BUY THIS.  Seth Godin is a genius.. ’nuff said.  http://ow.ly/4bPbM

Businesses and entrepreneurs alike can learn from Seth Godin’s “Poke the Box”.

Take Initiative
Embrace Failure
Create Experiences

Take a moment and listen to a few words on his new book and some of the challenges of doing something different.  Your job is to invent the status quo…make something happen.

Hubspot interview with Seth Godin:

http://vimeo.com/20759976

Youtube short on the new book:

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Google Farmer Update, Overstock,  Bing, Mobile SEO and other ramblings..

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There are also a number of great sites with additional information on the recent Google Search Engine changes:

ReelSEO: Google Algorithm Changes

Negatively Impacted By Google Changes

Tell Google About You Site: Post on Google’s SEO Forum
Have any of you been affected by the new Google Search Engine Changes?

Below is a great little article From Hubspot.com on some simple – yet essential items which should be included on your Wordpress blog.

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Posted by Diana Freedman
Thu, Oct 07, 2010 @ 08:45 AM

Your blog sidebar can be filled with anything you’d like, from fun and fancy widgets to ads for generating some extra income. But there are several important elements that your blog sidebar shouldn’t be without. They’ll not only help you keep readers on your site, but will help bring them back for more, or even turn them into leads.

Here are seven essential elements you should include in your blog’s sidebar:
1. Option to Subscribe
Assuming you have remarkable content on your blog, which I know all you HubSpot blog readers do, your readers would be interested in coming back to your blog to read your latest posts. So make it easy for them! Add a subscribe button linking to your RSS feed URL. You can use Feedburner to create this URL from your original RSS feed URL, as Feedburner makes it easy for readers to add your feed to their RSS reader, like Google Reader. Also, make sure to include an email form field to allow users to subscribe via email, so your posts will go straight to their email inbox.

2. Category List
Often called “categories” or “topics,” this is a list that makes it easy for your readers to find content that they are interested in. Most blogging platforms automatically create this list from the categories or tags that you assign it when configuring each blog post. Try not to assign more than 1-3 categories per post, since any more would diminish the usefulness of sorting your content by category.
3. Most Popular Posts
The sidebar is a great place to display your most popular (usually meaning the most highly trafficked) blog posts. This way, readers won’t have to dig through pages and pages of content to find your most remarkable content. It will also peak people’s interests to find out why these posts are the most popular.
4. Recent Blog Posts
Including recent blog posts makes it easy for users who enter your site through a single blog post (rather than the homepage) to navigate to your most recent content. This is a great way to encourage readers to remain on the site and get additional page views.
5. Search Box
A search box makes it easy for your readers to find content based on the keyword or phrase they’re looking for. You can have this in your sidebar, but another popular option is to have the sidebar in your header (like HubSpot’s blog).
6. Social Media Connection Options
These days, RSS isn’t the only way readers keep tabs on their favorite blogs. Include links to your social media profiles, such as Facebook and Twitter, so that you can provide updates to your readers on sites that they visit each and every day. You can even add a Facebook Like Box (previously called Fan Box), so that users can “like” your fan page without having to leave your blog.
7. Calls-to-Action
Now that you have all this great content and blog traffic, you should include calls-to-action for what you want your readers to do next. This is especially useful if this blog is a business blog, as you can include CTAs leading to your landing pages and get leads. Try to make your CTAs as relevant to your blog content as possible. You’ll be able to place the most relevant CTAs within each blog post (usually at the bottom of each post) since you’ll be able to customize this space more easily.

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6759/7-Things-Your-Blog-s-Sidebar-Can-t-Live-Without.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HubSpot+%28HubSpot%29&utm_content=Twitter#ixzz11h9huO00

Building a community of listeners is a very valuable tool.  You gain streamlined access to people who consider you an authority on your subject and “trust” your recommendations.  This opens up a level of “influence” which you can wield in many different directions.

While your ROI on building a strong community might not be as transparent as a quick profit sale, it has the potential for strong on-going financial benefits. 

Kind of see my point but you want more?  I’m personally recommending a fantastic book from a true Guru in the field:   Tribes, by Seth Godin. 

Join with 19,000 other bloggers and Kick-Start Your Blog with this 31 Day Challenge.

If you have big dreams for your blog but have been putting improving it in the ‘one day’ basket – you’re not alone.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog is a downloadable e-book designed to help you revitalize your blog by giving you 31 tasks that will all help to turn it into the page view powerhouse you’ve always dreamed of.
Each day in the project contains:

This two pronged approach is designed so that you come away from the challenge having not only learned how to build a dynamic a blog but you’ll have actually DONE something with the knowledge.
How to Use the Workbook
While originally designed for bloggers to work through over a month – the feedback that we’ve been hearing from bloggers indicates that 31DBBB is being used in a variety of ways including:

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• Monthly Cycle – bloggers using the tasks again and again each month as a monthly routine for their blogging.
• Occasional Inspirational Resource – bloggers dipping into 31DBBB on a more occasional basis – using it on days when they have time or lack inspiration.

The great thing about 31DBBB is that you can do it at your own pace and in your own way.
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31 Days to Build a Better Blog is for bloggers at different stages of their blogging including:

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By the end of the 31 Days you’ll have:

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