote!

It's all about being a responsible member of the online community, really. Give credit where credit's due: if you like what you read, take some time to show your appreciation by leaving a short thank-you note, linking to the article, or even leaving a tip, if you feel like it.

In the same way, when people leave comments on your posts, thank them back. Make your site more visitor-friendly. Because you want people to keep hanging out on your blog.

9. Stick to short paragraphs, instead of writing long, looongg ones. Makes it a lot easier to read, and it's easier on the eyes.

Pretty much like taking bites off a sandwich rather than wolfing down the whole thing in one go; you want to make reading easier for those dropping by your blog.

Besides, portioning off content in this manner makes it easier for readers to scan through your article: maybe there's something specific they're looking for, or maybe they'd like to quote you on a post of theirs.

Make your posts easier for your guests to read. Again, part of the overall positive reader experience.

10. People love lists!

No idea what the psychological reason is behind this; but for me, I feel that lists offer a certain kind of structure that allows people to get the information they want right away- it's all for them to see in plain sight.

Furthermore, it encourages readers to compare notes with what they know or how they feel about the topic. "What are my own top ten favorite horror movies of all time?", "I think the author missed it with that one", or "I think #8 is more important than #3".

Lastly, even if there was no ranking involved, there's that element of suspense that gets built up until the list is done. And the reader would finally decide to what extent he agrees with your list, if he ever agrees at all. Then let the comments fly.

So there you have it: Ten Things to Keep in Mind for More Effective Blogging. Sure hope that helped. Of course, I'd sure love to hear your ideas and tips as well. So do let me know what you think!

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogology 101: The Blogging Lifestyle

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we talk a little bit about The Blogging Lifestyle.

In my opinion, the beauty of blogging is that it complements any kind of lifestyle. You can be a fashionista, a political pundit, a geek, a fitness buff, movie critic, or be just about into anything- whatever it is, it works with blogging. Blogging works, as long as you have a genuine desire to share, and a passion to write (or blog) about it.

Because blogging is about sharing your experiences, and so long as people's interests are so diverse and varied and personal, there's just so much stuff out there to blog about. Take for example the topic of contemporary pop music- you can blog about your favorite artists, or share notes on how to play a certain song, or talk about a great new place to download music, or even follow your favorite artists online.

For blogging to work, all it needs (like we said earlier), is a genuine desire to be interactive; a true yearning to share your experiences with the world, and in turn, to appreciate other people's efforts to also share with you.

In fact, normally introverted people might actually find it much more comfortable for them to write online instead. And there are people who, finding difficulty speaking publicly, might actually discover that their thoughts flow more freely when typing it out onto a keyboard, and into a blog.

You can write as often as you want, and interact as much as you want. You can even create as many blogs as you want, just as long as you have the time and commitment to maintain all of them.

Depending on how casual or how serious you want to be as a blogger, there are just so many options available to you. For more serious bloggers, some even invest in more portable devices- laptops that allow them to blog whenever and wherever the compulsion hits them. Many have cameras to take pictures of whatever catches their fancy- anything they can blog about later on. Others invest in better audio-video capturing equipment to come up with their own podcasts or viral videos.

Welcome to a new digital age- an age where people make their own content and share it with others. User-generated content has never been more popular- which is why blogs are huge these days, in the same way YouTube, Facebook and other social networking sites are huge. It's all about people's desire to share, desire to discover, and desire to form communities.

It truly is a great time to get into the blogging- and there are just so many ways to go about doing it. Get into the blogging lifestyle now, and see how blogging works out for you.

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogology 101: Blogs, Bloggers and Blogging

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we talk a little bit about the basics of blogs, bloggers and blogging.

Blogs (short for Web-Logs), are essentially online showcases of a person, usually posted for all the world to see.

See, it used to be that all we had were just websites, which earlier on, were really only nothing but fancy online brochures that you can visit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nevertheless, only a relative few knew how to set one up and keep things running- thus the popularity of web design and web development companies.

You have to understand that blogs became popular partly because it changed the traditional model somehow- anyone can now have an interactive website; a site where you can post things, and your readers can interact with you, and you can interact back. And since you always inject your personality into it, anyone can now have a voice online.

Having your own blog these days is so easy now, since there are a lot of free blog-hosting services available online. All you need really are a few thoughts you feel strongly about, and a willingness to share those thoughts to the online community.

Blogging then, is just like writing something on your journal, except that this time, your journal is now online, and that (depending on how much you want to share) it is available for people to interact with.

When you do maintain a blog, you are in effect, a blogger. And there are thousands of bloggers out there all over the world, blogging on so many different things.

Since blogging is a very personal thing, expect most bloggers to write about stories and articles they feel passionate about- personal interests, reviews, politics, hobbies, experiences- all that sort of thing.

Others might like to showcase their knowledge on various topics, taking advantage of their expertise- which is perfectly quite all right. So they give advice and help point others in the right direction.

Still, others might want to use it to advocate a particular cause, issue or lifestyle- informing others, sharing experiences, voicing out opinions- blogs can be very empowering that way.

So blogging can be so many things- it can be a social activity, where you can interact with other bloggers (at least those with some common ground with you), it is a venue for you to express your personality, an opportunity for you to showcase your talents and knowledge, or a much-needed change of pace from the usual things you do in real life.

For some, they use it as a manifesto, as a marketing tool, or even as a means to earn a living.

Whatever your reason, remember that ultimately, blogs are merely tools; just another way for people to communicate with others. Use blogs for your own reasons, or for your own agenda, but blog responsibly.

Cheers, everyone!

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Build Your Portfolio.

I was with a friend the other day, and just like me, she's just started blogging recently.

