Preferred Posting Frequency and Technorati Ranking
October 16th 2007 11:53
Posting Frequency: A Timely Topic
I've been meaning to tackle the topic of posting frequency for quite some time. And since my posts have been spaced a bit farther apart of late than they had been previously, I think this would be the perfect time to broach the subject.
The sparseness of my most recent posts was not entirely intentional, however. I've actually been fighting a very nasty cold, which has had me down for the count. Though I was unable to get out of my regular writing assignments and was thus forced to brave a few projects anyway, I've rarely found anything as tough to do and, at its worst stage, the battle left me with not an ounce of energy left for blogging.
Too Much of a Good Thing
It's funny the way things happen, sometimes. I'd just become convinced that it was better to post slightly less often, because posting daily--and particularly posting more than once a day--causes posts to move down the page and out of sight before many readers have had a chance to read them, only to disappear into the "archival abyss." Well, I no sooner decided to try posting every few days, to give my readers more time to "discover" my posts, than I ended up with these longer, unplanned posting delays which were much more than I'd bargained for. But I learned a great lesson from them that I probably wouldn't have learned any other way, and I'd like to share it with you.
Technorati Is Watching!
Even mildly protracted delays in posting can negatively impact Technorati ranking. (I hadn't expected this, though perhaps I should have, since it had been about five days since my last post.) When I checked my ranking, I was in for a shock; it had fallen by over 10,000 points in a single day!
Prior to that very discouraging day, I'd been quite happy with my steadily rising ranking. In fact, I was one proud blogger the day I broke the Technorati 50,000 (9/13/07) and, as I watched that number gradually decrease, my happiness gradually increased.
But, as a result of my five-day blogging "vacation," my ranking dropped from a beautiful 43,331, on 10/9, to an absolutely horrifying 54,000 +, on 10/10! (I didn't manage to copy down the exact number before it changed again on 10/12 [for the better this time, I'm happy to say]. I must have been too shocked and disappointed to write the entire number down, as I usually do.)
My ranking now stands at a dismal 53,658. (And, yes, sadly, I must now break 50,000 all over again. I wonder what it will feel like the second time around. Not quite as satisfying, I suspect.)
Lost Ground and a Lesson Learned
On that depressing day (10/10), I lost all the ground I'd so patiently and painstakingly gained. It had taken close to a month to move from a ranking of 50,867 to 43,331 (9/11-10/9), and I literally lost it all in one day.
The moral of this story is that, while you may, to some extent, be free to determine your preferred posting frequency, if you care at all about--and are in fact attempting to build--your Technorati ranking, Technorati definitely has a say in the matter. And, while I still tend to believe that posting one substantial post every few days may in fact be best (unless your blog is new and has little content), it probably isn't wise to go beyond one post every three days, if it can be avoided, and certainly not beyond one every four days, if you have a choice. It isn't worth the risk.
"Blog Reactions": Technorati's Other Ranking Criteria
Bear in mind, before you worry too much when you're too busy or otherwise unable to post as often as usual, that Technorati ranking is based on a combination of posting frequency and backlinks. It may very well be that my super busy schedule prior to my illness, which prevented me from visiting and commenting on as many blogs as I usually do, causing me to have fewer Technorati "Blog Reactions," was the sole reason that five days became the straw that broke the back of my Technorati ranking. Had I been consistently commenting on other blogs and drawing links back to my site, my ranking might not have dropped as much after a five-day break between posts. Only Technorati knows for sure.
What Are Your Views on Posting Frequency?
I'd be very interested to know the views of my readers on what you consider to be the optimal posting frequency. Do you think a blogger should post daily? More than once a day? Once every few days? (I hope I haven't unduly frightened anyone with Technorati's incredible power of persuasion to help us bloggers determine our posting schedules. But it's imperative that we take Technorati into consideration when making such decisions, as I learned the hard way.)
My View: Blogger Burnout and Too-Frequent Posting
I believe every blogger must decide for him/herself what works best, since there are so many variables. But I also believe that many bloggers feel tied to a daily posting schedule, whether they like it or not, because they feel that's the only way to be successful at blogging. This may be one reason why so many bloggers burn out so soon.
