Many people still think the only important thing to read on a blog is whatever they landed on from the search engines or the latest post or two the blogger made. If you find a valuable blog and like the content you just read, there is likely a mountain of good content behind it in archives.
For instance, I could compile my best posts here and sell them in ebook form very easily. Many authority bloggers have done this. Seth Godin turned his best blog posts for a year into a paperback book, and like his other books, probably sold scads of them. (I bought it and LOVED it!) Book: Small is the New Big, Seth Godin.
Since I have yet to do it, along with most bloggers on this level, you have to be aware of the tools to dig deep into an authority blog to pull out massively valuable, interesting information.
For instance, did you know I have over 2000 posts on this blog? Would you know how to find information on, say, link building, that I wrote 6 months ago or even 2 weeks ago?
Searching For Gold
Most people come directly to my front page and look at the latest posts. Other surf directly from search engine results or direct links to posts I’ve made in the past.
Very few people realize that after they are done reading what they came for there is a way to find more information on that and many other marketing topics by using the Search field in the upper right corner of this blog. Most blogs have this feature. Most surfers don’t use it. That’s a mistake!
Why? Because in order to become popular, bloggers have to put outstanding tips and information on their blogs. Information worth money. Over time, this value stacks up and so do answers to even the smallest problems or questions readers might have.
When a Blog’s Search Function Fails You
I just went to ProBlogger and tried looking up all his content on RSS feed posts he’s made. What I got back was not what I wanted. What I was looking for was something I KNEW was in there from past reading. I just couldn’t remember the exact title.
If you don’t find what you are looking for with a particular blog’s “native” search function, use your Google Toolbar!
Type in a search term and instead of hitting “return” use the little search drop down directly to the right of the search box and select “search site.”
I did that just now with ProBlogger and immediately found the posts I was looking for and then some. Don’t assume that the post a blogger has recently written is all that they’ve written on the subject. Search!
Linear vs. Deep Surfing
Surfing in a linear fashion is simply hitting a blog post and following links to other resources and blogs. What you are doing is “skimming” the blogosphere rather than digging deep into rich resources you find.
People will do this type of surfing attempting to find certain kinds of information on tactics, tips, resources, and the like. Success depends on someone having written about a certain topic recently. If not, you won’t find what you’re looking for with linear surfing.
Deep surfing is when you find a rich resource that is established enough and has the type of information you want, but not the answer to the exact problem you are searching for. At least not on the front page or recent posts lists.
Going deep means using search tools on and off the site to find out if that person has written on the topic you are looking for sometime in the past. This may seem remedial to a lot of people, but most surfers just click and click to many different sites, just doing “surface checks,” and don’t realize the hidden gem they are looking for could be in the archives.
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