Don’t Pollute the Blogosphere
When you begin blogging there is always pressure to post regularly. In the beginning it’s easy because you’re excited and focused. But, just like a new toy at Christmas, your excitement fades over time.
So, what is a blogger to do?
Some bloggers take the easy way out. They click through their favorite blogs, find a post, give it a slight rewrite and publish it as their own. Sometimes – they don’t even do a rewrite!
And yes, eventually, this will happen to you!
This type of blogosphere pollution is referred to by Google as “duplicate content” and they hate it as much as I do. Just like a paper mill dumping waste into a nearby lake, uninspired, unoriginal blog posts clog search results and degrade the overall search experience.
Luckily, we can fight blogosphere pollution by not being a part of the problem! We can do this same way we fight environmental pollution: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
Reduce
Yes, it is important to post regularly but think about your regular readers.
They are likely following several blogs and their time is valuable. How do you want your readers to feel when they see a new post on your blog? Excited because you have a reputation for producing quality content; or indifferent because your posts are more of the hit-or-miss variety?
Make the saying “quality over quantity” your blogging mantra!
Reuse
Have writer’s block? Revisit your older posts! Is there a topic you can build on or explore further?
I’ll use this post as an example.
Today I’m writing about polluting the blogosphere. If I get into a rut in the future and can’t think of something to write, I could revisit this post for inspiration. I could find some news about how search engines are solving the problem, or I just might have some additional tips that I’d like to share that I can put in a new post.
This is not only a way to tackle writer’s block, but a great way to further define your niche.
Recycle
Part of being a blogger is reading blogs. They are a great source of inspiration and news to get your creative gears turning.
But stop right there, Brian! You’re contradicting yourself! You just said using someone else’s post is bad!
Very good! You were paying attention. 
However, when I say “recycle” I don’t mean copy. Instead, think about how the actual recycling process works. When newspapers are recycled, they are broken down and reprocessed to create something new.
You’ll find examples of this in the “Ask a Geek” section of our site. These posts give me the opportunity to do research where I gather information from various sources. I mix it with my own thoughts and experience to create a new article that, hopefully, is more useful to you (my audience) than doing the research yourself.
Is anyone else having college thesis flashbacks?
Your #1 Goal
It’s been said before, but the goal of your blog should be to produce value for your audience. It’s not a competition where the person with the most blog posts wins.
Thomas Alva Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Don’t miss your opportunity to create a great blog and community by looking for short cuts. Instead, put that energy into your content!
