Blogging is not a new term in marketing but to my surprise, still not embraced by every company out there even though it is one of the best ways to increase your chances of being found on the web. Having a website will not necessarily get you found online but having a website with a blog attached and great content that is updated frequently is an absolute way to increase your chances of being found and being noticed by the search engines.

A blog works with your website and is updated frequently because every post you make to your blog, becomes a new webpage and shows activity on your site. When the search engines send out their spiders to look for new content, it immediately picks up new pages. Search engines love new content that is why they love blogs and the single reason you should be posting to your blog a few times a week. The more often you post, the more often the search engine will come around to index your website.

There are some guidelines that you want to follow to ensure search engine success:

1) Your blog should share your domain name so your website will get credit. If you host your blog on a blog site that utilizes their domain, you will get no credit for your activity. Make sure your blog is listed in your main directory like http://www.mydomain.com/blogname.

2) Your blog name should contain rich keywords. Try to make it about your niche but be general enough to appeal to a larger audience.

3) Your blog content should contain rich keyword text to optimize each post. Use keywords in your post title and repeat them again throughout your blog.

4) Link your blog post and text with anchor text and links.

5) Name the images in your blog with keyword rich names.

6) Review your "H" tags in your blog and make sure they are rich in keywords

7) Keep posts on one specific topic and about 250 words.

8) Each time you post you should "ping" your blog to let the blogosphere know there is fresh content. Try http://pingomatic.com.

Make a commitment to blogging and updating your blog at least twice a week so you keep the search engine spiders interested and keep your posts focused, personal and informative. You will soon build a following of interested readers who will link back to your blog increasing your online visibility.