So we've been talking about how blogging can open so many doors for anyone: not only is it a great way to practice writing, and general English use, it's also a springboard for learning other cool stuff like internet marketing, SEO, programming, digital photography and graphics.

So after a while we started talking about what our plans were for blogging- basically, exactly how do we see ourselves as bloggers.

Right off the bat, she said she wanted to write for other companies- which really wasn't a bad idea. After all, one of the companies I worked with recently paid their copywriters quite the hefty sum as long as they churned out quality material. I'm down with that; writing for a company helps give you discipline and structure, and helps you build a body of work.

Read the rest of this article here on my other blog- a blog on blogs and blogging- "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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The Blogging Mindset: Manage Your Online Portfolio

I was with a friend the other day, and just like me, she's just started blogging recently.

So we've been talking about how blogging can open so many doors for anyone: not only is it a great way to practice writing, and general English use, it's also a springboard for learning other cool stuff like internet marketing, SEO, programming, digital photography and graphics.

So after a while we started talking about what our plans were for blogging- basically, exactly how do we see ourselves as bloggers.

Right off the bat, she said she wanted to write for other companies- which really wasn't a bad idea. After all, one of the companies I worked with recently paid their copywriters quite alright as long as they churned out quality material. I'm down with that; writing for a company helps give you discipline and structure, and helps you build a body of work.

She said, on the side though, she wanted to do reviews- book reviews, spa reviews- whatever she could write on to get herself some free stuff. I dig that. Heck, I'll write for some free stuff, mercenary that I am.

So she goes on saying that she had gone ahead to apply with a few companies- all of which turned her down in favor of some other (seemingly) more qualified candidate.

Did they check out your blogs, I asked. She said, 'yes', and so we went online so I could check out what she has done so far.

Now I admit right off the bat that I'm no expert on blogging. At least not yet, and definitely nowhere some of the fine chicks and dudes I've met on- and offline I know who have definitely been blogging for quite some time.

But when I saw that all she had to show for were a few posts- most of which were dated months ago- I could see how things didn't fall in her favor.

Which pretty much brings us to our topic at hand: Build Your Online Portfolio

Landing yourself the job you want is an exercise in marketing and selling yourself. Sure you got the killer resume, you look sharp and show up on time. But if you say you're a writer, and you want to land a relatively favorable position doing so, then you have to have a sizeable portfolio to show and back up your claims.

Of course, you just can't expect people to take your word for it. You could say you're a kick-ass writer, but what any company really needs is a kick-ass writer that can consistently deliver results.

So I gave her advice- this same advice I'm giving to other aspiring pro-bloggers out there: you want to be taken seriously as a professional writer or a professional blogger? Build up your blogs.

Specifically, put some content- 50 to 100 posts showcases not only what you know, but also how you write, and the kind of personality you have, but also shows how dedicated you are with what you're doing.

If you want to land a job in internet marketing, or as an SEO consultant, then you have to show that you have a few optimized sites under your belt- not just theories you've read from books or from websites. Show your clients you actually gave them increased traffic to their sites, and more importantly, show them how you were able to monetize that traffic.

If you say you're a professional photographer, open a couple of photo-oriented social networking sites like Photobucket, Multiply or Flickr and put up your own galleries from your own shots. Or start a photo-blog.

Remember, anyone can come up with an impressive resume. As someone who's been hiring personnel for years in my previous line of work, I've seen more than enough of those to have some conviction to say you can't believe everything on a CV.

Bottom line: you have to have some proof of your claims to fame. It's what sets you apart from the wannabes who just want to ride the wave and coast along. So get to it, and good luck building up your portfolio!

Cheers, everyone!

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My Review of the Asus Eee PC.

Since my first post about my acquisition of one of these sexy Asus Eee PCs, there have been a number of posts and comments- more like questions, really- asking me what I think about it. So here's my effort to give it a personal review, hoping that this will be of help in your decision-making process- whether to get one of these babies for you, or not.

First Impressions:

The Asus Eee PC is small and light. Cute, you might even say. I prefer to call it sexy. Folded up, it's probably half the size of any regular laptop.

That's my Sony Ericsson K608i and a can of diet 7-Up right next to it, on my office desk at 105.1 Crossover.

It's got almost everything essentially built into it, including a cam. No CD/DVD drive, and very little hard disk space. But it does have 3 USB ports, so feel free to attach any variety of removable media into it.

What I Currently Have On It:

My Asus Eee PC has Windows XP installed on it, with Office- since I need to send and receive files from clients (who mostly use Office). Otherwise, I would have just gone for a Linux Operating System with Open Office- it works just like MS Office, only it's free.

For protection, it has AVG anti-virus, Zonelabs for a firewall, and Spybot for added protection.

I have Firefox to browse the internet. Utorrents for added fun, and VLC Media player to play just about anything from movies to music files.

My work files are stowed away nicely in a variety of flash disks- which I can plug in to any of my desktops whether I'm at work or at home.

Cons:

One of the biggest cons for me is, since it IS a small laptop, it does have a small keyboard. Which doesn't bode well for my fat fingers. It's not really so bad, it just takes a little getting used to.

The storage space could be a bother. With XP installed, I have about less than 2GB to store files in. Thankfully, I do have a whole bunch of flash disks and even larger capacity hard disks, so it really isn't much of a big deal.

It also has no CD/DVD drive/burner. Again, no big deal since you can easily transfer whatever files you need to burn onto another PC with a CD/DVD writer.

Pros:

It weighs less than 1kg- which means, it's just as heavy as a pair of jeans folded up. Non-bulky, incredibly compact and very light- it means that's one less bag you have to lug around.

