REW Blog 101 - Help with blog "structure"

[EFS Webmaster]

I've combed thru most of this forum but wasn't really able to find any clear direction or guidance on blog structure. For instance:

- User Pages. What is best suited for these pages vs. a traditional blog post or revelant reading links? Assuming the user pages are targeted at more static content, why would't someone just add this static / high level important content to their main site?
- Relevant Reading. It seems like most bloggers utilize this section for major keyword/anchor text links back to their primary site. Is this appropriate or the best use of this area/space?
- Categories. This part actually makes sense to me. Think about how an end user would catalog information and then make sure releavant blog postings are filed away into these neatly organized categories.
- Blog Profile. How does one go about utilizing anchor text within their profile (see an example of this here). The blog profile/settings don't seem to have an HTML option but I guess they must??

I'm assuming the answers to most of these questions will be "do whatever you think the end-user / consumer would want to see" however I thought I would at least ask these basic questions since there are a lot of people here with a wealth of blogging experience that could probably offer some good general guidelines.

Thanks!

[SEO Nick]

User Pages: IMO, these are good for about pages or maybe some information about your area that is more important than placing it in a blog post. I used to have one with youtube video of myself introducing myself and what I do. I took it down a while ago.

If you work with a specific team, you could always post who does what.. with links to their blogs/websites. (Ex. realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/seo-nick/meet-the-team.html)

Blog Profile: Just put the code in there and it will do it itself. Handy little thing that is.

[Ryan Ward]

In the Bio:

<a href="http://wwwDOTyourdomainpageofchoiceDOTcom"/>My Website</a>

This will be typed in just like you would type any other characters and the only thing that will show is a link with My Website as a link.

So it would be blah blah blah click to view <a href="http://wwwDOTyourdomainpageofchoiceDOTcom"/>My Website</a> if you want to!

It would read:

So it would be blah blah blah click to view My Website if you want to!

[webmaster]

Ooooo oohhh I can answer all of these!

Start with USER Pages - the idea behind these (As with the listings) is that users could use REW Blogs as kind of a second stand alone site, not just a blog, so they could have static content (About me, about my blog, testimonials etc) - Some members might have terrible websites or company templates that are not flexible enough, so I imagine some users without a budget to create their own great site or have REW do it, might even use the REW Blogs profile as their main site.

Now onto Relevant Reading - I HATE IT when people try to spam that section with tons of links to the same site with different anchor text, whether to one page or many - If you read my long article on Relevant reading, it will provide the best way to use that section: Link here - http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/...rey/2416/show/

Blog profile - at this point you can insert any standard html into your profile WARNING THIS MAY CHANGE! - I am thinking I might standardize this, and control what goes in there so people don't start spamming it with links, like some do with there relevant reading section. (I may be putting spam protection measures in place here to)

[Ryan Ward]

I thought that side (top right) was all nofollowed or 302'd or something. I remember reading a thread between you and someone about that...I put it there because I have found that people like to click Keller Williams

[webmaster]

Ryan,
I take no issue with the single link you have in your signature on your blog - that is not abuse in my mind - abuse would be creating a bunch of static links that were not conducive to the user experience placed there solely to artificially inflate pagerank or link popularity.

I thought that side (top right) was all nofollowed or 302'd or something. I remember reading a thread between you and someone about that...I put it there because I have found that people like to click Keller Williams

[Morristown]

Some members might have terrible websites or company templates that are not flexible enough, so I imagine some users without a budget to create their own great site or have REW do it, might even use the REW Blogs profile as their main site.

EFS
A good example of using the REW blog profiles as your main site is this.

Summit NJ Real Estate


Jim

[webmaster]

Case in point: Check out this blog: http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/...t35/2480/show/

This user hasn't taken the time to write a bio, or add a photo, etc yet somehow they managed to create themselves a TON of keyword loaded, spammy links to their site.

Check out the post - no meat, no potatoes, but WHOA more links! And lemme guess, they all point to the same domain just different pages right?

This user is new, and will be contacted regarding our rules, if he keeps it up after a friendly education on how NOT TO SPAM REW BLOGS, he will be banned.

That is the kind of pure crap that pisses me off - you give something to someone that they can make great, but instead they put in the minimum amount of effort and attempt a maximum amount of link spam.

[Ryan Ward]

I think Dwayne might just be in it for the links and not for the true benefit of the blog and what it can do by itself. It could be immensely beneficial to him if he used it properly. What do you do with blog users who jsut do this? Delete the user?

[webmaster]

Suspend the account - delete the links