Want GoogleRank? Get a Blog...

One of the biggest strategic challenges when running an internet campaign is getting people to visit your site. Google (and its competitors) are the entry point to big traffic. So, how do you get highly ranked on Google?

We've talked before about search engine strategies, but here's one to add to the list: Start a Blog.

Why are blogs so valuable to Google? Several reasons.

First, most blogging systems generate lots of internal links. There are category archives, and monthly archives, and author archives, etc. All those links create lots of GoogleWeight.

Second, dipping your toes into the blogosphere means joining a community of people who like to link to other sites. Generate good content on a blog, and lots of other blogs will link to you. And links are gold in the GoogleWorld.

Third, a good blog get syndicated elsewhere. That means lots of automated inbound links.

Fourth, it's easy for Google to index blog content - so Google will visit your site more often.

Fifth, blog content will be updated more often - and Google weights fresh content highly. (Google, btw, also weights really old content highly too, so keep that old stuff around, as long as it's still valid.)

Here's an example... Over at BlueOregon.com, my pal Anne Martens posted an article entitled "An Open Letter to Lars Larson" (the right-wing radio jerk).

Within days, it was the #4 Google result for the search "Lars Larson" -- out of 95,000 possible results. Right after LarsLarson.com, WestwoodOne.com (his radio syndicator), and LarsRadio.com.