My email inbox probably looks like your email inbox, so I'm always looking to ditch regular transmissions from publications, blogs and such. A few months ago, I decided to shift most of the subscription email to RSS, retaining only 10 regular email products.
Here are the 10 that remain. (Linkbait disclosure: Yes, it's a top 10 list.)
Subscribe to these -- via email or RSS -- read what comes in every day, and I guarantee you'll be up to speed on pro blogging, search engine optimization, Internet tech, social media and the like. I'm always amazed at how much is going on.
The newsletters list will change, as I add and subtract to stay at a perfect 10. I'll post the coming and goings on this writing blog -- why I added this and why I hit delete on that.
1. Dosh Dosh -- First on this list because it was the first pro-blogging site I tracked after quitting my day job. Maki, a philosophy student from Toronto, uses the graphic concept of marking each post with a piece of anime art. A while back, he shifted from quick tips and news to in-depth articles such as “How to Build a Better Content Model for Your Site: Understanding News Consumption Patterns” and “Publishing for Profit and Influence: It’s All About the Passion.” A class act. Highly recommended for beginners and intermediates.
2. SEO Design Solutions -- A relative newcomer to my inbox of the elite. This Chicago-based search engine optimization outfit writes a mean blog that’s mostly instructional. The target audience appears to be wanna-be SEOs and people who handles web sites for their business. These posts help me find new ways of communicating complicated concepts to clients. Recent topics include “Creating Synergy With Your Content” and “20 Practical SEO Tips to Supercharge Your WordPress Blog.”
3. High Rankings Advisor -- From another web-traffic shop, this one run by SEO queen Jill Whalen. The newsletter comes twice a month -- not nearly enough -- and it would be nice if there were more content -- but it’s a must-read. Free advice from a woman whose services come at a small fortune per hour. Recent topics include “Will Linkbait Ruin the Internet?” and “Do We Need SEO Standards?”
4. Andy Beard -- Another of my early blogging blogs. Andy writes some pretty high-end stuff -- think grad school for webmasters and SEOs. That’s when he’s not railing against the crums and bullies of the Web, which is pretty much most of the time. He carries the banner for bloggers from overseas who have to deal at a distance with U.S. outfits such as Google.
5. ProBlogger -- Darren Rouse says: “This site is dedicated to helping other bloggers learn the skills of blogging, share their own experiences and promote the blogging medium.” A bit understated, but OK. The blog serves people who want to make money from blogging, no easy trick. Rouse, an Aussie, shares information on how much he makes, where it comes from and which strategies are working for him now. Recent topics include: “How I Make Money Blogging” and “What’s a Blog Post Worth.” Essential.
6. Search Engine Land -- The RSS/email service “SearchCap: The Day in Search” delivers pretty much all the news that matters to the blog/SEO/SEM community -- which is more content than you’d expect. From Danny Sullivan, an industry star. Categories include “Link Building,” “Paid Search and Contextual,” “SEO and SEM” and “Social Media.” A lot of the content comes from mothership Search Engine Journal, but any source will do in the name of totality.
7. Silicon Alley Insider -- The Wall Street Journal for digital business. Everything boils down to money, so of course I love it. The information proves useful in my editorial ventures and in my investing life. Lively writing and plenty of exclusives. Only a year old, but you'd never be able to tell.
8. Search Engine Roundtable -- When buzz is building on the SEO/SEM forums, you’ll get a heads-up from these guys. News and notes put together by reps from the leading search engine marketing-related forums. A typical item points to a thread in the DigitalPoint Forums or Webmaster World (both recommended). Some items are kind of pointless bitching or just open-ended questions, but that’s life in the forums for you.
9. Shoemoney -- Jeremy Schoemaker became famous with a simple bit of inspired marketing: He posted a picture of himself holding up a check from Google AdSense for $133,000. The blog is all about making money, operating on the Internet and … Jeremy Schoemaker. Oh, and mixed marital arts fighting and whatever else the host is into. On Fridays he emails you a picture of himself wearing someone’s logo T-shirt and calls it a day. And still, I subscribe.
10. Tech Crunch -- “A weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies.” Michael Arrington’s blog (with many contributors) knows what’s what with aps and gadgets and handy new web tools. If something’s going on in web tech, you’ll read it here. A financial site, mostly. Essential reading for blog pros and anyone else trolling for a living on the web. Here’s the place to track the next Twitter or iSomething.
Recent evictions:
johnchow.com -- all john, all the time
copyblogger.com -- too obvious and too frequently wrong
Incredibly, Write for Blogs didn't make the top 10. Subscribe to my email/RSS anyway -- it's above average and guaranteed to never clog your inbox.
3 comments:
I find Andy's and Darren's content interesting. I've gotten in touch with both of them separately before.
However, I like Shoe's stuff more engaging. He's got a certain funny twist to his writing that keeps me coming back.
I have also been receiving updates from Andy's blog and I admit that I am learning a lot of stuffs and updates in SEO from reading his posts.
White Label SEO
nice list, thanks!
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