As I’m sure you have noticed, Google has gotten a new favicon. It has gotten a lot of attention on the web, and even TechCrunch wrote a post about it. How is it that a stupid little thing such as a new favicon can spark so much discussion throughout the web? And why isn’t it that your blog is getting talked about on big blogs like TechCrunch?
The answer I’m going to give you for that question is not because Google is the most visited site on the internet because that would be really boring and wouldn’t make much of a great blog post (no matter how true it is).
Google has helped people in the past. It continues to do so now, just like it will be doing tomorrow
Bottom Line: Google isn’t going anywhere. If I asked you when Google will shut down, you would tell me “Never”. If I asked you when a starting blogger will close their blog, you would probably tell me “Within its first month”. But what does any of that have to do with Google’s new favicon?
Google provides users with consistent and accurate information
Every time you search on Google, you get search results. Google provides you with 3rd party content, and it is by far the most accurate search engine to date. You can’t just leave a company who gives like that alone. Everything they do has to be written about and criticized.
They’re always working to give their users more: New Services, Upgrades to current services, etc.
They’re like a giant blog (excluding their “official” blog), they’re always updating and improving how their readers learn and use their system. If your blog can do that, then success can (not always) come. Obviously I’m not talking about creating web tools like they do, and I’m definitely not saying your site will grow as big as Google.
Because Google always keeps their user base updated with current web standards, and setting them, they got where they are now. That’s what you should be doing in your blog: setting a standard on how content should be reached across to different readers.
Like all news stories, you want to be the first one to report it
News spreads like wildfire on the Internet. They say that you should always try to be the first one to report on a potentially top story. Being the first to blog about it could result in sending pings/trackbacks to other blogs (which can bring you traffic, and other things), getting linked to from other blogs, and plenty of other scenarios.
So with that information, you want to be the one to tell the web about this story. A story about that humongous web beast called Google will surely do great as Google is a resource that everyone uses, and will be something you will undoubtedly go back to when they have a question.
An example of being the first one to write about a news, take the release of WordPress 2.7. Before Janith and I merged our blogs, I had written a post about the WordPress 2.7. My blog (kolakube.com) was the first one to send the WordPress Development blog a pingback. As a result, I got some decent traffic.
So imagine getting a link to an article on the Official Google Blog and all the traffic that could come your way.
How can I apply all of that information to my blog?
We all know in reality that Google getting a new favicon isn’t anything special. It’s just how people react to it, making it a bigger deal than it should truly be.
The point I have been trying to get across in this whole post is this: if you want your blog to get talked about on the web, just be a great blogger. Use the information I highlighted above and apply it to your blog. Just to sum up what was covered:
- Provide users with consistent and accurate information.
Simply enough, keep writing up to date, useful information. - Always work for more.
Keep messing with your design until it’s perfect. Always write new posts, build a strong social media profile. Work like you’ve never worked before, and don’t live in another bloggers shadow. - Break the news.
Blog your way to the top of the trackback lists. Always report on topics in your niche, and you could get noticed if you provide the most useful information in your story.
If the web isn’t talking about your blog, then go out there and get them talking! Even if it’s about you having the best designed favicon, when the web talks about you, you will certainly feel the impact!
21 Discussions
Great post! And i love your writing style. Hope to see more such rocking posts…..
A good guide, but something I personally know is challenging.
For example, being the first to provide big news is very hard. Sure, it may be worth the effort but then again it may never get big. You need to hire people to get in on any news and so on. A reason why so many big sites are able to report news quickly is because they have people around the event and so on.
Nonetheless, another good post from you, Alex
Thanks Farrhad, glad you like the writing style! I’ve been trying to flip around my style of posts, but this way seems to be my favorite.
And Daniel, I agree how hard it is to get the first story. I think I just got lucky blogging about WordPress 2.7 because I was editing a post, and it said a new version was available. So naturally, I wanted to write a blog post about it before updating.
I agree with Mr. FutureMagnified too
Getting in on the latest news can be hard, but that’s why you got to always scour social bookmarking sites and subscribe to the best RSS feeds out there; like Blogussion’s
No doubt that once you build the reputation everything will be smooth for you. But to keep maintain that reputation is also a great task.
