Blogs I like: Ian Bowden @ bowdeni.com

I've been talking about SEO for a while. Here's someone who's been making a living off of it:

[ http://bowdeni.com/ ]

My TL;DR: Search engine optimization is important, and is something that can (should?) be utilized to drive traffic your way. When Google and other search engines are the first place people turn to for answers, it pays for your solution to be the first thing they see.

Unrelated, but neat: [ http://www.catsforgold.com/ ].

Stuff I Like: Blogworld @ blogworld.com

Check it out:

[ http://www.blogworld.com ] is a resource for both ends of blogging- those looking to get into the business (if you can call it that) and business trying to get involved with social media.

Worth reading:

[ How not to pitch to a blogger ] via [source]
[ Thirty Days to a Better Blog ]
[ 9 SEOers Optimizing ]

It's important to know how to get your word out there- starting out is difficult, because building a readership when you've got little to no content is an uphill battle. Search engines are your friend, and understanding how they work makes them a utility.

Google works (partially) on backlinks- that is, the more often your pages are linked across other sites, the higher it appears in search rankings. Furthermore, the more often you are clicked in Google's search results, the heavier your site will be weighted the next time it's ordered.

In addition to the Free Hosting and Domain guides, a DIY SEO guide has been added to the queue.