GrowMap

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Best of GrowMap: Our Pillar Foundation Content

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Look for Our GrowMap Avatar Across the Web
Look for Our GrowMap Avatar Across the Web

Please Spread the Word ~ SHARE these GrowMap Resources to Grow Businesses, Blogs and Causes!

Every blogger has posts they feel have really hit the mark; what many call pillar articles or foundation content. When Liz Strauss (Liz Strauss) decided to celebrate the 4th Birthday of her Successful Blog with a Bring ONE Link offer she motivated me to compile these links for my readers.

There are now so many posts I wish every regular and new visitor knew about here that I decided to write this compilation so YOU don’t miss some of the most important information I’ve researched and shared.

This would be a great post to save in your Delicious or StumbleUpon account so you can return to it for reference. We will continually update and add to these important resources to keep them current just for you. Is there anything else you would like to see here? Just let us know.

MOST IMPORTANT CONTENT:

We have added so much top information, but these posts are among the most often shared:

Most Important Social Media Links:

HOW TO GROW or SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES:

FREELANCING, JOBS and CAREERS:

LOCAL SEARCH DIRECTORIES:

HOW TO MAKE MONEY BLOGGING:

KEYWORD RESEARCH / SEO:

BLOGGING BUDDIES, BLOG OUTREACH, GUEST BLOGGING:

GrowMap 125x125 Ad Block
GrowMap 125×125 Ad Block

DOFOLLOW and BLOG COMMENTING:

AFFILIATE MARKETING:

PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING:

ORGANIC SEARCH SEO SEM:

BLOG DIRECTORIES:

  • Coming eventually: Which Blog Directories are most important and why. Start with PostRank, Technorati, MyBlogLog, Blog Catalog and the blog directories reviewed by Keller Hawthorne  at FresheVenture.

WEB ANALYTICS:

LOGO and WEB DESIGN:

SOCIAL NETWORKING:

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Pinterest profileMy Tumblr blogMy YouTube channel

Gail Gardner

Small Business Marketing Strategist at GrowMap
Gail Gardner is the founder of GrowMap.com. She is a Small Business Marketing Strategist who mentors small businesses, bloggers, and freelancers. After 23 years in the field with IBM and 5.5 years managing AdWords accounts, her focus shifted to small business marketing strategy. GrowMap.com is listed by Cision as a Top 100 Site for Marketers and has received three Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends. Named by D&B a Top 50 SMB Influencer on Twitter, you can follow Gail @GrowMap and on LinkedIn.
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Comments

  1. Awesome Post and explains well thank you. I am sometimes reading your article I am very happy about yours to carry on this type of activities.

    Reply

  2. Very informative things you shared, keep posting maybe 1 day its going to help new people online, I learned stuff that I didn’t know.

    Reply

  3. I am wondering to see this article. Its a must bookmark post for digital marketers and bloggers. Its written in 2009 and still 100% relevant. thank you Gail Gardner for making this great post.

    Reply

    • Hi Vineeth,

      Thank you. I should really go back and look at it to see what is even on it. I have been so busy the last year or so that I can’t really stay on top of everything. I’m glad you’re finding some of this useful.

      Check out the post I put in the CommentLuv link in this reply and let me know if you want access. I have a mountain of resources saved you can get access to including an entire Trello board dedicated to just SEO.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..WANTED: Bloggers Interested in Collaborating to Increase Their IncomesMy Profile

      Reply

  4. I would love to know more about growth mapping to success. One important thing that I didn’t know about the term “foundation content” but now i came to know and will focus on it.

    Reply

  5. Awesome ideas, a paradox I am wrestling with is how much content is too much for readers vs. not enough for SEO? I love reading blogs that have 150 words or less but to attract search it needs to be upwards of 500+ words.. thoughts?