Don't worry about messing up the hard disk as it gets jostled around in your bag. The solid-state hard disk means it works just like a flash disk- so unless you run this thing over with a small truck or use it to self-destruct on one of those Mission:Impossible intros, you're rather assured that your stuff remains fairly intact.

It fires up pretty quickly, and automatically searches for wi-fi signals in the area. Great for going online outside if you have to.

The battery on a full charge gives you a little over two hours- which in my case, is more than enough to blog in the cab on my way to work, which is actually what I'm doing right now.

Renzie's Final Word.

If you work a lot on the go, or if you're very much into blogging, the Asus Eee PC is definitely for you.

Just don't expect to run any heavy programs on it. That's what your PC or your Mac is for. In fact, the Eee PC works best in conjunction with your other PCs at home. Think of the Eee PC as handy little PC you take with you on meetings and other out-of-office/out-of-home business functions.

If you want the pastel colors though, they'll be available in January 2008- at least that's what I heard. Mine's in black, but the store I got this from also carries models in white- which was also selling like hotcakes.

Students would also appreciate this baby- assuming of course, that they could get mom and dad to get them one.

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Blogging My Way To Work.

Currently, my everyday commute from home to work takes about an hour in a cab. I usually take the time to do my phonecalls, prepare my to-do list for the day, or scribble down a few notes.

As some of you may have already read, I have acquired for myself one of these sweet Asus Eee PCs. Which means I could actually take out this sexy little laptop and do some work on the way to work.

Or blog while I'm on my way to work.

I simply can't stress it enough: when you're a blogger, if and when the urge to write hits you- by Bob, you better get down to writing.

Thoughts are very volatile stuff. You could have a nice idea, or a well-worded insight, or some rant or rave you have working in your mind at the moment, but as you may have noticed- that can all evaporate just as quickly as it was formed in your head.

Thus, the urgency to blog as soon as you can. Can't get any fresher than that, right?

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Blogger Essentials: The Asus EEE PC

Since my first post about my acquisition of one of these sexy Asus Eee PCs, there have been a number of posts and comments- more like questions, really- asking me what I think about it. So here's my effort to give it a personal review, hoping that this will be of help in your decision-making process- whether to get one of these babies for you, or not.

Read the rest of my personal review of the Asus EEE PC here on my other blog, "Renzie's Realm of Awesome".

Cheers, everyone!

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Verry Eenteresting...

Holy crap!

I was at the eCommerista Night 2.0 event last night at Mag:net cafe. Though the turnout wasn't as big as the last one, this one was still quite alright. I showed up with one of my business associates, and by the time the night was over, we already have at least three speakers lined up for our next few events, and the promise of future projects and collaborations.

Andrian Lee has always been such a fun speaker. What struck me was a little story he shared: that, recently, Facebook use in the UK has actually exceeded email usage.

Wow, that huge, huh?

And not entirely unbelievable, I suppose. Run a Google search on Facebook usage in the UK, and you can already get a feel of how widespread -as well as controversial- Facebook is.

Apparently, everyone in the UK is doing it- and is extremely hooked on it. Heck, if you have Facebook, you know it's easy to get addicted to it. So much so that companies have banned Facebook outright at the workplace. While BBC has, in a recent newscast, reported that employees should be allowed to use Facebook on breaks, during lunchtime- and the controversy just goes on.

So is it really a surprise that Facebook use can, one day, replace our need for email? We can email family, friends and colleagues on Facebook anyway, right? Lay down some smack on a few vampires, share and tag photos, give virtual drinks, and even flirt online?

Heck, I'm addicted myself. I've even RSS'ed Facebook straight into my Gmail accounts. That way, I don't miss out on the moment someone throws sheep at me. Whatever :)

More interesting facts: the Philippines accounts for one-third of all Friendster activity online, and up to a quarter of all worldwide activity on Multiply.

It's really all you need: Facebook, Multiply, and Friendster. OK, Myspace, if you have toh have a fourth one. Good God. Have we really too much spare time on our hands?

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Quelling the Self-Doubt Inside You.

When you're just starting out your very own blogging career- just like me- you can easily get overwhelmed jumping from one blog/site to another.

As blogs and blogging have steadily gained popularity, you'll find a wide variety of material out there- stuff you'd like to read, stuff you'd like to comment on, stuff you'd like to link to and share to your friends.

Take for example this great read on this year's most successful Pinoy probloggers. It was a brilliant post. The fact that I have actually been able to meet some of these guys was just, for me, awesome.

Then you realize- damn, my blog is nowhere near these other guys' blogs! So you suddenly get hit by a wave of self-doubt and get rattled by the realization of how puny you look next to a whole bunch of other blogs.

At least, that's how I feel.

Read the rest of this article here, on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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The Blogging Mindset: Manage Self-Doubt

When you're just starting out your very own blogging career- just like me- you can easily get overwhelmed jumping from one blog/site to another.

As blogs and blogging have steadily gained popularity, you'll find a wide variety of material out there- stuff you'd like to read, stuff you'd like to comment on, stuff you'd like to link to and share to your friends.

You can always check out the most popular blogs on Technorati, Digg or del.icio.us, and network with bloggers from all over the world on Facebook, Multiply or even Myspace. Or even just browse through other blogs on Blogger/Blogspot or Wordpress.

Then you realize- damn, my blog is nowhere near these other guys' blogs! My 20 posts are nowhere near the volume of articles put out by this one who's been blogging since 2004! Wow, it's got podcasts? Photo galleries? It's got streaming video too?

So you suddenly get hit by a wave of self-doubt and get rattled by the realization of how puny you look next to a whole bunch of other blogs.

