In recent years, the once-common weblog or online journal has morphed into the ubiquitous blog. However, this transition led to some changes – the new terminology somehow allowed anyone to start news publication from their breakfast table. Blogging gives Joe Public the chance to jump on news before any larger entity has the chance to aggressively publicise it. And considering the size of the blogging population, Mr. Public can often get credited for breaking the news.
In lots of cases, news is initially leaked through the press release. Typically released on large, general websites, and written in a matter-of-fact manner, press releases themselves are often poor at penetrating the blogosphere.
This provides a great opportunity for our blogger, who knows that if he finds the press release minutes after release, he can write his spin on his topically relevant blog. But cripes, his blog is a mere week old, has 3 feed subscribers, and just about gets unique visits into double-figures. In the old days, this would have been a problem – his content would have little chance of poking its head through Google’s indexing membrane.
Thankfully though, Google is getting quicker and quicker at indexing new content from new sites. Get yourself indexed through social sites like Digg and Reddit, publish a news story on a brand new topic, and Google will often recognise you.
Our blogger is delighted – he published the story on Apple’s new Blue Widget on his Apple blog. He was one of the first in, and Google is showing him on the front page for ‘blue widget’ and ‘apple blue widget’. Here’s where the interesting stuff happens.
The first people to search for this newly created query will be other bloggers and people with influence on the net. They’ll be looking for more sources to improve their own coverage of the story. The wonders of Google mean that they will find your blog, even though your Blue Widget entry is fairly weak.
As you appear to have broken the story and are one of the few publications with information on it, you will almost certainly get links. This is great – it’s the reason you wake up so early in the morning and go press release fishing.
Two things then happen. You reap the benefits of link traffic, as large sites are covering the story and crediting you. Fantastic. However, almost simultaneously, the nature of Google’s indexing algorithm means that these pages will begin to outrank you. Trusted, established, strong blogs will crush your newfound rankings like a newt underfoot.
So, you’re left without rankings worth mentioning in Google. Thankfully, as the Blue Widget story worms its way through the blogosphere, some good souls who found your blog through the [via] link on other sites decide to link to you. You enjoy days’ worth of solid referral traffic, even if your Google dominance lasted only a few hours.
What is the long term result?
Resurrection from the SERP limbo! Google, who originally recognised you for your rapid coverage, will reinstate your rankings to an extent, based on the large volume of links you gathered. This is great – your early rankings were unstable, but they lead straight into a well-cemented SERP placement. Congratulations!
Lesson learned: no matter how small you are, you can kick start growth by being vigilant, aware, knowledgeable, and lightning-quick.