    Reply

    • Some sites only do short posts and attract readers who only want them. Other blogs typically have posts of 600-800 words and attract people who want more comprehensive and substantial information. Research regularly indicates that massive posts (1200-2000+ words) attract more incoming links and get shared more.

      So the question is what is the goal of the content? If it is to keep people coming back for short updates then short posts will accomplish that goal but are unlikely to bring search engine traffic. Most posts don’t anyway. If you want search engine traffic you need to have long, comprehensive posts or pages that attract incoming links.

      One of the reasons content writers are in such strong demand is that if you want your long, comprehensive posts or pages to rank they need to have other content on additional domains linking to them. That isn’t going to happen magically as the most likely page to get linked is the one that is already ranking. If you want those links you need to know the writers well enough for them to know to search your site specifically to find that type of content.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Do Not Let Your Images Blow Up Your BlogMy Profile

      Reply

  7. Great articles. I have already spent 2-3 hours reading your blog and I must say that this blog is awesome 🙂

    Reply

  8. I’m still new to this blog. I’ve been here for 2 weeks and I have seen lots of juicy information and content already. It’s the best of Growmap. Keep it up guys.

    Looking forward for more of the best.

    – Val Adams

    Reply

  11. I appreciate the list.. Will do more comments on Small business list!
    We’ll be looking forward for more of your list.. thanks! 😉

    Reply

  13. I learned a lot from the information and comments posted here. It was enriching to learn more on Growmap Resources. I hope to explore and learn the unknown. It’ll be always a pleasure to read such articles.

    Reply

  14. Hi, thanks so much for all the links, like Christopher Roberts, a previous commenter said, this is making it too easy – but don’t stop with all the great links! I am just off to read “What NOT To Do With Your Existing Web Site When You Upgrade or Remodel” as I think I have messed up big time with one of my sites! Hopefully this will help me figure out where I have gone wrong.
    Bookmarked and saved!
    Alison would love you to read ..A Heartworm Story With A Happy EndingMy Profile

    Reply

  18. Ok. I’ve got a couple Red Bulls and I’m strapped in for a good long read. Thanks for sharing these posts. I’ve only recently stumbled onto your blog and now I feel I’ve hit the jackpot.
    james would love you to read ..Weight Loss 4 IdiotsMy Profile

    Reply

  19. Very useful info. These is exactly what I was looking for and it`s what I need if I am to become more than an amateur photographer. Thanx and keep up the good work.

    Reply

  20. Unlike to some statements, better informed blogs still grab in subscribers including me. My first time here. I found so many interesting articles in your posts especially its discussion. The many replies reveal I am not alone that thinks this way

    Reply

  22. This a great resource page for any blogger who is just getting started. Your tips touches all the bases for promoting a website in today’s Web 2.0 environment. A website does no good without traffic, and it takes a lot of work to get good positioning on search engines. I’ve used some of your tips for my San Diego real estate site.

    Reply

  23. Fabulous! all the articles are really worth of a read, with recession small business units need proper guidance to keep fighting which they can get from this list of articles…cheers!

    Reply

    • Thank you. I hope you’ll share this page and our blog with any other business owners and bloggers you know. You can use the post I’m featuring in CommentLuv for this reply to connect with us across Social Networking communities and find us in blog directories like Technorati and elsewhere.
      .-= growmap´s last blog ..Who Can You Benefit by Sharing GrowMap? =-.

      Reply

  24. Thanks for this post. I am fairly new to blogging and getting my post listed in Google and stuff is something that I have not done successfully yet with my blog. So this has helped me a lot and i am checking all this links slowly.

    Reply

    • Hi Shane,

      The fastest way to get new content listed is to have someone link to it from a page that is already in the search engines on a site that gets crawled regularly. Commenting in a dofollow blog might even work.

      Your site is indexed at Google. You can confirm that by searching on any unique content on your page. I used “Your Home’s Sale in 10 Days”. Your challenge will be getting it to the first page for phrases that are important to you.