At least, that's how I feel.

But the split personality in my head that is the voice of reason comes to the fore- "you should take a chill pill, man," it says, almost way-too-relaxed.

Remember that these guys- these veteran bloggers- have really put in the time building their blogs. The awe, fascination and authority is definitely well-deserved. The respect for what they have going on just comes naturally.

But remember this: all those veteran bloggers? They started where you started out too. Everyone at some point had been grasping at straws to come up with a post worthy of posting, just like many of us are right now.

Everyone must have, at some point, felt some degree of self-doubt. Just as some of us do now.

Story of my life, I suppose. When I started out as a jock at this local radio station in Metro Manila (99.5 RT) in 1994, I was a lowly trainee with these big, famous, hotshot DJs walking around. Naturally I was awestruck, at the same time I was the new kid, and I didn't mind that they'd almost totally ignore me, or make me do far-out exercises like talk about a random subject for fifteen minutes non-stop, or keep practicing my calls for everyone to hear. It was all part of training.

But part of the whole training process also tells you to just focus on your own thing- don't worry about what the listeners think, don't worry about your family and friends think. Listen to your seniors. Learn with your peers. Hone your craft and keep at it regardless of any kind of opposition.

A valuable lesson I keep coming back to every now and then.

So it's really that kind of persistence that helps build credibility. Every post you put up adds to your cred. Put in the effort, put in the time, play it smart, and you'll be running with the rest of the pack in no time.

Besides, blogging is supposed to be fun! Heck, it's really all about writing about the things you're totally into and sharing it with others. The money, fame, recognition, authority- everything else- means squat if you're not blogging for the love of it.

So next time you write your next post, take a deep breath and put yourself in a state of focus. This is your blog. This is what you have to say. This is your voice online. And in this blog, you are master of your own domain.

Cheers, everyone.

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Learning to Use RSS

If you're going to be a blogger, RSS is going to be your new BFF.

That's really simple syndication for RSS, and best friend forever- at least until the next great new syndication technology comes along.

In any case, as a new blogger, you're probably checking out websites and other blogs for new content. After all, you do need to draw inspiration from someplace, right? You'd like to see what other people are talking about, have your own perspective on things, and react to what other people have to say.

In the course of your meanderings through the internet, you would most definitely find a couple of sites that you would find more interesting than others- new favorites that you would usually then add up to your bookmarks.

Now it used to be that you would have to visit and re-visit your favorite bookmarked sites to get updates on new stuff they have posted up, right? And a lot of us actually still do that.

But if you have a LOT of favorite sites, and a LOT of stuff you want to keep tabs on, then keeping yourself updated can get a little tedious, done this way.

You might even miss an important update, and it can take you the whole day to check out all those sites- assuming of course, you even have the time to do all that checking!

RSS helps you out with that- and to know more about how RSS can help you build a better blog, or how it can save you lots of time keeping up on all your favorite sites, read about the rest of my post on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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How Much Cash Do Bloggers Make From Blogging?

Remember just a few months ago how we had a couple of workshops on Blogging For Money? The idea really was to show our participants how to make extra cash by putting in a few hours a day churning out a few posts on a blog worthy of attention.

Yes, you can blog for money. Some locals actually have gone completely professional, and have foregone a regular job to do just that: blogging.

The real question is, how? How can you make money from your blog?

The answer to this seemingly very important question can easily elude the amateur blogger. And while most blogs are really a labor of love more than anything else, it doesn't really matter to a lot of people if they make cash or not.

Read the rest of this article here on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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Better Blogging: Get To Know RSS

oIf you're going to be a blogger, RSS is going to be your new BFF.

That's really simple syndication for RSS, and best friend forever- at least until the next great new syndication technology comes along.

In any case, as a new blogger, you're probably checking out websites and other blogs for new content. After all, you do need to draw inspiration from someplace, right? You'd like to see what other people are talking about, have your own perspective on things, and react to what other people have to say.

In the course of your meanderings through the internet, you would most definitely find a couple of sites that you would find more interesting than others- new favorites that you would usually then add up to your bookmarks.

Now it used to be that you would have to visit and re-visit your favorite bookmarked sites to get updates on new stuff they have posted up, right? And a lot of us actually still do that.

But if you have a LOT of favorite sites, and a LOT of stuff you want to keep tabs on, then keeping yourself updated can get a little tedious, done this way.

You might even miss an important update, and it can take you the whole day to check out all those sites- assuming of course, you even have the time to do all that checking!

RSS helps you out with that- it allows you to get updates from your favorite sites and blogs, as soon as they get updated. I'm sure RSS stands for something, but everyone seems to say it means "real simple syndication", which fortunately for us, works very well in our favor. Other sites would also use "rich site summary", or some other term.

In any case, it's a great boon for the internet community: you get these convenient little news feeds, and you can then 'subscribe' to these feeds from just about any site you fancy.

Today was actually the very first day I used RSS for my blogs (this one, in fact!), and from a beginner to another- this baby is going to change your life.


RSS 101: Getting To Know RSS.

Yes, you want to use RSS. RSS is the technology that allows a website to talk to another website- so your blog automatically posts the latest news updates as it comes, in the same way you get notifications on Facebook on your friends' updates, and allows you to embed music and video on your MySpace or Friendster.

RSS is what ushered in a new era for the internet- Web 2.0. This is the technology that allows people to share stuff they find online with friends and colleagues. Communities on the web exist because of RSS.

RSS files come in a text-based format, and these files- or feeds, as we call them- are usually labeled as an .XML file. In this RSS feed is all the important things you need to know from your favorite website- title/author, updates/comments, etc.

