Blogging Resources are tangible content visitors can use to build their understanding or refer to regularly. Most blogs will have one or two of these resources and the most successful blogs have dozens or hundreds of valuable resources to offer their readers.
The reason why these resources are important is because they are very link-worthy. Articles with lots of valuable information, great links, and content not found anywhere else are usually bookmarked, tagged, and linked to by other bloggers for their visitors and personal blogging needs.
What is a Blogging Resource?
Composed of content rich in targeted information, useful links, detailed descriptions, and examples, Blogging Resources make up the most linkable and like-able content on the internet.
Example: Smashing Magazine often gets amazing traffic because of the links they have to their articles. The reason why they get these links (which turn into search engine traffic) is because of their targeted blog resources. An example of this is their 100 Excellent Free WP Themes.
Smashing’s articles are great examples of resources that you can offer to your visitors that they will not only love, but link too. [note: I am not saying to go and copy their articles, they are examples only] In addition to your current readers loving the resources you give them, search engines will be more likely to link to them as well.
Here are a few examples of Blog Resources on Blogussion:
Planning to Earning is a perfect example of what I am trying to talk explain. There are articles, links, workbooks, and organization that makes it a valuable resource for bloggers to look back at again and again. The purpose of this guide was to provide a resource to our valuable readers.
100+ Lists to Help You Become a Better Blogger is another great example. It currently is the most read article on Blogussion with over 33,000 views. The reason for it’s success is that it was linked to like crazy by bloggers everywhere. The post also received 89 comments.
45 Link Building Tools is a post with almost 17,000 views and gives readers a plethora of tips, tricks and advice for getting links to your blog. We all know (or should know) that links = traffic.
30 Ways to Make Money Blogginghas been a recent hit since it was linked to by Problogger and has gotten a lot of twitter traffic. It outlines 30 realistic ways to make money blogging and then categorizes them by blogging stage (beginner, novice, problogger).
Blogging Platforms illustrates 20 of the potential software systems you can use to adminster your blog on. From well known blogging systems like Blogger, Joomla, and Typepad to the lesser known systems like Expression Engine. The resource offers a recommendation as well: WordPress.
4 Unique Ways to Customize Thesis Theme is another blog article that gets lots of traffic and has been linked to by some pretty substantial blogs. If you look at the post it provides very unique content, examples, how-to information, and expert help in the comments section. Over time this article has gotten well over 100 comments.
How Blogging Resources Improve Search Engine Traffic
From the examples I have displayed, all of which are popular articles on Blogussion, you can see what kind of resources attract bloggers. With a variety of niche’s bloggers work in there are a variety of resources to offer.
For example, I consult a blogger running a political blog and to help them get lots of traffic I worked with them to build up their special resource section. I had them embed copies of recent Congressional bills into their blog. Then offer their analysis. Their traffic from search engines has dramatically improved and so has their comments on all of the other posts they write.
The example resource (Copy of Congressional Bill) brought targeted traffic to their blog from search engines daily, then their only job was to infuse the traffic into the rest of their blog. [If you would like specific help for your blog, let me know 
]
Point of Blogging Resources: Provide unique content in a very easily recognizable form to maximize your links and traffic from search engines.
To provide unique resources for your blog first decide what a valuable resource is in your niche.… Then think like a visitor. What would be really helpful for you? After coming up with some ideas begin to research them. Soon you will find that you have a lot of resource options to work towards putting together. You do not have to do it all in one sitting, but rather start putting the resource together today to build a valuable and unique content piece for your blog.
34 Discussions
I try to build at a resource as much as possible because, as you said, resources get linked to often and provide much of a blog’s traffic. I also think that it is important to use proper Seo on resources.
An example of a successful resource other than blogussion’s is my 70 Link Building Techniques post. I currently have about 170 comments on that post.
Jake | Web Journey´s last blog ..Brainstorming for Online Writing
Thanks for the additional example Jake, it is a good one!
Seth´s last blog ..Blogging Resources Improve Search Engine Traffic
Great article Seth. I know resources and freebies play a great role in Blogging but I didn’t thought about it regarding Search Engine rankings.
Its really cool and very true, Search Engine rankings do boost up !!
Enk.´s last blog ..What do you tweet about ?
Yes I have experienced this thing personally on my first website as a blog. It was sheer luck to me as I was new and trying out new things. But since then that website was run on unique content most often.
Hami´s last blog ..Upload2flickr – Flickr Desktop Photos Uploader
Yet another awesome post Seth. I believe building resource articles is definitely a great way to boost your traffic.
I haven’t focused on many “List” blog posts but in the deep future I plan on focusing on them and seeing how it makes a change in my traffic.
Bilal´s last blog ..Using Twitter to drive massive traffic to your website
“List” posts are just one example of Resource posts available to blogging. Video posts and a variety of other options are great for getting lots of traffic through offering unique resources.
Seth´s last blog ..Blogging Resources Improve Search Engine Traffic
Yea indeed, I seen many people who “Video” blog with lists nowadays. I wonder if this will possibly be the next “future” form of blogging.
Bilal´s last blog ..Five more affiliate marketing tips to help you become a better affiliate marketer
This post brings up some good points, Seth! As bloggers, we should consider what we look up on Google and then write an article about what we find. If you’re asking it, then someone else is too. Then you also know exactly what the of that page should be.
Nick Tart | JuniorBiz´s last blog ..10 Trusty Twitter Tips
Exactly… if you need to search around a while, then your readers probably do too! So make it easy for them!
