Comments on: Secret Guide to Social Blogging Success - Part III

By: jfc

jfc — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:05:26 +0000

The Alexa redirect trick no longer works as of about 3 weeks ago.

By: Alexa redirection and widegts are wothless?

Alexa redirection and widegts are wothless? — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:12:51 +0000

I installed alexa toolbar & widegt but no result see in ranking of my website here.

By: jfc

jfc — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:25:37 +0000

Hi Bruce,

That darn Akismet filter is still eating your comments.

That competition was certainly part of this analysis. It revealed a lot of things, IMO, about what goes on behind the scenes and not just RSS counts.

You know that you can also hire a team of ’subscribers’ in Asia to boost your count as well. I suspect this is what they did in part because the huge counts faded afterward where emails would run until canceled.

By: jfc

jfc — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:36:52 +0000

Hi David,

I don’t particularly recommend these tactics but you see them being used quite often.

By: david at free Christian resources

david at free Christian resources — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:03:44 +0000

I’m not sure I’d go for the faking RSS and income - but I do like the stumbleupon idea. I’m having a few waves at the moment with StumbleUpon and adding this approach may add more too.

Cheers,

David

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:15:20 +0000

I think the RSS subscriber boost is done a lot more than you may think. I’m fairly certain the bog guys do it. If you look back at the RSS subscriber contest that John Chow and Shoemoney had then you may see some indicators that this was going on. If I remember right shoemoney won the contest and he did so by surging ahead with thousands of subscribers at the last minute only to lose those a few days later. Might have been this same technique he just got tired of all the emails

By: jfc

jfc — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:51:46 +0000

Hi Y.S.,

I’m glad you’re enjoying the series.

Technorati is also a social proof indicator, a lot more than it is a traffic source. Bloglines is also being pushed as a social proof indicator by some quarters. Both these can be gamed in various ways, legit and non-legit.

Technorati will get a boost anytime you comment on a DoFollow blog or end up in a Top Commentators slot long enough. That’s why it’s important to include these kinds of blogs on your promotional tours. Of course, the entourage will give you a good base. Beyond that, you’re hoping for your promo efforts to continue to boost this number and you can push this number up in other, not quite legit, ways as well. That’s what Chow and others have done.

Bloglines I don’t know much about but I suspect that if it grows in popularity as a measurement ways to game it will follow behind closely.

By: Y. S.

Y. S. — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:05:04 +0000

“The last thing you want to do is to tell your audience that you made 8 dollars and change on Adsense during the previous month and that means things are looking up for you.” :D … I’m sorry, but this article is hilarious

OK, what about technorati? Is that good for getting traffic? what about bloglines (or whatever its called).

By: jfc

jfc — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:30:24 +0000

Hi Brian,

That’s true but who says they have to find out?

Do you really think John Chow and Shoemoney came by all those new subscribers they got during their contest honestly?

You have to remember we’re creating quick fame, not lasting fortune, here. If caught, one could spin it into a Succès de scandale, like Paris Hilton’s sex tapes. If you’re not caught, so much the better.

Is it dishonest? Yes, of course it is. But it’s not that different from the way pop musicians are promoted/manufactured these days. Remember for every 10000+ great musicians laboring in obscurity there’s only one Clay Aiken.

By: Elite By Design

Elite By Design — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:00:58 +0000

I just disagree with the RSS part. Why would you fake your own count by creating a ton of fake emails? Seems not only pointless but a betrayal to your readers. If everyone ever found out your blogs name and reputation would be spoiled.