If you look at the URL window, you'll sometimes notice the small orange-and-white RSS logo on the extreme right of the window- such as in the case of my blog, for example. This means the website has an available RSS feed- and is therefore "syndicated". Other times, you'll see the RSS logo within the website- it's the same thing: it allows you to pick up an RSS feed for keeping track of the latest posts, comments, or whatever updates.


How To Use RSS

First things first: get an RSS Feed Reader. It works almost just like email (it's just like getting a bunch of newsletters everytime), and there are a few free web-based services readily available to you: Bloglines, Google Reader, My Yahoo and Live Bookmarks.

Personally, I go for Google Reader- it's free, easy-to-use, and it's almost a logical choice if you have a Gmail or Blogspot account. Yes, I have a Gmail account, and yes, I use a lot of Blogspot.
Anyway, you can use your same Gmail or Blogspot login/password to access Google Reader, just so you know. I might try out the others later on.

Whatever the RSS Feed Reader of your choice, you now have one singular page from which to scan all the updates to your favorite websites- and if something interests you, just click on the link, and it takes you there right away!

Alternately, you can also place RSS Feeds directly into your blog- which is what I do for my blogs. Whenever I see another blog or website that I like which deals in the same general subject as one of my blogs, I just plug it in.

In the case of Blogspot, it's a simple matter of adding a new page element from your layout dashboard. Look for the 'Feed' widget, enter the .XML file (the RSS feed), customize it a bit and you're good to go. Same goes for Wordpress- just add an RSS widget from the Presentation dashboard.

I suggest you go try it yourself and have fun with it. There's lots of great content online to keep track of, and RSS only makes it so much easier. If you're done going through your favorites in your own Bookmarks, you may also want to check out what others have been Bookmarking on Technorati, del.icio.us, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. Hence, social bookmarking!

If you want to read more on RSS, you may want to visit this reference on RSS I found on Fagan Finder. Also lots of great stuff on ProBlogger and Wikipedia.

So have fun with RSS, everyone!

Cheers!

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My New Asus Eee PC

Ladies and gentlemen, I am the proud owner of a new Asus Eee PC! Just like the one in the pic to the right, except that 1> mine comes in black, and 2> no chick comes with the standard retail package. Check out the specs right here.

At any rate, it's charging now right next to me. Got it from Virra Mall earlier this afternoon.

Dang, I really couldn't help it. I first saw this baby at last Friday's Bloggers' Mix-up. A fellow blogger of ours- Juned, I believe- took out his brand new Asus Eee PC, and in just a short time, everyone was positively raving about the cute little thing. You can check out the pics taken by Noemi here, and even more pics here.

I got it for just a little over Php17,000.00. It's a great little toy if you want something compact (just about the size of a hardbound book), comfortably light (it weighs a little less than 1kg) and functional- especially if you're into blogging, doing a lot of presentations, or just working a lot outside the home or office.

Don't expect too much though: it doesn't have much hard disk space. The Linux-run models have about 4GB of space on them, but if you install XP on it, you'll probably be left with less than 2GB. Not much of a problem, since you can attach any array of removable media (whether a flash disk or a full external hard disk) through its three USB ports.

Despite the limited hard disk issues, the Asus Eee PC works like a charm: it allows you to go online, whether through a broadband cable or via wi-fi, thereby enabling you to go on Skype or Yahoo!, check out your mail, hit Facebook, watch videos on YouTube, and (most importantly) blog! Aside from the USB ports, it also has a card reader (who needs CD/DVD drives now?), a built-in camera, mike and speakers, and a solid-state disk for excellent shock protection.

Officially classified as a subnotebook, it's not hard to imagine the Eee PC to be an instant favorite not only by bloggers, but by students, regular office people, entrepreneurs- just about anyone who's into the market for a decent notebook or laptop.

Personally, the Eee PC works best with your other PCs (your home or office desktop will still be the mothership). It's not designed to be your main workstation; just the cute little computer you take with you when you're working on the go. Bring along some removable hard disks or flash disks, and you're pretty much set.

Let's see how this baby goes in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted.

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Who Are The Bloggers In Your Neighborhood?

After last Friday night's event, I thought it would be a great idea to feature some of the blogs (and possibly, other works online) of the bloggers I have actually met. Expect to see some of the ones I met last Friday featured here in the following days & weeks. Naturally, we'll be hearing and reading more from others as I keep attending these cool blogger mix-ups and other special events.

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Write Now, and Keep On Writing!

One thing I've noticed is that, sometimes when you compose an entry for your blog, it's such an easy thing to get distracted.

Particularly when we're at a time when publishing systems- such as this one on Blogger/Blogspot, and even the ones on say, Wordpress or Livejournal- are so easy to use. Since you can easily add links, pictures, change fonts, colors, etc. it's so easy to get lost just tweaking something on the fly.

So here's some useful advice:

Once you think about something worth blogging, get down to typing it right away. While it probably wouldn't matter if you go use Notepad initially (then just upload it whenever you can), it's still best to write straightaway into your blog.

Once you start typing in your first word, keep on typing. Forget about inserting pics and links, or stuffing in keywords, or editing or whatever. Keep churning out those entries while everything is still fresh in your head, while your train of thought is still running on track.

You can always edit later. The most important thing, really, is to get that post out right away.

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Problogging: How Much Cash Do Bloggers Make From Blogging?

Remember just a few months ago how we had a couple of workshops on Blogging For Money? The idea really was to show our participants how to make extra cash by putting in a few hours a day churning out a few posts on a blog worthy of attention.

