Blog Self-Improvement Day

Is there anything about this blog that I could do that would make it easier or better or cleaner or cooler for you? Please tell me.

There are some posts that have gotten lots of comments in the past -- why are lawyers such snobs, what do transactional lawyers do, study tips, etc. I have considered linking those, or my law-school advice posts, together in a category. But I have no idea if people come here for a reference and are irritated by searching in the archives, or if once someone's read a post you never want to see it again.

I plan to take Anthony Rickey's advice and try to improve the blog's Google rating for dog amputation searchers, just because I would like for anyone as worried as I was to easily read about the happy outcome for my dog. (When your finals are over and you've rested up, Anthony, I'll be looking for strategies and tips.)

What else should I do to make the place more comfortable? Please advise.

Comments

[WAB]

You have already provided a comfortable place on the web with well written, engaging posts. Keep up the good work. Your blog addicts need you.

[A. Rickey]

When the exams are over I may very well be dead. No point waiting until then.

Put all the amputation posts into a single category with the words you want search hits for. I'd suggest something like 'The Dog Leg Amputation Story.' Also, you might want to modify your category archives so that it puts the name of the category in the KEYWORDS metatag. (I don't know how much modification you can do on Typepad, but it shouldn't be that tough--it's just MoveableType.)

Then write an entry announcing the new category and linking to it. Ask some of us nice folks you know to link to it using the terms you're searching for, and the virtuous Googlebomb is launched...

[A. Rickey]

Now that I think of it, it's worth noting that due to my last comment, you currently show up sixth on a search for dog amputation anyway. :)

[Bill Altreuter]

I'm not crazy about the feature that requires you to click in order to read the rest of the post. I suppose there are arguments in favor of it, but I don't like 'continued on B6' in newspapers, and I don't like it in blogs either.

[WAB]

I agree with Bill on his point. I liked the old method much better.

[moresilent]

in an attempt to move you higher up the dog amputation list, and knowing that you'll likely comply with a rickey's suggestions (so that the google rankings are appropriate) i'm adding this contribution so that those who are looking for imformation about dog amputation, dog leg amputation, amputee dogs, amputation of dog legs, happy dogs who have experienced amputation, etc. might (hopefully) find you

[Jim]

I agree with Bill and WAB.

[Scheherazade]

Okay, I'll cut back on the "Continue reading" posts except where I find myself getting extraordinarily long-winded (as I did earlier today with the "I Never Thought I'd End Up As A Lawyer" post).

I hadn't put two and two together until last night, but I think my referral numbers have been higher since I started doing "continued" posts -- and obviously it's because the page requests are increased when people have to click to keep reading. I don't, in fact, have a bunch more readers than I did two weeks ago. Oh well....

[Jim]

I suggest you not do it even on a long post. I think your default settings should be based on the assumption that if people have come to your weblog, they want to read what's on it. So those readers should have the easiest time, i.e., they should not have to click on anything to get the whole post. Unfaithful or misguided people who choose to quit reading in the middle of a post -- they should be the ones who have to put in the extra clicking work.

In addition, there is even more clicking involved if one comes across a "continue reading" obstacle while viewing the post through an RSS feed on a newsreader. First you click on the "continue reading" link through the newsreader, then you are taken to the permalink of the post. Then, when you finish reading that post, you have the further job of clicking to go either to the "main" page of your blog, or to bring up the newsreader screen again to see more posts.

So I restate my vote for no "continue reading" hurdles.

[Geoff]

Great blog
But the text on blue background, while it look pretty is hard on the eyes to read.

[the secret]

I got a spam e- mail today with the subject line of: