How To Start Your Own Blog

These days, if you have something to say and want to share it with others, there's an easy way to do it: Start a blog. If you thought only the young or computer-savvy create blogs, think again. Just about anyone can start a blog-and people of all ages are doing so.

What is a blog? A blog, short for Web log, is a Web page where you write about things that are important to you. Many people use blogs as online journals. Some bloggers write about their hobbies. Others use blogs to share their opinions on politics and serious issues, often adding their own comments to news stories.

To start your own blog, just follow these three simple steps.

1. Select a Topic and Blog Hosting Site-The first step is deciding what you want to write about. Next, find a blog hosting site. Many portals, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, offer free hosting. Also, there are specialized blogging sites focusing on specific topics, such as family and business. Do a search to find a site that best fits your topic. Once you've selected a site, you'll fill in some basic information about yourself and your blog topic. Now you're ready to start writing and posting to your very own blog.

2. Add Video to Your Blog-The next step is to add a video to your blog. This is called a vlog, short for video blog. To create one, you can use software such as Vlog It!, from Serious Magic. The software lets you create videos that look like a TV news show. First, connect a Webcam or camcorder to your computer. Next, import pictures or video from your computer, digital camera, camcorder or cell phone. Finally, read your script from the teleprompter included with the software. Because the Webcam or camcorder is positioned directly above your monitor, it will look as if you're staring into the camera.

The program offers special effects and graphics similar to those used on television, so your production looks professional. The technology also has a wizard feature that makes the entire process relatively simple. To learn more, visit www.VlogIt.com.

3. Share Your Blog-Decide if you just want your friends and family to see your blog or vlog, or if you want more people to view it. If you want it to be available to the general public, register with search engines-such as www.technorati.com-that specialize in tracking the blogging universe.

Now that you know the basics, it's time to get creative and join the blogosphere.

Create a vlog and transform your blog into a TV news show.

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Boost Your Online Revenue With a Niche Blog

You already know how valuable blogging can be to increasing the visibility and value of your online business. Having a niche blog is something that can be profitable and easy, or challenging and difficult depending on how you handle the day to day posting. Niche blogs are typically blogs related to one or more specific industries or fields, including hobbies, illnesses, and sports. The more niche, or in-depth a blog is, the harder it might be for people not involved in that niche to get into it. However, people who are interested in the topic will become very loyal because they will find the connection very valuable. It is for this reason that one must think about the best way to make the most out of niche blogs, and finding the right niche is a good start.

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Dear Diary, Dear World - All About Blogging

The Internet has changed the way we live, breathe, and even write – in fact, it is mainly due to the blogging phenomenon that we receive headlines, change them, and even get the latest buzz on issues newspapers and popular media will not dare tackle. Blogging has become so common, it has prompted dictionary makers to create new terms. For instance, each article on a blog is called a "post," "entry," or "blog post." A person who blogs is called a "blogger." But what is blogging, and why is it so popular? Blogging refers to the activity of updating one's blog. What is a blog? A blog is a web log, or an Internet-based publication which contains articles about a variety of topics. Blogs are either run on dedicated hosting services, or they can be run on any ordinary web hosting service using scripts meant for blogs. Blogs often focus on a particular subject. They can tackle movie reviews, political issues, important local news, or one's personal opinion. Most blogs serve as online diaries, and will contain personal images, artwork, and writing. Blog posts will contain the following elements. • A title – Some personal bloggers have modified this, and have added subtitles to add "meat" to their entries. They may indicate the music they are currently listening to, their current mood, and the subject of their post. Journalistic bloggers will often link their title to similar articles available online. • The body – This is the main content of the blog. It can be a fictional entry, in the case of story or novel blogs; or a non-fiction entry, in the case of other blogs, such as news blogs or diaries. • A permalink – this is the link to the individual blog entry, which other bloggers can use if they would like to link or refer to the article. • The date – this is simply the date, time, and sometimes place in which the entry was first posted Some blogs may also contain the following. • A comments section – this enables readers to make comments or react to the blog entry. This is also a useful way by which other bloggers can make themselves, and their blogs, known. • The tags – this is the section where bloggers list the categories under which their current article falls. For instance, a post on "Saving the Whales" can be categorized under "environment," "whales," and "ecology." • Trackback – Also known as pingback, this is a list of links of other sites that refer to the article or post. There are many different kinds of blogs available, depending on the topic they tackle. A few types include the following • Personal – These blogs focus on personal experiences, and feature an online diary, usually with images or artwork. Some photoblogs fall under this category, where bloggers post pictures instead of writing about their experiences. • Paid – Some bloggers are paid to blog their career experiences, or the latest news about a company. • Socio-cultural – Some blogs are devoted to socio-cultural experiences, and can allow people of other cultures a glimpse into the quirks and specialties that make other cultures unique. • Science – Some scientists have taken to blogging about their research findings, or to share laboratory techniques. Such a method, however, has been met with derision in the science community, since it overrides the traditional peer-based review of research. • Political or News – Some blogs focus on the latest news, and can even offer political opinions on certain subjects. Blogging is definitely here to stay, and it can influence cultures and headlines through the widely popular medium of the Internet. Have you tried blogging yet?