      See the post I’ve featured in CommentLuv for how to figure out which search phrases those are and how to track your progress.
      .-= growmap´s last blog ..Search Engine Positions: Easy Free Ways to Track =-.

      Reply

  25. This is great Gail! This type of listing makes it easy to navigate. I wish I could locate more quality sites like yours. Full of great information and easy to navigate. I learn something each time I stop by. Thanks again!
    .-= Tim @ Classic Car Auto Insurance´s last blog ..Collector Car Insurance Application Hints =-.

    Reply

    • Thank you Tim,

      I do share my methods with others so that they can create well-organized reference sites out of their best content too. Whenever you have something specific you’re seeking that relates in any way to online marketing try using eMarketingMatador’s eMarketing Search Engine.

      That search engine was created by Keith Hagan to search only specific high quality sites he selected. I use it when I can’t remember where I read something or I am researching on a particular topic.

      I also use the Zuula blog search function to find the most recent, relevant blog posts on any search. Just click on the blog tab to use it.
      .-= growmap´s last blog ..Search Engine Positions: Easy Free Ways to Track =-.

      Reply

      • Great! I’ll check both the eMarketing Search engine and Zuula. I’m learning more every week. Thank again Gail.
        .-= Tim from Classic Car Auto Insurance´s last blog ..Collector Car Insurance Application Hints =-.

        Reply

  26. i think all this shows your great effort towards the establishment of Growmap and it seems to be very inspiring and i will definitely try to make use of it. keep it up

    Reply

  27. A lot of useful information in those links, thanks. I feel that it might even be too much for me to “digest” in just one week.

    Reply

    • Hi Tanmay.

      You can take as long as you need. We’re not going anywhere. The good thing here is that you can get answers to any questions the posts may raise.

      Reply

  29. While I was comparing blogs online, I discovered your blog – quite by accident. After reading several posts, I think this is a good blog.
    I really liked your blog!

    Reply

  30. hi GrowMap,
    Just wanted to let you know that I just found your comment in my Akismet folder. Don’t know why it went there instead of posting immediately, but I fished it out. Your “Friends of the Guru” exception is alive and well.
    Anyway, great summary of your great posts. BTW, what a slew of comments here. 🙂 ~ Steve
    PS. Sorry, I don’t have a twitter account (at least not yet). 🙂
    .-= Steve@trade show guru´s last blog ..Are Trade Shows Obsolete? =-.

    Reply

  31. This post really hits the mark for anyone who is just starting out in blogging for profit, affiliate marketing, and any of the topics you cover. I have shared this with our media team to help them stay more informed without having to jaunt all over the web for tutorials and advice. Thanks so much for putting it all in one place!
    .-= Daneka´s last blog ..Adsmarket and PlusTrees.org: An Innovative Reforestation Initiative =-.

    Reply

    • Welcome Daneka,

      My pleasure. That is how I see my blog – a reference resource. Would you believe that I originally started creating Web pages just to keep track of and share my own research? Don’t forget that you can ask any question you have in the comments and I will personally answer with specifics.

      Thank you for sharing this post with others.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Evaluate a Merchant Gift Affiliate Program =-.

      Reply

    • The Twitter list is handier than a post although here would be a good idea too. I may make a TweepML list so others can follow instantly. Having them in Twitter makes it easy to quickly see which dofollow bloggers have Tweeted a post I’d be interested in so I can go comment and share it. That speeds up the process.

      Oh, and check out that backlink tool mentioned in the comments of the post I’ll add to CommentLuv for this comment. I’m going to use it to keep track of my comments instead of subscribing to comments so I don’t have to manage all those emails.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..What is UP with Backlinks from Google, Yahoo, Bing? =-.

      Reply

  33. OH, I see your strategy, give em a whole lot of interesting topics to study so that they have to keep coming back. So that’s why they call you The Internet Strategist?”

