Filed under: Blogger Theory, General by Stuntdubl SEO at 6:43 pm, 3/15/2006
Okay, firstly what is really better than free information that helps you to make money? Yes, there are indeed a few things, but not many. The gentleman over at Performancing.com have put together a nice free blog metrics tracking system that is a kind gift to those hoping to make money from their blogs.
Executive Summary
Performancing Metrics is very nice for quick top level information in a quick and easy format. It is simple to install, and gives easy access to the stuff we all love to obsess about checking. You shouldn’t really expect a full service package for free, but if your getting started, or even if you are an established blogger, this package will give you what you need and save you some headaches.
Installation
I hate installing software. I am a business/ marketing person for the most part, and nothing drives me crazier than trying in vain to install software that I’m unsure of. It always feels like a huge waste of time to me. I often try to improve my skills with differing levels of success, but the frustration most always remains. This makes the installation process extremely important to me.
This setup process really couldn’t be any easier. I have managed to bork up signing up for webhosting before (choosing between unix and windows and getting it wrong), but I managed my way through the setup with no issues.
Step 1: Address, Title, Tags, and Type
Easy.
Step 2: Public Stats / Indy Owner vs. network
Step 3: Copy and paste your code
Told ya it’s easy.
Favorite features
It’s pretty cool being able to look at many blogs all in the same place. The ability to track entire networks sounds pretty damn sweet for pro bloggers as well. I also like the outbound link functionality. It’s real nice to be able to see who I’m sending traffic too. I already went in and swapped one normal link with an affiliate link when I realized it was sending a hundred plus clicks per day.
A few screenshots for posterity sake:
Top Outbound links:
Top 5 referrering search phrases:
Top search referrals
Tracking number of comments and visitor duration are a couple of other features that I can see being quite helpful in making decisions based on your past blogging success. There are several other things that can be very handy to pro bloggers, but if you’re not convinced by now you should give it a shot then I think you’re just plain stubborn. I’ve a listed a bit more functionality below.
Other cool features:
* post views
* comments summary
* comments by post
* categories
* adsense clicks
* referrers
* search engines
* outbound links
* visitor stats
* geography
* languages
* browsers
* platforms
* screen resolution
Interface Usability
This is truly where they knock it out of the park. I am stupid because I do things to fast. I like to be able to find things intuitively because I am always in a hurry. I don’t like to dig for functionality and then feel stupid when I finally find it, or worse yet, forget how to do the same damn thing the second time around. I like easy. This is simple. This is easy. This is intuitive. Me likey.
Yes, I have to constructively criticize
I’m that guy who always wants to upgrade the first version beta. Developers love me. Even when something is a free resource I have to find something to bitch about. Sorry, it’s my nature.
My three top suggestions:
1. Add the granular data - I’d love to see ALL the phrases that I’m getting traffic for ***added - cool, this is already here after I dug deeper. Give those programmers more mountain dew and a day off:)
2. YPN or other custom click tracking (I’d gladly login to one place rather several)
3. Inbound link checking - how many people link to the specific post - doesn’t have to be manual - just a simple “check backlinks” link next to the page listing. I’d love to see which linkbait was most successful from a strictly linking point of view.
Download the new free beta Performancing Metrics here. (noaff)
Filed under: Interviews, Link Development by Stuntdubl SEO at 9:13 pm, 3/9/2006
…I came up with the title in a hurry after watchin’ too much E channel, pop news, and reality TV garbage while working on my laptop being too lazy to pick up the remote and turn the channel. G-dub was also inspirational with his, “no one wants to be fat or poor”.
So I’m talking links with another Todd from E-marketing Talk Show tomorrow on the topic of too many links. Could you really ever have enough? 4PM PST time. I believe the below links should get you to the feed once it’s live.
The show archives are now live:
Filed under: Blogger Theory by Stuntdubl SEO at 8:58 pm, 3/5/2006
Incentivization and Motivation, in my mind are two amazing semi-scientific metrics to interpret and predict human behavior. Incentives are often thought of in monetary terms and motivation is more of a “sweat equity” labor kind of thing. For all things speculative like link development, community development, or any other new media marketing methodologies, economics theory of using incentives and motivations as predictive models has served me quite well. Motivate folks with relative value and incentives and you will be able to predict future growth more effectively.
**aside** I am breaking a personal cardinal rule, and blogging part of a conversation I had at a conference (but all people involved in the discussion will be credited at the end and were asked before I even had a thought of posting this).
Motivation
…for posting to a message board, blog, forum, discussion group, e-mail list, or any other form of public mass communication.
To Learn
- How do you/I _________?
- What do you/I _________?
- Where do you/I _________?
- Why do you/I _________?
- Who do you/I _________?
- When do you/I _________?
Are questions that probably tally millions on message boards and new media communication channels everywhere.
To Give Back
Thanks for answering all my newbie questions. I’ll answer questions for a while because I respect the community and appreciate all the help that others provided me.
To Self Promote
Blatant self promotion vs. Soft self promotion
>Blatant
Repeatedly violating forum terms of service and challenging moderators to edit your posts, “hard selling” products or services.
>Soft
Writing about topics that are of interest to you then asking questions of folks. Demonstrating knowledge on a subject to get warm referrals from your ideal customers.
To Be a Part of the Community
The people here are cool. Abe, zed, bill, bob, fred, darla, mo, larry, and curley are all people I like to be around because they think like I do.
Incentives
The way to keep any community alive is through positive incentives that appeal to their prime motivation.
I think this is a large part of what blog network owners think is the beauty behind mutually beneficial blogging arrangements (even though many people have already figured it out). Payout is often a direct revenue share of earnings based on the value of a niche based around the PPC microeconomy and is often built directly from “webmaster welfare checks”.
Most people first start an online communities with a hunger to learn something. If you want to learn about something you’re willing to pay an opportunity cost for that knowledge of value. That cost can take the shape of any value to those who you are shopping for the education. This is what makes SEO/webmasters/tech forums so ahead of the curve…the information is much more valuable than in traditional industries. There is value to any information from “how to grow a tomato” to “10 tips to cook beef”, to just about any other topic that you can think of and write about.
How to Post
You learn about posting from the verbal and non-verbal etiquette of message boards and their creators. Find out rules and learn before you speak. Ask intelligent questions, and give coherent feedback.
- The importance of titles cannot be overstated
- Format the post in a way that your readers will read
- Don’t ask 27 part questions
- Organize and Summarize your thoughts
- Re-read and edit your posts
- Formatting is important
Have good conversations with people you like, and spend time to craft good posts and responses.
Are there any other motivations for user posting that you wouldn’t place in these categories?
Personal Side note:
Don’t ever post pre-coffee in the morning or post-alcohol at night:)
Discussions:
Chris Boggs, Avi Silverstein, Brad the Visibility Genie, and Justilien were all warned in advance that I would blog a portion of an enjoyable lunch conversation. Thanks guys, and to every one else that helped make the conference interesting.
The History of Links and Their Importance to SEO
