I was about to write a how-to post on trackbacks when I remembered that Susan of 5MinutesforMom.com had written a great post a while back.

What is a trackback?
A Trackback is like a remote comment.

It simply allows you to comment about another blog on your own blog and then the software lets the other blog know you’ve referenced it.

Why should you use trackbacks?

A trackback is good for both blogs. You want to use them and you want other people to use them.

The trackback allows you to continue a discussion from another blog on your own blog.

read more…

Since she’s already done all the hard work, I’ll point you there, trackback to her, and let you read her post.

I will, however, take a few seconds to say that finding a year old post and linking to it would have been very difficult to do if not for Janice and Susan having a search bar on their site. I can not tell you how many times, in two years of blogging, I’ve thought about linking to a fellow blogger’s post only to not be able to find it. I’m a pretty patient person but after searching for a post for say half an hour or so, even I give up.

Please, please, please make sure that you have a search bar somewhere in your sidebar. If you don’t have one available to you through widgets, may I suggest the Family-Friendly Custom Search Engine? You may be missing out on links and not even know it.

Updated: The Family-Friendly network has Moved to http://b-nn.com/index.php/ffnetwork-info/

I love this new option for displaying the Family-Friendly Blogroll. I haven’t added it to the JOIN page yet. I’ll do that as soon as I get a chance. I wanted to make it available now though to those who are interested. I’m guessing that a few of you will really like it.

This is what it will look like in your sidebar:

Join The Family-Friendly Network

Like it? Thought so.

This is the code you’ll need:

It should resize to fit any sidebar perfectly. Hopefully!

1) Writing! with Exclamation! Points! !
We see this a lot. Beginning bloggers are really excited about what they’re doing, and their enthusiasm generally leads to overemphasis of their first blog posts. We teach in the class that exclamation points, italics, bold, and font color and size changes are not allowed for three months. Your writing should convey enthusiasm without the use of crutches, and like pounding your shoe on the table to make a point, exclamation points usually mean you have weak writing (ed. Writing sentences that need exclamation points, but leaving them out – while clever – is lazy writing with bad punctuation. But nice try).

2) The Obligatory Get Back to Writing For Myself Post:
This is more of a social blog problem. When you build up a small audience, it’s customary in about the third of fourth month to despair that your writing has gone from self-exploration to shameless pandering to your audience. Most bloggers (myself included), have written the oh-so-silly “I feel like I’m writing for the audience instead of myself” blogpost. Usually some of your readers come to your comments and tell you how great you are, or give you advice on how to write. It’s really sad. Like a cry for help (Bonus fact: Some bloggers learn that the only way to get comments is to write such a post. That clearly is a cry for help).

3) Excessive Use of Pictures and Videos:
Pictures and video are great, and it’s wonderful that we have the ability to mashup our media, but sometimes, we use pictures and video to make up for a lack of writing. Once is okay, but when you start posting content just to pretend that you haven’t really fallen off the blogwagon, it’s time to write post number 4:

I found a new blog called brandstorming. The above three blogging mistakes are from his list of six total. I found myself nodding as I read his list. Go here to read his post in it’s entirety. Good stuff!

I’ve been blogging for two years – you might not know that when first visiting this blog – I have visited quite a few blogs in my day. In fact, by running a blogroll I have become acquainted with more blogs than I can possibly read on a daily, weekly, even monthly basis.

When someone requests that they be added to the blogroll, my first step is always to visit the blog and make sure that the content truly is family-friendly. Now that the rules are the blogroll should be displayed in the sidebar prior to contacting me, I also look to make sure that it is.

In that first visit I usually make a quick assessment as to the viability of the blog. I don’t do it on purpose, I can’t help it. I look at the blog and imediately know whether it will become popular. The content is obviously important but it’s not the only thing that is critical to popularity. There will always be a segment of the population in the blogging world that will read you no matter from what perspective you write.

What’s even more important than content is your design. If people don’t like your look they usually won’t stick around to find out what you have to say. You need to pick a design and colors that are pleasing to the eye. At least to the eye of the type of people to whom you write. If you’re Goth, by all means choose black and red as your color scheme. But a white background and dark type proves to be, in most polls, the preferred choice of readers. Use this information, it will help gain readership.

Another problem I see is the use of free blogging sites that fill the top of your page with their own advertisements. It’s annoying for a reader, especially if it makes navigation confusing. If you must use a free service choose wisely. And make sure the free service allows comments without registering for an account. Also try to use a service that allows javascript so that you can join blogrolls and promote your blog.

One more thing about the free blogging services, no one who is promoting a business or attempting to start a business should use these free services. From a customer stand point – and I’ve heard this said more than once – it’s tacky. If you don’t believe in your business enough to invest $9.00 a month to run your own blog/website no one else will either. At the very, very least, you must begin with purchasing your own domain name. Many have found that after spending hours upon countless hours building recognition and links that they have to start over when they finally decide to purchase their own name.

We like to think that in life, looks don’t matter. The thing is that they do and people make a snap judgement based on looks even more so in Bloggityville. So take a look around your blog today and see if a little sprucing up might be in order.

Like my kids always say, “You’re cleaning? Who’s coming over?”

Because in bloggityville, company is always stopping by.

Okay, quick tip for new or semi-new bloggers.

Claim your blog in Technorati. It’s really quite easy and it helps everyone you link to or write about. It also gets your blog noticed by others who use Technorati to search for blog posts about specific subjects. Technorati currently tracks, oh I don’t know, maybe 4 bazillion blogs. It’s a great place to find new bloggers who write about things that you’re interested in.

Did I hear someone crying? It must be that woman over there in the fetal position shaking her head uncontrollably. She obviously has herself convinced that she couldn’t possibly do this without some directions. Okay calm down, Sweetie. Just look below:

1. Go to Technorati.com
2. In the upper, right side of the page you’ll see the word JOIN, click it.
3. Fill out the form and follow the remainder of the prompts.
4. Once you are a member search for your blog in the search bar to ensure no one else has already claimed it. I never heard of it happening but it’s a mad, mad world. You just never know.
5. Now go to the HOME page and scroll down to the bottom of the page in the left hand corner in green type you’ll see the link to Claim Your Blog. Click it and again follow the prompts.

It’s an easy process and you’ll feel all grown up when you’re done. I almost promise.

If you’re so proud of yourself that you’re bursting buttons maybe you should take on adding your blog to The Truth Laid Bear. It’s another site that helps people find you. Go ahead I know you can do it.