Archive for the 'Friday’s Finds' Category
There is no particular rhyme or reason to this week’s edition of Friday’s Finds. A little blogging help mixed with a little fun. Was it just me or did every day this week feel like a Friday?
- Mark Ghosh suggests a few things before you publish on his blog, Weblog Tools Collection. In the recent debate on using the “read more†feature just to increase pageviews, Mark doesn’t necessarily think its a good idea. I happen to use it on occasion when I’ve written an ultra-long post.
- I just thought this was funny. In case you haven’t already seen it, visit JohnCow.com. No. It’s not a typo.
- Problogger, Darren Rowse, posted about what I’ve been trying to accomplish since I learned about Google Trends…and that’s how to capture seasonal traffic for your blog. While my use for Google Trends is more specific to things I would normally write about on a daily basis, his scope is a little broader characterized by seasons. He gives good suggestions on how to keep track of old seasonal posts and suggests how to bring those back to life to increase your traffic.
- If you enjoy reminiscing about the good ol’ days (in this case, the 80s), then visit Ms. Danielle. She’s got a great series called Flashback Friday that is usually amuzing and thought-provoking.
- Jean Gray is one of the bloggers that have questioned the validity of ViralTags. On her blog, Letters From The Soul, she provides an alternative to ViralTags. Not quite as effective, but definitely a useful tool, Adam Kalsey’s Button Maker allows bloggers to create an 80 x 15 button for free. Here’s my button. Feel free to use it to link to Derrich.com.
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As we near the end of the month, I usually take a closer look at how I can improve upon blog monetization and how to increase traffic. As my AdSense revenues have gone down, I’ve adopted a couple of additional sources that have worked fairly well. Here are some posts from around the blogosphere that I think you’ll enjoy that discuss these very issues.
- Randy, otherwise known as the Grown Up Geek, points out that many bloggers are experiencing a downturn in AdSense earnings. While most were chalking it up to a “summer slump”, Randy discusses what is causing AdSense earnings to fall.
- Paula Mooney has published an updated list of blogger salaries, and *this guy* is on the list…um…#86 out of 120 bloggers. But I did make the cover (thanks, Paula). The Top 5 is led by 2 domainers rounded off by Markus Frind at Plenty of Fish, Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, and Matt Drudge behind the Drudge Report.
- Curious to know how much your blog could make from Google AdSense? Paul Wilson at MyMarketer.net posted about the AdSenseMeter. That’s right. If you don’t currently run AdSense, now you could get a rough estimate of how AdSense revenue your blog might generate. Of course it’s a little inaccurate since it is limited to a defined CPM for your blog, not to mention it uses Alexa to determine your traffic count. But it is a cool tool that I wish was accurate. At a $2 CPM, my blog should make $695 in July.
- I’ve received alot of traffic from StumbleUpon lately after inserting a bookmarking plugin, which puts icons at the bottom of each post. Terence Chang at the Blah Blah Blog shows us how to Stumble a page without StumbleUpon toolbar…and how to tell if a page has been stumbled.
- Contests are always good for increased traffic. Kenric at Live Learn Invest is having a contest to win an iPod Shuffle. The contest is sponsored by Printed Circuit Boards.
That does it for this week. Enjoy your weekend!
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I was all over the category board this week with my posts. So, I decided to stay consistent and share some posts from this week that I read. In keeping with the “all over” theme this week, here’s my regurgitation of miscellaneous overflow. (Sorry if you’re reading this before lunch).
Blain Reinkensmeyer over at Stock Trading 101 auditioned online to be the Next Internet Millionaire. Out of literally 100s of auditions, Blain made it into to the Top 50 Finalists. Be sure you head over and vote for Blain.
Andy Beard gives us yet another great post to bookmark with his SEO analysis. I’ve read a number of posts regarding the optimization of SEO. I find Andy’s thought process through permalink post structuring fascinating. I’ve always wondered the same thing, but simply shrug it off and move on.
NetBusinessBlog posted a list of John Chow look-a-like blogs. Luckily, I’ve only been told that once in the 9 months I’ve been blogging. I love cars, so it’s a no-brainer. Besides, my car can beat John’s car. 
