You are managing a new blog or have an established blog, but have the same problem: your readership isn't growing or it isn't expanding nearly as fast as you would like it to. Google's Penguin and Panda updates have demonstrated that the big squeeze is on, that only blogs that carefully follow the rules will get the attention that each one deserves.

Fortunately, you can promote your blog and stay in the good graces of the search engines and avoid coming across as a spammer to everyone else. The steps to effective blog promotion are fairly straight forward, tips that you can begin to employ immediately.

1. Write winning content. Every article you place on your blog should be interesting, effective and something that your readers will want to see. This means writing original content and writing well, avoiding spelling mistakes and poor grammar usage.

Update your blog on a regular basis. If three times per week is best for you, then follow that schedule. Choose topics that are related to your site and write magnetic headlines. Use the right keywords and variations of the same. Google's AdWord Keyword Tool is a must for every successful blogger.

2. Keep search engines in mind. Google, Bing, Yahoo and the other search engines should be kept in mind when building or improving your blog. Whether you use Blogger, WordPress or some other blog management platform, you'll want to make certain your site's SEO options are in place.

Every blog should offer a clear description of what it is about. Not just with your "About" page, but in the description settings of the blog itself. Familiarize yourself with page caching and set up a custom page not found page, custom redirects, a custom robots.txt page and robots header tags. More information on how to do this is found in the first reference in the resources section that follows this article.

3. Show much passion. Don't think for a moment that your blog will thrive, let alone survive if you don't have a passion for your subject. Passion goes beyond faithfully blogging on a consistent basis -- it means you relish your topic and can't imagine blogging about anything else.

Passion isn't something you can easily put a finger on, but it is something that comes out in your writings. Specifically, you exude enthusiasm, display confidence and interact with your readers. You also don't let your critics get you down -- you brush off negativity while accepting criticism that is constructive, not destructive. You aren't perfect, but you're always seeking ways to better your blog and better yourself.

4. Use social media liberally. As important as your blog is, you know that its very survival hinges in part on your social media interactions. You're not only on Twitter, but you've assembled quite a following. You respect your followers, sharing tweets that are interesting, informative and worth retweeting.

You're active on Twitter and have a presence on Tumblr, Pinterest and LinkedIn. You ping people that you mention in your posts and you share information on other networks you're a part of. You may use of Google+ too, especially if you have a Blogspot account.

5. Connect with other bloggers. Beyond social media, you understand the important of engaging bloggers directly, by visiting their sites. This means that you subscribe to blogs that you value and you read each article. When a story strikes your fancy, you leave a comment behind.

You've also developed a network of bloggers that you engage with regularly. You may attend conferences and seminars together or share news as appropriate. You link out to related blogs in your articles and they link back to you as well.

6. Keep at it. One thing a successful blogger doesn't do is to give up. Sure, you have your moments, tough days at times and even patches of dryness. You keep it real with your readers without getting caught up in a funk and dragging others down. You ask for help you need it and you do likewise.

One way that you motivate yourself is by developing a business action plan. This is where you list your goals, getting specific about the tasks that you want to accomplish. These tasks can include increasing your readership, raising your advertising rates, attending more conferences and hiring guest bloggers. Your specific goals are measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. In other words they are really S.M.A.R.T.

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Blogging Thoughts

Do you think you can improve and promote your blog? Yes, you can. Stay at it and you'll build a blog that is immensely popular, one that gets referenced to and is a commodity that one day can be sold for a profit.

Resources

Google: Promote Your Blog

Google: Adwords Keyword Tool

Top Achievement: Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Lamiki: How to Promote Your Blog Without Losing Your Soul -- http://www.slideshare.net/lamiki/how-to-promote-your-blog-without-losing-your-soul

About the Author

Richard Larson is Brand Manager at the UK's leading online supplier of promotional umbrellas and printed clothing, Go Promotional.