    OK, it’s worked, because I haven’t time to come read them now so I’ve bookmarked it for later.
    .-= Sire´s last blog ..The Child Of God =-.

    Reply

    • Hello Sire,

      Good to see you here again so soon. Liz’ offer of a link motivated me to finally compile this post and I use it more than anyone as a shortcut to sharing specific information.

      I do my best to convey that I consider this blog a reference resource not a serial story. 🙂

      Years ago I realized no matter how well I managed ppc accounts for small businesses if their sites did not convert or their shopping cart did not work they could not be profitable. I ended up advising them on far more than just pay per click.

      It became obvious that what I was actually doing was total Internet Strategy and I changed the title on my business cards to Internet Strategist. Back then it was an uncommon term. Now it is ubiquitous.

      Only those who understand that they must continually expand and improve on what they’re doing will succeed. That was true prior to Social Networking and is far more true today.

      That is also why I am always recommending collaboration. There simply are not enough hours in the day for any one person to become an expert on everything. Better that we each understand the big picture and specialize in something and then swap that expertise for what else we need to know.

      The fast path to success is knowing who is the very best on any subject and having a relationship with them that allows you to ask specific questions and get the very best answers.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Evaluate a Merchant Gift Affiliate Program =-.

      Reply

  34. This is a great post, for novice or experts. All the crucial information in one place, under one page. Thank you for sharing

    Reply

  35. What an awesome list, I think you really deserve a biiig thanks from all of us 🙂

    Thanks for making everything so much easier with the great tips and for teaching us plenty of things, keep us updated in your future posts as well 🙂

    Reply

  36. This post is just what I needed. You have supplied me with very informative information. Now I can take what I have learned here and put it to good use.

    Reply

  37. thanks dear thanks for the post, i will surely join you in Digg, since your blog is dofollow i am adding you in my list too and soon joining you in Twitter too, it will be my pleasure to get connected with Dragon

    Reply

  38. thanks you Internet Strategist for replying me, i will definitely go to social networking sites and especially Stumble Upon.
    .-= saurabh@acdsee coupons´s last blog ..Special offer =-.

    Reply

    • Welcome Allison,

      Good to hear from another FriendFeed user. One post that isn’t included in the compilation that may interest you is my Top Ten FriendFeed Friends Challenge. Since that post is still in the Most Popular section perhaps I should add it.

      I just shared your Anatomy of a Troll post on StumbleUpon which would then send it on to Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook and Delicious (when all the third party apps work right anyway!).

      Your blog is dofollow, right? I just added you to my new DoFollow List at Twitter. I have a great idea for how to use it. By putting any do follow related bloggers in that list and then going to it you can quickly and easily support each other’s efforts, know when to drop by and comment and share new posts, and easily find other do-follow blogs.

      I just created it last night; however, I expect it to be very popular soon. I’m continually working on processes that make it easier to be consistent. I hope you’ll join in. I just shared your Personal Branding post a few minutes ago.

      If you think your readers might be interested in personalized gifts for the holidays check out the post I’m including in the CommentLuv. I’ll be posting a countdown of the top gifts sold between Nov 1 and Dec 24 last year and all affiliates are invited to change the affiliate link and reblog the post as is or make it their own.

      Bloggers can choose any products that strike their fancy, do the whole series, or just add those that appeal to them or they believe their readers would like.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Evaluate a Merchant Gift Affiliate Program =-.

      Reply

  42. i have been a regular commenter of grow map since it was come into the light.i must say that it is a great blog ,so much useful information available here.it has increased so much knowledge of mine.

    Reply

    • Thank you Saurabh,

      I appreciate all my regular readers and hope each of you will take the time to tell others about us. This is the perfect post to share with friends, co-workers, and clients or to bookmark at Delicious, Reddit, StumbleUpon and any other Social Networking sites.