Yes, you can blog for money. Some locals actually have gone completely professional, and have foregone a regular job to do just that: blogging.

The real question is, how? How can you make money from your blog?

The answer to this seemingly very important question can easily elude the amateur blogger. And while most blogs are really a labor of love more than anything else, it doesn't really matter to a lot of people if they make cash or not.

But you might want to check this out: A poll made by Darren Rowse on Problogger.net came out with some very interesting results:

1. Of the 3000+ survey respondents, some 28% said that they did not earn any money blogging- either they never tried to, or they tried but failed.

2. Of the remaining 72%...

Almost half (49%) earned under US$100 in October 2007 alone. As for the rest- about a quarter (23%) made over US$1000, 16% earned over US$2500 and about one-tenth (9%) made over US$15000- all in just one month (October 2007)!

So exactly what can we learn from this study? Most people who do blog probably don't make any money out of it. Even those who do make some cash don't make a lot. That's a reality check right there.

But there are bloggers who make a substantial amount of cash- US$1000 or more per month, and some who can completely live off on blogging at more than US$15k/month.

According to Darren Rowse, the number of successful professional bloggers are slowly growing- which is a good sign for anyone who's up for a little challenge.

What does this mean for us? It means, yes you can be one of those making more than US$1000 a month blogging about the things you like. Or even better, one of those making US$15k/month if you play your cards right!

So keep on reading, attend workshops and seminars, invest in books, network with others who dig blogging as much as you do, share what you have learned, and put everything into good use. You'll be a pro just like the best of 'em in no time!

Cheers, everyone!

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How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?

Indeed, how many blogs can you realistically maintain?

I got into blogging in March 2007. I knew nothing about how to start a blog, or what it was for, or what good it was to your everyday life.

Shortly after starting out with my first blog, I suddenly realized that I wanted to have a blog for each of my various interests. Soon enough you had one for music, another for TV and movie reviews, and then another on PC gaming, then one came up on business and marketing, followed by one on cats, another on writing, and it just went on and on.

Read the rest of the article here on my other blog, "Renzie on Blogging".

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogging Lifestyle: How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?

Indeed, how many blogs can you realistically maintain?

This was one of the questions that came up in that nice little workshop of ours with Abe Olandres last 24 November 2007.

I got into blogging in March 2007. I knew nothing about how to start a blog, or what it was for, or what good it was to your everyday life.

Shortly after starting out with my first blog, I suddenly realized that I wanted to have a blog for each of my various interests. Soon enough I had one for music, another for TV and movie reviews, and then another on PC gaming, then one came up on business and marketing, followed by one on cats, another on writing, and it just went on and on.

Which was cool, in a way, since it let me toy around with different kinds of layouts and plug all sorts of widgets, and try out different blog services.

But I soon found out that, at the rate I was blogging- which at the time was only once or twice a
week- there was absolutely no way I could put any decent amount of content into any of them.

Which was why I have just recently made an effort to scrap some blogs, or merge others into larger ones in favor of a more streamlined blogging operation on my part.

The question really, is not "How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?" but rather "How Much Time Can You Put In Maintaining Your Blogs?"

Assuming you have a regular eight-hour job, plus a regular enough life (where you have to have meals, take a shower, do some other day-to-day homestuff, have a social life AND sleep for six hours), you realistically only have time to churn out one, maybe two decent entries a day. And that includes a little bit of adding links, putting in some images, tweaking the layout a little and even reviewing it some.

One or two articles a day, if you have a regular enough life. And that's probably a good day.

So given a regular enough life, you might be able to maintain- comfortably enough- anywhere from maybe two to three blogs. Five is pushing the limits of your human ability and sanity.

If you want to maintain more the aforementioned suggested human limit, well, you can always consider going professional blogging- which might possibly mean forgoing all forms of regular employment in favor of a life dedicated to blogs and blogging.

And while there are many successful professional bloggers- or pro-bloggers- out there, there is (more realistically) a far larger number of aspiring pro-bloggers that have achieved varying degrees of blogging success: from "moderately successful" to "absolute failure".

We go back to our question: "How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?"

The answer: As many as you want to, as long as you make time for it.

Make time for it, man. Starting a blog is easy. But making time for it? It's what separates the serious bloggers from most of everybody else.

Whether you blog weekly, monthly, or daily, remember that blogging does take a certain amount of commitment on your part. The more time and effort you put into it, the more you can reap from it later on.

Cheers, everyone!

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How Serious Is Your Blog?

I just came from a highly informative, highly entertaining workshop on professional blogging. Of course as the discussion went on, there were lots of questions forming in my head- mostly on wanting to know how my blogs currently stacked up against pro-bloggers (professional bloggers :)).

More like, I'd like to know how much more I have to work on before I can actually be considered a serious blogger of any sort. And, well, as to be expected, it seems like I have LOTS more to do.

Your blog has to have anywhere from 50 to 100 posts to be considered a serious piece of work. Wow, that certainly sets the casual bloggers apart from the passionate ones, huh?

I get this. If the whole point of the exercise is to create a positive online experience for a reader- or just anyone casually dropping in on your blog- you really want to have enough stuff for your readers to sift through. Can't have 'em going through an empty blog now, can we?

That should also be enough material to establish the tone and pattern of your blog, show off some personality, and give you enough to showcase your knowledge and expertise on a particular topic.

While possibly daunting at first, 50 to 100 posts really is a good thing. It shows the amount of time, thought and effort you've put in to your blog. It gives the readers a better idea of what your blog is all about- and can therefore make it more likely for them to link to you, and keep coming back for something new and interesting. It allows you to market your blog, if you so wish, for ads, and more interestingly, for some cash.

