Steve Rubel on Technorati Rankings: Bloggers, Don't Let it Get You Down, Just Stay Focused on Quality
Steve Rubel, MicroPersuasion
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Steve Rubel: I think that the opportunity the newspapers have is to really become part of this community. They have to kind of find a way to build a bridge with the people that are around them and I think a lot of them are doing that well and I think their big opportunity is to really to help the community make money. And that’s gonna be very hard for them. They’re not gonna want to share that wealth, but I think if they do, and do it well, you know, the rising tide will kind of lift all the boats together.
Andy Plesser: So you think for mainstream media, the opportunity is to harness community content or to present their authority in a different way?
Steve Rubel: I think, for them, it’s to really to turn their sites into a place where people can connect with each other and do that to their benefit, which is, you know, which – and they have to decide what that motivation is, but that motivation, very often, is to make money.
You know, pennies to a newspaper is dollars to a blogger. And so that is a – they should look at that and say, “Hey, you know, if we really help people make money and also help them connect within – and be part of that community, we’re gonna win.” And no one’s grabbed that yet. It’s – we’ve seen some experiments. The Washington Post is beginning to do that.
Andy Plesser: How are they doing that?
Steve Rubel: They have a blogable advertising program where you can actually go and if you sign up as a blogger, you can then, you know, somebody can actually come in and say, “I want to advertise on one of these different blogs.”
Andy Plesser: Sort of like ____net does in a sense.
Steve Rubel: Except those bloggers, you have to be – you actually have to be on staff there or part of that network and be in that and accepted.
Andy Plesser: I see.
Steve Rubel: This is actually, I think, much more open.
Andy Plesser: I see.
Steve Rubel: Yeah.
Andy Plesser: So let me ask you this. I get depressed sometimes about my Technorati rankings.
Steve Rubel: You get depressed about your Technorati - (Laughs)
Andy Plesser: And I was looking at Technorati the other day and I’m gonna speak to Pier Hirschberg about this. But, for example, Techmeem, which I think is fantastic –
Steve Rubel: It is.
Andy Plesser: And some of us are Techmeem junkies and addicts and all that sort of thing. Their Technorati ranking is number 35,000, which I find astonishing. What does the Technorati ranking mean in terms of authority in your mind? Is it really – how significant is it? And should I get depressed in the mornings I don’t go ______.
Steve Rubel: Well, you know, I really don’t try to think a lot about Technorati rankings because I think it’s just, you know, if you – again, if you’re providing, you know, high value content that people want, it doesn’t matter how many links you’re getting. It doesn’t matter. As long as you’re fulfilling the wishes of your audience. And I think that’s what you have to look at above and beyond everything and if you’re doing that and doing that consistently, you know, you will get links and accolades. But if you’re – if you’re doing it just for that, it’s the wrong reason. So I, you know, try not to pay attention to that and just really do – just put out there a good product that people want.
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