Blogging:On Your Website or Separate URL?

[Winsor_Pilates]

What's the better way to set up a blog related to your business?

I don't mean from an SEO standpoint, as I've already looked into that. Just wondering on opinions on what's more interesting?

I'm thinking going to someone's website and reading about their blog which is only related to their day to day business is pretty boring, so having a separate blog which is industry related but more interesting and with broader topics is the better way to go, and would get more readers/followers.

for example as a Realtor: instead of having a blog on my website strictly about RE stats, stories etc.; have a separate blog site which talks about those but goes further into communities, lifestyle, events etc. and is more stand alone yet connected.

Thoughts?

[Rathji]

If you want to drive traffic to your website, then use a separate blogging service. It will allow you to generate traffic with more topics and use those topics to occasionally drive some business your way.

[MickMcGeough]

Hard to say with the info you've given.

1. What's the objective of the blog?
2. Who's your target?
3. Have you ever written before?*
4. How much time will you really, honestly dedicate to your blog?

And, just outta curiosity, what conclusion did you come to on the SEO impact of blogging on a separate website vs. your business website?

If you answered 1 and 2 with a non-ambiguous answer, 3 with "Yes", and 4 with something that started with "at least 4 hours" and ended in "every week":

In general, if your blog is even remotely related to your business (and it sounds like it is), I can't see why you wouldn't have it on the same site. It'll be much easier to concentrate your efforts on building site traffic and your readership. One domain on business cards, one link, etc. Fresh, quality content on your blog will keep people interested, keep your business in their mind, encourage sharing of posts with colleagues, and inspire confidence in clients/potentials that you're constantly working/thinking.

If you answered any question ambiguously, with a "No", or an answer had the words "spare time" in it:

A blog can have a negative impact on your website. Personally I'd have reservations about hiring someone who's website had a blog that hadn't been touched in 2 months. It might be better to have something separate (at least until you've built some kind of readership) so that it doesn't drag down your business website in the event that it sucks.

* Maybe you can still write, but statistically speaking, it's unlikely. That's ok for something like this as long as you have a reasonably continuous stream of good/interesting stuff to write about.

[Rathji]

^^ What he said.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Hard to say with the info you've given.

1. What's the objective of the blog?
2. Who's your target?
3. Have you ever written before?*
4. How much time will you really, honestly dedicate to your blog?

It's not something I'm doing now, or would be doing in the immediate future; but I'm looking to plan things out as best I can so when the timing does come, I don't have one of those blogs that only posts every 2 months as you've mentioned.

1- Ultimately to educate/interest clients, and drive in business
2- Anyone interested in real estate topics and specific neighborhoods I would focus on.
3- I have compiled about 20-30 topics that I have ready to blog about. As mentioned above, I want to prepare extensively and then execute a plan so to speak.
4- Hours a day

And, just outta curiosity, what conclusion did you come to on the SEO impact of blogging on a separate website vs. your business website?

It seems lots of business operate a separate blog thinking it will generate lots of link backs to their business site, increasing their SEO ranking. From what, I've read this is incorrect as a link back from the same source brings diminishing returns. Any knowledge on this?

I didn't want to quote the rest, but thanks for the input.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I have compiled about 20-30 topics that I have ready to blog about.

This is awesome.

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

It seems lots of business operate a separate blog thinking it will generate lots of link backs to their business site, increasing their SEO ranking. From what, I've read this is incorrect as a link back from the same source brings diminishing returns. Any knowledge on this?

First my obligatory SEO disclaimer: "absolutely nobody, including me, really knows for sure (and don't trust anyone who tells you otherwise)".

Links back to your site have a positive impact on SEO, but having just one low-traffic site with a bunch of links to you isn't likely to have a big impact. The benefits of having large amounts of relevant content (crawlable by search engines and thus searchable) hosted on your company website will probably have a much greater impact on your "findability".

Also, if post stuff that people like, they're more likely to link to it from their own blogs, etc., and you want those links pointing to your real site, I think.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Also, if post stuff that people like, they're more likely to link to it from their own blogs, etc., and you want those links pointing to your real site, I think.

I think that's the most important thing when it comes to SEO. The more unique links you have to your site, the better.

So, if you start a blog on WordPress or Blogger and just link to your website from your posts, anyone who links to your blog posting, will be posting links to WordPress or Blogger, so the only people linking to your website will be you, which won't help your SE rankings. If you have your blog on you own domain (you can still host with WordPress or Blogger or other blogging sites), then anyone who links to it will be driving traffic and links to your own site.

Also, it's much easier for your potential clients to remember one website name to read your musings, rather than knowing your company's site is at YourCompanyName.com, but your blog is at wordpress.com/YourCompanyName.

[Slava]

Bump: I am toying with starting a blog, but of course while I might have the best intentions I also realise that I might end up stopping. I guess what I want to know is say I set up a wordpress or blogspot site, how difficult is it to move it to my own domain down the road, in the event that I stick with it?

[Rathji]

Not very difficult to migrate the site with either of those options.

http://en.support.wordpress.com/export/

http://www.google.com/support/blogge...n&answer=97416

[Slava]

perfect. I just don't want to spend money and go through all of that just to decide a few weeks/month from now that it wasn't worth the effort!

[Russic]

Speaking of SEO (search engine optimization), this is my favourite article on the subject:

http://mattgemmell.com/2011/09/20/seo-for-non-dicks/

create original, relevant content repeatedly.