50-100 posts should equate to just a few weeks, if you blog at least one post a day. And if a habit is supposedly formed in 21 days, by the time you've hit your 50 posts, you're so much into the blogging habit that it's totally effortless for you to put up a post or two.

So keep going at it. Keep churning out content. Good content- stuff you know people would like to read and stuff people will keep coming back for. Forget about the money, or carving out a niche for yourself, or building up rep- this one is all about making your blog a worthwhile labor of love more than anything else.

Let's get to it then!

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Make Money Blogging!

If you've been spending a great deal of time online, you've already probably checked out a couple of sites that suggest that you can make money just by blogging.

Or answering surveys, or clicking ads, or signing up for some service, etc. Those don't quite appeal to me as much as blogging (sorry guys)- and face it, once you get into the groove, you can easily spend a good number of hours blogging, lurking, emailing and jumping from one site to another.

In any case, if you're the type who spends so much time online, you might as well make some money out of it. Like I mentioned, there are lots of sites out there that can help you out (like this one that I just stumbled onto- www.johnchow.com), or -on the flipside- confound you even more.

It would be great if you unlocked the secrets to making money online on the get-go. But the truth of the matter is, it will take a great deal of trial-and-error to get things right.

I suggest you take time to get your friends together and learn it all at the same time. Join some online forums, look for other groups who are as into it as you are. The point is, you'd want to share your experiences and what you know with them, so you too can learn from what they've been up to as well.

One of the reasons why some friends of mine have decided to put up a small events group- for the purpose of helping other online entrepreneurs hook up with other like-minded individuals, so we can all learn from each other, support each other and have a great time while we're at it.

I'll be looking into these things more, and once I got something useful, you can expect it to be posted here in the near future.

Later, everyone!

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Do You Find Yourself Blogging For Hours?

Are you a blogging addict?

It's cool, man. You're pretty much in good company. Take a visit to www.jozzua.com and read all about a rather entertaining post on blogging and blogging addiction.

Now that I think about it, it takes me hours- HOURS! -to come up with a decent post, not unlike this one, if you consider this decent enough.

I actually have this short attention span issue. I easily get distracted by anything from widgets to photos to other posts- things that pull me away from focusing on finishing a post I'd otherwise be working on at the moment.

I wonder if it's anywhere as bad as my Facebook addiction...

Hmm...

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All About Renzie!

Lived all my 34 years (as of this writing) in Metro Manila, Philippines. Although I took up Physical Therapy (never took the boards, never practiced) in UP Manila, my career has always been with broadcasting and marketing. So I saw action as a DJ, event host, radio commercial talent/producer, writer & editor, researcher, segment producer, events manager, and finally ashead of sales and integrated marketing communication (with Mellow 94.7 for my last 3 years with them).

I decided to take a break from radio to pursue other things. So in January of 2006, I took a long vacation- caught up with my reading, working out, a little bit of travel- finally culminating in a leisurely trip to Singapore in March. It was there that I've decided to get into writing- thus the series of blogs. Had also hoped to get a few other projects off the ground- like my own travel agency, my own production house, my own marketing communications company, and my ultimate goal- my own toys and hobbies company.

After working for various companies (been a salary-man for the past 14-15 years or so...), I've realized that nothing is as important as doing your own thing. Which is what I'm going for these days- hence all these different projects and collaborations with different partners- the next big thing is just waiting to happen, really.

I love meeting new people- mainly for the purpose of networking and business. I love tossing great ideas around, watching them mutate into something no one's ever imagined. Most importantly, I love keeping my life stress-free and easy-going.

What I'm Doing Right Now.

Right now, I'm Program Director for 105.1 Crossover, a smooth jazz and easy-listening radio station operating from Quezon City in the Philippines. Which means I handle day-to-day operations of said radio station, which includes pretty much anything and everything that goes on the air.

As I am immersed in traditional media, I'm also a strong advocate of New Media- I blog a lot, and I have quite a number of blogs at the moment, and I help beginner bloggers find their way. Along those lines, I'm learning as much as I can about Internet Marketing (including Search Engine Optimization/Marketing and Social Media Optimization), E-Commerce and Online Trading.

I have my own little New Media company, and an Events Management group. I've done the preliminary paperwork on my Tours & Travel Agency, but I think I need a special twist or niche to it before I'm satisfied enough to launch it.

Some Truly Shameless Self-Promotion
(but hey, it's MY blog)

As many of you already know, I've embarked on a project to give myself a better presence online. I mean, now that I'm into the whole writing-SEO-SEM-SMO thing, I might as well use myself as a guinea pig, right?

Right on!

So, what do we have goin' on right now? It seems that I have taken a liking to Blogger and Wordpress for blogs, and Facebook online networking. There are actually several blogs up, each one for a particular topic of interest.

Check these out:

Blogspot. Great place. Functionally simple, very user-friendly, and easy-to-use. You have three blogs going on at Blogspot at the moment, and here they are:

• "Blog. Blogger. Bloggest!" My flagship website- it's main purpose is to facilitate learning how to build an effective blog with basics of SEO and SEM and stuff. Great for beginners who'd like to learn about getting into the blogging lifestyle.
  
• "Renzies Rants and Raves" A highly opinionated blog with my personal reviews on certain pop culture and lifestyle elements. Read about what I think about technology, restaurants, spas, movies and books.
  
• "My Thoughts In Stereo" is all about my personal take on the radio, music and recording industries. It also has my personal recommendations on music and music mixes. Music appreciation for all, baby, yeah!
  