You always have great links. Thanks!
Paul´s last blog ..The adventures of a job seeker: The Most Adventurous Jobs
So, posting “resources” type post in your blog could get you higher search engine rankings? I don’t really get this point…is it because there would be many high PR ranking sites linking back to you?
I know it would improve traffic for sure, but it would be more like social media traffic isn’t it? Like from Stumble Upon or Digg or even Twitter. But, I don’t get how it could improve search engine ranking by much (compared to just a non-resources good quality article). Could you elaborate more?
Andi | Web Marketer Depot´s last blog ..5 Perpetual Laws of Search Engine Keyword Research
Yeah, sorry if that was not clear. The key to improving search engine rankings is that resource posts are far more likely to be linked to then any other post type. The more links—> then better SERP or search engine traffic.
As you know the Internet is based on links. Each link is like a vote and the more votes a page gets, the more likely that page is going to rank better for that given term.
So useful resources of course will generate more votes and in return get you better search engine position.
Web Address´s last blog ..Hello world!
You hit the nail on the head! Great explanation and nice summary of the article.
Seth´s last blog ..Help! My Writing Needs a Doctor
I agree, some of my most successful posts are simple ones like “How to make a custom error 404 page for your wordpress blog” and the like. It is all about noting down what kind of problems your, potential, readers might face and then to provide a well-thought out solution, SY
Niche Marketing´s last blog ..Do you text and drive?
Yes it is. I have seen a variety of blogs succeed only because they provide useful resources to attract new readers and get more of their current readers to link to them.
Seth´s last blog ..Help! My Writing Needs a Doctor
Great Point Seth.
Delicious constantly gets the resources on its front page, so I guess people love that more than general advice. Going to look into it.
Igor
Igor Kheifets – IgorHelpsYouSucceed´s last blog ..7 Key Marketing Areas You Should Be Focusing On… Instead of Playing Farm Ville
Lists are really great when it comes to getting traffic and backlinks. When combining one you just have to remember it must be quality. 100 bad themes is not better than 30 high quality.
Stefan´s last blog ..Monthly Roundup – August 2009
You are exactly right@ Quality is the most important part of creating resources. The resource must actually be worth linking to and enjoying. Otherwise who cares! Good point Stefan.
Yes the factors that we look at when building link is the link relevance and quality. If a link is relevant and of good quality, then its a valuable link.
Online shop hosting´s last blog ..F.A.Q
Great article. Useful resources are both linked and anjoying.
Well that’s what I hope to build on my own site lol! I would rather blog about my other interests but like many I wanted to share some tips on my experiences with site building. So rather than aim for a regular blog site I decided to create a resource for beginners and intermediate builders.
The great thing about this is that you can concentrate on making each page as good as it can be, continuously revising and tweaking to make it (eventually!) the best in class but without having the pressure and commitment to post up a daily ground breaking comment on the blogosphere! Thus freeing me up for some real blogging elsewhere
!
BLOGERCISE´s last blog ..How Much Money Do I Really Make Online?
Many people said that content is the king, then others people said promotion is the king, and I said both of them are really the king.
Reza Winandar´s last blog ..The Make Money Online Program System
Thanks for the information. I found the 45 link building tips particularly useful and will try to employ any of the strategies to my makeup blog. One thing I always try to do which I think helps my SE traffic is to distribute articles – this is effectively link building because it seems to help my SE rankings but it also gets me traffic from article directories.
Anna @ Best Mineral Makeup´s last blog ..Where Can I Buy Raw Mineral Makeup?
Nice Post. So basically, these would be similar to pillar articles right? And should you promote these articles in any way, or just let things happen naturally?
Tanay | TJDzine´s last blog ..Web Design Trends: Mascots – Examples, Tips and Tutorials
They are like Pillar Articles, but they can be much more than that. Promotion is similar to most articles, but because of the quality and linkability of the article, it will begin to do more promotion on its own then the average article.
Basically, get people to it and the traffic will grow exponentially.
Seth´s last blog ..Help! My Writing Needs a Doctor
Thank you for this great article Seth. You are alyways very interesting. I know it would improve traffic, but isn’t it most often rather low quality traffic?
No actually, resources provide lots of links. Links then provide better search engine results which are far more targeted then social media. Search Engine results often are found by people looking for your specific resource. If the resource is also related to your blog’s niche then you are going to have targeted traffic coming to your blog. This is one of the best ways to get new subscribers and returning visitors.
For us, the biggest traffic resource is our community. Creating blog entries that are city or region specific are easy to rank for and bring some (just enough to justify the effort) traffic. Enough of these types of blog entries have brought us a lot of traffic collectively.
Colleen´s last blog ..Kennewick Real Estate Listings
You see the individual posts about the region or cities are resources specific to what people are looking for.
I have had some success using a firefox plugin called SEO quake. It doesn’t get me more traffic, but it is an efficient easy to use way of gauging incoming link, alexa rank, etc.
Casey Brazeal (North and Clark)´s last blog ..You Are Jazz to Me
Nice article.
Your blog has a cool theme.
Great Work. Keep Blogging
I have checked out the 45 links building post yet. Thanks for pointing out.
scheng1´s last blog ..Daily routine blogging for money
Seth, I found this post very useful and well written. Thank you. Quick question not related to this post(which you don’t have to answer): you promote problogger posts/blog with gusto -does it bother you that he never comments on your posts/promotes your blog? And how frequently does he acknowledge your free ‘PR’, either directly or indirectly?
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