Visitors are like monkey if they wont get the required food at one tree than they will jump to another and if they will found at there than they will never return to your blog or websites.
@Bulk sms: Awesome analogy, it’s so true too!
I saw on DP that people made a thread about the favicon, and I just had to wonder to myself why this was. I’m glad I wasn’t the only who thought that it was weird!
Well, great minds think alike right?
nice. i love google. but google isn’t the most visited site in the world. according to alexa, it’s only second after yahoo.
Oh, really? My bad then. But who trusts Alexa anymore?
(only kidding)
I visited this blog for the first time after seeing your wonderful comments on “The Blogging Park”. Needless to say, I like your writing style.
If another blogger has talked about the new Google favicon, I am 100% confident that he/she would have mentioned this idea; “Google in the Internet God, so why wouldn’t people take interest in anything new happening with them”. You took a new approach and really nailed the most important aspect of the company…How is Google so big and famous. Many people who “worship” Google do not even know how they got at this stage. They were not the first search engine, they were not the richest site by any means. What brought them to the top is their helping approach. Remember their 10th anniversary celebration last year.? http://www.project10tothe100.com? It was their birthday, but they gave to the world openhearted.
Putting ourselves in this place; what would we do on our blogs anniversary? Probably organize a contest to giveaway some prices, right? But what we really desire in the bottom of our heart is getting more traffic in return for the contest.
Alex, you nailed home the virtue; work for your readers, not for you. Returns would be much sweeter.
Glad you enjoy my writing style.
I have to agree with you. When I first wrote this post, I started having second thoughts on it as I figured I was going to just stick to the point that “Google is the greatest” and all of that stuff that everyone knows already.
That link was pretty interesting. I never knew Google was 10 years old!
This one is just like speech of Barack Obama and speech of a normal man. You will ready to pay good amount of money to hear his speech.
Same is the case with Google as well. Plus they are giving many option to thousands of people to earn money as well.
@ Bulk SMS – seems to me that you have indepth knowledge about this field. Well Said.
That’s right: Google gives you a service that will benefit you greatly. So why shouldn’t you try to do the same on your site?
Another example is like you are asking why so much hype about Apple product whenever they launch a new product why not about China made item.
Even if China made product is much better than apple one than still people would love to hear more about apple instead of china one.
At the moment Google is at top and everyone salute rising star.
Apple is a perfect example. Their userbase is phenomenal and with each product it only makes it stronger. Google and Apple are similar because of the outstanding services they provide. That’s why when smaller, virtually unknown sites/companies don’t really get their product names out into the world because of these larger companies. It is a shame, but it’s something we will learn to work around, right?
Wow, I hadn’t noticed the amount of variation they had played with for the favicon.
Makes me feel a bit guilty for not noticing it myself.
Oh well, at least it is an ongoing redesign that we get to see develop over time.
It’s never too later to make your blog better. You’ve hit the point home yourself when you said “it’s an ongoing redesign” because there’s always something you can do to make your blog better!
Good luck and hope you find a good favicon
Haha, great comment, bulk sms, made me giggle
I absolutely hate the attention the new favicon is getting. Sorry, I know this sort of comment is exactly what the article is talking about, but don’t you just hate it? Badly designed, not very attactive and very annoying
Oh well… great post!
Simon | Teenius’s last blog post..The Importance Of A Good Logo
It’s interesting that you took a different approach to writing about this. Your writing style is very interesting.
Jake| Web Journey’s last blog post..Why I Choose My Domain
Yeah, Google’s favicon is nothing special to me, I don’t care as long as I am getting my results from Google hehe. However, they do try to constantly improve their system and just 1-2 days ago, they launched their new service called Fast Flip, try it out, google it as it has been developed by Google Labs but allows you to read worldwide news from different news sites in one site with their pages snapped. It’s a really great service.
And yeah, in the blogging world, if one makes a post and sees that people are finding some interest in it, there will be more such posts on other blogs. We market few things freely lol.
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