There are actually more, but they're all in various stages of development at the moment, not quite ready to launch just yet.Wordpress. They got great templates and formats that make your blog look real kick-ass. A little complicated, but it's truly awesome once you get the hang of things. Really worth your while to try your hand at it.

• "The Life & Times of The Renzie Man". This one's all about me. Bachelor livin', grindin' and kickin' it in Metro Manila. Great for people who'd like to have a look of how it is to live solo in the Philippines.
• "Keyboard Monkeys!" Resources for writers everywhere. Look, I'm new myself. So here's a little something for everyone who's decided to devote some time blogging and maybe writing for a living- sure helps pay the rent!

LiveJournal. Real simple, almost spartan- but fairly functional enough. The beauty of it is in the privacy. Seems to link in nicely with Vox, but I'll have to figure this one out a little bit more.

• Taking Care of Business. Woes and what's-happening at the office! Work in progress, guys, gimme some time. Cheers!
  

For social networking, we have the aforementioned Facebook. We also have one on Multiply. But we also have profiles on Friendster, MySpace, Flickr, Flixster and Tagged.

So yeah. Wow, that's a whole lot of stuff to keep track of, huh? I suppose maintaining them is gonna be a bitch. At least until I figure something out.

Oh well.

Other Things About Me.

As you very well know, I've been living on my own for the past 15 years. I have a pad in Mandaluyong City, with two very intelligent, very affectionate cats- The Chloe (a mackerel tortie) and The Noobie (a gray-and-white brindled).

I've been going out with my girlfriend Cristina for almost seven years now, and we're both into new wave music, smooth jazz, good food, late night movies, spa weekends, travel, and lots of World of Warcraft.

Cheers, everyone!

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The SEO Notebook: Renzie Dabbles In Search Engine Optimization, Pt. 2

Welcome to my series of notebooks on Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. No, I am no expert- I'm just a regular dude trying to understand this entirely new craft. These notebooks are for fellow "newbies" at SEO. I've compiled these notes, partially from what I do at work (developing content and optimizing sites for an Australian-based online retailer), but more from personal research, and to a lesser extent, what I have observed thus far.

Comments and questions are welcome. I will do my best to answer them, or at least point you to where you can get your answers.

Our previous post dealt with a brief overview on Search Engine Optimization. This is Part 2 of the ongoing SEO Notebook Project, which will cover a brief history of SEO, and SEO as a marketing tool.

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A Short History of SEO

It used to be that webmasters submit their pages or URL's to various search engines, which would then send a spider to "crawl" the page, then come back with the information and get everything indexed.
After a while, site owners then recognized the value of having their sites highly ranked and visible. So in order to boost visibility and to gain better placement in search engine results pages, white hat and black hat SEO practitioners were then employed.
Now you have to remember that back then, search algorithms mostly relied on webmaster-provided information (meta tags), so many early SEO practitioners abused this particular dependence to artificially increase page impressions (and therefore increase ad revenue). But now, search engines have become a lot more sophisticated, developing ranking algorithms that take into account other things that webmasters can't readily manipulate.
Then came the concept of page rank: an algorithm that rates the prominence of web pages based on the quantity and strength of inbound links: links coming into your site from other sites. It is all about discoverability- the likelihood of some surfer randomly surfing the web to check out your site, because he followed links from some other site.
Google entered the picture, considering not just PageRank and hyperlink analysis, but also other on-page factors. In fact, the true formula to coming up with the page rank can change from time to time, and usually without the knowledge of the general public, even SEO practitioners.
In any case, Google, Yahoo and MSN Live don't fully disclose any of these other considerations and on-page factors, so schemes like link farms don't have much of an impact anymore.
If you want to read up on notable SEO's, you may want to look up these guys: Rand Fishkin, Barry Schwartz, Aaron Wall and Jill Whalen. Look them up, and check out their forums and blogs.


A Note On Webmasters and Search Engines

There seems to be a developing relationship between Search engines and the SEO industry, with a push towards more responsible optimization activity. In fact, some search engines have already provided information and guidelines to help with site optimization.
Check Google's Sitemaps Program. Also, Yahoo! Site Explorer lets webmasters submit URLs, determine how many pages are in the Yahoo! index and view link information.


SEO as a Marketing Strategy

Fact: Researchers scan a SERP from top to bottom, and left to right. So placement is key.
But the number of search engine referrals does not guarantee sales. In fact, SEO might not be an appropriate strategy for every website, so other Internet Marketing strategies may actually be more effective- depending on your goals.
Successful Internet Marketing campaign uses a mix of organic results + paid advertising on search engines/other pages + high quality content + keeping tech issues to a minimum + good analytics program.
In addition to generating traffic and boosting page rank for your site, there must be an effort to always improve your site's conversion rate- so it really is all about being able to engage your incoming traffic into getting them to do what you want them to do: sign up for a service, purchase something, leave a few posts, click on a few links, etc.
Website operators should liberate themselves from dependence on search engine traffic (because many do), because in reality, their main sources of traffic are links from other websites.


SEO and International Markets

Take note: While Google, Yahoo and MSN may be your top 3 search engines, other search engines could actually be better in some regions in the world.
We all know that Google remains the dominant search engine worldwide as of 2007, with more than 75% of all searches. But did you know that...

• In Russia, Yandex controls 50% of the paid advertising revenue.
• In China, Baidu leads in market share.

When tapping international markets, you may consider translation of web pages, registration of a domain name (with a top level domain in the target market), and web hosting that provides a local IP address.
Otherwise, the fundamental elements of SEO are essentially the same, regardless of language.

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More SEO topics for discussion later on. Part 3 of the ongoing SEO Notebook Project will cover SEO basics, or How To Improve Your Page Ranking.

Cheers!

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