Just sayin’.
Speaking of car pictures in your header…and stuff…Derrich.com is getting ready for a little facelift. If you haven’t been to Nate Whitehill’s blog in awhile, check it out. He had a car in there at one point. At least he’s still got a road. Yes. I realize it’s symbolic…ish.
David Airey, a graphic designer in his own right, had his post, “World’s Best Logo Designers“, added to the Wikipedia page for Logo in the External Links section. Hey. Who cares if it’s gone by now (it’s not). Congrats to Dave!
Martin Reed over at Community Spark suggests that it doesn’t hurt to experiment with your blog. I couldn’t agree more. Trial and error has allowed me to discover what works and doesn’t work. And be sure to ask your readers. They’ll tell you. Jane May agrees with this concept as well.
The Everyday Weekender tells us why he’s a drunk and not a beer snob. Hey, EW. I don’t care what those test results show, you’re a beer snob in my book just for choosing the beers you did. Good little list. Now, I’m thirsty.
And congrats to Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs for winning its 4th NBA Championship!!!
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It seems that the month of May was a SEO and blogging focus for me. Not necessarily as reflected by my posts (GO SPURS!!!), but just my personal exploration to optimize SEO, improve monetization, and increase traffic…somewhat heightened by my participation in PodCamp San Antonio. So, I thought I’d include some posts that touch on this subject, and hope that you’ll benefit from them as I have.
- Earlier this week, I wrote about adding the Share The Link Love plugin as part of the “U Comment, I Follow” Movement. Aaron Brazell at Technosailor.com posted a list of plugins that will help make your blog sticky.
- While Ed Lau struggles with finding his chunk of the blogosphere, 16-year-old Yuvi at YuviSense.net takes uber tech blog, Engagdet, dismantles it, and then carefully reassembles it. What better way to understand and analyze Engagdet’s traffic than an in-depth analysis. He succeeds in finding Engagdet’s chunk.
- Lucia at BigBucksBlogger.com spends some of her time helping fellow posties over at PayPerPost (PPP) with a variety of issues that come up. Using ad sources such as Kontera ContentLink with PPP is against the TOS. But some bloggers found that using the <span> tag wasn’t enough. So Lucia shows you how to remove Kontera by modifying templates.
- Daniel Scocco over at DailyBlogTips.com presented his list of Top 25 Blogs About Blogging. He considered “blogs that have a high percentage of blogging-related content. Topics might range from blogging tips to monetization, from news to building communities or business blogs”…and used Google PageRank, Alexa, Bloglines Subscribers, and Technorati Authority to score the candidates. I was surprised by some of the results.
- Marco Richter at FitForFreedom.com adds to his series of ultimate lists with the ultimate RSS Subscriptions List — full of posts on how to increase your subscribership.
If you have any links to suggest, please feel free to include them in your comments. Thanks and TGIF!!!
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In today’s edition of Friday’s Finds, I’m going to show my Top Commenters some link love. I appreciate their offerings…even if it is to make fun of my golf picture. I’m always looking for feedback as well, so bring it on! Thanks to everyone that contributes to the crude, yet refined community that is Derrich.com. Now without further ado.
- Danielle…that’s Ms. Danielle to you…entertains the idea that perhaps one day, the algorithm set in place to determine a site’s value would go away completely. Instead, this appraisal would be determined by user-generated data. As Google’s data minefield expands, so does the likelihood of this theory.
- Many bloggers know Wendy Piersall as the Internet’s premiere eMom offering suggestions to build a “powerful blog” while maintaining a balance with your everyday life. The first lady of the blogosphere offers a behind the scenes look at her life outside of blogging.
- She’s sweet, she’s innocent, and she’s not to be effed with on the road. Kelly Cho has a small case of road rage and she’s trying to get it under control. While I can relate to her distaste for “clueless” drivers, I’m no road mercenary like Kelly.
- Matt (Internet Business) at InternetBusinessDaily.net is a 22-year-old entrepreneur dedicated to making money on the Internet. Yesterday, he shared some interesting news about the .cm domain name scandal.