Blogging should be something we enjoy--and not a chore. And we really needn't worry that our success is dependent on daily blogging, because I've discovered that my readership is rising despite the fact that I'm no longer posting every day. I believe that if we post quality content, consistently giving our readers value, as our blogs mature and our store of content grows, our readership will grow with it.
What do you think?
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? Please feel free to join the conversation!
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Comment by Sharon Hurley Hall
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
My sudden drop in Technorati ranking certainly surprised me! I've never had any problem with two, three, or even four-day breaks between posts, but I suppose it's better not to chance going any longer than necessary, since likely no one but Technorati knows the precise formula they use to determine ranking.
Thanks for the visit!
Jeanne
Comment by Sonya 1
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Comment by JoH
I guess like anything, there are pros and cons of posting daily.........I have cut back to 4 days a week after about 6 weeks of posting every weekday. Not sure how it affects my ranking, but it makes me feel better and that counts for something
I hope you are recovering well from your cold.
Comment by AmyHuang
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Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Good for you! It's so much better to write when we have something to say! And if we are forcing ourselves to write, yet rebelling against it inwardly the entire time, our writing will lack the spark that will bring our readers back.
I applaud you for giving yourself the freedom to rest when necessary after a hard day's work!
Thanks so much for your input!
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
I am feeling a bit better, thanks!
I'm glad to hear that you're finding your own personal blogging rhythm. That's very important for our productivity, as well as our peace of mind. I'm sure that your initial 6 weeks of daily posting helped build up your blog's content to a point where you were then able to relax a bit--and that's a good thing!
Thanks so much for the visit!
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
I don't mean to say that daily posting is a bad thing. If a blogger can provide consistently informative and/or entertaining content on a daily basis, that's great! The more the merrier! That will actually add value to your blog very quickly by building a store of content for your archives that will continue to draw traffic for a long time to come.
In fact, there are times when I do feel the urge to post more frequently (or times when I'm assigned a sponsored post and have a deadline to meet). As long as each blogger feels free to determine his or her own posting schedule based on individual factors, that's what's important.
And certainly, if daily blogging helps you to discipline yourself to write daily, that's a great motivator. Some days I have too many writing projects waiting to be completed, in which case I don't need that motivation--though I often feel a desire to blog or visit and comment on other blogs anyway to delay the inevitable work for a while.
As far as whether or not you should begin posting less frequently, only you can determine what will work for you, because every blogger--and every blog--is different.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jeanne
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Amy Derby
Hope you're feeling better. I've been sick lately myself, so I can relate on not feeling like posting!
In general, I feel that my inspiration comes in spurts. I don't care about my rankings (although maybe I should), but I do try to post as regularly as possible simply so people have something new to read. If I can't think up anything to write, I'll often do a quick post recommending something good I've read on another writer's blog.
Anyhow, just my two cents. Hope you've beaten that cold!
Comment by Dana
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, as well as for sending your daughter a link to one of the pages on my blog! I appreciate both!
Just wanted to say that the link to Becky's blog isn't functional; it leads to an error page. I managed to find her blog by doing a Google search, though; and it's a wonderful blog containing some very uplifting posts. (It certainly doesn't deserve the spam comments that I saw on it. I wonder whether your daughter is able to delete them. They don't do justice to her incredibly edifying content.)
Thanks for the visit!
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Posting regularly is great, and your idea of recommending something you've read on another blog during your own inspirational lulls is definitely a good tactic for ensuring that you always have something to post. I've used that one myself--more than once! It also helps to keep our blogs interesting and builds good will with our fellow bloggers.
I'm feeling quite a bit better than I did just a few short days ago, thanks!
Good to "see" you!
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
I agree that an extreme variation in posting schedule could tend to turn off our readers and send them looking for greener (i.e., more regularly maintained) blogging pastures. But I also believe that most of our readers are willing to cut us a certain amount of slack when necessary, if they find our content consistently helpful and worthwhile, because they understand that "life happens"--even to bloggers! The key is not to take advantage of their generosity, but to try to post as often as we can.
Thanks for your input!
Jeanne
Comment by Amy Derby
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Jeanne