With this article I start a new topic covering blogging issues. Walking around on the net I found some publications on blogging issues. I think any blogger - whether he is running small site for expressing himself on the net or publisher whose goal is to develop business is interested in what is better for increasing audience. One of the topics covering blogging issues focus on this. And question is: what is better - to have one blog covering several topics or divide it and have a portfolio of blogs and focuse each blog on one topic (niche blogging)?

I found that common trend is to focus on one subject in your blog. At first I did not accept this idea. Any blogging software gives you ability to create categories and divide your content. I did not see any difference in having one blog with several categories or several blogs covering each subject. But looking closely on the subject I found some strong arguments for niche blogging strategy. Running one site for many subjects makes sense in many ways - it’s simpler to have it all in one place, to manage one set of statistics, one design, one set of readers etc. Yes, but - having separate statistics is better and easier to track and analyze. One design is good when subjects are not diagonally different. I think a few readers will share diverse interests in all areas, but most will come to your blog to read about one of the (or at the most a couple of) topics. It is always good idea to ask yourself - what are my usual preferences in surfing the net? When I asked myself this question I realized that 99% of web sites I visit are focused niche sites. I also noticed that the more topics cover the particular site the less likely I will put it in my favorites.

With focusing on subject and niche blogging you develop a loyal readership who bookmark or follow the blog via RSS because they know what they will get there. As an author you will have the freedom to really focus upon a topic and don’t feel uncomfortable that you do not pay attention to other topics. This can lead to increased quality and depth of articles. You raise credibility and profile - blogging on one topic alone can build your profile and perceived expertise on a topic or in an industry. Focusing also good for contextual advertising (if you plan to raise some income) - Ad programs like Adsense seem to work better on sites that are tightly focused. Good for Search Engine Optimization - Search Engines like sites that are focused on one topic, that have multiple pages on the one theme and that are integrated sites. Niche blogs are usually more attractive to private advertisers or sponsors who are looking for content to place their ads on that is relevant to their product or service.

Niche blogging is the key to attracting audience - Whether you just expressing yourself online or planning to develop a recurring income stream.

What potential lies behind modern blogging software? We now have easy to use and versatile blogging software - Wordpress! Wordpress is more than just blogging software. My experience with this blogging software is only a few months long but I compare it, for example to Joomla CMS, and must admit that one can do any thing and even more with Wordpress. In fact you can build any kind of web site with Worpress. And I think it is the best tool to build a niche site. Wordpress has an in-built syndication function, unlike Blogger.com where it still needs some configuration.

In addition, Wordpress has some powerful features that make it a marketer’s dream tool: (a) Automatic Pinging (b) Categories: It might not seem like a big deal, but when you realize that you can name the category using keywords you want to target, then BAM! It hits you like a rock. You can have multiple categories named using keywords you want to target, and write your post under that category. With proper planning and carefully spreading the same keyword in your post, you can achieve higher Search Engine rankings easily. (c) Plugins: Plugins give Wordpress additional functions and features. All you need to do is upload the Plugin file, Activate the plugin file and you’re set to go. (d) Easily change the theme of your blog (site). With Wordpress, everything is just point and click. You can easily change the theme and layout of your Blog without having to learn about web design.

Wordpress will automatically ping the blog directories listed each time you publish a post. One of the most important reasons for choosing to use Wordpress is blog’s attractiveness to the search engines and the effect that can have on attracting targeted traffic. According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a full 27 percent of all online users now read blogs, a 58 percent increase from the early part of 2004.

Setting up your traffic system - is where using a blog gives you a real advantage. There are many special RSS/blog directories that are hungry for feeds. By submitting your new niche blog to these directories, you will begin getting traffic almost immediately. Quite often these feeds will result in a lot more traffic than all the major search engines combined. This is why it makes so much sense to build your niche site as a blog. You will enjoy much more traffic, and get it much faster than with a traditional HTML based site.

This entry was posted by Tash on January 31, 2006 and is filed under Blogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.