I see so many people trying hard to earn traffic for their own blogs, it’s natural. As humans, we like attention. We want to feel important and our work has some sort of validation. Often, with this mindset, we miss out on what is truly important.
“It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory…”
Bruce Lee
I suppose I sometimes see things from an opposite point of view compared to many people. That’s why I never really fit in while growing up, and in school. Whenever I saw the majority herd like sheep around the latest fad or coolest clique – I ran the opposite direction.
When we write about how to gain traffic, we are really out to gain traffic for ourselves. We rationalize, believing we are teaching others how to gain traffic – we are really teaching others to be greedy, just like we are! I see money bloggers often believing they help others by teaching them to make money…they are really just trying to make money for themselves!
If you seek out new bloggers (meaning a blog just started by a novice), what is your intention? Is it to gain a link? Is it to sell them something? Is it to truly make a friend? I am just looking to make a friend.
Some Thoughts on Technorati
Let’s set the record straight on Technorati. If I link to you, you gain +1 in authority. If I link to you 1000 times, it still only counts +1. I cannot add 2 or more points to another blog’s authority. That link will last 180 days! After 180 days, it no longer counts! So…you can fight to raise it, but it is only temporary!
A friendship lasts longer than 180 days, definitely something to think about! This is why I never check my stats…it’s the most irrelevant information in the universe.
Give The Gift Of Reading
“For anyone wondering how they’d go about looking for new blogs, look at MyBlogLog’s list of new blogs. That will get you started
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Read other blogs and leave them comments. Read blogs in many different categories, other than your own! Brown Baron recommended to read blogs listed in the new blogs section on MyBlogLog. Don’t go hit these new folks with a sales pitch or asking for a digg or stumble!
When you visit a blog, you are entering their home! It’s like going to someone’s house for dinner. Have some freaking manners! Read their blog…it’s the greatest gift to give 
Link to cool unknown posts from other bloggers. Most people link to the same blogs, usually the big, well known blogs. For crying out loud, the big blogs have enough links. It’s like sending an expensive present to a multi millionaire. I’m often amazed when I see a restaurant give free meals to famous stars. Why do they do that? Feed a starving child for free and charge the star!
Don’t Be An Expert
When I started blogging, I didn’t have any readers. So, I started reading about how to get readers. One of the things that stuck in my mind was the recommendation that being known as an “expert” is good for traffic.
When someone claims to be an expert, they come off as not an expert. Experts don’t claim to be experts. A true expert is one who realizes they are but a beginner, no matter how much they know. If you are an expert, let others say it, don’t say it yourself.
I remember the 1st time I heard someone talking about their glass being half full. Immediately, I thought they were referring to Zen philosophy. Hahaha…they weren’t! A glass half full means optimistic, half empty means pessimistic (live and learn…hehe).
I say the glass is always empty, as my mind is always empty…detached from the situation. If you want an in depth explanation of detachment, read my post, Beyond Thought II: Detachment. The western mind is often a full glass. There’s no more room in that glass for new knowledge. Claiming to be an expert is a pure expression of being a “know it all”.
“Remember this. The traffic you give is better than the traffic you receive…”
Don’t be an expert…BE YOURSELF!
