Blog Posts that are Really Worth Reading: Found in July 2014

If you have visited my blog before, then you probably already know that each month I draw attention to the writings of other bloggers. It is not usually a long list but it is a list of articles that I have discovered during the month, articles that have really impressed me. What does it take to impress me? Well, usually something bordering on the unique and certainly something that contains actionable tips or ideas. . That is why I am so keen on case studies; they usually detail a particular strategy that has been tried and the subsequent results that were recorded.

I hope this month’s findings can serve to motivate you in your online entrepreneurial goals.

You can see my earlier blog roundups below. You will see that I missed out on publishing one for May because of  time constraints imposed by one of my niche sites.

• Blog Posts Recommended in June
• No Roundup for May
• Blog Posts Recommended in April
• Blog Posts Recommended in March
• Blog Posts Recommended in February

I usually add to the list throughout the month, as soon as I come across a real gem that I want to share with you. So, I encourage you to bookmark this page so that you can return to see future additions.

The Best of the Best Articles found in July

The following is a post that I definitely want to bring to your attention. It addresses a very topical issue, that is, whether or not one should use a private blog network (PBN) to rank niche sites.

I was particularly interested to read this article because there is so much being written generally about using PBNs. And the strategy was again brought to my attention when I was recently researching the backlink profile of competitors in a specific niche.

All of the keyword research for this niche suggested that there should be a reasonable chance to rank for the primary and secondary keywords.  However, after doing the backlink analysis of the top 10 competitors, it became obvious that some of the major contenders had won some excellent dofollow links from what appeared to be a PBN.

This is a hot issue and has been so for some time.  Many niche bloggers appear to be ranking their sites relatively quickly with the use of a PBN along, of course, with other backlinking strategies. However, how can this tactic escape future algorithm updates? What should affiliate marketers do; take the risk or stay on the safe side? And if they choose to stick to white hat strategies how can they possibly compete with the current ranking power of a PBN?  Well, there are bloggers who are tackling the ranking problem with alternatives that are worth considering. Here is a refreshing take on the subject by Karen Neicy.

Ranking Niche Sites

• A White Hatter’s Solution to the Private Blog Network
  ~ by Karen Neicy
  

  In this article, Karen describes perfectly the dilemma facing bloggers. She highlights the choices between “short term payoff” and “long term commitment” and discusses what marketers can do if they opt for the latter.

  If you have been scratching your head with respect to how you can compete with the PBN players, then I highly recommend that you read Karen’s post.

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Thumbnail image courtesy of 2nix, FreeDigitalPhotos.net