Jack Humphrey has published an article that explains, simply and succinctly how to make your blog popular. He gives 6 tips, which I’ve put my own spin on below:

1. Create ‘marketable’ blog content that readers don’t just enjoy reading but also feel compelled to forward to others.

2. Write for two (2) audiences - readers and other bloggers.

Notice that Jack does NOT mention writing for that third audience… search engines? Here’s what we’ve learned since we began publishing the Kikabink News Internet marketing blog/newsletter just a few months ago: write for people and the search engines will follow.

If you regularly write about topics you want to be known as an authority on, sooner or later the search engines will begin treating you as such. If, on the other hand, you try to write specifically for search engines and stuff your articles with an unnaturally high level of keywords… you’ll turn off readers, bloggers and eventually the search engines.

3. Link to other relevant blogs and content. Remember the days when we were all told to get inbound links… without giving out links in return? Didn’t that strike you as a little… um… selfish? Well, those days are gone. Not only can you get “trackback” links when you link to other blogs, but the search engines are increasingly taking a holistic view at who is linking to whom. They’re actually starting to favor blogs that link TO (not just get links from) other related, authoritative blogs.

4. Network with other bloggers by linking to them, commenting on their blogs and doing them favors. If it isn’t obvious, doing nice things for others will result in others doing nice things for you.

5. Post early and often. Jack Humphrey recommends posting every day. Ideally, a few times per day. Why? In Jack’s words:

“Because every post is an opportunity to hit the search engines with another long tail keyword phrase. Every post is a new chance at turning on another blogger and making them link to you. Each post you make is yet another “touch point” for you and your readers. Readers are interested in different things at different times. More posting ensures you are hitting more hot button topics with more readers with varying interests at any given time.”

6. Work out how to “hook” your readers. Ideally, you want to work out how to write such content as to get your readers coming back again and again. My husband, Simon, writes the DomainerIncome.com blog. He tends to write funny, politically incorrect posts and, in terms of attracting readres and getting comments (supportive and not-so supportive) it works.

Another example is Clayton Makepeace. Clayton is an A-list copywriter who recently let loose his rather strong political views. Well, you should see the comments he’s drawn for his political posts. I’m guessing many readers just can’t wait to see what bloggers like these guys are going to say next!

Source: Jack Humphrey, “Making Your Blog Popular”, Friday Traffic Report, November 7, 2008