      If you don’t use those I highly recommend opening accounts using the same Avatar and UserName on each. Social Networking and especially StumbleUpon can drive hundreds or thousands of visitors to sites you share.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Social Networking is NOT Chat =-.

      Reply

  43. You were write about the usefulness of this post, even the RSS subscribers like me won’t ‘find’ these gems because we only come to know about new posts.

    BTW, how did you compile the list? Just by number of visits / posts or you used things like retweets, web mentions, trackbacks? In some cases, I feel I managed to put together a perfect piece of article, but if it’s not seen by others, it’s as good or bad as a bad article that I wrote.

    The PPC and adwords posts really sound promising (from their title) 😉 off to those pages now.

    Reply

    • Welcome Brian,

      Many of the posts included in this compilation are or were appearing in the Most Popular Recently section or get major traffic usually from StumbleUpon, Twitter or FriendFeed; however, they were hand selected by me.

      The posts I selected are the final comprehensive research and recommendations for each subject. They often pull together many other posts related to that topic and provide additional reference resources.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Instantly Acquire 76 High Quality Incoming Links =-.

      Reply

  44. I was struggling to low rate of comments and posts in my site, really i got good points to promote comments and discussions from above topic how to develop comments and discussions, and i get a good list of do follow Blogs above, really resourceful informations.

    Reply

    • Welcome Betaclick,

      I went to the link in your comment but didn’t see a blog there to comment in. I suspect many bloggers would be surprised to know that 90-98% of visitors never comment. There are usually an active 2% who will greatly add to your discussions and make up the bulk of your comments. Another 8% or so are motivated to comment to obtain a link to their site or blog.

      You can only tell whether the balance of your readers gain any benefit by how long they stay on your site and how many posts they read. I encourage interaction because it increases understanding and make it more likely my readers will actually implement what I suggest.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Instantly Acquire 76 High Quality Incoming Links =-.

      Reply

  45. Awesome post btw, this one goes in the file.
    .-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..What I’m Doing – What You Should Expect In The Very Near Future. 🙂 =-.

    Reply

  46. Hey there, sorry this is so OT. My apologies for being gone so long but my current post describes it a bit. I’m ready now to re-subscribe and get back into your awesome blog! Slowly at first until I get full swing again. 🙂

    Reply

    • Good to see you back, Dennis. I hope your recovery is going better than expected. I read your latest post and see you have sites that sell products. Check out the post I’ll use in this comment as I hope it might interest you in the Gift Affiliate Program I manage for @ExecGifts.

      That post also explains how to evaluate an ecommerce store. Weak stores and those that have shopping carts that don’t work are a poor investment of any affiliate’s time because they won’t convert.

      Consolidating your blogs into one can make it easier to keep them up; however, will you lose much in the way of traffic and incoming links if you do that? You may want to leave the secondary blog up and write a post directing visitors to the other instead.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Evaluate a Merchant Gift Affiliate Program =-.

      Reply

  47. This is a really great compilation! I’m going to pass on some of the posts about making money with blogs to friends of mine because I feel that they really don’t grasp the concept. People often ask what I do for a living, and I have heard other people say that they want to start their own blog to make some money, but I’m sure it would help them out to have a clear idea.

    Reply

    • Thank you Mark. I would love to have my work benefit more people and truly appreciate those who take the time to share it with others. As I’ve mentioned before, I have made an independent living since 2000 and I’ve assisted dozens of businesses to increase their sales. It is obvious to me that most people don’t get it and aren’t clearly understanding what it takes.

      Those who want to make money with their blogs can really benefit from selecting one of the teaching courses from the How to Make Money Blogging post and doing exactly what they say to do. I know I am repeating myself but I see people leaving out very important tasks because they don’t understand their importance.

      The smallest things can make all the difference. Did you know that using “Buy Now” generates lower sales than using “Add to Cart”? That has been proven many times through testing. My theory is that “Buy Now” is more of a commitment than shoppers are ready to make at that point while “Add to Cart” gives them the option to back out if they change their minds.