- Webtools is an great resource for…well, for webtools. That covers an array of categories from blogging to mobile to Internet browsers. They’ve posted an article about using fingerprint recognition on mobile phones…an added security feature in today’s growing e-commerce society.
- Ever hear of Graco? No. Not the infant products. The leader in fluid handling systems and components! Well, “Warren Buffet” at the RetireRichBlog.com breaks down the stock giving investors several good reasons to buy Graco (NYSE: GGG). I hate the charts, but he definitely makes some good points.
- Shaine Mata is one of the coordinators of PodCamp San Antonio, which was very well organized. Shaine shares with us a quick sketch biography of Shaine Mata.
Stop by their blogs and don’t forget to leave a comment or two. Contribute to their community as you have with mine. Have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!
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Yesterday I was over at The Wrong Advices reading Dan’s daily dose of d-d…uh…dlogging (sorry, it’s early and I haven’t had my coffee yet). He discusses how being a female on MyBlogLog has its advantages. I couldn’t agree with more with Dan’s assessment. So, I’m going to use his post to segue into this week’s Friday’s Finds. A fitting way to make up for missing last week.
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Danielle (that’s Ms. Danielle to you) shares with us her first golf experience with coach and fellow blogger, Gary Lee. Her performance reminded me of the time I shot a 72. Its only a matter of time before we meet on the course…and she whoops my butt.
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Jane has “winner” written all over her. Not only did her blog, CareerRamblings, win the first ever Bloggers Tournament but the popularity of her personal blog has skyrocketed in only a month. Consider buying a review from Jane today.
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In a related post, Ilker Yoldas over at The Thinking Blog discusses The Cute Factor and how it can benefit as a marketing tool. She would know. She has over 3,500 members in her MBL Community. (BTW, Ilker is a “he”. DOH!)
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In keeping with the “Chicks That Can Beat Me At Golf” motif, Patricia Hannigan, author of Golf Girl’s Diary, promotes golf as an effective tool for women in business. Do you offer lessons, Patricia? If you haven’t read by now, I need some.
Please don’t forget to visit a few of my other fav femme fatales…the good kind. 
Kelly Cho, Wendy Piersall, and Kumiko Suzuki. Have a great Friday!
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For today’s list, look no further than the Derrich.com Top Commenters List. I wanted to find a way to repay my Commenters without using a simple Top Commenter Love thread like last time. Happy Friday! And Happy reading.
- Blain over at Stock Trading 101 has initiated a second edition of his Guess The NASDAQ Close contest. To enter, simply enter your guess (NASDAQ close on Friday, 04/27) as a comment here in this post. The grand prize is $100. Why wouldn’t you venture a guess for a hundred bucks? The contest ends THIS Sunday (04/22) at 9:00 EST. So, comment today.
- The Retire Rich Blog takes annual earnings since 1996 and compares Intel to AMD…showing how Intel remains the solid stock choice.
- Ed Lau may be 3rd on the list of Top Commenters, but he’s definitely a frequent visitor (as evidenced by his MyBlogLog avatar is constant rotation). Ed has made a more personal post today regarding his experience in college…recommending that students unsure about their post-college pursuit should take a year off to help you refocus.
- Happy Birthday to Kelly Cho…dot com. Kelly’s blog is 1 month old today, and she shares her stats and experiences with us. Pay her a visit when you get a chance, and consider subscribing to her feed.
- Derrik Dyka over at FlippingRich.com might be known for his insight on the real estate market and for his T-Shirt ad campaign, but little did you know that the blog offers real financial insight as well. Sunny Yee discerns load and no-load mutual funds, and explains the different fees associated with the two.
Blogosphere News
Maybe you’ve noticed a couple of new graphics in my sidebar. OneDayBlogSilence.com has organized a one-day “moment of silence” in memory of the victims of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. That day will be April 30th. I plan to participate, and I hope you will consider it as well.
Derrich.com has been nominated for Hottest Daddy Blogger in the Blogger’s Choice Awards. *blush* While I don’t know about all that “hot” stuff, I’m certainly flattered by the honor, and hope that you will place your vote for Derrich.com. Have a great Friday!
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