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Two Search Engine Optimization Myths Debunked

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the most cost effective ways to market your business on the web. The problem is, that there are so many myths and rumors about SEO, that it is hard for most webmasters to know what to do, or even how to choose the best SEO services for their site. In this article, I will debunk two popular SEO myths. SEO Myth #1: Google PageRank is very important Google Page Rank is way over-valued by many webmasters. It is not unusual for a website with a PageRank of 2 to outrank a website with a PageRank of 5. The reason is that PageRank is only an indicator of one of many factors, and PageRank is not even a reliable indicator, at that. GooglePage Rank is simply a measurement of how many pages link to you. Every page that links to your site gives your site a certain number of points. The number of points the link gives your site is determined by dividing the number of points that that page has by the number of links it has to other websites. Google PageRank is becoming increasingly unreliable, too. In the most recent update, millions of webpages were changed to a PageRank of 0, for no apparent reason. SEO Myth #2: Meta tags determine your rankings The major search engines pay little or no attention to your meta tags when ranking your website. This is because meta tags are too easy to optimize for the search engines, but not be relevant, since your visitors do not see them. The meta description tag is used by search engines to display in search results, so it is important, since searchers see it. But your meta description tag still bears little weight to your site's ranking. There are two things that ARE important in SEO – the content on your webpages, and quality links pointing to your website.

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Finding Good Keywords for Your Site

A keyword can be defined as a word or phrase that can be utilized in searching for a website. Keywords can be placed in titles, a body of text, online catalogs, abstracts, indexes, notes and subject headings. Using the right keywords is very important, and keyword optimization, if done correctly, will aid in driving traffic to your site. In order to know which keywords will be most effective for your site, there are a few things that need to be done: • Examine your websites' first page; make sure that it contains a central theme. • Find the words or phrases that best describe the content on the websites' first page. • Make a list of the aforementioned words and/or phrases. • Do not use highly popular keywords that are being used by a thousand other websites. • Figure out the popularity of the words you have chosen by utilizing a keyword directory or one of the many keyword suggestion tools. • You can now narrow your list down to just a few optimal words. Use the above process for every one of your pages, and you will be able to more effectively optimize the power of your keywords. Remember that when you are determining what keywords will work best for your site, that there are different types of keywords. Knowing about each type will aid in the optimization of your keywords. When determining what words to use as your keywords, you should first determine what the focus of your website is, what value the websites' information has to offer, as well as who your target audience is. Knowing these particulars in advance will help you to choose keywords that will be optimal for your website. Types of Keywords Generally, keywords can be grouped into three different categories. These categories are as follows: • Theme Keywords- these types of keywords are used to target a highly specific audience of people. They are normally used on every single page of the site, and are quite effective at boosting page rank. • Single-word Keywords-these types of keywords are normally used between 5 and 7 times on a page, and are used to target a wide, general audience • Multiple-word Keywords- these types of keywords, sometimes referred to as "keyword phrases", are used to target a specific audience, usually in a specific location. These types of keywords are also good at improving page rank. Tools to Use There are many tools available that will allow you to examine just which keywords are overused, which ones are not, and which keywords will best benefit you and your website. Since there are so many tools available, you will need to figure out the one that you are more comfortable using. Some keyword tools are free, while for others there is a charge. Some of the tools that can help you find good keywords for your site are: • Keyword Search Tools • Keyword Research Tools • Keyword Lists • Keyword Software • Keyword Databases All of these tools can be located on the World Wide Web, and will help you in researching certain keywords and phrases and that you may wish to use for your website. Although finding good, effective keywords can prove to be a bit time consuming, it is better to invest a little more time in order to achieve the best results. Rushing through the process of choosing keywords and incorporating them into the content of your site will just be wasted time, as it will not get traffic to your site, nor will it improve your page rankings with the search engines. With so many tools and processes available for you to use in your quest to find the right keywords, with a bit of time and patience you should be able to get your site optimized with the right keywords that will prove to be highly effective. Remember that good keywords and keyword phrases are vital to the life of your website. Make the task of finding good keywords a top priority when it comes to your website. You may be pleasantly surprised when your websites' traffic increases and your page rank goes up with the search engines; all because of a few, well-placed keywords! in SEO

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