      I’ve been analyzing Blog Directories all day. You won’t want to miss that new post as I have identified almost thirty directories with page ranks of 3 to 9 and thousands of visitors a month. Listing blogs in these directories can greatly increase visitors and revenue.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Instantly Acquire 76 High Quality Incoming Links =-.

      Reply

  49. Yup these are very comman tips used by the every blogger! please share some new updates, i will be waiting for your response!till then bye

    Reply

    • Hello Belly Dancing for Beginners,

      Actually they are NOT very common tips used by every blogger. Very few bloggers have access to all of the information I’ve shared in this post unless they read this blog that is. I guarantee that only the tiniest percentage of bloggers know as much as ppc advertising or Social Networking or have processes as well-defined as I have developed.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Evaluate a Merchant Gift Affiliate Program =-.

      Reply

  50. I like the link and the connect article ‘How We Increased Our Blog Traffic Over 76.63% in one month’, that article has really good points to develop traffic for my blog, and i got good dofollow links in another link above, that blogs have good PR also now……..
    .-= Suresh@How to lose Weight fast´s last blog ..Home Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly =-.

    Reply

  51. Very innovative! thanks for sharing the tips which will prove to be very helpful in future as well…

    Reply

  52. This is absolutely helpful to newcomers. I suggest you have this summary post placed in your home page where it can be quite vividly seen by newcomers. Excellent quality information and hats off to you for compiling this again for the sole purpose of visitors benefit. I am sure I have read all of them, but I dont mind reading those posts again. It will refresh my knowledge. Thanks again buddy.

    Reply

    • Hi Mack,

      I find having a compilation of the posts most often referred to very handy. I use all of the research I share so this page is as much for me as for my readers. I will definitely be linking this to the home page.

      It is good to know who my regular readers are and that what I write benefits them. Thank you for letting me know. I often wonder if anyone appreciates the hours that go into some of my posts – usually when I am laboring over a post for days on end, continually adding one more link and rewriting a section to make it just a little clearer.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Major Television Stations Feature MyLocalLookup =-.

      Reply

  53. Yeah, great it is really a pillar to like me who is doing some projects in SEO and looking to grow as jaint. I got a good dofollow links to post from the above do follow link, really resourcefull article, congrats.
    .-= john@Milan Hotels´s last blog ..Joomla! Security Strike Team =-.

    Reply

    • Hi Dan,

      I love quotes and I am sure you will find what you need here to get far more visibility for your blog. I have spent an entire year pulling all of the research together that exists at GrowMap and it was built on three decades of computer background.

      It should assist anyone truly serious about growing their business or blog. I personally apply everything I write about and test it to make sure it works.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Top How to Make Money Blogging Resources =-.

      Reply

  55. Wow! This is such an informative post. I love all the links..and your research is so thorough. Me being new into blogging only 4-5 months now…this is a treasure of information for me.
    I will have to go through all the links slowly. See I have my weekend reading source now 🙂
    I’m a little confused about the Dofollow sites. What does it mean? I have seen many sites promote themselves as Dofollow.
    Kind Regards
    Zeenat
    .-= Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s last blog ..Why Are We Here? {Inspirational Quote} =-.

    Reply

    • Welcome to GrowMap Zeenat,

      I read you at StumbleUpon and in your blog and am happy you have found your way here. Just this morning I was pondering whether the days of research I pour into many of my posts are worth it because they don’t get as much feedback as I would expect. If they help just one fellow blogger it is worth it.

      If you’ve read that dofollow post you already have your answer so I will refer others who wonder what dofollow and nofollow are all about to that post. It explains what do follow means and why we chose to have all our blogs use dofollow.

      Also see the related post about encouraging community which explains why we installed CommentLuv and KeywordLuv and how you can best use them to benefit your site when commenting here.
      .-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Social Networking is NOT Chat =-.

      Reply

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