Look how old this is!
I post at SearchCommander.com now, and this post was published 18 years 9 months 7 days ago. This industry changes FAST, so blindly following the advice here *may not* be a good idea! If you're at all unsure, feel free to hit me up on Twitter and ask.

If you’re launching a blog with good content about a certain subject, many other people may want to read it. But how do you let people know it’s there? Do you have an overall blog launching strategy?

First, you absolutely must have decent content on your blog. If you don’t, get some articles written first. Why not give someone a reason to add it to their RSS feeder? Once you’re ready to share your blog with the world…

Submit it

One way is by submitting it to the blog directories, just like the old days of the search engines. But unlike a search engine, those blog directories will keep coming back and checking for your new content day after day.

Google’s a little late to the dance on searching blogs, and their own Google blog search is still in beta and many committed bloggers use other methods of finding information.

Here are my own top 10* places to submit your blog for maximum exposure. They’re in no particular order, submit at them all but then go to number 11 at the bottom.

1. http://www.blogwise.com/submit
2. http://www.bloggernity.com/cgi-bin/add.cgi
3. http://www.technorati.com/ping/ (add your rss feed instantly)
4. http://www.bloghub.com/
5. http://www.icerocket.com/c?p=addblog
6. http://www.bloogz.com/man_en/add_your_url.php
7. http://findory.com/submit-blog/
8. http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/submit_blog.html
9. http://portal.eatonweb.com/add.php
10. http://www.blogdigger.com/add.jsp

11. http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-submission.htm

*list last updated 9-1-06

From #11, you can submit your blogs AND RSS feeds to dozens, or perhaps hundreds more.

How do you know which ones you find in number 11 are worth your time? My own preference is to use the Google Toolbar and only submit to PR5 or higher directories.

Blog about it

What’s another way to get your blog found? By posting on other blogs, and mentioning those blogs on your own. This is legitimate sharing of your information and products among a like minded, subject relevant audience.

For example, lets say there’s a blog on fleas, where I come across a suggestion and implement it, ridding my dog of fleas. I could post on my own blog (about leather products) that I tried a flea removal method from “this other blog”, and link back to them.

Then, I leave a comment on that flea blog, thanking them for the info, and mentioning that I have credited their blog with help, over on “my blog link” and I appreciate it. While they’re at it, their pet savvy readers might really like the leather dog collars you have too!

Be careful though. That strategy works well, but only if it’s truly legitimate. There’s a fine line between legitimate interest and a self serving commercial post. Take the time t o make it sincere and relevant. Don’t use the same comments on every blog, or it will be detected as “comment spam”.

Many blog owners get dozens or even hundreds of “comment spam” postings every day, and illegitimate or “black hat” blogging strategies are heavily frowned upon.

This means to be extremely careful to not gratuitously post worthless stuff on other peoples blogs, or even your own, with the sole intent being to “get your site out there”. That can backfire, and brand you as a non credible source, leading to a negative buzz being generated, or worse, a public boycott. Then you’ll find yourself in an even worse situation.

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